ORGANISE - How will I organise my information?

When students have located their information and taken notes they need to answer these questions:

·        How can I best use this information?

·        Have I enough information for my purpose?

·        Do I need to use all of this information?

·        How can I best combine information from different sources?

They need to revisit the task and focus questions then look at the information they have collected.

If they don't have enough information, they need to return to the Locating step to try and obtain more information.

When they have the information they need it has to be translated into a form that suits their task.  For example:

·        If they are writing a report, information should be organised into paragraphs - with each paragraph describing a different focus question or key word;

·        If they are making a book they will plan chapters;

·        If they are describing a sequence of events they may produce a timeline;

·        If they are working on a collaborative project on the Internet they will probably use the email or a web page.

Students should prepare a DRAFT first.  This not only monitors their progress in the task but provides a way of linking their planning and notes to the finished product.  It can also help minimise the amount of plagiarism that can occur because children are required to use their notes only to complete their finished product.

Peer, self or teacher editing of the draft is essential before the final preparation is undertaken.  A checklist may help.