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Coping with Information Overload: Narrowing a Topic that is Too Broad
A common challenge for information processors is tackling a topic that is too broad for the scope of the project. The challenge can become overwhelming for middle school students because often there isn’t time to consult with teachers and library media specialists about defining a topic. As Eisenberg and Berkowitz suggest, Task Definition often becomes a problem because students don’t spend enough time on it. And, as teachers and library media specialists are aware, students who have not defined the task will not be successful in solving their information problem.
“Coping with Information Overload: Narrowing a Topic That is Too Broad” is a two-session lesson. It is designed for students in a combined 4th and 5th grade class to work together to develop a protocol for narrowing a topic that is too broad. The students document their findings by posting the protocol on the school’s website. (See “Advice from Room 12-Narrowing a Topic That is Too Broad”) http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/ae2/classrooms/room12/room12.htm Students will be able to access their recommendations from the website whenever they need to refer to them.
The 5th graders participated in a year-long interdisciplinary unit about World War II. They studied what life was like for men, women, and children around the world during the war. These 5th graders became experts about this very broad topic. As experts, they led a panel discussion about how this large topic could be broken into manageable sub-topics.
During the first session of the lesson, the 5th grade expert panel was seated in front of the class. The panel responded to the question: “If you, your friend, or your sibling were given an assignment to do a report or project about World War II, what would you suggest?” Members of the panel responded that the topic was too broad. They suggested that it would take a year (or more) to finish such a project. The panel brainstormed a list of manageable topics. The list included:
- A timeline
- One person
- One country or place
- One battle
- The Holocaust
- Japanese-American internment
- Resistance movements
- A description of what caused World War II
- A description of what happened because of World War II
- Personal stories related to World War II
During session two, the 5th grade expert panel, with help from the audience of 4th graders, brainstormed a list of strategies to use to deal with any assignment that is too broad. The results are posted (See “Advice from Room 12—Narrowing a Topic That is Too Broad” http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/ae2/classrooms/room12/room12.htm
The students in Room 12 are preparing to start a unit about the civil rights movement. Before they choose topics for individual projects, a class session in the library will be devoted to reviewing the protocol on the website and generating a list of manageable topics for this unit. When the students finish their projects about the civil rights movement, a class session will be devoted to reviewing the published protocol, and revising it if necessary.
A “Narrowing the Topic” protocol lesson could be useful when launching and concluding an information-processing unit or project. If students collaborate at the beginning to create a list of strategies and manageable topics, they can feel more confident as they start a project. If students review and document these strategies at the close of a unit, they will be able to refer to the protocol when needed. A class’ list of strategies could become a “work in progress,” posted in the classroom and on the website. Classes could review and revise the lists in the context of each applicable Big6 project throughout the year.
Note: Lynn Akin’s work inspired the author to write this article.
