Helping Students Learn to Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information Through the “Who is Ms. Hart?” Project

In our Grade 6 science program, Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information is not just a standard on paper. It is a habit we intentionally build, starting with projects like Who is Ms. Hart?
During this project, students obtain information by collecting data from videos, classroom observations, student feedback, and clues hidden around the room. They evaluate information as they sort which evidence is relevant, reliable, and strong enough to support a claim about my MBTI type. Finally, they communicate information by writing a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) paragraph that clearly states their claim and defends it with organized, cited evidence.
Students often find it challenging to move beyond simply stating opinions like "I think Ms. Hart is" to using evidence effectively. By practicing this SEP in a low-stress, engaging context, they learn:

• How to gather data from multiple sources, not just Google or a textbook
  
• How to analyze and filter evidence for relevance and strength
  
• How to construct logical, evidence-based arguments in clear writing
  

Projects like this lay the groundwork for analyzing weather data, evaluating claims in Earth science, and tackling more advanced research tasks later in middle school. They help students see that obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information is a skill for science and for life.

Try This in Your ClassroomAs you plan upcoming units, consider these questions:

• How will your students gather evidence themselves?
  
• What tools will you provide to help them evaluate which data is strongest?
  
• How will they communicate their findings clearly and confidently?
  

Building SEP skills takes time and repetition. Projects like Who is Ms. Hart? make this work engaging, structured, and practical for your students.