Topic 9



Directions: Read the goal for today below and the first section called "Guiding Questions". Be certain to click the hot link "Guiding Questions" and discuss your own questions with the members of your group. Keep track of your questions because you will need them when you create your hotlist today. As a large group we will go through the steps for creating a hotlist below, however, if you have time, watch the short video tutorial below under the section called Creating a Hotlist while you are waiting for today's large group demonstration to begin.

Goal: Planning the research component--create a hotlist for student research, with specific research questions

Guiding Questions:

Sample Guiding Questions for the Research Process

Are we really what we eat?
    • How do healthy eating habits help me grow bigger and live longer?
      How do advertisements help us make our food choices?
      • What are the food groups?
        What is the food pyramid?
        What foods belong in a healthy diet?

How can I stay healthy?
    • How healthy are our school’s students?
      How can we plan and follow a healthy, nutritious, and appetizing diet?
      • What is the food pyramid?
        How do I determine calories burned?
        What is the right amount of calories for me?
        How do I count a serving size?
        How do I graphically represent data?
How can math help me understand my world?
  • Why might you need to know the metric system? 
    What difference does it make if you use inches or centimeters?
    • What are the different metric measurements? 
      How is measurement used in the real world? 
      How does measurement help you solve a problem?


Creating a Hotlist

Click this link to see a video tutorial of how to create your hotlist

If you want your students to use the great sites you find you need to get them to the sites with a minimum of typing… you can easily use your Google Docs to create a simple “clickable” hotlist

Be sure you are signed in to your Fitting It All Together Google Docs Account:


1. First, click the red "create" button and select "Document”.

2. Select the “Table” heading and click "insert" creating a 4 x 20 grid table.

3. On your Google document, type the headings, website, description, research question and image across the top four empty boxes.


4. You will add site names under the heading website. Complete as many as you can during your PD time following the directions listed here.

5. Using one of the research questions as a topic, start a search on the internet for a valuable site that students can use for researching this topic. 

6. Once you find the website keep it open while you search the web. Copy and select the URL link in the web browser bar. This link is now "Pasted" on the web clipboard.

7. Highlight and select the website title in your hotlist that will become the hyperlink to the exact webpage. 

8. Next, click and drag to HIGHLIGHT that word from your hotlist.

9. In the formating menu, click the icon that looks like a chain. 

 (If you don’t see that, go to your Insert Menu and it’s the second choice named, “link”).

10. In the popup window, type in the website title in the area "Text to Display"

11. Choose the Link to..."Web Address"

12. Paste the URL you copied in the blank area of the popup window and be sure to test the link.

13. Click "OK"

14. The selected title on your Google doc has turned blue and is underlined. That signifies it’s a hotlink to the WWW.

15. If you can paste a piece of clipart in another column then you may highlight it and then follow steps 6 – 13 and now if a student clicks on the picture it will create a link to the site.


This document can live on your desktop, on a class webpage, in your file on the server, on the intranet, you can email it to kids/staff, etc. The links are HOT as long as it is in the electronic form.


Subpages (3): Guiding Questions Task 2 Video of Hotlist
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