Research, collect, classify, process
When you look into an issue, you use four digital information-handling skills. Research: start with a research question, then look for answers in books, in the school library or online with a grown-up. Collection: gather your facts. A word processor keeps text, a spreadsheet keeps numbers, and pen and paper work too. Keep files in clearly labelled folders for pictures, texts and tables. Classification: sort your data into groups, or draw a graph that shows the groups clearly. Processing: turn the sorted data into a result to share, such as a report in a word processor, numbers in a spreadsheet or slides in a presentation. Using the four skills in order makes any topic easier.
| Skill | What I do | Example: plastic bottles |
|---|---|---|
| Research | ask a question, look for facts | How many bottles does our class use in a week? |
| Collection | gather and keep the data | count each day, write in a table |
| Classification | sort or graph the data | sort by day, draw a bar graph |
| Processing | make a result to share | write a short report |
Four skills on one topic. Choose an issue in your community, for example plastic waste or paper use in your class. On paper write: (1) your research question; (2) where you will look for answers, with a grown-up; (3) a table in which to collect your data (two columns: day and number); (4) how you will sort it; (5) how you will share the result (report, graph or slides). Give each step the matching skill name: research, collection, classification, processing.