Engl 479 Digital Literacy Project

Running Head: ENGLISH 479 DIGITAL & MEDIA LITERACY PROJECT
English 479 Digital & Media Literacy Project:
Using Databases and Academic Journal Reviews

To Promote Healthy Research Practices
Daniel Mirocke
Pittsburg State University

ENGLISH 479 DIGITAL & MEDIA LITERARCY PROJECT Mirocke 2
Digital & Media Literacy: Journal Article Review

Class: Grade 11 English
Unit: Digital & Media Literacy, Journal Article Review
Instructor: Daniel Mirocke
Statement of Purpose: This unit will engage students in healthy research practices. Students
will first learn what classifies as a credible, and non-credible source for the use of school, and
for their own personal internet viewing. The surge of “fake news” will be discussed, and
alternatives will be looked at for common new sources for teens, like Facebook, or Twitter.
Students will learn how to use academic databases for the purpose of research. They will then
look up a topic of their choosing and write a 2 to 3 page journal article review. The review will
consist of an introduction, at least one paragraph of summary, one page of their own analysis
of the article, and a concluding paragraph. Students will get into groups when the journal is
finished, and discuss their findings. By giving them an early opportunity to thoroughly research
an academic source, they will be better prepared for when they have to do research later in this
course, and in their academic careers.
Goals and Objectives: Students will be able to better distinguish academic articles from non-
academic articles. Using the databases will expose them to new kinds of internet content and
research techniques. Emphasis on using these safe browsing practices will be encouraged for
their casual internet browsing as well. Learning to write a journal article will prepare them for
annotated bibliography writing, and future article analysis for research purposes. Critical
analysis skills will be developed with the review, and interpretation of the journal article.
Reviewing their articles with each other will create diverse avenues of communication between
students. Students will also learn how to site the sources using both MLA and APA styles.
Day 1: Introduction to Unreliable Sources
Objectives: Assess what kinds of research practices students use. Are they effective? Reliable?
Can students distinguish between a reliable and unreliable source of information?
Standards-
Grade(s): 11, Standard: 4.4.1. – The students use criteria to evaluate the usefulness and
credibility of sources.
Standard: 4.4.2. – The students use criteria to evaluate the accuracy of information.
Daily Writing Journal Entry- “Where do you get your news from? Have you heard of “Fake
News”?” Write for 5 minutes.
Teaching: Input- Discuss journals for 5 minutes. Evaluate if students are researching effectively.
Teaching: Modeling- Show CNN article on Donald Trump and the Koi Pond.
Teaching: Checking for Understanding- Ask students if they believe this is a reliable article.
Guided Practice- Have students get on their laptops, and have them all take a closer look at the
article, and ask if they can find two or more things that are wrong with it. Have students get
into groups and discuss their findings.
Closure- Ask students collectively what they found, and how they feel about it.
Independent Practice: students are to go to dhmo.org or zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/ and be

ready to discuss the websites at beginning of class tomorrow
Materials- journals, laptops
Duration 50 minutes
Day 2: Introduce the Journal Article
Objectives: Discuss the two “hoax” websites the students were to visit as homework. Then
introduce the journal article project, and show preliminary research suggestions.
Standards- Grade(s): 11, Standard: 4.4.1. – The students use criteria to evaluate the usefulness
and credibility of sources.
Daily Writing Journal Entry- Have students write about the website they went to. Write for 5
minutes
Teaching: Input- Discuss these “hoax” websites, and get their reaction. Introduce the Journal
Article Project with Handout. Discuss the handout
Teaching: Modeling- go to a reliable database, and find a topic to discuss; I’ll choose baseball,
because it’s what I will be modeling tomorrow with my own journal article.
Teaching: Checking for Understanding- ask students how I navigated to the database, get
preliminary reactions to how this differs from the way they usually search the internet.
Guided Practice- have students choose a random topic from a list on the board, and then get
into groups and discuss.
Closure- Layout tomorrow’s class period which will be about how to write a journal review.
Independent Practice- students should go over the journal article handout, and be prepared
with questions for discussion tomorrow
Materials- journals, laptops, journal article handout
Duration 50 minutes
Day 3: Introduce the Journal Article/ Further Database Instruction
Objectives:
Standards- Grade(s): 11, Standard: 4.4.1. – The students use criteria to evaluate the usefulness
and credibility of sources.
Daily Writing Journal Entry- What are your questions/concerns about reading and writing
about the journal?
Teaching: Input- Discuss what reservations students might have, and try to answer them as
best as possible
Teaching: Modeling- I will then go to a reliable database, and find a topic to discuss; I’ll choose
baseball, because I have already prepared an article that I wrote about. I will make clear
connections to the handouts directions, and my own writing. I will demonstrate how one part is
summary, but the reader interpretation of the material is more important. This will take up the
majority of class time today.
Teaching: Checking for Understanding- see if any of the questions students had before I
modeled are still present.
Guided Practice- have the students begin brainstorming what topics they would like to research
Closure- tell students to be prepared to work in the library for the next two class periods, try to
answer any final questions.
Independent Practice- Students will come to the library tomorrow with a list of topics they
would like to research
Materials- journals, laptops, my journal article, journal article handout
Duration 50 minutes
Day 4: Library Day 1- Picking a Topic
Objectives: Team up with the librarian to answer any further questions about good research
databases, and how to interpret their articles.
Standards- The students identify specialized sources of information, such as databases,

professional publications, university libraries, and national experts.
Daily Writing Journal- Write about several of the topics you wrote down last night. Tell me why
you would want to research those topics.
Teaching: Input- My input will be limited today, I want the students to realize that the library is
not just a resource for books, but for digital resources as well. The librarian and I have prepared
an appropriate presentation that will bolster the topics already discussed in class.
Teaching: Modeling- visiting more databases.
Teaching: Checking for Understanding- ensure the students can navigate the databases
efficiently.
Guided Practice- Students will have the rest of the hour to look for articles on their topics.
Closure- Answer any lingering questions, then tell students that they will be meeting in the
library again tomorrow. Explain homework.
Independent Practice- Students need to have narrowed down to one topic by tomorrow.
Duration 50 minutes
Day 5: Library Day 2- Narrowing Down A Topic
Objectives: Every student will attempt to have a research topic OK’d by me by the end of the
class period.
Standards- W.11-12.7. – Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer
a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the
inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
Daily Writing Journal Entry- Write about the one topic you have chosen to research. Write for 5
minutes
Teaching: Input- Discuss what topics students are considering, and which may or may not be
appropriate for study. Discuss for 5 minutes
Teaching: Modeling- I will have my journal article that I have already shown students. I will
make sure to point out that my journal article fits the criteria, because it is not just about
baseball, but Negro Leagues Baseball.
Teaching: Checking for Understanding- write this question on the board:

What do I want to know about _______?
Guided Practice- Students will then use the next 15 minutes of the class period to answer this
question in their journals to the best of their ability. They will use the database to narrow down
a topic
Closure- Go to the students individually, and see if they have narrowed down a topic. OK the
topic, and tell the class to prepare to work in the library the next couple class periods.
Independent Practice- READ your selected journal article over the weekend, and write the
introduction paragraph and summary draft of it for Monday.
Materials- journals, laptops, my journal article
Duration 50 minutes
Day 6: Summary Revision
Objectives: Have students use class time to revise the first part of their paper.
Standards- Grade(s): 11 RI.11-12.10. – By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary
nonfiction in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at
the high end of the range.
Daily Writing Journal Entry- What was different about reading this journal compared to what
you normally read? Write down any higher-level words, or phrases that were confusing to you
that you would like to go over in class, or with peers. Write for 10 minutes.
Teaching: Input- Use the daily journal question to facilitate class period.
Teaching: Modeling- Show revision made to my own article, and show how I used the handout
to help decide what information was most valuable.
Teaching: Checking for Understanding- Ask one student to share their journal in front of the
class, so we can take a look at what should be done to revise.
Guided Practice- This will be self-revision, but the students will have opportunity to get input
from me if they are having difficulties.
Closure- Answer any other questions about the project, and have tell students to be ready to
write for the next two class periods.
Independent Practice- Begin writing the reflection/analysis portion of your journal article
review.
Materials- journals, laptops, handouts
Duration 50 minutes
Day 7: In Class Writing Time and Conferencing Day 1

Objectives: Have students work on the journal article review in class giving help when needed.
Standards- Grade(s): 11, W.11-12.7. – Conduct short as well as more sustained research
projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow
or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Daily Writing Journal Entry: What is the thesis of your paper? How will this affect your
analysis? Write for 5 minutes
Teaching: Input- Begin the class by asking if there are any further questions or concerns about
the writing assignment before they continue. Then jump right into writing the analysis portion
of the paper.
Teaching: Modeling- I can show them the necessary steps for analysis.
Teaching: Checking for Understanding- I will be available to check any work the students want
to have checked
Guided Practice- Students will be writing the whole class period.
Closure- Assess student progress, and prepare to finish writing tomorrow.
Independent Practice- Students may work on the assignment out of class if they like, but it will
still be revised in class tomorrow even if they finish.
Materials- journals, laptops,
Duration 50 minutes
Day 8: In Class Writing Time and Conferencing Day 2
Objectives: Students should have the assignment finished, or nearly finished by the end of the
class period today.
Daily Writing Journal Entry- Where are you at in your writing? Write briefly, only a couple of
minutes.
Teaching: Input- Begin the class by asking if there are any further questions or concerns about
the writing assignment before they continue. Then jump right into writing the analysis portion
of the paper.
Teaching: Modeling- I can show them the necessary steps for analysis.
Teaching: Checking for Understanding- 25 minutes in, stop class and assess where students are
at for 5 minutes. Have them ask any further questions, and conference with students who need
it.
Guided Practice- Students will be writing for the remainder of the class period.
Closure- Briefly discuss what’s on the agenda for tomorrow, then make sure to congratulate the
students on the hard work they have done writing the past two days.
Independent Practice- Finish writing if you need to. Have the journal article ready for the
activity tomorrow.
Duration 50 minutes
Day 9: Journal Article Citation
Objectives: Students should have their journal article cited by the end of the class period.
Standards- 1.2.6. – The student cites references for all sources of information and includes
summarized and paraphrased ideas from other authors (Ideas and Content: prewriting,
drafting, revising: N, E, T, P) .
Daily Writing Journal Entry- What is the correct MLA 8, or APA source citation for your Journal
Article? (If you don’t know then don’t write anything)
Teaching: Input- The daily entry is the goal for the day. Learn how to cite the journal article.
Teaching: Modeling- Use the Purdue OWL to show the correct way to cite a source without
using a citation creator.
Teaching: Checking for Understanding- Ensure that students know why they have to cite the
source (plagiarism would already have been covered the first week of class).
Guided Practice- Have the students go to the Purdue OWL themselves, and create an MLA
citation for their paper, and an APA citation for practice.
Closure- Make sure students have correctly applied the citation to the paper, and if their papers
are still not finished, then they need to talk with me after class about any problems they may
be experiencing.
Independent Practice- complete the paper if it is still not done; otherwise, be prepared to
present your articles to your groups tomorrow.
Duration 50 minutes
Final Day: Group Discussions
Objectives: Have students get into groups of 3 and discuss their articles with each other
Daily Writing Journal Entry- You’ve worked hard the last two weeks, so tell me your favorite
leisure activity for the weekend? Write for 5 minutes.
Teaching: Input- Students will come in, and be expecting to share, so these questions will be on
the board to help facilitate discussion.
What is the article about? What is the author’s purpose? Was it good, bad? Would you
recommend it to someone? What was the most surprising thing in the article?
Students should take notes on what their classmates say, not for a grade, but for
understanding.
Teaching: Modeling- I will be walking around the classroom observing the students, and taking
notes myself.
Teaching: Checking for Understanding- I will be answering any questions needed, but this is a
student time.
Guided Practice- Each student will present for approximately 15 minutes. They will then move
on to the next group members article.
Closure- Congratulate the students on a job well done, and tell them to have a safe and relaxing
weekend!
Independent Practice- On days where there is no explicit homework, the independent practice
is to ABR (Always Be Reading).
Materials- journals, their finished article review.
Duration 50 minutes
Works Cited
Desana, Laura. “Modeling Academic Writing Through Scholarly Presentations.” Read Write
Think, www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/modeling-academic-
writing-through-1133.html?tab=2#tabs. Accessed December 8, 2017.
This article is what gave me the idea for this lesson plan, but I did not take any handouts, or
anything of that nature from it. I also got the Kansas standards that I used for this lesson plan
from the same page. I figured I would cite it for that reason.
English 11
Mr. Mirocke DUE: September 29
Journal Article Review
Objective: You will use a database to find one academic journal article to review. It can be over
a topic of your choosing; football, cooking, video games, etc. The topic will be narrowed down
into a more specific field. For example; “the topic is football, but more specifically, the article is
about the effect of concussions on players.” The article must be at least more than one page
long, so you have enough to analyze. There will be an introduction with a Thesis Statement
about the article, then you will summarize the article in one paragraph, and analyze the article
in at least one full page, followed by a concluding paragraph.
Audience
The audience would be anyone who may be interested in your chosen topic.
Guidelines
 Construct your thesis based around this question, “was the article informative, accurate,
and did it provide insight on the topic?”
 You need to quote at least one supporting quotation from the article in your analysis.
 The journal article will be cited using MLA 8, which we will discuss in class.
Formatting/Length
 Use MLA format
o 2-3 pages, double spaced
o 12 pt font
o Header with your last name and page number
My Sample Journal (which is not the same as the example)
Daniel Mirocke
Dr. Dresner
History 524
3 March 2017
Review of Shinto as a Religion of the Warrior Class
Bernard Scheid’s article Shinto as a Religion of the Warrior Class, The Case for Yoshikawa
Koretaru, discusses the evolution of Shinto from the late medieval period up to the late 17 th
century. Scheid focuses on two particular sects of Shinto that became more influential during
the period, Yoshida Shinto and Yoshikawa Shinto. While Yoshida Shinto was still being only
studied by those within the courts and priest lineages, Yoshikawa Shinto made the practices
less esoteric and spread the teachings to a wider audience. While it was surely not a national
movement, the influence of Yoshikawa Koretaru, was substantial in the ward where he studied
and even with the Shogun. Most of the article is focused on how Yoshikawa Shinto evolved
from the lineage of the Yoshida family, but ultimately does not explicitly state much on how
Shinto became a religion for the warrior class. It is however successful at giving a knowledge of
Shinto’s greater influence over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries and how Buddhism,
Confucianism, and Shinto were constantly adapting into different sects and movements. The
practice of deifying political leaders and greater influence in the sphere of political and social
thought that could have also influenced the elite warrior class of Japan.
This article comes from the Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, in an issue entitled,
“Tracing Shinto in the History of Kami Worship”. The opening of the article is about the
deification of both Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, as kami, set up the 17th century
as a transitional time for Shinto. The former being deified in a ceremony performed by Yoshida
Shinto priests and the latter deified by his personal liaison the Tendai Buddhist, Tenkai. Some
important ideas and positions proposed by the Yoshida, would begin to mark an attempt to
separate its concepts from Buddhism. Yoshida Kanemoto created the title of “master of deities”
for having control over the jingikan. Not only were they in control of kami worship which would
become important in the 17th century, but they also developed Yuiitsu Shinto, or “the one and
only way of the kami”. It was one of the first, “conscious attempts to substitute Buddhist
sanctities by the native kami” (Scheid 304). People that were seeking an alternative to
Buddhism (at least among the elite classes) now had that alternative in the teachings of Yoshida
Shinto. Kanemoto, as if he had not done enough to distance Yoshida Shinto from the Buddhist
tradition, he even had one of his sons adopted by a family of important Confucian scholars.
Although devoted native Kami worship may have been an alternative, it was still just as
esoteric, and not widespread enough to affect anyone, but the elite.
These developments set up a Shinto that could be more easily picked up by someone
not born with sacerdotal lineage, as is the case of Yoshikawa Koretaru, the focus of the article.
Born into the Samurai class and raised by merchants, Koretaru, through teachings by a senior
advisor of the Yoshida house, Hagiwara Kaneyori, became an unprecedented figure in the
Yoshida religion. Hagiwara thought Koretaru was the, “ideal vessel to spread Shinto in the
entire realm” (Scheid 311). Because he was an outsider, his ideas on Shinto, which were
influenced somewhat by Confucianism including a focus on ethics and divine interaction,
became known as Yoshikawa Shinto. The focus shifted, “towards a logo-centric conception of
religion that seeks salvation in a quest for the morally good in contrast to a mystic immersion in
ritual precedence. This shift to Neo-Confucian “rationalism” is related to a shift in the

missionary aims of Yoshikawa Shinto (Scheid 320). The largest influence of Yoshikawa Shinto
was in his region of Aizu, where he would help the deification of the daimyo Hoshina Masayuki.
This article was enjoyable to read and was exactly the kind of religion overview I was
looking for. However, although I do believe it to be very well written and factual, an argument
for Shinto being the religion of the warrior class is hard to coax out of the article. I feel that
there is more of an implication that this is the case rather than Scheid making an actual claim
that Shinto developed into the warrior class religion. Within his conclusion to the article is the
only time he makes the case of why and how Yoshikawa Shinto affected not only the warrior
class, but all the hierarchy. Scheid states in his conclusion that Yoshikawa was successful
because of the, “exploitation of the three social classes he was in touch with. Backed by the
wealth of a merchant, he (Yoshikawa) found leisure enough to indulge in sophisticated
pastimes that brought him into contact with the nobility. There he acquired traditional learning,
which he spread to the warrior elite favored by his own family background. After Koretaru,
secret texts of Shinto circled widely among his pupils, who included urban intellectuals as well
as powerful regional lords” (Scheid 320). There is a lot of time spent separating differences
between the sects of Yoshida and Yoshikawa and there affect amongst the elite class more than
the warrior class.
The argument, although not as focused on the warrior class as I would have thought,
does still use enough implicit information to construct the basic idea of how Shinto came into
the class of the Samurai. This article seems like it is part of a larger work, and this section
focuses more on Yoshikawa’s specific influence. Due to the large number of footnotes for the
length of the article, I could glean some of that implicit information that a passerby on the
subject would not be expected to know. I am sure that an expert in the field could identify
these idiosyncrasies without the use of the footnotes, but it nevertheless gave good context to
the article and the argument. Some of the sources look like they contain some of the specificity
about how the warrior class worshipped that the article itself is lacking. Overall the argument
left me wanting for more information on how the Samurai class practiced Shinto and how it
became part of their culture. The groundwork is complete on how Shinto reached the different
classes of Japanese citizens, but few specific cases aside from Yoshikawa himself, of ritual
practice, or widespread worship of the way of the Kami.

Works Cited
Scheid, Bernhard. “Shinto as a Religion for the Warrior Class: The Case of Yoshikawa Koretaru.”
Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, Jan. 2002, pp. 299–324., doi:10.18874/jjrs.29.3-
4.2002.299-324.

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Running Head: ENGLISH 479 DIGITAL & MEDIA LITERACY PROJECT

English 479 Digital & Media Literacy Project:

Using Databases and Academic Journal Reviews

Pittsburg State University

Digital & Media Literacy: Journal Article Review

Day 1: Introduction to Unreliable Sources

Independent Practice: students are to go to dhmo.org or zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/ and be

Materials- journals, laptops

Day 2: Introduce the Journal Article

Materials- journals, laptops, journal article handout

Day 3: Introduce the Journal Article/ Further Database Instruction

Materials- journals, laptops, my journal article, journal article handout

Day 4: Library Day 1- Picking a Topic

Standards- The students identify specialized sources of information, such as databases,

Teaching: Modeling- visiting more databases.

Materials- journals, laptops

Day 5: Library Day 2- Narrowing Down A Topic

Teaching: Checking for Understanding- write this question on the board:

Materials- journals, laptops, my journal article

Day 6: Summary Revision

Materials- journals, laptops, handouts

Day 7: In Class Writing Time and Conferencing Day 1

Guided Practice- Students will be writing the whole class period.

Closure- Assess student progress, and prepare to finish writing tomorrow.

Materials- journals, laptops,

Day 8: In Class Writing Time and Conferencing Day 2

Materials- journals, laptops

Day 9: Journal Article Citation

Materials- journals, laptops

Final Day: Group Discussions

Materials- journals, their finished article review.

My Sample Journal (which is not the same as the example)

influenced somewhat by Confucianism including a focus on ethics and divine interaction,

ritual precedence. This shift to Neo-Confucian “rationalism” is related to a shift in the

wealth of a merchant, he (Yoshikawa) found leisure enough to indulge in sophisticated

the warrior class.

practice, or widespread worship of the way of the Kami.

Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, Jan. 2002, pp. 299–324., doi:10.18874/jjrs.29.3-

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