Standard 6: Research

Students will engage in inquiry to acquire, refine, and share knowledge.

Reading

Students will comprehend, evaluate, and synthesize resources to acquire and refine knowledge.

Writing

Students will summarize and paraphrase, integrate evidence, and cite sources to create reports, projects, papers, texts, and presentations for multiple purposes.

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

8.6.R.1 Students will use their own viable research questions and well-developed thesis statements to find information about a specific topic.

• Students will formulate a well thought out research question based on assigned or self-selected topic. 
• Students will create a focused thesis statement.
• Students will use their research question to gather relevant sources about a topic.  

• Teachers model how to formulate a research question (e.g. The research question guides the research. Be open-ended when creating a strong research question. Don’t be too broad or narrow).

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to formulate research questions.

• Teaches monitor student’s ability to formulate research questions and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback. 

• Teachers model how to create a clear thesis statement. 

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to write thesis statements. 

• Teacher will monitor students’ ability to write clear thesis statements and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback.

• Teachers model how to use a research question to gather relevant sources. 

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to use their research questions to gather relevant sources.

• Teachers monitor and guide students to ensure that they are using their thesis statements for more focused research, and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback while still allowing them freedom to make decisions.

• Teachers will clarify how to use search engines to find resources rather than using them as an actual resource.

8.6.R.2 Students will follow ethical and legal guidelines for finding and recording information from a variety of primary and secondary sources (e.g., print and digital).

• Students will avoid taking the words of others and presenting them as their own in their finding and recording information. (plagiarism)

• Students will locate and choose credible primary and secondary sources to gather information.

• Students will cite all information following a standard format for citation (MLA, APA, etc.). 

8.6.R.3 Students will determine the relevance, reliability, and validity of the information gathered.

• Students will determine that  the information applies to the topic 
• Students will decide if the sources used are trustworthy and credible.  

• Teachers model how to determine if information is relevant to a topic (e.g. Find reliable and non-reliable sources and explain the differences between the two).  
• Teachers provide students with opportunities to find relevant information. 
• Teachers monitor students’ ability to determine whether or not information is relevant and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback.
• Teachers model how to determine if information is credible. 
• Teachers provide students with opportunities to determine the credibility of information. 
• Teachers monitor students’ ability to determine whether or not information is credible and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback.
• Teachers will explain to students that using several types of sources will make their information more reliable and their research more credible.

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

8.6.W.1 Students will write research papers and/or texts independently over extended periods of time (e.g., time for research, reflection, and revision) and for shorter timeframes (e.g., a single sitting or a day or two).

• Students will practice writing research papers and text in a variety of situations.

• Teachers model how to write for a variety of timeframes. 
• Teachers provide students with opportunities to write for both shorter and extended periods of time. 
• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on writing. 

8.6.W.2 Students will refine and formulate a viable research question and report findings clearly and concisely, using a well-developed thesis statement.

• Students will adjust and refocus their research question as information is gathered.
• Students will construct and create well-developed thesis statement to use for clear and concise report findings. 

• Teachers model how to refine and formulate a research question as information is gathered. 
• Teachers provide opportunities to refine and formulate a research question as information is gathered. 
• Teachers monitor students’ ability to refine and formulate their research questions as they gather information and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback. 
• Teachers model how to create a clear and concise thesis statement, using findings from the report.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to create a clear and concise thesis statement, using findings from the report. 
• Teachers monitor students’ to make sure they are correctly using the information gathered to create a clear and concise thesis statement. 
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to receive feedback regarding their thesis statements. 

• Students will quote (using text taken directly from the text) using proper formatting quotations.
• Students will use the correct citation format to avoid plagiarism.
• Students will paraphrase and summarize giving credit to the original source. 

• Teachers model proper formatting when using quotes from the text in a report. 
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to properly format when using quotes from the text. 
• Teachers monitor students’ using the correct format when quoting from the the text and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback.
• Teachers model correct citation format. 
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to cite sources according to a citation style. 
• Teachers help students to cite sources correctly according to the format.
• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback regarding citation.
• Teachers will provide citation formatting consistent with other teachers in the school.
• Teachers model how to paraphrase and summarize while giving credit to the original source.
• Teachers provide many opportunities for students to  paraphrase and summarize while giving credit to the original source.
• Teachers monitor students’ ability to correctly  paraphrase and summarize while giving credit to the original source.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to receive feedback regarding crediting sources while paraphrasing and summarizing. 

• Students will present a report covering the main points of the information gathered. 

• Teachers model how to present information in a report.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to report on the information they gather. 
• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on information reported.