Lesson 23: Flex Research: Research Notes, Synthesis Claims, and Digital Citizenship

Display the following three-sentence opening script and read it aloud:

• Say: In the previous lesson, we used notes from more than one source to write synthesis claims about how different cultures explain the natural world. Today, we are asking what responsibilities come with sharing those stories and ideas, especially when we use the Internet, digital sources, or classroom publishing tools to share information from specific cultures and traditions. This matters because your final writing and seminar work should not only be accurate, but also respectful and trustworthy.

Have students take out their Research Notes organizer and synthesis claim from Lesson 22.

Turn-and-Talk

Teacher Guidance: Partners should each have their Lesson 22 artifacts in front of them. The goal is to move students from “I finished my research” to “I am responsible for how I share it.”

Say these Directions: Look at your synthesis claim and source notes. With your partner, name one idea in your writing that came from a source and one thing you think a responsible researcher should do before sharing that idea with others.

• Ask: What information in your synthesis and corroboration came from other people’s knowledge or storytelling, and what responsibility do you have when you use it?

  • My comparison of Greek and Māori stories came from research sources, not just from my own thinking. That means I should name the specific cultures, make sure I paraphrase in my own words, and include where I found the information so readers know I am not pretending the idea came from me.

• Say: Partner A, share first. Partner B, listen for the source-based idea and the responsibility. Then switch.

Connection to Today's Learning

Students have identified that research creates responsibility. Next, they will learn a clear process for checking whether their writing credits sources and communities respectfully.

Rehearse and Refine

Use the same teacher-maintained model topic from Lesson 22: how myths explain the movement of the sun and moon across the sky. Model with a short sample synthesis claim and corroboration that is too general first. Then revise it with specific attribution.

Display the following teacher model:

• Weak version: Many cultures made stories to explain the movement of the sun across the sky. The story of Malina and Anningan and the story of Helios and Selene say the sun moves because of divine figures, but for different reasons.

• Stronger version: Multiple cultures have myths explaining the movement of the sun and moon as the work of two powerful supernatural beings, describing who controls their paths and why. In both the story of Malina and Anningan and the story of Helios and Selene, the sun and moon are siblings that cross the sky. However, they do so for different reasons.

• Explain: The stronger version shows that these stories both explain a natural phenomenon, but I still need to credit the cultures they came from and cite the source itself.

Say these Directions: When checking our synthesis statements, we are going to use a simple three-part check. First, identify the sourced idea. Second, name the specific culture or community instead of using a broad label. Third, add attribution so a reader can tell where the information came from.

• Say: When I look at my first sentence, I notice that it sounds like the information belongs to me, even though I learned it from sources. A responsible researcher stops and asks, “Which part is my conclusion, and which part came from reading?” My conclusion is that both stories explain the sun, but the details about Malina and Helios came from sources, so they need attribution. I also notice that saying “both cultures” is too vague. Respectful attribution means I name the specific culture or community when I can, and I also give source information, including the author, title, and source name. This is part of responsible digital citizenship because writers often use technology and the Internet to gather, revise, and share information with others. That helps me avoid plagiarism, but it also shows respect for the people and traditions connected to the story.

• Ask: In both the weak and stronger model statements, what is missing that a responsible researcher needs to include?

  • Both are missing the source and the specific culture names. The stronger one names both cultures, but it does not tell the reader where the information came from.

• Ask: Why is respectful attribution more than just “not getting in trouble”?

  • Respectful attribution matters because these stories come from real communities and traditions. Citing the source shows honesty, and naming the culture specifically shows respect for whose knowledge I am using.

Connection to Today's Learning

Now that students have practiced the three-part check with a model, they are ready to audit and revise their own research writing.

Part A: Audit Your Research for Attribution (W.6.8) (15 minutes)

Rehearse and Refine

Students work independently first and then briefly compare revisions with a partner. The goal is to audit one or two sentences from Lesson 22 and revise them for clearer attribution and cultural specificity.

Say these Directions: Choose one sentence from your synthesis claim and corroborated statement that includes information you learned from a print or digital source. If working digitally, use comments, highlighting, or a shared document tool to mark what needs attribution before revising. Use the 3-Column Chart to copy the sentence, identify what needs attribution, and revise it so it names the specific culture or community and the source clearly.

Teach

• Say: Start with your original model sentence: “In both the story of Malina and Anningan and the story of Helios and Selene, the sun and moon are siblings that cross the sky.” Copy it into the first column so you can analyze it. In the second column, identify what’s missing — specifically, the cultures and source titles — and add that information. In the third column, revise the sentence to include those details, for example: “According to the Inuit story of Malina and Anningan retold in [text title] and the Greek myth of Helios in [text title], both cultures explain the sun’s movement as the actions of deities.” This version is still a draft, but it’s stronger because it adds specificity and clearly attributes the ideas to sources. Apply this same revision strategy to your own sentence.

Provide students this completed sample row if needed:

• Ask: What part of your sentence is your own conclusion, and what part came from a source?

  • My conclusion is that both stories explain the same natural phenomenon by saying it is caused by something moving underground. The details about Rūaumoko moving below the earth and the Japanese legend about Namazu came from my sources, so those details need attribution, including the author and title.

• Ask: How can you revise your sentence so it names the specific culture or community more respectfully?

  • I can replace “people believed” with “In a Māori story about Rūaumoko” or “In the Japanese Namazu legend.” That is more respectful because it tells the reader exactly whose tradition I am talking about.

Part B: Revise and Reflect on Responsible Sharing (W.6.8) (15 minutes)

Turn-and-Talk

Teacher Guidance: Students now use their revised attribution to write a complete, cited synthesis statement and a reflection on the changes they made. They should write first and then share with a partner for quick feedback on respect, clarity, and traceability.

• Say: As I draft, I want my writing to do two jobs at once. First, it should state my conclusion clearly. Second, it should show that I understand my responsibility as a researcher. I begin with my synthesis claim. Then I add source-based details using attribution phrases like “According to my source …” or “In my research on ...” After that, I include one sentence that explains why this matters, not just for school rules, but for respect and trust. When I reread, I check that my paragraph cites the source, names the culture or community, and makes my responsibility clear.

Say these Directions: Use your revised sentence from Part A to write a 4–5-sentence research reflection in your journal. Your reflection should 1) state your synthesis idea, 2) attribute at least one source-based detail clearly, and 3) answer the question: “What do we owe communities when we use their knowledge?”

Display the following writing model if needed for support and guidance:

Multiple cultures have myths explaining the movement of the sun and moon as the work of two powerful supernatural beings, describing who controls their paths and why. According to the Inuit story of Malina and Anningan retold in [text title] and the Greek myth about Helios and Selene in [text title], the sun and moon are siblings that cross the sky. When I share this information, I owe those communities and authors clear attribution because the stories come from real traditions, not from my imagination. Clear citation, including title and author, also helps my reader check where my information came from.

• Say: Share your paragraph with your partner orally or through a shared digital document, if available. Listen for whether the draft names a specific culture or community, includes an attribution phrase, and explains why citation matters. Partner A, read first. Partner B, give one glow and one grow. Then switch.

• Ask: How did your partner show respect for source creators and communities in their revision?

  • My partner showed respect by naming the Cherokee story specifically instead of saying “Native Americans believed” and by adding where the information came from so the reader can trace the source.

• Ask: What sentence in your partner’s draft best answers the question, “What do we owe those communities when we use their knowledge?”

  • The strongest sentence in the draft says, “I owe those communities accurate naming and clear attribution because these stories belong to real traditions and should not be treated like random information I found online.”

Say these Directions: Today you revised your research so it is more accurate, more respectful, and easier for a reader to trust. In your final project, that same habit will help you explain myths clearly and ethically when you compare stories across cultures. Think about one specific change you made today and how it will strengthen your writing or speaking later in the unit.

Quickwrite

Say these Directions: Respond to both reflection prompts in 3–4 sentences. Use at least two specific details from your revised synthesis or source list.

• What changes did you make today to use information more responsibly?

• Today I changed my writing so it named the Māori source specifically instead of saying “some cultures.” I also added an attribution phrase to show that the detail about Māui came from research, not from my own imagination. These changes make my paragraph more respectful and more trustworthy.

• What are your next steps before you share this research in your essay or seminar?

• My next step is to check my other source and make sure I have the author, title, and source name written down. I also want to revise one more sentence so it explains why both stories matter without making the cultures sound the same.

Scoring Rubric

Review one print or digital source you may use in your performance task. In your Journal or digital notes, record the author, title, and source name, and write one sentence explaining why that source should be credited clearly before you share your research.