Lesson 22: Flex Research: Can I Trust This Source?

Take out your research question and source lead from the previous lesson. In the previous lesson, students moved from a broad topic to a focused, researchable question about community and belonging, as well as identified a preliminary source. Today, students test whether that first source truly helps answer the question and begin taking notes they can trust. This matters because strong research depends on choosing sources carefully and using other people’s ideas responsibly.

Think-Pair-Share

Have students place their research question at the top of their journal paper and underline two important keywords before they talk.

Say these Directions: Look at your research question and the source you brought today. First, silently read your question and circle the words that tell what you most need to learn. Then you will turn to a partner and explain whether your source seems like a strong match, a partial match, or not a match yet.

• Ask: What makes a source actually useful for a research question?

  • A useful source answers the question I am asking, not just the general topic. It should connect to my keywords, and I should be able to tell who wrote it and why.

Connection to Today's Learning:

• Say: You will now learn a simple way to test a source before using it and to turn source information into notes without copying.

Say these Directions: Take out the Evaluating News/CARP organizer to use the four criteria noted there to help decide whether a model source deserves a place in your research notes.

Read aloud the teacher model source “Middle School is More Than You Think,” or display selected passages from the text, such as these:

Studies show that young adolescents are motivated when they feel their opinions matter — when they get real choices about their learning and their lives. At one school in Virginia, students were given the freedom to choose their own projects, work with friends, and design how they spent their time. Those students scored above average on measures of emotional well-being.

Middle school brains are wired to learn through social interaction. Research shows that students actually have deeper conversations — about real ideas — when they're with their friends. Yet many schools reduce recess and group work right at the age when students need it most.

Teach:

My research question is: “How do after-school clubs help middle school students feel a stronger sense of belonging?” First, I check whether the article actually answers that question; it does, because it talks about students finding a place to follow their interests and experience social interaction, as well as how they spend their time at school. Next, I use CARP: the article is current enough, I can identify the author, it includes studies about student interaction and belonging, and its purpose is to inform readers. When I write notes, I either close the source and restate the idea in my own words or I copy the exact words with quotation marks and the source name.

• Ask: Based on CARP, should we keep this model source or replace it? Which check helped you decide most?

  • We should keep it because it includes information about how middle-schoolers benefit from social interaction and shared projects. The reliable check helped me most because the article includes research and quotes from experts, not just one person’s opinion.

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

• Research Question: How do after-school clubs help middle school students feel a stronger sense of belonging?

• Current: This was published recently, so the information is likely up to date for this topic.

• Author: A trusted website is named.

• Reliable: Two researchers are included, along with background information about brain development and school situations.

• Purpose: To inform readers about why middle school is an important time for student growth and connection

• Decision: Keep this source, but find an additional source that talks specifically about clubs.

Say these Directions: Take out the Research Notes: Quoting and Paraphrasing organizer. These are note-taking strategies you can use. We will record source information beside every note so we always know whose ideas we are using. A paraphrase puts the idea into your own words, and a quote keeps the author’s exact words inside quotation marks.

Model writing out a direct quotation from the passage, and then model paraphrasing a key idea. Provide examples as needed:

• Direct Quote: “At one school in Virginia, students were given the freedom to choose their own projects, work with friends, and design how they spent their time. Those students scored above average on measures of emotional well-being.”

• Paraphrase: When students in Virginia were enabled to spend time with friends on things that mattered to them, they felt better emotionally.

• Ask: What is the difference between copying, paraphrasing, and quoting?

  • Copying is taking the author’s words without showing they came from a source. Paraphrasing means I close the source and restate the idea in my own words. Quoting means I use the author’s exact words and put them in quotation marks with the source name.

Connection to Today's Learning:

Students are ready to test their own source and then record notes in a way that keeps ideas accurate and traceable.

Part A: Keep It or Replace It? (W.6.8) (15 minutes)

Turn and Talk

Teacher Guidance: Students work first on their own CARP organizer and then briefly share their keep/replace decision with a partner.

Say these Directions: Read your source and your research question side by side. On the CARP organizer, decide whether the source is current enough, who the author is, whether it seems reliable, and what its purpose is. Then decide: keep this source, replace this source, or keep it for only part of your question.

• Ask: Does your source directly answer your research question, partly answer it, or miss it? Which CARP check helped you decide?

  • My source only partly answers my question because it talks about school lunches and socialization in general, but not specifically about how this helps students build friendships. The relevance check helped me decide because some of my keywords match, but not all of them.

• Say: When you talk with your partner, start by reading your question aloud. Then explain your keep/replace decision in one or two sentences and listen to your partner’s reasoning.

Part B: Notes You Can Use (W.6.8, W.6.9) (15 minutes)

Teacher Guidance: Students who kept their source begin note-taking. Students who replaced their source return to the preview packet, choose a stronger match, and then begin note-taking from that source.

Say these Directions: Now use the Research Notes organizer. Record the full source information first. Then add at least two notes: one paraphrase in your own words and one short quote with quotation marks. Write the source title beside each note so you can trace where the idea came from.

• Ask: Which note is in your own words, and which note uses the author’s exact words? How did you show where each idea came from?

  • My paraphrase is in my own words: According to the source, students who share a lunch routine with the same friends every day feel more connected and happy afterward. My quote is the exact wording that “[quote from source],” and I used quotation marks and the source title to show where it came from.

Turn and Talk

Say these Directions: Share one note with your partner. Your partner should listen for two things: Did you put the idea in your own words or use a quote correctly, and did you include basic attribution?

Ask: What revision will make your note clearer or more accurate?

• I need to add the source title to my paraphrase because right now I wrote the idea, but I did not show where it came from. That will make the note easier to use later.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Choose at least two of the reflection prompts below and answer them in 3–4 sentences. Name your source in your response, and include one thing you learned from your evaluation or note-taking today.

• What new information did you learn as a result of today’s research?

  • I learned that my first source only partly answered my question because it talked about school lunch routines in general, not specifically about how they build friendship and belonging. That helped me see that being on the same topic is not enough. A source has to match the exact question.

• What changes, if any, do you need to make to your research process?

  • I need to check the author and purpose before I start writing notes. Today I noticed that I was ready to use a source just because it sounded interesting, but now I know I need to test it with CARP first.

• What are your next steps based on today’s work?

  • My next step is to add one more paraphrase from my source and make sure I include the title beside each note. If I find that my source is still too broad, I will go back to the preview packet and choose a stronger match.

Connection to Future Learning

In the next research step, students will build from today’s source check and note-taking work so their research becomes more accurate, more useful, and easier to synthesize.

Instruct students to:

• Reread your chosen source for 5–10 minutes. Add one additional note in your journal: either one new paraphrase or one short quote with attribution that could help answer your research question.