Lesson 25: Flex Research: Can You Trust This Source?

Turn and Talk

Have students take out the research question and source they carried forward from the previous lesson.

Say these Directions: Turn and talk with your partner to answer the following questions.

• Say: Previously, we turned broad topics into researchable questions about 1960s youth culture and social class. Today, we are testing whether the source you brought really helps answer your question and whether its information checks out. This matters because strong research helps us move beyond one point of view and better understand belonging, class, and empathy in this unit.

• Ask: What is your research question, and what makes you think your source might help answer it?

  • My question is, How did social class shape where teenagers went after school in 1960s American cities? I think my source might help because it talks about working-class teens, clothes, and where teenagers spent time, which connects to class and belonging.

• Ask: What is one thing you still need to find out?

  • I still need to find out whether my source is really focused on cities and style or if it is only about teens in the 1960s more generally.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: Students have a focused question and a possible source; now they need to decide whether that source is actually useful, accurate, and worth keeping.

Use the same teacher model topic introduced in the previous lesson so students see continuity across research lessons.

Display the teacher model topic and teacher-curated source information where students can see it.

• Say: Researchers do not trust a source just because it looks interesting. First, we test whether it actually answers the question and whether its information can be checked against another trustworthy source. Then, when we take notes, we decide whether to quote the source exactly or paraphrase it in our own words, and we always add basic attribution so readers know where the information came from.

Say these Directions: Open the Evaluating News/CARP organizer. We are going to use it to test a source step by step.

Teach: Source Accuracy, Paraphrasing and Attribution

• Say: I start by matching the source to my exact question, not just to my big topic. If my question is about social class and teen identity in Tulsa, a source about teen hangouts alone may be interesting but not useful enough. Next, I check whether one important claim can be verified in another source instead of accepting it right away. If the exact wording matters, I quote it with quotation marks; if the idea matters more, I paraphrase it in my own words. Either way, I add attribution with the author, title, date, and source type.

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

• Ask: Is the teacher model source fully relevant, partly relevant, or not relevant for the research question? What makes you say that?

  • The source is partly relevant because it gives information about working-class teens and city life, which connects to the question, but it does not focus only on Tulsa.

• Ask: When would a researcher quote this source instead of paraphrasing it?

  • A researcher would quote it if the exact words are important to keep, like a strong phrase about teens balancing school and work. If the researcher only needs the idea, paraphrasing is better.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Students have seen the process with a shared model; now they will use the same moves on the source they brought from the previous lesson.

Part A: Test Your Source (W.7.8) (15 minutes)

Think-Pair-Share

Students first complete the CARP organizer independently and then discuss their decision with a partner.

Say these Directions: Use your Evaluating News/CARP organizer to test the source you brought from the previous lesson. First, fill in your research question, source title, author, date, and source type. Then use the organizer to decide whether your source should be kept, kept with caution, or replaced.

• Say: Complete the most important parts of your Evaluating News/CARP organizer, then decide whether you will keep, keep with caution, or replace your source.

• Ask: Which one claim from your source should you verify with another source, and why?

  • I should verify the claim that many working-class teens got jobs to help pay for their clothes because that idea is important to my question. If a second source confirms it, I can trust that note more.

Say these Directions: Take one minute to share your decision with your partner. Be ready to explain your decision using the words relevant, accurate, or verify.

Part B: Take Notes Without Copying (W.7.8, W.7.9.b) (15 minutes)

Students now transfer one useful source into the Research Notes organizer. They record one paraphrase, one direct quote, and basic attribution and then connect one source detail to their understanding of class or belonging in The Outsiders.

Say these Directions: Use the Research Notes: Quoting and Paraphrasing organizer with the source you kept or kept with caution. Record your research question at the top. Then add one paraphrased note, one direct quote, and basic attribution for the source.

• Say: Complete one row of your Research Notes: Quoting and Paraphrasing organizer with the source information and a quote or a paraphrased detail from your source.

• Ask: How does one detail from your source deepen or complicate your understanding of class or belonging in The Outsiders?

  • In The Outsiders, the Greasers wear leather jackets and style their hair a certain way to show who they are and where they belong. Since many working-class teens had after-school jobs, they actually earned the money to buy their own clothes, which made their style feel more personal and important to them. This deepens my understanding of how clothing wasn't just about fashion, it was a decision teenagers made and worked hard for to show their identity.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Look back at the source decision you made and the notes you recorded today. Write three to four sentences answering both questions. Name your source and include one specific detail or claim from your notes.

• Ask: What did you learn today about your source’s usefulness or accuracy?

  • I learned that my source is useful, but not perfect. It helps answer my question because it explains how working-class teens earned money for clothes, but I still need to verify one claim about how clothes showed style and identity.

• Ask: What is your next step for your research process?

  • My next step is to find a second source that is more specific to style and social class. I also want to add one more paraphrase with attribution so I have stronger notes for later writing and discussion.

Scoring Rubric

Connection to Future Learning

In the next lesson, students will build on today’s decisions by comparing what different sources say and noticing where sources agree, disagree, or leave out important perspectives.

Instruct students to complete the following:

• Read your “kept source” or replacement source for 10 more minutes.

• In your Journal, record one possible quote, one possible paraphrase, and cite the attribution for that source.

• If you are working digitally, paste the full URL next to your attribution so your citation is ready for future inclusion.