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50 min
Student Lesson
Lesson 32: Citing Research and Applying Peer Feedback
Content
Students will gather relevant information from sources and accurately cite those sources when using quotations or paraphrases in research notes and outlines.
Language
Students will use evaluative feedback stems and complex sentences with because, so that, and this connects to explain revisions.
Foundational Skills
Students will apply ellipses for quotations when omitting unnecessary words from a source.
How do different disciplines and traditions, including scientific inquiry and cultural knowledge, help us understand our relationship to the natural world?
Knowledge-Building:
Students deepen their understanding of how responsible researchers use evidence by learning to cite sources accurately and revise their thinking based on peer feedback.
Enduring Understanding:
Enduring Understanding: When knowledge is shared responsibly and clearly attributed, it can help restore balance between people and the planet.
Future Lessons:
In Lessons 36 and 37, students will begin using their research findings to create a multimedia presentation for their performance task.
Unit Performance Task:
Accurate citation and useful peer feedback prepare students to create a credible Reciprocity in Action presentation.
| Lesson Flow | Purpose of Learning Experience |
|---|---|
Launch5 Minutes | Students will activate their prior knowledge by considering what they know about citations. |
Literacy Lab: Citing Sources Clearly10 Minutes | Students will learn how to cite a source and how to use an ellipsis to omit unnecessary words while keeping the original meaning of a quotation. |
Learning in Action30 Minutes | Part A: Note-Taking and Citation (W.8.7, W.8.8) Students will continue taking research notes and updating their outline with paraphrases or short direct quotations that answer their inquiry question. Part B: Use Peer Feedback to Strengthen Your Note-Taking and Synthesis (W.8.5) Students will give and receive constructive feedback, then revise their research notes or synthesis paragraphs based on specific suggestions. |
Material List
Unit 3 Lesson 32 Student Edition
Routines
Turn and Talk
Language Study
Peer Review Protocol
Quick Write
Transition students into partners.
Say these Directions: Take out your research notes from Lesson 30 (3-Column Chart). Turn to your partner and discuss what a citation is in the context of citing evidence.
Ask: What is a citation? What do we mean when we say we are going to cite our sources?
A citation tells where information came from. It might include the author’s last name or the article title so a reader knows the evidence is not just my own idea. We mean we are going to show where our facts, paraphrases, or quotes came from. Citing sources makes our research more credible and gives credit to the source so we can avoid plagiarizing.
Say: Now that we have defined citation, let’s practice exactly how to format a short-quoted note and when to use an ellipsis.
Say these Directions: Today, I’m going to show you how to turn a sentence from a source into a research note that is both accurate and honest. A citation tells your reader exactly where the idea came from, and an ellipsis is three dots that show you left out words you did not need from a quotation. We use an ellipsis to shorten a quotation, not to change the meaning.
Display and read aloud the following quotation from Braiding Sweetgrass.
“John keeps to the tradition of the Honorable Harvest: take only what you need and use everything you take” (p. 125).
Say: I want my note to stay connected to Braiding Sweetgrass, so I start by reading the whole sentence and deciding which exact words matter most for my research. If my question is about reciprocity, the words “take only what you need and use everything you take” are especially strong because they state the idea of reciprocity clearly. If I copy those exact words, I need quotation marks and a citation, so my note could say the following:
Display the note.
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer explains that the Honorable Harvest means people should “take only what you need and use everything you take” (p. 125).
Say: If I want to keep more of the sentence but leave out a part that is not necessary for this note, I can write: Kimmerer writes, “John keeps to the tradition . . . take only what you need and use everything you take” (p. 125). The ellipsis shows that I omitted words, but I did not change the meaning of the quotation. Good researchers make careful choices about what to quote, what to paraphrase, and how to credit the source clearly.
Ask: What changed when I turned the full sentence into a shorter quotation?
You kept only the words that best matched your research question and left out words you did not need. You used an ellipsis to show something was omitted, and you still named the source.
Ask: Why is it important to use an ellipsis?
It is important because an ellipsis should shorten a quote without changing the author’s meaning. If I cut words in a way that changes the idea, then I am not using evidence responsibly.
Teacher Tip |
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Students often struggle with two common errors when using ellipses:
During conferring in Learning in Action A, listen for both of these and redirect as needed. |
Say: You will now apply this citation skill to your own sources as you continue to take research notes and outline your ideas for your inquiry question.
Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.
Reflection |
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Reflect on your ability to cite sources and use an ellipsis to cite information from the text using the Reflection routine.
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Students continue to take notes on their research in this lesson. They can also continue to write synthesis paragraphs based on their learning in Lesson 31.
Say these Directions: Take out your 3-Column Chart and all your research, and continue reading your sources and taking notes that answer your inquiry question. As you work, make sure each note either paraphrases accurately or uses a short direct quote with a citation. If you feel that you are done taking notes, you can continue to draft synthesis paragraphs based on the work in the previous lesson.
Remind students that they learned to read and take notes on their research in Lesson 30.
Students work independently while you confer briefly. Encourage them to paraphrase by default and quote directly only when the wording is especially powerful or precise. Consider asking students the following questions as you confer with them about their research process.
Which source are you using right now, and how does it connect to your inquiry question?
Where in your notes should you paraphrase, and where might a direct quote work better?
Organize students into groups of 3–4. Remind them that strong feedback is specific, kind, and tied to the researcher’s inquiry question.
Say these Directions: Before you continue with your research process, you will receive feedback on your research note-taking and synthesis paragraph(s). In your group, take turns sharing either your 3-Column Chart with your research notes or your synthesis paragraphs with another peer in your group. Be sure to use the feedback stems to provide specific and targeted feedback.
Display the feedback stems.
“I notice that this source . . .”
“One strength I see is . . .”
“I’m wondering if . . .”
“You might consider . . .”
“This connects to your question about . . .”
Say: Don’t forget to check the following:
Does your partner’s research include at least one cited note with quotation marks and a source name?
If they used an ellipsis, does the shortened quote still make sense?
After you receive feedback, revise your note-taking or synthesis paragraph or add a next-step note.
After student groups provide each other with feedback, lead a whole-class discussion using the following questions.
Ask: What kind of feedback is most useful during research?
(Student responses may vary.) The most useful feedback is specific and connected to the inquiry question. It helps the writer see what is strong and what still needs to be added or clarified.
Ask: What is one revision you might make after hearing peer feedback?
(Student responses may vary.) I might move one source to a different section of my outline or add a missing source that better answers my question. I could also fix a note that needs a citation or change a vague heading to make the organization clearer.
Say these Directions: Complete the Quick Write. First, finish this statement: “One piece of feedback that will improve my research is __________.”
Next, explain how that feedback connects to your research by naming the specific source, note, or section it applies to.
Then, write your next step: What will you do to make that part of your research stronger?
One piece of feedback that will improve my research is that I need a source showing how cultural burning supports oak regeneration, not just fuel reduction. My next step is to find one more source and add a cited note that shows restoration more clearly.
Students read their independent reading book for 20 minutes and complete a reading log entry.
Read your independent reading book for 20 minutes. In your reading log, record the date and pages you read, write 1–2 sentences about what happened or what you learned, and respond to this week’s prompt using evidence from the text.