Research Skills Mastery

Overview

Grade: 6
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 30 students
Curriculum Area: English Language Arts
California State Standards: ELA-Literacy.W.6.8 (Gather relevant information from multiple sources), ELA-Literacy.W.6.9 (Draw evidence from literary or informational texts)

Objectives

• Students will understand how to research and extract relevant information from various sources.
• Students will learn to properly cite sources.
• Students will practice paraphrasing information into their own words.

Materials Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector
• Worksheets for practice
• Example research article or printouts
• Index cards
• Pens and pencils

Lesson Outline

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Greet Students and Set the Stage

   • Welcome students and introduce the topic. Explain why skills in research and citation are important not just for school, but in everyday life.

2. Learning Goals Overview

   • Students will be introduced to the day’s objectives—how to research effectively, cite sources, and paraphrase information.

Researching Information (20 minutes)

1. Teacher-Led Demonstration

   • Show students a short example of a well-written paragraph from a research article. Highlight the main ideas and supporting details.
   • Discuss how to identify relevant information, using keywords and ideas that relate to the research questions.

2. Group Activity: Skimming and Scanning

   • Divide the class into small groups and provide each with a different printed article or section.
   • Ask students to skim and then scan their piece, highlighting or circling keywords or phrases.

3. Guided Practice on Whiteboard

   • Choose one group’s highlighted section to display on the projector. As a class, discuss why certain pieces of information were chosen and how they're relevant to the topic at hand.

Citing Sources (10 minutes)

1. Explanation of Citation

   • Introduce the concept of citing sources and why it’s critical to give credit to original authors.
   • Go over a basic MLA citation format as an example.

2. Interactive Activity: Citation Race

   • Divide students into teams and give each team a card with information they researched. Challenge them to create a proper citation for it in a fun and competitive setting.

Paraphrasing Information (15 minutes)

1. Demonstration with Examples

   • Show an example paragraph on the projector that has been poorly paraphrased (just changing some words) and one that's been well-paraphrased (completely rephrased in original language).
   • Discuss tips for good paraphrasing: understanding the content first, using synonyms, and restructuring sentences.

2. Individual Practice: Paraphrasing Worksheet

   • Hand out a worksheet with sentences from the research articles students explored earlier. Ask students to paraphrase these sentences in their own words.

3. Peer Review

   • Allow students to exchange worksheets with a partner to receive feedback and suggest improvements.

Closing (5 minutes)

1. Review and Recap

   • Recap the key points of the lesson: identifying relevant information, citing sources, and paraphrasing.

2. Exit Ticket

   • Ask students to write down one new thing they learned today on an index card and hand it in as they leave.

Assessment

• Collect worksheets to assess understanding of paraphrasing and citation skills.
• Monitor group and individual activities for participation and comprehension.

Extensions

• For students who grasp this quickly, present a more complex text and ask them to create a research question, find relevant information, and write a short paragraph with cited evidence.

This lesson plan immerses students in the practical aspects of research, emphasizing how to integrate and credit information effectively, skills that are fundamental for their academic journey and beyond.