Today is rung 5 of 11 on this topic
A research report with real sources
Can do: Gathers information from several sources, organises it into sections, and lists where it came from.
Why it matters
It's the first piece of school work that requires managing information rather than just producing it — a skill that only gets more important.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Pastes together three paragraphs from three websites with no through-line and no sources listed.
⏱️ Two-minute check
Look at their notes. "Which source did this fact come from? Say it in your own words."
Solid looks like: Source identified, and the fact restated rather than recited.
The full activity for this topic · 30 minutes over several days
Question First, Then Research
- 1Write the research question first. Without it, research becomes aimless collecting.
- 2Break it into three sub-questions — those become the sections.
- 3Research one sub-question at a time, noting facts in their own words with the source next to each.
- 4Sort the notes into sections before writing a single sentence of prose.
- 5Write from the notes with the sources closed, then add a short source list.
If it's too hard
One question, two sources, one page.
If it's too easy
Include a source that contradicts the others and address it directly in the report.
Say this
"What's the question you're actually answering? Everything that doesn't help answer it comes out."