What you will be able to do
plan sources and research steps; take notes without copying; record a usable citation for every source
Planning Research and Recording Citations
How does a research plan help us gather and credit useful evidence?
Activate what you know
Choose one supporting question from Lesson 1. List two kinds of sources that might answer it and explain which you would seek first
- research planan organized sequence for finding and evaluating information
- citationinformation that identifies a source so others can find it
- authorthe person or organization responsible for content
- publication datethe date a source was issued or updated
- paraphraseto restate information accurately in one’s own words
- plagiarismpresenting another person’s words or ideas as one’s own
1
Plan Before You Search
A research plan identifies the question, useful source types, search terms, checkpoints, and final product. It also anticipates gaps: a government report may provide dates and policies, while an oral history may reveal lived experience. Good researchers do not save every search result. They inspect authorship, date, evidence, and relevance, then record why a chosen source belongs in the inquiry. Search terms can be revised when initial results are too broad or one-sided
2
Paraphrase and Credit
A paraphrase changes both wording and sentence structure while preserving the source’s meaning. Swapping a few words is not enough. Read a short section, look away, explain the idea in your own words, then compare for accuracy. Citations give credit and let readers verify claims. A Grade 5 citation may be simple, but it should name the responsible creator, title, publisher or website, date when available, and page or link. A quotation also needs quotation marks and exact wording. Suppose a museum page explains that a bridge opened after five years of construction. Your note should keep that sequence and duration, even if you rewrite the sentence. Beside it, record the museum, page title, date, and link. Later, you can distinguish the source’s fact from your own interpretation of why the delay mattered
Record the Source Immediately
Write citation details while the source is open. Waiting until the end risks losing the author, title, date, page, or link
Use Two Columns
Place source words or data on the left and your paraphrase on the right. Add the citation before writing any conclusion
A Link Alone Is Not Always Enough
Links can change and may not identify the creator or title. Record the full source information available
Create Three Research Cards
For one supporting question, make cards for a primary source, a secondary source, and a map or data source. Add search terms, citation fields, and the clue each could provide
A research plan directs source choices and tasks; accurate notes distinguish source language from paraphrase; citations credit evidence and make research checkable
Practice and answer guide
Work through all 10 questions. Open an answer only after you have written or explained your response.
- 1. Name three parts of a research plan
Check answer
Possible parts include question, source types, search terms, task order, schedule, checkpoints, citation method, and product
- 2. Which source type might show an official decision date? A. government record B. unlabeled meme C. fictional story
Check answer
Government record
- 3. Why record a citation while the source is open?
Check answer
The author, title, date, page, and link are visible then; recording them prevents lost or incorrect credit
- 4. List five useful citation details
Check answer
Creator, title, publisher or website, publication date, and page number or URL; access date may also help
- 5. Explain the difference between paraphrasing and copying
Check answer
A paraphrase accurately restates the meaning with new wording and structure and still cites the source; copying repeats source language
- 6. Draw a source-note card with citation, paraphrase, and connection sections
Check answer
The card should keep source identification, an accurate note, and the note’s connection to the inquiry together
- 7. A search returns only tourism pages. How could you revise the search for a land-use inquiry?
Check answer
Add the specific place, date range, and terms such as zoning, planning minutes, environmental review, or public comments
- 8. When must exact source words appear in quotation marks?
Check answer
Whenever a writer repeats the source’s exact words
- 9. Why should every saved source connect to a supporting question?
Check answer
Relevance keeps research manageable and ensures collected evidence helps answer the inquiry rather than creating an unrelated fact pile
- 10. Using these fictional citation details, draft a citation: Maya Chen, “Building River Bridge,” Harbor History Museum, updated May 4, 2024, page 7, museum.example/bridge
Check answer
One acceptable form is: Maya Chen, “Building River Bridge,” Harbor History Museum, updated May 4, 2024, p. 7, museum.example/bridge