Unit Plan 16 (Grade 7 ELA): Mini-Research – Reading Across Sources
Grade 7 ELA unit where students craft focused research questions, evaluate credible sources, take organized notes, and use technology to synthesize findings into a polished one-page research summary.
Focus: Focused questions; note-taking; assessing credibility; tech tools
Grade Level: 7
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Writing—Research & Technology; Reading Informational—Synthesis)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Great research starts with great questions. This week, students launch a short research project by refining a focused question, searching strategically, evaluating sources, and taking organized notes (quotes, paraphrases, summaries) with simple citations. They’ll compare how different authors present information and publish a brief research one-pager with working links.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Develop a focused research question and plan steps to investigate it (W.7.7).
- Gather relevant information from multiple print/digital sources using effective search terms, assess credibility, and quote/paraphrase/summarize with basic citation and no plagiarism (W.7.8).
- Analyze and synthesize information across at least two sources, noting where authors agree, differ, or emphasize different points (RI.7.9).
- Use technology (docs/slides/notes tools) to organize notes and publish a concise research product with links/attributions (W.7.6).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 7
- Writing 7.7 (W.7.7): Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related questions.
- Writing 7.8 (W.7.8): Gather relevant information from multiple sources; use search terms; assess credibility; quote/paraphrase while avoiding plagiarism; provide basic bibliography.
- Reading Informational 7.9 (RI.7.9): Analyze how two or more authors present key information and the facts they emphasize.
- Writing 7.6 (W.7.6): Use technology to produce/publish writing and collaborate with others.
Success Criteria — student language
- I can write a sharp, researchable question and sub-questions.
- I can find relevant, credible sources and explain why they’re trustworthy.
- I can paraphrase accurately, use selective quotations, and cite where I got information.
- I can synthesize across sources and publish a clean one-pager with working links.