CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.8

ELA4th GradeResearch to Build and Present Knowledge

The Standard

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Writing Standards

What This Standard Means

Students need to pull useful facts from memory, books, articles, websites, or interviews. They should write short notes in their own words, sort those notes into clear groups, and keep track of where each fact came from.

Mastery looks like a student using several relevant sources, choosing information that fits the question, and listing titles, authors, or web addresses. Students often copy whole sentences, collect random facts, forget source details, or make categories that are too broad to help their writing.

Ways to Teach It

  • Hands-on activity: Give students three short animal texts and sticky notes, then have them sort facts into habitat, diet, and adaptations.
  • Writing prompt: Ask, “Which two facts best answer our research question, and how do you know they belong?”
  • Quick assessment: Have students turn in three paraphrased notes, each labeled with a category and source name.
  • Real-world connection: Show a simple recipe search and list which website gave the ingredients, cook time, and serving size.

Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.8

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Related Standards

Standard text verified against corestandards.org on July 10, 2026.

Page updated July 10, 2026.

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