CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.8
The Standard
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6—12
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students find useful information in more than one print or digital source. They use specific search terms, judge whether sources are accurate and trustworthy, and separate relevant evidence from unrelated details. They quote or paraphrase ideas without copying and provide citations in the required format.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students use focused search terms and gather information from several print and digital sources. They check authorship, evidence, date, and agreement with other sources. They quote and paraphrase accurately, then cite each source in the assigned format.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may trust the first search result or assume a professional-looking website is accurate. They may paraphrase by changing a few words, omit quotation marks, or forget citations. They may also collect interesting facts that do not answer the research question.
How to Assess It
- Give students a research question and three source snippets. Ask them to choose the most credible source, explain why, and write one cited paraphrase from it.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a book, news article, and website, then have them rank each source using an authorship, evidence, date, and purpose checklist.
Ask students to explain in writing why the first search result may not be the best source for a research question.
Play Paraphrase or Plagiarism by showing rewritten sentences and having teams identify acceptable paraphrases, copied wording, and quotations needing citation.
Have students investigate a local issue, compare a city website with a social media post, and cite the stronger source.
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Printable WHST.6-8.8 Worksheet
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