5.13
Knowledge and Skills Statement (Standard Cluster)
The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading
Cluster contents
Student Expectations in This Statement
5.13 is a knowledge and skills statement. These are the student expectations under it.
- 5.13.A
generate and clarify questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry
- 5.13.B
develop and follow a research plan with adult assistance
- 5.13.C
identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources
- 5.13.D
understand credibility of primary and secondary sources
- 5.13.E
demonstrate understanding of information gathered
- 5.13.F
differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism when using source materials
- 5.13.G
develop a bibliography
- 5.13.H
use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results.
Teacher's field guide
What This Cluster Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students ask and refine research questions, make a plan with adult guidance, and gather relevant information from several credible sources. They distinguish primary from secondary sources, paraphrase without copying, track bibliography information, explain their findings, and choose a suitable presentation format.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students turn a broad topic into a focused question, then follow a teacher-approved plan and timeline. They choose credible primary and secondary sources, take accurate notes in their own words, and record bibliography details. They combine evidence into a clear answer and present it effectively in writing, speech, or a multimodal format.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may assume the first search result is reliable or that every primary source is accurate. They may copy sentences, change a few words, and call it paraphrasing. They may list disconnected facts instead of using evidence to answer their research question.
How to Assess It
- Give students an interview excerpt and an encyclopedia entry about school gardens. Ask them to label each source, choose the more useful evidence, paraphrase one fact, and write a citation.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Set out books, interviews, websites, and photographs; students sort them as primary or secondary sources and explain each choice.
Ask students to revise “How do animals live?” into three focused research questions, then defend which question is most researchable.
Play Paraphrase Detective with source sentences and student notes; teams identify accurate paraphrases, copied wording, and missing citations.
Investigate cafeteria food waste using observations, staff interviews, and articles, then present findings with a bibliography to the principal.
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Related Standards
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