7.12

7.12 is a knowledge and skills statement. These are the student expectations under it.

• 7.12.A

  generate student-selected and teacher-guided questions for formal and informal inquiry

• 7.12.B

  develop and revise a plan

• 7.12.C

  refine the major research question, if necessary, guided by the answers to a secondary set of questions

• 7.12.D

  identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources

• 7.12.E

  differentiate between primary and secondary sources

• 7.12.F

  synthesize information from a variety of sources

• 7.12.G

  differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism when using source materials

• 7.12.H

  examine sources for: reliability, credibility, and bias, and faulty reasoning such as hyperbole, emotional appeals, and stereotype

• 7.12.I

  display academic citations and use source materials ethically

• 7.12.J

  use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results

01

What Students Need to Do

Students ask a focused research question, make a plan, and adjust both as new information appears. They gather varied sources, judge credibility and bias, and spot weak reasoning. They synthesize findings, paraphrase without copying, cite sources, and present the results clearly.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Students build a focused research question, revise it as they learn, and follow a workable plan. They select relevant, credible sources, combine ideas in their own words, cite them correctly, and explain findings in a suitable format.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may think primary sources are always more trustworthy than secondary sources. They may copy sentences, swap a few words, and call that paraphrasing. They also may treat strong emotion, popularity, or a polished website as proof of credibility.

04

How to Assess It

Give students a firsthand account, a news article, and a sponsored post about one event. Ask them to classify each source, identify bias or faulty reasoning, rank credibility, and write one cited paraphrase.

1. 01

   Give pairs source cards to sort by primary or secondary, credible or questionable, then require written evidence for each choice.

2. 02

   Use the prompt, “How did your secondary questions change your main research question?” and have students write a revised question.

3. 03

   Play Paraphrase or Plagiarism by showing source passages and student versions, then having teams identify and repair copied wording.

4. 04

   Research a proposed school policy, then present a one-slide recommendation using two credible sources and visible citations.

• 4.13

  The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

• 8.12

  The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

• 5.13

  The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

• 2.13

  The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.