Virginia SOL 12.R.1

12.R.1 is a Standards of Learning standard. These are the knowledge and skills expectations under it.

• 12.R.1.A

  Formulate and revise questions about a research topic broadening or narrowing the inquiry as necessary.

• 12.R.1.B

  Gather and organize information from various sources.

• 12.R.1.C

  Objectively evaluate primary and secondary sources for their credibility, reliability, accuracy, usefulness, and limitations; that includes identifying the main...

• 12.R.1.D

  Synthesize multiple streams of evidence to support claims and acknowledge counterclaims.

• 12.R.1.E

  Create research products aligned with the demands of the reading and writing standards.

• 12.R.1.F

  Cite sources for quoted and paraphrased ideas using a standard method of documentation, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) or the American Psychologi...

• 12.R.1.G

  Define the meaning and consequences of plagiarism and follow ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information.

• 12.R.1.H

  Demonstrate ethical and responsible use of all sources, including the Internet, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and new technologies, as they develop.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students shape a focused research question and adjust it as evidence changes. They gather, organize, and compare sources, then build a claim that addresses conflicting evidence and counterclaims. They cite borrowed ideas and disclose AI or technology use honestly.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

A student can explain why each source is credible, useful, and limited. Their research product combines evidence from several primary and secondary sources instead of listing separate summaries. They document quotations, paraphrases, and technology use consistently with MLA or APA.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may treat the first search result, a polished website, or an AI response as automatically trustworthy. They may assume paraphrasing removes the need for citation. They also may ignore evidence that challenges their claim or confuse a counterclaim with weak evidence.

04

How to Assess It

Give students two short sources that disagree about school start times. Ask them to revise a broad research question, select the stronger source with two reasons, and write a claim with a cited paraphrase and counterclaim.

1. 01

   Set up a source-sorting table with news articles, studies, opinion pieces, and AI output; students rank each for credibility, usefulness, and limitations.

2. 02

   Write a response to this prompt: When should conflicting evidence make a researcher revise the question, the claim, or both?

3. 03

   Play Citation Repair Relay using flawed source cards; teams correct missing citations, weak paraphrases, and misleading evidence links.

4. 04

   Investigate a local school policy using board minutes, survey data, news coverage, and interviews, then present a sourced recommendation that addresses objections.

• 9.R.1

  The 9th Grade version of this standard.

• 5.R.1

  The 5th Grade version of this standard.

• 3.R.1

  The 3rd Grade version of this standard.

• 11.R.1

  The 11th Grade version of this standard.