Research Writing Resources 🔍

GRAB THE HOW TO TEACH RESEARCH WRITING REFERENCE SHEET HERE

The research project seems like an impossible task each year. While I am moving to a place where I am reimagining what the research project looks like in the middle school classroom, I cannot deny the benefits of teaching a research paper to students. The research project contains skills like locating sources, evaluating source materials, taking notes, and creating research questions. All of these parts of the process are student driven or generative. This makes research one of the most powerful projects you can do in the literacy classroom. I recommend taking what you need from this page. If you see one part of the process that you like, use that. It is easy to get overwhelmed with research, and kids benefit from doing even parts of the process.

Example Teacher Directions for an Argumentative Writing Project

Example Research Writing Project Example Instruction Steps:

Prepare for the project:

1. Assign a general topic that can be researched that has an overarching theme (Example: Activism research paper) or show students how to choose topics. (Depending on the topic, I often will have students submit a topic approval letter from a parent or guardian.)

2. Show mentor papers as examples. Students should see an end goal before they jump into the project to show them that writing is 1.) possible and 2.) directions are clear.

3. Guide students in a discussion of what goes into a good research paper.

4. Review key research vocabulary terms. (You can use Quizlet, Blooket, etc for this)

5. What is plagiarism? Review key points of plagiarism. Review summarization, paraphrasing, and rules of citing sources.

6. What are sources? Review primary and secondary sources

7. What are good sources? Review how to evaluate source material.

8. Where do I find sources? Review where to locate quality source material like in databases, books, websites, etc.

Draft the paper:

1. Create research questions and learn how to narrow down a topic. You can try question floods or use the 5 W’s (Who, what, when, where, and why) to guide question-asking.

2. Review with students how to take notes. (Including writing down source material, basic facts vs. full quotations, etc). This would be a great place for graphic organizers.

3. Continue to Research! Find evidence using databases, books, websites, etc.

4. How do I make an outline? When students have enough research material, you can show them how to create a research outline. This will help them see if they have any holes in their research (They always will have holes).

5. Students develop a claim statement.

6. Introduction paragraph lesson. An introduction has 3 parts: A hook/opener/attention grabber, a summary of the topic, debate, or reading material, and the claim statement.

7. Sub-headings and body paragraphs lesson. A typical research body paragraph has 5 parts: A topic sentence that goes back to the claim, an introduction to evidence, a piece of evidence, an explanation or elaboration of evidence, and a transition to a new topic or idea. There may be more than one body paragraph under each sub-heading.

8. Conclusion paragraph lesson. A conclusion typically has 3 parts: A review of the claim or argument, a “what does the reader do with this information now,” and a call to action.

9. Create a complete draft of the research paper.

10. Revise and edit. Students participate in a peer review with a checklist.

11. Works cited page lesson or how to give credit to sources. Students create a Works Cited page.

12. Create a complete draft of the research paper and works cited page.

Lesson Ideas

Research Project Idea #1: College tours project. I did this project before our kids would go to Western Michigan University each year. They would research a college of their choice, take a virtual tour, fill out a fake application to college, and then I would send them acceptance letters.

Research Project Idea #2: Animals and habitats. A cross-curricular project might involve doing a project with animals. We had an animal unit in our curriculum so each student would choose an animal, research the habitat, and then take that information into their science classes to continue the project.

Research Project Idea #3: Historical research paper. This unit in the past often went alongside teaching about the Holocaust in World War II. Check out my older student packet here for inspiration. I also did a project with students about The Roaring Twenties that is set up in a similar format.

Research Project Idea #4: Oral history project. Students can dive deep into the interview process to talk to family members about where they come from. This one may be tricky to organize, but researching a part of our own history has an immediate engagement piece for students.

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