Copy the sentence exactly, Share only your feelings, Put the facts into your own words, Skip the source and guess

Put the facts into your own words

At the top as the title, Hidden inside the margins, On sticky notes in your notebook, At the end as a Works Cited list

At the end as a Works Cited list

On sticky notes in your notebook

At the end as a Works Cited list

Use specific keywords that match your topic, Type whole sentences into the search bar, Only click image results, Pick the first link you see

Use specific keywords that match your topic

Type whole sentences into the search bar

Trust it if it looks nice, Check who wrote it and the organization, Use only sites with lots of ads, Choose the site with the most pictures

Check who wrote it and the organization

Use only sites with lots of ads

Choose the site with the most pictures

Never use quotes, To make the sentence shorter, When the exact words are important or powerful, When you cannot find the source later

When the exact words are important or powerful

When you cannot find the source later

Group notes by topic, Keep all notes in one long list, Write notes in different colors randomly, Change topics for each fact

Keep all notes in one long list

Write notes in different colors randomly

Recycling is only for adults., Recycling helps reduce waste and protect animals., I like to recycle sometimes., Recycling is boring.

Recycling helps reduce waste and protect animals.

Drop the fact in without comment, Put the fact at the very end with no explanation, Introduce the fact, explain it, and show how it supports your idea, Copy the fact and leave it as is

Introduce the fact, explain it, and show how it supports your idea

Drop the fact in without comment

Put the fact at the very end with no explanation

Introduce the fact, explain it, and show how it supports your idea

Copy the fact and leave it as is

It lists many sources, It shows several viewpoints, It is written by a neutral expert, It uses only one side's opinions and strong emotional words

It uses only one side's opinions and strong emotional words

It is written by a neutral expert

It uses only one side's opinions and strong emotional words

Copying someone else's words or ideas without credit, Writing original ideas in your own way, Using a fact and saying where it came from, Asking a teacher for help

Copying someone else's words or ideas without credit

Writing original ideas in your own way

Using a fact and saying where it came from

A single magazine left at home, A library database or trusted search engine, A friend's memory, A random social media comment

A library database or trusted search engine

Pick fancy fonts, Buy school supplies, Ask a clear research question to guide your search, Wait until you have all the answers

Ask a clear research question to guide your search

Wait until you have all the answers

You added facts that are not related, You wrote only about your feelings, You copied long paragraphs without quotation marks, You stated a fact from a source and explained how it supports your claim

You stated a fact from a source and explained how it supports your claim

You added facts that are not related

You wrote only about your feelings

You copied long paragraphs without quotation marks

You stated a fact from a source and explained how it supports your claim

Fifth Grade ELA Study and Practice | Writing Strategies

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What are research skills?

Research skills are the abilities you use to find, evaluate, and use information to answer a question or support an idea in your writing.

Examples:

Looking up reliable information about a science topic.
Finding facts in a book to support an essay.
Gathering details from different sources to explain history.

Note

Good research skills help you write with evidence, not just opinions.

How do you identify reliable sources?

A reliable source gives correct, trustworthy information. It is written by experts or published by respected organizations.

Examples of reliable sources:

Books written by authors who are experts.
Educational websites (like museums, universities, or government sites).
Articles from trusted newspapers or journals.

Note

Avoid sources that seem biased, do not list an author, or do not show where the information came from.

How do you take notes while researching?

Note-taking is writing down important ideas, facts, and examples from your sources in your own words.

Steps:

Read or listen carefully to the source.
Write down the main idea in your own words.
Include the author’s name and title of the source so you remember where it came from.

Note

Do not copy sentences word-for-word unless you use quotation marks.

How do you organize research?

Organizing your research means sorting your notes into categories or groups so they are easier to use in your writing.

Example:

Topic: Endangered animals
Category 1: Causes of endangerment
Category 2: Examples of endangered animals
Category 3: Ways to protect them

Note

Grouping your notes by topic helps you build strong paragraphs when you write.

How do you use research in writing?

Using research in writing means including facts, examples, and details from your sources to support your ideas.

Examples:

“According to the National Park Service, sea turtles face danger from pollution.”
“Experts explain that recycling reduces waste in landfills.”
“A science book reports that volcanoes form when magma rises from inside the earth.”

Note

Always give credit to the source of your information. This shows honesty and respect for other people’s work.

Go to the practice →

S.1 Learn to identify reliable facts

What are research skills?

How do you identify reliable sources?

How do you take notes while researching?

How do you organize research?

How do you use research in writing?