Grade 7 Fall — Research Process, MLA Citation, Source Evaluation, and Multi-Source Synthesis

Unit-opener: a Grade-7 researcher at a workspace with multiple open books and a laptop, source-evaluation worksheets in progress (CRAAP color-coded — Currency yellow, Relevance blue, Authority red, Accuracy green, Purpose purple), a stack of color-coded note cards each with citation-information capture pre-filled, an MLA 9th edition Works Cited template card, a typed research-paper draft with in-text parenthetical citations marked, an 8-stage research-process workflow chart visible on the wall (PLAN-RESEARCH-NOTE-DRAFT-CITE-REVISE-PUBLISH-PRESENT). Style: warm watercolor, multicultural middle-school classroom, eye-level shot, dyslexic-friendly classroom labels visible. Print-ready 11x17.

8-stage research-process workflow anchor: color-coded horizontal banner. 1. PLAN (formulate research question) — orange / question-mark icon. 2. RESEARCH (gather sources, apply CRAAP) — yellow / magnifying-glass icon. 3. NOTE-TAKE (capture quote/paraphrase/summary WITH citation at point of note) — green / note-card icon. 4. DRAFT (synthesize across sources) — blue / pencil icon. 5. CITE (in-text parenthetical + Works Cited) — purple / quote-mark icon. 6. REVISE (3-pass peer revision) — red / arrow-loop icon. 7. PUBLISH (typed with formal MLA formatting) — teal / printer icon. 8. PRESENT (Researcher's Forum oral with visual aid) — gold / microphone-and-easel icon. Bottom rule: 'Each stage has a name, a routine, and an anchor. Skip a stage and the next stage suffers.' Print-ready 18x24.

CRAAP 5-criterion source-evaluation anchor: 5-band stacked card. CURRENCY (yellow) — When was it published? Is recency important for my topic? Some topics need fresh sources (climate, technology); others tolerate older sources (Maya astronomy). RELEVANCE (blue) — Does it address my research question? Skim abstract/intro; does it actually speak to MY question or just my topic? AUTHORITY (red) — Who is the author? Credentials? Affiliation? Have they written elsewhere on this topic? Anonymous = caution. ACCURACY (green) — Do other sources corroborate? Are claims documented? Are statistics traceable? PURPOSE (purple) — What's the motive? Inform / educate / persuade / sell / entertain? Is there an obvious agenda? Bottom rule: 'A source that fails one criterion may be usable with caveat; one that fails three should not be cited.' Worked example for a sample source. Print-ready 11x17.

Primary vs. secondary source taxonomy anchor: 2-column card with discipline-specific examples. PRIMARY (left, green) — first-hand, original evidence from the time/event/person. HISTORY examples: letter, diary, newspaper from the time, photograph, treaty, oral-history transcript. SCIENCE examples: peer-reviewed research article, lab notebook, dataset. HUMANITIES examples: the novel/poem/play being studied, the speech being analyzed, the painting. SOCIAL SCIENCE examples: survey data, interview transcript, government statistics. SECONDARY (right, blue) — analyzes or interprets primary sources. HISTORY examples: scholarly book, encyclopedia entry, documentary, biography. SCIENCE examples: review article, science-news article, textbook. HUMANITIES examples: literary criticism, scholarly essay analyzing a poem, biography of the author. Bottom rule: 'What counts as primary DEPENDS on the discipline and the question. A 1950s newspaper is a SECONDARY source about the Civil War but a PRIMARY source about 1950s American attitudes toward the Civil War.' Print-ready 11x17.

Scholarly vs. popular vs. sponsored source anchor: 3-column card. SCHOLARLY (left, gold) — peer-reviewed, written by experts for experts, published in academic journals; citations and references; technical vocabulary; published by universities or scholarly societies. Examples: Journal of American History, Nature, JSTOR-indexed articles. URL suffixes often .edu, sometimes .org. POPULAR (middle, blue) — written for general audiences by journalists or writers, accessible vocabulary, fact-checked but not peer-reviewed; often has author byline but no academic citations. Examples: The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New York Times. URL .com or .org. SPONSORED (right, red) — has a commercial, political, or advocacy motive; may be paid content, native advertising, or organizational PR; may still be accurate but the motive must be weighed. Examples: company blogs, lobbying organization websites, advertorials. URL .com often, .org sometimes. Bottom rule: 'URL suffixes are HEURISTICS, not guarantees. .org can be scholarly (Brookings) OR sponsored (advocacy group). .edu can be a student's personal page. Always verify.' Print-ready 11x17.

Lateral reading and click restraint anchor: 2-band card. BAND 1 — LATERAL READING: 'Don't read the source carefully UNTIL you've evaluated it. Open new tabs. Search the author's name. Search the publication's reputation. Search the claim made on the page — what do OTHER sources say about it?' Worked example: a student finds a site claiming X. They open 4 new tabs: 1) author's credentials, 2) publication's about page, 3) the claim itself, 4) competing claims. Now they can decide whether to trust the source. BAND 2 — CLICK RESTRAINT: 'Don't trust the top search result. The top result is often paid, advertised, or just SEO-optimized — not the most accurate. Scroll down. Read snippets first. Open 3-4 tabs before reading any one carefully.' Bottom rule: 'Lateral reading + click restraint = how working researchers actually evaluate digital sources.' Print-ready 11x17.

Three paraphrasing rules anchor (CCSS W.7.8): 3-rule card with worked examples. RULE 1 — CHANGE THE WORDS: use synonyms, but match register (don't substitute formal for informal or vice versa). RULE 2 — CHANGE THE SYNTAX: rearrange the sentence structure (subordinate clause becomes coordinate; passive becomes active; etc.). RULE 3 — CITE THE SOURCE: parenthetical citation at the end, even though you used your own words. Worked example: ORIGINAL — 'The Maya were master astronomers who developed sophisticated calendars based on careful observation of celestial movements.' WRONG paraphrase (changes words only): 'The Maya were expert astronomers who created complex calendars based on detailed study of star movements.' (Syntax unchanged — still plagiarism.) WRONG paraphrase (no citation): 'Through detailed celestial observation, the Maya built calendar systems of remarkable complexity.' (Words and syntax changed but no citation — still plagiarism.) RIGHT paraphrase: 'Through detailed celestial observation, the Maya built calendar systems of remarkable complexity (Aveni 23).' (All three rules satisfied.) Bottom: 'All three rules must happen together. One alone is plagiarism.' Print-ready 11x17.

Quote sandwich four-part integration anchor (CCSS W.7.8): 4-part stacked card. SLICE 1 (top bread) — SIGNAL PHRASE: 'According to Nakate...' / 'As Coates writes...' / 'In her TED talk, Adichie notes...'. Names the source and gives reader context. FILLING (middle, the quote) — the direct quote in quotation marks: '....'. SLICE 2 (parenthetical citation): (Nakate 47) or (Nakate). Author and page (or just author for sources without pages — most websites). SLICE 3 (bottom bread) — INTERPRETIVE SENTENCE: 'This shows that...' / 'In other words...' / 'This evidence supports my claim that...'. Tells the reader WHY you quoted this. Worked example: 'According to Nakate, climate inaction has the greatest impact on those who contributed least to the crisis: "My continent contributes the least to climate change, yet suffers some of its worst consequences" (Nakate 47). This data-grounded statement reframes the climate debate as one about justice, not just emissions.' Bottom rule: 'Skip the interpretive sentence and your reader is stuck. The interpretive sentence is the most important slice.' Print-ready 11x17.

Quote vs. paraphrase vs. summarize three-way decision matrix: 3-column card. QUOTE (left) — use when exact wording matters: memorable phrasing ('I have a dream'), technical terminology (legal definitions), contested language (words being analyzed). Keep short — over 4 lines = block quote (rarely needed at G7). PARAPHRASE (middle) — use when ideas matter but not wording. The default for most evidence. Apply all 3 paraphrase rules. SUMMARIZE (right) — use when the main idea condensed is enough: when synthesizing a whole article into 1-2 sentences, when context-setting for the reader. All three REQUIRE CITATION. Bottom rule: 'Most of your paper should be paraphrase. Quote sparingly for memorable or technical language. Summarize for context and synthesis.' Print-ready 11x17.

In-text parenthetical citation anchor (MLA 9th edition): 6-case card. CASE 1 — Author named in sentence, page known: 'Nakate writes that... (47).' CASE 2 — Author not named in sentence, page known: '... (Nakate 47).' CASE 3 — Multiple authors (2): '... (Aronson and Budhos 23).' CASE 4 — Multiple authors (3+): '... (Kendi et al. 15).' CASE 5 — No author named (website with no byline): '... ("Maya Astronomy").' (Use short title.) CASE 6 — No page (website): '... (Nakate).' Bottom rule: 'Parenthetical citation goes BEFORE the period of the sentence. Period AFTER the closing parenthesis.' Worked example for each. Print-ready 11x17.

MLA Works Cited general principles anchor (9th edition): 1-page reference. ELEMENTS in order: 1. Author. 2. Title of Source. 3. Title of Container. 4. Other contributors. 5. Version. 6. Number. 7. Publisher. 8. Publication date. 9. Location. FORMATTING: hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inch); double-spaced; alphabetical by author last name; titles of large works italicized, titles of short works in quotation marks. Bottom rule: 'Not every element appears in every entry. The container model is flexible — but the ORDER does not change.' Print-ready 8.5x11.

MLA Works Cited template — BOOK (single author): copy-able format card. TEMPLATE: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book in Italics. Publisher, Year. EXAMPLE: Nakate, Vanessa. A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis. Mariner Books, 2021. NOTES: Italicize the book title. Use the publisher's short name (drop 'Inc.' or 'Press' unless ambiguous). Year is just the year (no full date). Print-ready 8.5x11 card.

MLA Works Cited template — SCHOLARLY ARTICLE in a journal: copy-able format card. TEMPLATE: Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. ##-##. (If accessed online via database, add database name and URL/DOI.) EXAMPLE: Aveni, Anthony F. "Astronomy in Ancient Mesoamerica." Journal of Archaeoastronomy, vol. 17, no. 2, 2003, pp. 12-34. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/example. NOTES: Italicize journal title. Quotation marks around article title. Volume and issue numbers. Page range. Bottom: 'For database-retrieved articles, add the database name in italics and the URL/DOI.' Print-ready 8.5x11.

MLA Works Cited template — JOURNALISTIC ARTICLE (magazine or newspaper): copy-able format card. TEMPLATE: Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Publication, Day Month Year, pp. ## (or URL for online). EXAMPLE: Coates, Ta-Nehisi. "The Case for Reparations." The Atlantic, June 2014, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/. NOTES: Day-Month-Year format (15 June 2014). Italicize publication name. Quotation marks around article title. URL or page numbers. Print-ready 8.5x11.

MLA Works Cited template — WEBSITE (general): copy-able format card. TEMPLATE: Last Name, First Name (if available). "Title of Page or Article." Title of Website, Publisher (if different from site name), Day Month Year of publication or last update, URL. (Optional: Accessed Day Month Year.) EXAMPLE: "Mayan Calendar." National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 21 Mar. 2023, www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/mayan-calendar. NOTES: If no author, start with title in quotation marks. If no date, omit (but note in your notes that this is a flag for evaluation). Print-ready 8.5x11.

MLA Works Cited template — INTERVIEW: copy-able format card. TEMPLATE (personal interview conducted by you): Last Name, First Name of Interviewee. Personal interview. Day Month Year. TEMPLATE (published interview): Last Name, First Name of Interviewee. "Title of Interview" (or 'Interview by NAME' if untitled). Title of Publication, Day Month Year, pp. or URL. EXAMPLE: Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 15 March 2026. EXAMPLE: Nakate, Vanessa. "On Climate Justice." Interview by Anita Powell. Voice of America, 8 November 2022, www.voanews.com/example. NOTES: Personal interviews you conduct yourself are cited as 'Personal interview.' Published interviews are cited like articles. Print-ready 8.5x11.

MLA Works Cited template — AUDIOVISUAL (film, TV, podcast, YouTube): copy-able format card. TEMPLATE (film): Title of Film. Directed by First Name Last Name, performances by Cast, Studio, Year. TEMPLATE (podcast): "Title of Episode." Title of Podcast, narrated/hosted by NAME, season, episode, Network, Date, URL. TEMPLATE (YouTube video): Channel or Creator Name. "Title of Video." YouTube, uploaded by Uploader, Day Month Year, URL. EXAMPLE: Hidden Figures. Directed by Theodore Melfi, performances by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, 20th Century Fox, 2016. EXAMPLE: TED. "The Danger of a Single Story | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie." YouTube, uploaded by TED, 7 Oct. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg. Print-ready 8.5x11.

Four sentence types diagram (CCSS L.7.1.b): 4-band card with structural visualization. SIMPLE: 1 independent clause = 1 focused idea. Diagram: [IC]. Example: 'Maya astronomers tracked Venus.' COMPOUND: 2 independent clauses joined by comma+coordinating conjunction OR semicolon = 2 coordinate ideas. Diagram: [IC] , and [IC]. Example: 'Maya astronomers tracked Venus, and they recorded its 584-day cycle.' COMPLEX: 1 independent + 1+ dependent clause = main idea with subordinate detail. Diagram: [DC], [IC] OR [IC] [DC]. Example: 'Because Venus appeared as both morning and evening star, the Maya tracked it carefully.' COMPOUND-COMPLEX: 2+ independent + 1+ dependent clause = layered relationship. Diagram: [DC], [IC], and [IC]. Example: 'Because Venus appeared as both morning and evening star, the Maya tracked it carefully, and their records spanned centuries.' Bottom rule: 'Choose deliberately. Simple = focus. Compound = balance. Complex = subordinate. Compound-complex = layered.' Print-ready 11x17.

Misplaced and dangling modifier 3-step repair anchor (CCSS L.7.1.c): 3-band card. BAND 1 — MISPLACED modifier: modifies the wrong word. EXAMPLE: 'Walking down the street, the building caught my eye.' (Was the building walking?) FIX: 'Walking down the street, I saw the building.' BAND 2 — DANGLING modifier: modifies nothing in the sentence. EXAMPLE: 'After reading the book, the plot was confusing.' (Who read the book?) FIX: 'After reading the book, I found the plot confusing.' BAND 3 — 3-STEP REPAIR ROUTINE: 1. FIND the modifier (the descriptive phrase, usually at the start of the sentence). 2. FIND what it should modify (the actor — who DID the action?). 3. PLACE adjacent and rephrase (put the modifier next to its actor; rewrite if needed). Print-ready 11x17.

Coordinate adjectives anchor (CCSS L.7.2.a): 2-test card. RULE: Two adjectives that EQUALLY modify the noun take a comma between them. TEST 1 — AND TEST: Can you insert 'and' between them and the sentence still works? 'A long [and] exhausting day' — works = coordinate = comma. 'A bright red ball' — 'bright AND red ball' sounds wrong = cumulative = no comma. TEST 2 — COMMA REVERSAL TEST: Can you reverse the order and the sentence still works? 'A long, exhausting day' = 'An exhausting, long day' = works = coordinate. 'A bright red ball' = 'a red bright ball' = sounds wrong = cumulative. RULE: Both tests must say yes = coordinate. Either says no = cumulative. WORKED EXAMPLES: COORDINATE (comma) — 'a long, dark night'; 'a careful, methodical researcher'; 'a tired, hungry traveler.' CUMULATIVE (no comma) — 'a big red barn'; 'a delicious Italian dinner'; 'a strange old man.' Print-ready 11x17.

7-pattern wordiness audit anchor (CCSS L.7.3.a): 7-band card. PATTERN 1 — REDUNDANT PAIRS: 'each and every,' 'first and foremost,' 'true and accurate.' FIX: pick one. PATTERN 2 — EMPTY PHRASES: 'in order to' (→ 'to'); 'due to the fact that' (→ 'because'); 'at this point in time' (→ 'now'). PATTERN 3 — THROAT-CLEARERS: 'It is interesting to note that...' / 'It is important to remember that...'. FIX: cut and start with the substance. PATTERN 4 — EXPLETIVE CONSTRUCTIONS: 'There are many people who believe...' (→ 'Many people believe...'); 'It is the case that...' (→ cut). PATTERN 5 — HEDGE OVERUSE: 'seems to perhaps possibly maybe...' FIX: pick one hedge. PATTERN 6 — NOMINALIZATIONS: 'made the decision to investigate' (→ 'decided to investigate'); 'gave consideration to' (→ 'considered'). FIX: turn nouns back into verbs. PATTERN 7 — PREPOSITIONAL PILE-UPS: 'in the situation of the matter of the resolution of the issue' FIX: cut prepositions; restructure. Bottom rule: 'Concision is a discipline. Audit every paragraph for these 7 patterns. Cut 10-20 percent — and the writing gets stronger.' Print-ready 11x17.

10-root advanced morphology anchor (CCSS L.7.4.b): 10-cell grid. CELL 1 — BIBL/BIBLIO (book): bibliography, biblical, bibliophile. CELL 2 — CIT (call, quote): citation, recite, citation, incite, excite. CELL 3 — DOC (teach): document, doctrine, doctor, indoctrinate. CELL 4 — GRAPH (write): paragraph, biography, graphic, photograph. CELL 5 — LOG/LOGY (study, word, reason): logic, biology, dialogue, monologue, epilogue. CELL 6 — SCRIB/SCRIPT (write): scribe, scribble, manuscript, transcript, prescribe, describe. CELL 7 — VER (true): verify, veracity, verdict, verbatim. CELL 8 — VALID (strong): valid, validate, invalidate, validity. CELL 9 — CRED (believe): credible, incredible, credit, accreditation, credo. CELL 10 — AUCT/AUTHOR (originator): author, authority, authentic, authorize. Each cell with 3-5 example words + brief etymology. Bottom: 'These 10 roots are the toolkit of research vocabulary. Recognize a root, decode the word.' Print-ready 11x17.

Homograph deck anchor (CCSS L.7.5.b): 20-pair grid. Each cell shows the spelled-the-same word + two meanings + pronunciation note. Examples: BEAR (animal / to carry — same pronunciation). BOW (to bend / weapon — different pronunciations: /bau/ vs. /boh/). LEAD (metal /led/ / to guide /leed/). TEAR (to rip /tair/ / to cry /teer/). WIND (air movement /wind/ / to turn /waind/). CLOSE (near /klos/ / to shut /kloz/). MINUTE (time /min-it/ / tiny /my-noot/). LIVE (to be alive /liv/ / in real time /laiv/). DESERT (sandy land /DEZ-ert/ / to abandon /di-ZERT/). REFUSE (trash /REF-yoos/ / to decline /ri-FYOOZ/). 10 more on reverse. Bottom rule: 'Context tells you which meaning. When in doubt, read the sentence aloud.' Print-ready 11x17.

Connotation in academic register anchor (CCSS L.7.5.c): 3-row card showing similar-denotation words with different connotations for research writing. ROW 1 — for a stated position: CLAIM (neutral — used most often in research) / ASSERTION (suggests boldness without sufficient support — use carefully) / CONTENTION (suggests dispute — for highlighting controversy). ROW 2 — for an investigation: INVESTIGATION (neutral, formal) / INQUIRY (neutral, scholarly) / PROBE (aggressive, journalistic — sometimes too strong). ROW 3 — for evidence-backing: SUPPORT (neutral) / BUTTRESS (formal, structural) / PROP UP (informal, weak — avoid in research). Bottom rule: 'Connotation matters in research register. Pick the word whose connotation matches your tone.' Worked examples for 3-4 more word groups. Print-ready 11x17.

Tier-2 Set 15 academic-research precision vocabulary anchor: 20-word grid. WORDS: source, citation, plagiarism, paraphrase, synthesize, attribute, credibility, bias, authority, scholarly, peer-reviewed, primary, secondary, corroborate, refute, hedge, qualify, contextualize, methodology, premise. Each cell: word + 1-sentence definition + example-of-use-in-research-context ('My source has credibility because the author is a published expert.' / 'I will synthesize three sources in this paragraph.' / 'I need to corroborate this statistic with a second source.'). Print-ready 11x17, dyslexic-friendly font.

Research-paper structural anchor: 5-7 paragraph blueprint card. PARAGRAPH 1 — INTRODUCTION: HOOK + RESEARCH QUESTION + THESIS + ROADMAP. The hook engages the reader; the research question motivates the paper; the thesis states the answer/claim; the roadmap previews the body paragraphs. PARAGRAPHS 2-4 (or 2-5/6) — BODY: each paragraph has a TOPIC SENTENCE making one sub-claim, MULTIPLE SOURCES synthesized (2-3 minimum, with embedded quotes/paraphrases and parenthetical citations), and a CLOSING SENTENCE tying back to the thesis. PARAGRAPH 5 (or 6/7) — CONCLUSION: synthesizes the answer to the research question, addresses limitations or counterpoints, and offers a SO-WHAT (why does this matter / what next?). WORKS CITED — separate page, alphabetical by author last name, hanging indent. Bottom: 'A research paper IS its synthesis. If you can remove all citations and the paragraph still works as a personal-opinion piece, you have not synthesized.' Print-ready 11x17.

Note-card / citation-ribbon workflow anchor: 1-card template. EACH NOTE CARD captures: SOURCE INFO (author last name + short title + page) at the TOP; NOTE TYPE (Q for quote, P for paraphrase, S for summary) coded in margin; CONTENT in the middle; YOUR THINKING/REACTION at the bottom. Cards are color-coded by source (one color per source — 4-6 colors per paper). DIGITAL alternative: a spreadsheet with the same columns OR a Zotero/NoodleTools entry. Bottom rule: 'Capture the citation at the point of note-taking. Retroactive citation is where plagiarism enters by accident.' Worked example card filled in. Print-ready 5x7 card stock.

3-pass peer-revision rubric adapted for research papers: 3-band stacked card extending G6 MG-16. PASS 1 — CONTENT (purple, 14 criteria adapted for research): research question focused / thesis answers the question / body paragraphs each make a sub-claim / minimum 3 sources cited overall / sources are credible per CRAAP / synthesis across sources visible in each body paragraph (not list-style) / counterpoint or limitation acknowledged / conclusion offers a so-what / introduction has hook + question + thesis + roadmap / paragraph order follows roadmap / each paragraph has a topic sentence and closing sentence / evidence supports claims / quotes are embedded with quote-sandwich pattern / paraphrases follow 3-rules. PASS 2 — SENTENCE-LEVEL (blue, 10 criteria adapted for research): four sentence types varied (at least one of each type used) / no misplaced or dangling modifiers / coordinate adjectives marked correctly / wordiness audit applied (no obvious wordiness patterns) / active voice default / signal phrases varied (not just 'X says') / interpretive sentences after quotes / parenthetical citations placed correctly / sentence rhythm varied / no sentence over 35 words without justification. PASS 3 — MECHANICS (green, 12 criteria adapted for research): MLA formatting correct (1-inch margins, double-spaced, header) / Works Cited alphabetical with hanging indent / each in-text citation matches a Works Cited entry / titles italicized or quoted correctly / spelling clean / capitalization clean / punctuation clean / pronoun case correct / pronoun consistency / semicolon/colon used correctly if used / commas for coordinate adjectives / quotation marks placed correctly. Bottom rule: 'ONE PASS AT A TIME.' Print-ready 11x17.

Status-of-class fall chart (research workshop): 8-stage horizontal chart matching MG-2 workflow. Each child has a magnetic name-tile moved into the column. Each column has 1-sentence definition and icon (PLAN = question mark; RESEARCH = magnifying glass; NOTE-TAKE = note card; DRAFT = pencil; CITE = quote mark; REVISE = arrow loop; PUBLISH = printer; PRESENT = microphone). Print-ready 18x24.

Researcher's Forum visual-aid criteria anchor: 3-option card. OPTION A — POSTER: title + research question + 3-4 key findings as bullets / quoted lines / image(s) / Works Cited mini-list. Tri-fold board. 24x36. OPTION B — SLIDE DECK: 5-8 slides max (title / question / 3-4 finding slides / conclusion / Works Cited). 16:9 ratio. Plain background. Sans-serif font 32pt+. Image per slide allowed. OPTION C — INFOGRAPHIC: single-page visual representation of the research findings with citations integrated. 11x17. Bottom rule: 'The visual aid SUPPORTS the argument — it does not REPLACE the oral presentation. The audience listens to YOU; the visual reinforces.' Print-ready 11x17.

Researcher's Forum presentation script template: 1-page script card. SECTION 1 — HOOK (10-15 sec): an opening line that engages — a question, a striking fact, a quote. SECTION 2 — RESEARCH QUESTION + THESIS (15-20 sec): name your question + state your answer. SECTION 3 — KEY FINDINGS (30-45 sec): 3 findings, each with a source attribution ('According to Nakate...' / 'Aronson and Budhos document...'). SECTION 4 — SO-WHAT (10-15 sec): why does this matter. SECTION 5 — Q&A PREP (separate notes): 3 likely audience questions with prepared answers. TOTAL: 60-90 seconds. NOTES: oral citation = name the author and source ('Vanessa Nakate, in her book A Bigger Picture...'). Print-ready 8.5x11.

6:00 model of a Grade-7 researcher applying CRAAP to a digital source. Multicultural student opens a website making a claim about Maya astronomy. Pauses to: (1) check Currency — when was it published? (2) check Relevance — does it address her research question? (3) check Authority — who is the author? Opens new tabs (lateral reading) to verify. (4) check Accuracy — does another source corroborate? (5) check Purpose — what's the motive? Voiceover narration explains each step. Student makes a final decision: source passes 4 criteria, fails 1 (Authority — author has no academic credentials), so she will use the source with caveat OR find a better source. Multicultural classroom. Caption track on.

6:00 model of a Grade-7 researcher building a quote sandwich. Student is drafting a body paragraph. She has a quote from Nakate. Voiceover walks through: SLICE 1 — signal phrase ('According to Nakate, in her book A Bigger Picture...'). SLICE 2 — quote with quotation marks ('...'). SLICE 3 — parenthetical citation (Nakate 47). SLICE 4 — interpretive sentence ('This shows that...'). Student types each slice. Then she reviews — does the interpretive sentence add MEANING or just restate? She revises the interpretive sentence to add analysis. Final paragraph displayed with all 4 slices visible. Multicultural classroom. Caption track on.

5:00 model of a Grade-7 researcher synthesizing 3 sources into 1 body paragraph. Student has note cards from 3 sources (color-coded). She begins with a topic-sentence sub-claim. Then she WEAVES — quote from Source A + interpretation, then 'Building on this, Source B also finds...' + paraphrase, then 'However, Source C qualifies that...' + paraphrase. Voiceover narrator points out: 'Notice she is not listing one source after another. She is connecting them — Source A claims X, Source B supports X with additional evidence, Source C qualifies X in a specific way. THAT is synthesis.' Final paragraph displayed with citation markers visible. Multicultural classroom.

5:00 model of a Grade-7 Researcher's Forum oral presentation. Student stands at a podium with a tri-fold poster behind her (matching MG-30 option A). She delivers a 75-second presentation following MG-31 script template. Hook: 'Most people know Hidden Figures the movie. Fewer know there were dozens more Black women at NASA.' Question + thesis. Three findings, each orally cited ('According to Shetterly...' / 'In an interview with NPR, Mae Jemison said...' / 'The NASA historical archive documents...'). So-what. Audience asks 2 questions during Q&A — student handles confidently. Multicultural classroom. Caption track on.

Plagiarism examples and fixes anchor: 1-page reference with 5 EXAMPLES of plagiarism types. TYPE 1 — DIRECT (copy-paste with no citation). TYPE 2 — PATCHWORK (changing some words but keeping the syntax). TYPE 3 — UNCITED PARAPHRASE (true paraphrase but no citation — the most common student error). TYPE 4 — UNCITED IDEAS (the IDEA is borrowed even though the words are original). TYPE 5 — SELF-PLAGIARISM (reusing your own old paper without disclosure — preview for G9+). Each type with a WRONG example and a FIXED example. Bottom rule: 'When in doubt, CITE. There is no penalty for over-citing.' Print-ready 11x17.

Research-paper self-reflection rubric (assessment-as-learning): 3-2-1 reflection extended for G7-fall. Three STRENGTHS in your research paper (with quoted lines showing source-handling and synthesis). Two REVISION TARGETS for next time (specific moves named — e.g., 'I want to use COMPOUND-COMPLEX sentences more deliberately to signal layered relationships.'). One GOAL for G7-spring (the next writing unit — analytical essay + syntactic variety). Bottom rule: 'Reflection turns work into learning.' Print-ready 8.5x11.

Workshop calendar (18-week fall): visual timeline. Weeks 1-3: research process launch + CRAAP source-evaluation + primary/secondary + scholarly/popular/sponsored. Weeks 4-5: lateral reading + digital-source-evaluation portfolio (PIECE 1). Weeks 5-9: research-paper launch + note-taking + paraphrase rules + quote sandwich + MLA Works Cited templates. Week 9: midterm assessment. Weeks 10-13: drafting + synthesis across sources + L.7.1.b four sentence types + L.7.1.c modifier work + L.7.3.a concision. Weeks 14-16: 3-pass peer revision + L.7.2.a coordinate adjectives + L.7.5.b homographs. Weeks 17-18: Researcher's Forum prep + oral presentation + self-reflection. Print-ready 18x24.