Grade 6 · English language arts · 35 minutes
Unit 2 · Writing with evidence and purpose · Lesson 2 of 3
Research Notes for an Informative Explanation
Paraphrase two fictional sources and explain a process with basic attribution.
Mr. S Teaches · Original starter mini-lesson · MS6-ELA-04Learning objective
Create attributed notes and combine two sources into a clear informative paragraph.
Before you begin
- Main ideas
- Complete sentences
Gather your materials
- Paper or a word processor
- The original text and fictional source cards supplied in this lesson
Language to know
- paraphrase
- An accurate restatement in your own words and structure.
- attribution
- Naming the source of information.
- credibility
- Reasons to trust a source for a particular question.
Understand the concept
Fictional source A: Lena Ortiz, “Repair Café Checklist,” Green Street Bulletin, 2026: volunteers inspect an item before deciding whether a repair can be attempted; owners remain during the work. Fictional source B: Green Street organizers, “September Session Log,” 2026: 12 items arrived; 7 were repaired, 3 needed unavailable parts and 2 could not be repaired there. These invented cards are for practice, not real research findings. An informative explanation groups useful details and gives credit instead of copying sentences.
Teach it step by step
- Ask “What happens at a repair café, and what limits its work?” and select relevant details from both cards.
- Record author or organization, title and year beside every note.
- Paraphrase the inspection process without changing its meaning or making volunteers guarantee a repair.
- Organize the paragraph as process followed by results and limits, using a transition such as “however.”
- Explain why a session log is useful for this event’s counts but cannot establish success rates everywhere.
Make the thinking visible
Worked example or model response
“According to Ortiz’s ‘Repair Café Checklist’ (2026), volunteers first check an item and decide whether they can attempt a repair while its owner stays. The organizers’ ‘September Session Log’ (2026) reports that 7 of 12 items were repaired. However, missing parts or unsuitable repairs prevented completion of the others.”
Guided practice
Paraphrase the unavailable-parts result. Make a basic reference entry for each card using its supplied author, title and year.
Independent practice
Write an informative paragraph using both cards, distinguish the process from the event counts, and include two source entries. Identify one question the cards cannot answer.
Quick assessment
Why is changing only “arrived” to “came” while copying the rest of a source sentence not a strong paraphrase?
Answer key & assessment criteria
Answers and teaching guidance
- Guided: Three items needed parts that were not available. Entries identify Ortiz and Green Street organizers, their respective titles, and 2026; exact formatting may follow the teacher’s chosen style.
- Independent criteria: Accurate process and counts, own wording, both sources named, basic references and a valid unanswered question such as long-term repair durability.
- Quick check: A paraphrase reshapes the idea in the learner’s own language and still credits the source; one synonym is not enough.
Look for: Look for an explanation of the choices, not only a final answer. Accept alternative interpretations when the learner supports them with precise textual evidence.
Make it work for your learner
More support
Use source-color note cards and let the learner explain the idea aloud before writing.
Extension challenge
Add a teacher-approved real source and compare its authority, purpose and date with the fictional practice cards.
Selected contributions · Official sources
Standards connections
Contributes to Common Core standard
W.6.2Common Core · Grade 6
Organize an informative explanation using relevant details and transitions.
Read the official standard ↗A short paragraph contributes selected explanatory-writing skills.
Source and mapping checked 2026-11-04. This mini-lesson contributes selected skills; it does not claim full attainment.
Contributes to Common Core standard
W.6.8Common Core · Grade 6
Practice source evaluation, attributed paraphrase and basic bibliography.
Read the official standard ↗Supplied fictional cards support a source-use exercise; independent gathering from print and digital sources remains an extension.
Source and mapping checked 2026-11-04. This mini-lesson contributes selected skills; it does not claim full attainment.