ELA.8.C.4.1

Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on multiple reliable and valid sources, and generating additional questions for further research.

Clarifications

Clarification 1: There is no requirement that students research the additional questions generated.

Clarification 2: While the benchmark does require that students consult multiple sources, there is no requirement that they use every source they consult. Part of the skill in researching is discernment—being able to tell which information is relevant and which sources are trustworthy enough to include.

General Information
Subject Area: English Language Arts (B.E.S.T.)
Grade: 8
Strand: Communication
Standard: Researching
Date Adopted or Revised: 08/20
Status: State Board Approved

Related Courses

This benchmark is part of these courses.
1001070: M/J Language Arts 3 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
1001080: M/J Language Arts 3 Advanced (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
1002020: M/J Language Arts 3 Through ESOL (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
1007020: M/J Speech and Debate 3 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2019, 2019 - 2021, 2021 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
1100000: M/J Library Skills/Information Literacy (MC) (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
1700060: M/J Career Research and Decision Making (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2019, 2019 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
7810013: Access M/J Language Arts 3 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
1009050: M/J Writing 3 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
1006020: M/J Journalism 3 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))

Related Access Points

Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
ELA.8.C.4.AP.1: Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on reliable and valid sources and generating additional questions, with guidance and support.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Lesson Plans

Conflict Resolution Strategies:

Using the case study, “Family Game Night: Fun or Fury?”, students will discuss the cause of conflict within the family that occurred throughout the night. They will research different types of conflict resolution strategies using valid and reliable digital resources. They will use the information gathered to work collaboratively to compare conflict resolution strategies and create a digital infographic with strategies they would recommend to the family to use to resolve their conflicts.

Type: Lesson Plan

Dena's Daycare:

Using the case study, “Dena’s Daycare,” students will discuss the best practices for learning environments and develop guidelines for establishing classroom activities, routines, and transitions. Students will discuss child development and collaborate to brainstorm ways to improve classroom activities, routines, and transitions.

Type: Lesson Plan

The Skills Required to Become a Successful Entrepreneur:

Using the case study, "Janet's Real Estate Success," students will identify examples of the skills required of a successful entrepreneur or small business owner and discuss what qualities of an entrepreneur or small business owner were most important to their success.

Type: Lesson Plan

Is the Customer Really Always Right?:

Using the case study, Is the Customer Really Always Right, students will identify examples of ineffective workplace skills and brainstorm strategies to prevent similar incidents. They will conduct research to find a real-world example of a business with poor communication or customer service and use their knowledge to propose solutions to enhance customer satisfaction and prevent financial losses.

Type: Lesson Plan

Energy Friendly Homes:

Using the case study, "Energy Friendly Homes," students will work in small groups to research and analyze various home features and their impact on energy conservation. They will create a poster presentation to make a recommendation for which home a family should purchase.

Type: Lesson Plan

Creating Sustainable Grocery Stores:

Using the case study, “Creating Sustainable Grocery Stores,” students will identify methods or practices of the conservation of natural resources within grocery store chains. Working with a partner, they will research an assigned sustainability recommendation (from the case study) and will develop a pitch to the company’s board of directors that will demonstrate specific methods or practices of conservation that address their assigned sustainability recommendation.

Type: Lesson Plan

Duck, Duck, Who?:

Using the case study, Duck, Duck, Who? (resource #215700), students assume the role of a the team of lawyers, researching the difference between copyright infringement and fair use to map out their case, including the evidence they will present.

Type: Lesson Plan

Orientation to Career Clusters: Education and Training Career Research Part 2:

Students will choose a career within the Education and Training Career Cluster to research. Student research will focus on training and education requirements for the career, the skills, abilities, and talents needed to be successful in the career and showcase a business or organization that employs individuals within the career. Students will compile their research as they create a poster presentation.

Type: Lesson Plan

Too Much Testing?:

Using the case study TOO MUCH TESTING?, the students will discuss value of playtesting games. They will continue to create a written strategic plan for their testing process (i.e., who should be in the test group, testing procedures & rules, questions for the playtesters about the game). A guide will be provided to them to help them outline each of these components. They will create the strategic plan as a team, so will be using digital tools as they share and create the plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

What’s Next? Making a Plan.:

Using the case study, “What’s Next?”, students will conduct research to investigate the relationship between educational achievement and career choices/postsecondary options. Students will utilize digital tools to collaborate with their peers to summarize their findings and create a presentation.

Type: Lesson Plan

Melody's Dilemma-Copyright or Fair Use:

Using the case study, "Melody's Dilemma," students will determine whether a situation constitutes as fair use or copyright infringement.

Type: Lesson Plan

Exploring Technology Part 1: Inventions & Innovations:

Students will complete a graphic organizer to record information from their online research on various technological inventions and innovations as an introduction to technology. After completing their research, students will reflect on the relationship between people and technology in this lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Types of Loans:

Students will conduct and synthesize research on common types of loans offered by financial institutions, in this lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Leadership Part 3: Leaders- A Closer Look:

In groups, students will conduct additional online research and write a profile on the characteristics and responsibilities of two leaders. Students will design a slide for each leader’s profile to add to their leadership presentation in this lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

Leadership Part 2: Leaders- Who are they and what do they do?:

In groups, students will conduct online research and complete a graphic organizer on the characteristics and responsibilities of leaders from various industries in this lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider: Alexander Hamilton's Civic Virtue Presentation:

In this lesson, students read portions of Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz and will delve into the life and values of Alexander Hamilton, focusing specifically on his embodiment of civic virtue.

Through engaging activities and discussions within the unit, students will gain a deeper understanding of how Hamilton's actions and principles align with the concept of civic virtue and its relationship with contemporary society.

There are three CPALMS lessons that can be used to complement a study of Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider and help students take a new perspective by merging ELA skills with civics knowledge.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider: The Liberty Boys and the Boston Tea Party:

Students will read Chapters 1-6 of Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider by Jean Fritz, and will critically analyze the actions of the Liberty Boys during the Boston Tea Party and develop informed opinions on whether they should be condemned for their act of dumping tea into the water. Students will need to understand that civic virtue is also connected to Alexander Hamilton based on his being a Founder, in that he played a significant role in the founding of the United States.

There are three CPALMS lessons that can be used to complement a study of Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider and help students take a new perspective by merging ELA skills with civics knowledge.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

To Kill a Mockingbird: Building Schema Through Historical Context:

This is lesson #1 in the text unit series for Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, in which students will be able to understand the historical context of the setting and time period in the text and make connections between the novel and real-world events during that era. By the end of this pre-reading lesson, students will be able to understand the historical context of the setting and time period in the text and make connections between the novel and real-world events during that era.

This lesson is part of a larger unit integrating ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues, address the application of the Bill of Rights, as well as recognizing the responsibilities of citizens at the local and state level. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

Cyberbullying Awareness:

Using the case study, “Suffering in Silence: The Effects of Cyberbullying”, students will identify elements of cyberbullying and the effects on both the victim and the bully. Students will research ways to respond to cyberbullying, ways to report it, and organizations that prevent/monitor cyberbullying. This research will be used to create a public service announcement (PSA) to inform the public about cyberbullying.

Type: Lesson Plan

Conflict Resolution in the Workplace:

This is lesson two in a three-part lesson series where students research and develop appropriate conflict resolution strategies to be applied in the workplace. In part one of the series, students researched conflict resolution and reviewed examples of both proper and improper workplace conflict resolution strategies. In this lesson, part two of the series, students use the research they conducted in part one to create a conflict resolution plan to use in the workplace. In part three of the series, students will be presented with a conflict and will need to use the plan they’ve created to resolve the conflict.

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Symmetry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:

This lesson plan explores symmetry in the structure and themes of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," delving into the antagonist's representation of the "duality of nature." In examining knightly virtues, students will measure Gawain's strength as the poem's hero. The lesson explains background information that every medieval thinker listening to a performance of the poem would know, in an effort to put the student into the mind-set of the medieval audience, providing a deeper appreciation and understanding of the work.

Type: Lesson Plan

Letter from the Front:

In this lesson series, students will read and conduct research about an American Civil War battle. Students will be required to use two or more texts to synthesize information about the battle, and they will then use this information to write a journal entry or letter as if they were present for the battle. Students will share their journal entries or letters digitally.

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorial

Tyrone's Tasks Part One:

Learn to organize a speech to make it logical, relate to a central idea, use credible evidence for support, and establish an appropriate tone through the use of academic vocabulary.

This interactive tutorial is part one in a three-part series on writing, editing, and giving a speech.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Original Student Tutorials for Language Arts - Grades 6-12

Tyrone's Tasks Part One:

Learn to organize a speech to make it logical, relate to a central idea, use credible evidence for support, and establish an appropriate tone through the use of academic vocabulary.

This interactive tutorial is part one in a three-part series on writing, editing, and giving a speech.

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Original Student Tutorial

Tyrone's Tasks Part One:

Learn to organize a speech to make it logical, relate to a central idea, use credible evidence for support, and establish an appropriate tone through the use of academic vocabulary.

This interactive tutorial is part one in a three-part series on writing, editing, and giving a speech.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.