Taking Notes & Citing Sources
Aligned to W.5.8 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Gather facts from sources, then put them in your own words as a summary or paraphrase. Always keep a list of where each fact came from.
Worked examples
Example 1
A site says a blue whale's heart weighs as much as a car. You note: 'Blue whale heart = car-sized (Ocean Facts website)' — reworded, with the source.
Example 2
A source says an adult elephant eats 300 pounds of food a day. You note: 'Adult elephant ≈ 300 lb food/day (Zoo site, 2024)'.
Example 3
Record the source when you take the note, not later. A great fact you cannot attribute is a fact you cannot use.
Practice questions
- Paraphrase one fact instead of copying it.
- Write a source note for a fact you found.
- Explain why listing sources matters.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Tomar Notas y Citar Fuentes
Reúne datos de las fuentes y luego ponlos con tus propias palabras como resumen o paráfrasis. Guarda siempre una lista de dónde salió cada dato.
Ejemplo 1: Un sitio dice que el corazón de una ballena azul pesa como un auto. Anotas: 'Corazón de ballena azul = tamaño de un auto (sitio Datos del Océano)' — con tus palabras y la fuente.
Ejemplo 2: Una fuente dice que un elefante adulto come 300 libras de comida al día. Anotas: 'Elefante adulto ≈ 300 lb de comida/día (sitio del zoológico, 2024)'.
Ejemplo 3: Registra la fuente cuando tomas la nota, no después. Un gran dato que no puedes atribuir es un dato que no puedes usar.
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