Evidence-Based Writing
Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research in writing, applying grade-level reading standards to non-fiction
What a learner can do afterwards
- Write a research-based paragraph or short report that cites specific facts, details, and evidence from informational texts to support key points
- Synthesise information from two informational sources into a written summary that accurately represents both, noting areas of agreement and difference
- Paraphrase information from informational texts accurately and cite sources appropriately, avoiding plagiarism
The lesson
You already know how to find the main topic and key details in a text, and how to run a short research project. Evidence-based writing takes that further: when you write your own report, you weave in real facts and details from what you read, so your ideas are backed up by more than just your opinion.
Mia is writing about bees. Instead of 'Bees are important,' she writes: 'According to a National Geographic article, bees pollinate about one third of the food we eat, from apples to almonds.' She names the source and gives an exact fact.
Putting a fact in your own words is called paraphrasing. Change the wording and sentence structure, keep the meaning, and still say where the fact came from. Copying a sentence exactly without saying so is plagiarism.
Sometimes you'll read two texts about the same topic. If they agree, say so. If they don't, for example one article says a plan works well and another says it has problems, explain both sides in your summary instead of picking just one.
Good non-fiction writing points back to real facts and sources, put in your own words, and shows both sides when sources disagree.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.