D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Writing with Purpose: Research, Argument, Story and Media

Informational Writing: Research Reports That Synthesize and Cite

D2.1 D1.3 D1.4 A3.1About 55 minutes

Learning goals

I can draft an informational research report that combines information from several sources.
I can introduce, quote and explain a source using the quotation sandwich.
I can credit sources with signal phrases and a source list.
I can write in an objective tone and use text features that help readers.

Words to know

informational text
A text that gives facts and explanations about a topic; examples include reports, articles, explanations and procedures.

objective
Based on facts, not on the writer's feelings or opinions.

signal phrase
Words that introduce a source, such as According to... or As the scientist explains,...

quotation
A source's exact words, inside quotation marks.

quotation sandwich
Introduce the quotation, give the quotation, then explain what it means.

sidebar
A box beside the main text with extra, related information.

source list
A list at the end of a text of all the sources used (also called a bibliography or works cited).

Remember from Grade 6

In Grade 6 you wrote explanatory reports (introduction, body sections with headings, conclusion), used cause and effect to explain how and why, wrote feature article leads, and kept your writing in your own words, quoting and crediting when needed.

In Grade 7 your reports synthesize several sources (like you practised in the research lessons). You'll learn to weave sources into your sentences smoothly, credit them with signal phrases and a source list, and keep an objective tone.

Ways to bring a source into your writing

Summary: the main ideas of a long passage in a few of your own words.
Paraphrase: one idea in your own words, about the same length.
Quotation: the exact words in quotation marks. Use a quotation only when the exact words matter: an expert's strong statement, a vivid phrase, or a person's lived experience in their own voice.

Most of a report should be your own words. Quotations are like spice: a little goes a long way.

The quotation sandwich

Top bread, introduce: who is speaking and why they matter. As Mr. Okafor, who runs a community pollinator garden, explains,
Filling, quote: the exact words.
Bottom bread, explain: what the quotation means for your topic. In other words, ...

Never drop a quotation in on its own. Readers need to know who said it and why it matters.

The quotation sandwich: never serve a quotation on its own. Introduce it, quote it, then explain it.

A model report section (written for this lesson, using the pretend sources from the research lesson)

Helping Monarchs at Home
Anyone with a garden, a balcony planter or a schoolyard can help monarch butterflies. According to a nature centre article, monarch caterpillars can eat only milkweed, so planting it gives females a place to lay eggs and gives their young the food they need. Experts often recommend native species, such as common milkweed and swamp milkweed, instead of tropical milkweed, which is not native to Canada (Pollinators, 2023).
Adult monarchs need food, too. As Mr. Okafor, who runs a community pollinator garden, explains, "Adult monarchs need nectar from flowers to fuel their long trip in the fall." For this reason, he plants late-blooming flowers, such as asters and goldenrod. In other words, a monarch-friendly garden feeds the butterflies at every stage of life.

Worked example

Let's look at how the model uses its sources

Reread the model section.

Subheading: Helping Monarchs at Home tells readers exactly what this section covers.
Topic sentence: Anyone with a garden... can help monarch butterflies. It's the writer's own synthesis, not from any one source.
Signal phrase + paraphrase: According to a nature centre article, monarch caterpillars can eat only milkweed...
Parenthetical credit: (Pollinators, 2023) credits the book after the paraphrase.
Quotation sandwich: introduce (As Mr. Okafor, who runs a community pollinator garden, explains,) → quote → explain (For this reason... In other words...).
Objective tone: no I think and no super cool. Facts are presented clearly and credited.

Three sources are woven together by idea, each is credited, and the writer's own explanations connect them.

Text feature	What it does for readers
Title, headings and subheadings	Show the topic and the main sections; help readers find information
Bold or highlighted terms	Signal important vocabulary
Glossary	Defines key terms at the end
Labelled diagram or photo with a caption	Shows what words alone can't; the caption explains it
Graph or chart	Shows numbers and patterns quickly
Sidebar	Gives extra related information without interrupting the main text
Source list	Shows readers where the information came from so they can check it

Text features in informational writing.

A report page layout: title, heading and subheading, a sidebar and a diagram with a caption.

Worked example

Let's make writing objective

Revise: I think beavers are super cool because their dams are awesome and they basically make their own lakes!!

Remove I think and opinion words (super cool, awesome).
Replace the exaggeration (make their own lakes) with an accurate fact.
Use precise, neutral vocabulary and one exclamation mark at most, usually none.

Beavers build dams of branches, mud and stones that can turn a stream into a pond. These ponds create wetland habitat for many other animals, such as frogs, fish and birds. The facts are still interesting, but now they are objective and accurate.

Just for fun

Fun fact: Beavers' front teeth are orange because the enamel contains iron, which helps make them strong enough to chew through trees. Objective and a little bit awesome.

Make a source list

At the end of your report, list every source in alphabetical order by the creator's last name (or by organization or title if there's no person). For each, include the creator, title, publisher or website, date and, for online sources, the web address and the date you viewed it. Your teacher may ask for a particular style (MLA or APA). Whatever the style, be consistent.

Hands-on activity

Neighbourhood field guide page

You need: paper (or a device), coloured pencils, a ruler, and two reliable sources (library books or websites a grown-up approves).

Choose a living thing you can observe near home: a tree (such as a sugar maple), a bird at a feeder, or a plant in a park.
Write an inquiry question, like How does a sugar maple survive the winter?
Observe it for a few minutes and take notes. Your own observation is a primary source!
Read your two sources. Take jot notes in your own words and record each source.
Write a one-page report with a title, two subheadings, a labelled sketch with a caption, a sidebar with a fun fact, at least one quotation sandwich and a source list.
Read it aloud to a family member. Ask: Did any part sound like my opinion instead of facts?

Safety: observe animals from a distance, and don't touch plants you can't identify.

Your turn

Name the three ways to bring a source into your writing.

When is it best to use a quotation instead of a paraphrase?

What are the three parts of a quotation sandwich?

Write a signal phrase to introduce a quotation from a park ranger named Ms. Lee.

Make this objective: Snowy owls are the most beautiful birds ever!

What is a sidebar?

In what order are sources usually listed in a source list?

More practice: warm-up

What does objective mean?

What punctuation shows a quotation?

What does a caption do?

Should most of a report be quotations or your own words?

Name two text features.

More practice: on your own

Fix this "dropped" quotation: Snow is important. "Snow acts like a blanket that keeps the ground from freezing as deeply."

Turn these notes from two sources into one synthesized sentence with credits: Source 1 (a museum website): Inuksuit are stone structures built by Inuit. Source 2 (a book by an Inuk author): Inuksuit can mark routes, good fishing places or other important information.

Which text feature would best show how a beaver lodge looks inside? Why?

Why should a report include a source list?

Rewrite with an objective tone: Honestly, plastic straws are the worst and anybody who uses them is lazy.

Challenge

Write a report paragraph (4 to 6 sentences) on any science topic, with a topic sentence, one paraphrase with a signal phrase, one quotation sandwich and an objective tone. (You may make up a pretend source, but label it pretend.)

Explain why a report on the history of a First Nation should include sources created by members of that Nation.

Your report has these sections: Introduction, Where Snowy Owls Live, What They Eat, Conclusion. Suggest two text features to add and say where each would go and why.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a signal phrase?

What is the last part of a quotation sandwich?

Which sentence is objective?

When should you use a quotation?

A box beside the main text with extra facts is a…

Why organize a report by idea rather than by source?

For parents and teachers

Big ideas (D2.1, D1.3): Grade 7 students draft complex informational texts using a variety of tools and strategies, and they synthesize and credit information from a variety of sources. This lesson focuses on weaving sources into writing (summary, paraphrase, quotation sandwich), crediting with signal phrases and a source list, objective tone, and text features. Organizing by idea connects to D1.4; choosing topics from science, history or geography connects to A3.1.

How to help at home:

Read a short informational article together and point out its signal phrases and text features.
Ask: Who said that? How do you know? Where would a reader check?
Encourage observation as research: a walk, a bird feeder, the night sky.

Common difficulties:

Dropped quotations with no introduction or explanation. Use the sandwich.
Too many quotations. Ask: Could you say this in your own words?
Opinion words in a report ("amazing", "I think"). Read it aloud and listen for them.

Facts used: Beavers build dams of branches, mud and stones, creating ponds and wetland habitat. Inuksuit (singular: inuksuk) are stone structures built by Inuit and can serve purposes such as marking routes. The monarch sources and Mr. Okafor are pretend, from the research lesson.