● Weeks 5–12 · 8 Lessons

Unit 2: Research Methods & Digital Literacy

Shifts focus to the practical skills of inquiry: finding, evaluating, organizing, and citing information. Integrates media literacy, AI awareness, and critical thinking throughout every lesson.

8 Lessons

Lesson Sequence

Each lesson spans multiple sessions. Total contact time: approximately 20–28 sessions across 8 weeks.

1

Introduction to Digital Research

2–3 sessions · Building a researcher's toolkit
Core Content
  • Advanced search techniques: quotation marks for exact phrases, keyword narrowing strategies, minus signs to exclude terms, domain extensions (.edu, .gov, .org)
  • Search strategy flowcharts: visual decision trees for choosing search approaches
  • Comparing results: running the same query across different search engines and analyzing differences
  • Research journal: documentation begins here and continues through the year
Key skill: Students learn that the quality of their research depends on the quality of their search strategy, not just effort. Intentional searching is a trainable skill.
2

Evaluating Online Sources

3–4 sessions · Critical evaluation framework
Core Content
  • CRAAP Test: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose
  • Author credentials: who wrote this, what qualifies them, what organization do they represent
  • Publication dates: when was this written, has it been updated, is the information still current
  • Website purpose: informing, persuading, selling, entertaining, or some combination
  • Supporting evidence: does the source cite its own sources, can claims be verified
  • Bias indicators: loaded language, one-sided presentation, missing perspectives
  • Cross-referencing: checking claims across multiple independent sources
Materials
3

Note-Taking & Organization

2–3 sessions · From chaos to system
Core Content
  • Digital note-taking strategies: organized folders, digital sticky notes, concept maps, screenshots, bookmarking
  • Summarizing vs. quoting: when to put it in your own words, when to preserve the original
  • Source cards: recording key information (author, date, URL, main idea, your reaction)
  • Digital organization systems: folder structures, naming conventions, tagging
Materials
4

Understanding & Avoiding Plagiarism

2–3 sessions · Intellectual honesty in practice
Core Content
  • Intellectual property rights: why original creators deserve credit, parallels to their own creative work
  • Citation formats: MLA/APA basics adapted for 5th grade comprehension and practice
  • Paraphrasing skills: reading, closing the source, writing in your own words, checking against original
  • Digital citation tools: age-appropriate tools that scaffold proper citation habits
Connection to SEL Dimension 6 (Ethics): Plagiarism is framed not as a rule to follow but as an ethical choice. Students connect intellectual honesty to the moral reasoning developed in Unit 1.
5

Advanced Search Techniques

2–3 sessions · Power tools for the curious
Core Content
  • Advanced operators: site:, filetype:, related:, advanced Google features
  • Kid-appropriate databases: curated list of safe, reliable academic resources for elementary researchers
  • Specialized search tools: image search (with usage rights), news search, scholarly content appropriate for age level
  • Tool selection: choosing the right search tool for specific research needs
6

Fact-Checking & Verification

2–3 sessions · Truth-seeking in a noisy world
Core Content
  • Lateral reading: opening new tabs to check what other sources say about a claim or author
  • Reverse image search: verifying whether images are original, manipulated, or taken out of context
  • Finding original sources: tracing claims back to their origin rather than relying on secondary reports
  • Fact-checking websites: age-appropriate introduction to verification tools and practices
  • Identifying misinformation: fake news, outdated information, manipulated images, misleading statistics
AI literacy integration: This lesson naturally extends to identifying AI-generated content. Students learn to ask: "Was this created by a person? How can I tell? Does it matter for my research?"
7

Digital Research Tools

2–3 sessions · The researcher's expanded toolkit
Core Content
  • Digital libraries: public library digital resources, educational databases, curated content collections
  • Academic databases: age-appropriate scholarly search engines and educational archives
  • Educational search engines: tools designed specifically for student researchers
  • Collaborative research tools: shared documents, comment features, peer annotation
  • Tool selection framework: matching the right tool to the specific research question
8

Research Project Application

4–5 sessions · Putting it all together
Core Content
  • Integration: applying all research skills from Lessons 1–7 directly to passion projects
  • Digital research portfolios: compiling search strategies, evaluated sources, organized notes, and citations
  • Peer review: structured feedback on each other's research process and findings
  • Research process reflection: what worked, what was difficult, what they would do differently
Assessment moment: The digital research portfolio serves as both formative and summative assessment. It documents not just what students found, but how they found it, how they evaluated it, and how they organized it.
Supplementary

Unit 2 Materials & Assessment

Framework

The Questions Ladder

A scaffolded framework for developing increasingly sophisticated research questions. Moves students from basic recall questions through analysis and evaluation to synthesis-level inquiry.

Scope & Sequence

Digital Literacy Content Sequence

A detailed scope-and-sequence document for the entire digital literacy strand, showing how skills build across the unit and connect to the broader curriculum.

Assessment

Unit 2 Assessment Framework

Formative (Ongoing)

  • Research journal entries
  • Skill practice exercises
  • Source evaluation worksheets
  • Citation practice
  • Peer review sessions
  • Teacher conferences

Summative (Portfolio)

  • Search strategy documentation
  • Source evaluation examples
  • Note-taking samples
  • Citation practice evidence
  • Tool usage examples
  • Research process reflection