Ask Anything Research Paper: A Research Writing Unit (6-8)

What is the focus of the Ask Anything research writing unit?

This writing unit is specifically designed to meet the standards for research (W.6.7, W.6.8, W.7.7, W.7.8 W.8.7, W.8.8). Teaching students a research process they can use again and again not only in ELA, but in any class is something they will be so thankful for as they realize how applicable it is to their world. The “Ask Anything” research unit is where students get to research one question they want the answer to. Based off of that topic, they will generate follow-up questions to research. Through the research writing process, they will study a research paper mentor text to notice what it includes and how it is formatted, learn about effective search terms and how to find credible, accurate information, work on avoiding plagiarism through quoting and paraphrasing, write a research paper, and properly cite their sources through a Works Cited page to give credit to the ideas they incorporated into their paper. Along the way, students will use an organizational system to track their research and sources that can be applied again and again to research they do in the future. This writing unit does all of this while moving students through the writing process (genre immersion, pre-writing, organizing/outlining, drafting, revising, and publishing/sharing).

What is included in the ask anything research writing unit?

• Unit Plan: an overview of the 14 minilesson statements, each aligned to a Common Core State Standard for research, sequenced to guide students through the writing process from start to finish.
• Detailed Minilessons: 14 fully-scripted writing minilessons for the teacher so that they can explicitly walk students through the gradual release of responsibility (minilesson statement, modeling, have-a-go, application, share) in each minilesson. The minilessons take students through each part of the writing process (genre immersion, pre-write, organize & outline, draft, revise, edit, publish & share). *Download the preview to see the specific minilessons covered throughout this unit.
• Mentor Text: A mentor text of a research paper, written by me, to reference throughout the writing process. The mentor text was written to exemplify each minilesson and be used as a tool for modeling and a reference during writing conferences/guided writing.
• PowerPoints: Each lesson contains a presentation of the lesson with the different steps of the lesson laid out (minilesson statement, modeling, have-a-go, application, share) for a great visual throughout each minilesson to help the lessons flow. These come in PDF and in editable form.
• Question Prompts for Writing Conferences: Question prompts specific to each minilesson to use in writing conferences and/or guided writing each day to reinforce the concept being taught are included. These questions make it seamless to hold writing conferences that will make a huge impact on students' writing.
• Student Handouts and Reference Guides: Student materials (prewriting sheets, graphic organizers, outline, reference sheets to assist with specific minilessons, handouts with prompting questions to guide revision, etc.) needed for each minilesson are included. A student "Editing Guide" is also included to assist students during the editing phase with capitalization, spelling, homophone, punctuation, commas, and sentence types reference sheets.
• Rubric Options: Rubrics are designed to assess the specific genre and type of writing in the writing unit. There are different rubric options included so teachers can use the rubric that works best for their purpose.
• Grade 6 CCSS-Aligned Rubric
• Grade 7 CCSS-Aligned Rubric
• Grade 8 CCSS-Aligned Rubric
• Minilesson-Based Rubric: does not mention specific CCSS standards and is based on the minilessons taught in the writing unit
• Just Feedback Rubric: designed to get students reading and thinking about feedback.
• Students Self-Assessment Rubric: where students assess before the teachers assess.
• Detailed Proficiency Rubric
• Sentence Level Writing Activities: Sentence level writing activities are included to help you guide your students through writing sentences with appositives, compound sentences, complex sentences, sentences with items in a series, and more. These can be used as a class starter during the writing unit. Having students practice sentence level writing will improve students' writing conventions and sentence variety.

***All lessons, student handouts, and rubrics come in a PDF and Microsoft Word version so teachers can use the materials in a way that best suits their teaching style and students’ needs. Additionally, all presentations are included as Google Slides and all students handouts are included as Google Docs for ease of use in Google Classroom.

Looking for a year-long writing curriculum? Look no further.

There are eleven writing units in total. Each persuasive, informative/explanatory, narrative, and research writing unit is designed to meet all of the standards for that genre. Each unit is designed to bring a unique spin to the overall genre of writing. Teachers can create a year-long writing curriculum based on the writing units they think will best meet the needs of their students. Teachers who teach solely writing will most likely be able to teach more writing units across the year than teachers who teach reading and writing within the same class period to students. Regardless, the writing units are purchased separately and can be put together to create a year-long curriculum covering all of the writing standards from the Common Core State Standards. Download the preview to see example scope and sequences tailored to represent different middle school teaching situations.

There are 3 purchase options for the writing units:

1. Purchase all eleven units and save $27 (20% off) by purchasing the Middle School Year-Long Writing Workshop Curriculum Bundle. This bundle includes awesome extras to help manage, assess, and thrive using a Writing Workshop all year.

2. Purchase the writing units as a mini-bundle and save $9.60 (20% off). Each mini-bundle includes four writing units (1 persuasive, 1 informative/explanatory, 1 narrative, 1 research). There are three mini-bundle options, each containing a different variety of writing units. Choose the one that works best for you and your students.

-6-8 Writing Workshop Units Bundle (Option 1)

-6-8 Writing Workshop Units Bundle (Option 2)

-6-8 Writing Workshop Units Bundle (Option 3)

3. Purchase the writing units individually to meet your writing instruction needs. The 11 writing units are linked below.

-Deleted Scene-Narrative Writing

-Blog Post-Informative/Explanatory Writing

-Product Review-Persuasive Writing

-Ask Anything-Research Writing

-Narrative Nonfiction-Narrative Writing Unit

-Literary Analysis-Informative/Explanatory Writing

-Important Issue Letter-Persuasive Writing

-Memoir Vignettes-Narrative Writing

-Quote to Live By-Informative/Explanatory Writing

-Book Recommendation-Persuasive Writing

-Children's Book-Narrative Writing

*Do you teach students how to write or tell them to write? There is a big difference between teaching and telling.

*These writing units take students through the writing process step-by-step through a series of detailed minilessons with explicit modeling examples. You can feel confident in your teaching and will love the writing engagement and results you get from students.

You might also like…

• Writing Workshop Kick-off for Grades 7-8
• Writing Workshop Assessment Tools
• Student Writing Companion: A Resource for Writing Workshop
• Writing Conventions Self-Evaluation for Student Writers
• Sentence Stalking: The New DOL {Nine Months of Instruction Bundle}

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