Do your students know how to cite their sources? This can be tricky for our elementary students to learn. There are a lot of steps, so when do we expect students to know how to cite their sources?
Fourth grade CCSS W.4.8 is the first grade level that asks students to provide a list of sources: Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
If you need help breaking down these steps for students, here is a resource that scaffolds the process for students.
It breaks down each step of citing a source for a book and a website, and it includes a QR code with a video that breaks it into 5 steps for students. These pages can be printed out so students can write in each step for citing the source. You can download them for free on Teacher Sherpa by clicking on the picture above.
But you don't have to wait until they are in fourth grade to begin showing students how to cite their sources. Highlight the parts of the Works Cited Page you expect your students to complete so they can begin to see how to give credit to authors. I suggest adding a new section of the Works Cited Page at each grade level:
1st grade:
Book: book title, .print Website: Page/article title, .web
2nd grade:
Book: author, book title, .print
Website: Page/article title, name of website, .web
3rd grade:
Book: author, book title, year the book was published, .print
Website: Page/article title, name of website, year/date site was updated, .web
4th grade and up:
Complete Works Cited Page
If you need more resources to help you teach students how to cite their sources, Common Sense Education has some great lessons to help you get started: How to Cite a Site, Whose is it Anyway?
They also have this great video that I always use to start the discussion about copyright and giving credit to the creator.
Enjoy!
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