Courseversity

Lesson

Research report writing

Primary EducationGrade 6English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G06-ELA-U10-L0945–60 min

You will learn

  • Organise sections.
  • Use headings.
  • Integrate evidence.
  • Conclude and cite.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Plan sections.
  2. Draft each.
  3. Integrate evidence.
  4. Add conclusion and references.

Words to know

research report
a written account of findings from research
heading
a title for a section
findings
what the research discovered
references
the list of sources used

1. Discover: The school garden report

Dayo’s research report: Title: Do School Gardens Help Pupils Learn? Sections with headings: Introduction; What Gardens Teach; Pupil Survey; Challenges; Conclusion; References. His findings: gardens teach science and teamwork, 80% of pupils enjoyed them, but watering is a challenge.

Each section uses evidence with citations. The conclusion answers the research question.

Think: How do headings help readers?

2. Understand: Reporting what you found

Idea 1: Structure

A research report has a title, introduction, sections with headings, conclusion and references.

Idea 2: Findings

Present findings with evidence and citations.

Idea 3: Answer

The conclusion answers the research question.

Remember: A research report has headed sections of findings with cited evidence, a conclusion and a reference list.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Title

What is the title?

  1. Do School Gardens Help Pupils Learn?

Answer: do school gardens help pupils learn

Example 2 (We do it together): Finding

Name a finding.

  1. 80% enjoyed.

Answer: 80% of pupils enjoyed gardens

Example 3 (You try): Conclusion

What does the conclusion do?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Answer.

Answer: answers the research question

Did you know?

Headings let readers jump to the section they need.

Why this matters

Report writing communicates research clearly.

4. Explore: Draft a report

Write a report.

  1. Plan headings.
  2. Write sections.
  3. Add evidence.
  4. Conclude and cite.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can write a research report.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • This section explains ___.
  • The evidence shows ___.
  • In conclusion, ___.
  • Sources: ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. A written account of research is a research ___.

report

Question 2. A title for a section is a ___.

heading

Question 3. What research discovered are the ___.

findings

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A written account of research is a research ___.
  2. A title for a section is a ___.
  3. What research discovered are the ___.
  4. The list of sources is the ___.
  5. 80% of pupils ___ gardening.

Level 2: Grow

  1. What challenge was found?
  2. What do gardens teach?
  3. What does the conclusion answer?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Do reports have headings?
  2. Should evidence be cited?
  3. Should a report have a conclusion?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Write a one-page research report with headings and references.

Show a sample answer

a research report

Another one. Read the introduction of your report to a family member and ask if they understand the question.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can organise sections.
  • I can use headings.
  • I can integrate evidence.
  • I can conclude and cite.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A research report presents ___.

2. A heading is a ___ for a section.

3. References list the ___ used.

4. The conclusion answers the research ___.

5. Which is a section heading?

6. A finding is ___.

7. A challenge found was ___.

8. Where do references go?

9. What should each section use?

10. Why use headings?

11. What comes first?

12. Why write a report?

Challenge 1. Which belongs in a report?

Challenge 2. Which is a finding?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Plan sections.
  • Draft each.
  • Integrate evidence.
  • Add conclusion and references.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Presenting findings. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. Define research report. [1 mark]
  2. Name four parts of a report. [4 marks]
  3. What is a finding? Give one. [2 marks]
  4. What does the conclusion do? [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to write a research report. [3 marks]

Total: 11 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. a written account of findings from research [1]
  2. title [1]; headed sections [1]; conclusion [1]; references [1]
  3. what research discovered [1]; 80% enjoyed the garden [1]
  4. answers the research question [1]
  5. plan headings [1]; write sections with cited evidence [1]; conclude and list references [1]

Score guide: 10 to 11 = secure. 7 to 9 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 7 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A written account of research is a research ___.
  2. A title for a section is a ___.
  3. What research discovered are the ___.
  4. The list of sources is the ___.
  5. 80% of pupils ___ gardening.
  6. What challenge was found?
  7. What do gardens teach?
  8. What does the conclusion answer?
  9. Do reports have headings?
  10. Should evidence be cited?

Homework

Read the introduction of your report to a family member and ask if they understand the question.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A written account of research is a research ___. report 1
2. A title for a section is a ___. heading 1
3. What research discovered are the ___. findings 1
4. The list of sources is the ___. references 1
5. 80% of pupils ___ gardening. enjoyed 1
6. What challenge was found? watering 1
7. What do gardens teach? science and teamwork 1
8. What does the conclusion answer? the research question 1
9. Do reports have headings? yes 1
10. Should evidence be cited? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 report; 2 heading; 3 findings; 4 references; 5 enjoyed. Level 2: 1 watering; 2 science and teamwork; 3 the research question. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Organise sections Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Use headings Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Integrate evidence Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Conclude and cite Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: organise sections; use headings; integrate evidence; conclude and cite.

Prerequisite knowledge. Introductory citations.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 11-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 6 » Writing; Grade 6 » Reading: Informational Text; Grade 6 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core W.6.7 and W.6.2 (conduct short research projects; write informative texts); Cambridge Primary English Stage 6 (report writing). These sources informed the lesson.

Scroll to Top