Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
Common Core State Standards, Grade 3, Writing · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What W.3.7 Means in Plain English
Third graders run their own small research project on one topic. A student curious about geckos reads two books and watches a short video, then writes what was learned, like how tiny hairs on a gecko’s toes let it walk up a window. The point is new knowledge.
Second graders (W.2.7) take part in shared research, such as a class report on insects. Third graders run a short project of their own. Fourth grade (W.4.7) asks them to investigate different aspects of the topic, such as a gecko’s body, food and home.
W.3.7 I Can Statements
I can research one topic to answer a question.
I can learn new facts from books and videos.
I can write about what I learned that I did not know before.
W.3.7 Worked Example
Both students did the same gecko project. One wrote what was already in their head, and the other wrote what the research taught them.
Prompt
Research question: How can a gecko walk up a window without falling? Read the two gecko books in our class basket and watch the video on our class page, then write what you learned.
Not YetGeckos are little lizards. They are green and they have long tails. Some people keep them as pets.These are things the writer knew before the project started. None of them answers how a gecko climbs, so the project built no new knowledge.
Meets the StandardBefore this project, I thought geckos had sticky glue on their feet, but their toes are not sticky at all. First, our gecko book says each toe is covered with millions of tiny hairs, so small you need a microscope to see them. Then the video showed a gecko running straight up a glass window and explained that all those hairs pressed against the glass hold on tight, even to something smooth. Our second book says a gecko curls its toes up to let go, which is how it can run without getting stuck. Now I know how a gecko can even hang upside down from a ceiling without falling.It answers the research question with knowledge the writer did not have before, and says so in the first sentence. Each fact comes from one of the class sources, named as it is used, and the last sentence shows the writer understands the topic, not just the facts.
Moves to Use
Start from the research question, not just the topic.Write down what you think you know before you read.Tell what each source taught you, and which source it was.End with what you understand now that you did not before.
Common Mistakes with W.3.7
Writing what they already knew
“Geckos are little green lizards,” with the books still closed
Try this: Have students write a quick “I think” list before reading, then check that the final piece adds facts not on it.
A topic too big for a short project
“My project is about every animal that can climb”
Try this: Narrow the topic to one animal and one question students can answer in a week, like how geckos climb up windows.
Copying the most exciting sentence
A sentence lifted word for word from the back cover of the book
Try this: Have students close the book and say the fact to a partner before writing it, so the sentence comes out in their own words.
What is the research question, and how does the strong response answer it?
How can a gecko walk up a window without falling? Millions of tiny hairs on its toes press against the glass and hold on, and it curls its toes up to let go.
Which sentence shows that the project built new knowledge?
The first: “Before this project, I thought geckos had sticky glue on their feet, but their toes are not sticky at all.”
Geckos really are little lizards with long tails. Why does the weak response still fall short?
The facts are things the writer already knew, and none of them explains how a gecko climbs, so the project built no new knowledge about the topic.