Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
Common Core State Standards, Grade 4, Writing · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What W.4.7 Means in Plain English
Fourth graders run a short research project that looks at a topic from several sides. A report on their state might cover its history, its land and its people, each found by reading, watching or asking. The goal is knowledge the student did not have before.
Third graders (W.3.7) research to build knowledge about a topic. Fourth grade adds investigating different aspects of it. Fifth grade (W.5.7) requires several sources, so a project built on one good book would no longer be enough.
W.4.7 I Can Statements
I can split my topic into different aspects to research.
I can find facts about each aspect in books and videos.
I can explain what I learned about my whole topic.
W.4.7 Worked Example
One student answered the question with a single general note. The other looked at the race from three sides.
Prompt
Research question: Why is the Iditarod sled dog race so famous? Use the books and the video on our class research list, and look at more than one aspect of the race before you write a paragraph that answers the question.
Not YetThe Iditarod is a sled dog race in Alaska. It is really long and really cold. The dogs are very brave.Three general statements, and the investigation stops there. It never says how long, why the race exists or what the trail and the dogs actually face, so the writer has built no new knowledge.
Meets the StandardThe Iditarod is famous for its history, its trail and its dogs. In 1925, sled dog teams rushed medicine across Alaska to stop a disease called diphtheria in Nome, and today the race ends in that same town. The trail runs about 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome, over mountains, frozen rivers and sea ice. Our class video showed that the dogs wear booties to protect their paws, and vets check every dog at checkpoints along the way. All three aspects show why people call it one of the toughest races there is.It answers the question through three aspects, history, trail and dogs, each with specific facts the writer found, like the 1925 medicine run and the 1,000-mile route. The first sentence names the aspects and the last pulls them together into an answer.
Moves to Use
Start from a question, not just a topic.Split the question into aspects, like history, place and people.Find at least one specific fact for each aspect.Name the aspects up front and tie them together at the end.
Common Mistakes with W.4.7
One aspect, many facts
Ten facts about the dogs and nothing about the trail or the history
Try this: Give a planning grid with one column per aspect, and have students fill every column before they start drafting.
A topic too big to finish
“My project is about Alaska.”
Try this: Help students narrow the topic to one question they could answer in a week, then confirm it in a quick conference.
Retelling the source in its own order
A paragraph that follows the video scene by scene, in the video’s words
Try this: Have students close the source, write what each aspect taught them, and only then reopen it to check facts and spellings.
Which three aspects of the Iditarod does the strong response investigate?
Its history (the 1925 medicine run to Nome), its trail (about 1,000 miles over mountains, frozen rivers and sea ice) and its dogs (booties and vet checks).
Why does the weak response fall short of W.4.7?
It stays general (“really long,” “really cold”) and never investigates any aspect with a specific fact, so the writer builds no new knowledge.
What does W.5.7 add to this kind of project?
Several sources. W.4.7 asks for different aspects of the topic; W.5.7 also requires drawing on more than one source.