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Common Core ELA6th GradeWriting

W.6.8: Gather Sources, Judge Credibility and Avoid Plagiarism

Also written as CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.8 · Cluster: Research to Build and Present Knowledge.

Get the Cornell Notes TemplateAll 41 6th Grade ELA Standards

The Official Wording

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.

Common Core State Standards, Grade 6, Writing · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026

What W.6.8 Means in Plain English

Sixth graders gather facts from books, databases and websites, then ask of each source: who wrote it, when, and do they gain from what it says? A nurse’s article beats an energy drink company’s page. They quote or paraphrase without copying and record author, title and date.

Fifth grade (W.5.8) paraphrases in notes and lists sources. Sixth grade adds judging each source’s credibility, naming plagiarism as the thing to avoid, and basic bibliographic information. Seventh grade (W.7.8) adds effective search terms, checking accuracy as well as credibility, and a standard citation format.

W.6.8 I Can Statements

  • I can gather information from both print and digital sources.
  • I can judge whether a source is credible and explain why.
  • I can quote or paraphrase without plagiarizing and list my sources.

W.6.8 Worked Example

Two sources on the same question, one written to inform and one written to sell. The task is to tell them apart and use the right one honestly.

Prompt

You are researching whether energy drinks are safe for 12-year-olds. Source A: “Caffeine and Kids” by Linh Nguyen, a pediatric nurse, on a children’s hospital website, updated 2025, with a list of the studies it draws on. It says: “Experts recommend that adolescents ages 12 to 18 consume no more than 100 milligrams of caffeine per day, about the amount in one cup of coffee.” Source B: “Fuel Your Game,” a page with no author or date on an energy drink company’s website. It says: “Energy drinks give you the fuel to dominate your game.” Which source is credible, and why? Then write one sentence for your report that uses it, and a source line.

Not YetSource B is better because it is more interesting and it has a cool video. Energy drinks give you the fuel to dominate your game. Source: the internet.Interesting is not the same as credible: Source B has no author and no date, and it sells the product it describes. The middle sentence copies the company’s slogan without quotation marks, which is plagiarism, and “the internet” tells a reader nothing.
Meets the StandardSource A is the credible one. It was written by a pediatric nurse, it was updated in 2025 and it lists the studies behind its advice, while Source B has no author or date and comes from a company that profits when kids buy energy drinks. According to Nguyen, teenagers from 12 to 18 should stop at about 100 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is roughly one cup of coffee. Source: Linh Nguyen, “Caffeine and Kids,” children’s hospital website, updated 2025.It names the credible source and backs the choice with three checks: author, date and evidence, set against Source B’s missing author, missing date and reason to sell. The report sentence paraphrases with a new structure and credits Nguyen, and the source line gives the basic bibliographic information.
Moves to Use
Check every source for an author, a date and a reason to sell or persuade.Choose the source that shows where its information comes from.Put a source’s exact words in quotation marks, or change both the words and the structure.Credit the source inside the sentence with according to.Record author, title, website and date as you take the note.

Common Mistakes with W.6.8

Trusting the first search result

A report built on a company page because it came up first

Try this: Have students fill in author, date and purpose for every source before taking notes, and question any source that leaves two blanks.

Patchwriting

“Experts recommend teens consume no more than 100 milligrams,” with no quotation marks and one word changed

Try this: Teach two honest options only: exact words inside quotation marks, or a new sentence written with the source closed, then checked against it.

Sources listed as “Google”

“Source: Google” or “Source: the internet” at the bottom of the report

Try this: Have students record author, title, website and date on each note card as they work, so the source list builds itself.

Where W.6.8 Fits

Comes BeforeW.5.8Summarize or paraphrase in notes and finished work, and give a list of sources.
AlongsideW.6.7Short research projects that answer a question and refocus it when needed.RI.6.8Separate claims backed by reasons and evidence from claims that are not, the habit a credibility check needs.
Comes NextW.7.8Search with effective terms, check accuracy as well as credibility and follow a standard citation format.

Practice W.6.8

Rubric GeneratorFree ToolAdd a sources row to the research rubric: credible sources chosen, quotations marked and every source listed with author, title and date.SourcesCitationsGrade 6
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Quick Check

  1. Give two reasons Source B is not credible.
  2. Why is the weak response’s middle sentence plagiarism?
  3. What basic bibliographic information does the strong response give?

W.6.8: Other Names

W.6.8CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.8

Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved. Official wording from the Common Core State Standards PDFs at corestandards.org, last checked October 14, 2026. The explanation, I can statements, example, mistakes and practice on this page are EMStudio’s own, written beside the official wording. They are not part of the standard.