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A Shared Research Project

A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on taking part in a shared research project and producing a report from several sources.

A Shared Research Project is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.2.7 — read several books on one topic and write a shared report. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Grade 2
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
W.2.7

Grade 2 · Writing

W.2.7

Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).

Objective

Students will be able to find facts on a shared topic from two sources, record them in their own words and help write a class report.

Students are successful when they can

  • Finds two facts on the topic from two different sources.
  • Writes each fact in their own words in a few words, not copied sentences.
  • Notes which source each fact came from.
  • Contributes one fact to the shared class report.

What you need

  • Two short texts on camels: Source A (a book page) and Source B (a fact card), in the Teach section
  • A research grid per child: question, Source A, Source B
  • A class chart with three questions: Where do camels live? What do they eat? How do they survive?
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — what do we want to know?

5 min
  1. Show a picture of a camel. Ask: "What do you want to know about camels?" Take questions.
  2. Group them into three on the class chart: Where do camels live? What do they eat? How do they survive in the desert?
  3. Say that the class is going to answer them together, like real researchers.
“Researchers ask a question, look in more than one place, and write what they find in their own words.”

Teach — two sources, own words

13 min
  1. Read Source A aloud: "Camels live in hot, dry deserts. They can go for many days without drinking. A camel's hump is full of fat, not water. When there is no food, its body uses the fat for energy."
  2. Read Source B: "Camels eat grass, leaves and even thorny plants. They have long eyelashes and can close their nostrils to keep out sand. A thirsty camel can drink over 100 liters of water in a few minutes."
  3. Model the grid. For "How do they survive?" write from Source A: "hump = fat, used for energy." From Source B: "close nostrils, long eyelashes — keep out sand." Show that notes are short words, not copied sentences.
  4. Model copying badly: copy the whole sentence "A camel's hump is full of fat, not water." Then show how to say it in your own words: "The hump stores fat."
  5. Ask: "Why do we need two sources?" Fish for "one book might not have everything" and "to check it is true."
  6. Write the first sentence of the class report with the class: "Camels live in hot, dry deserts." Write "(Source A)" after it.
“Read it, cover it, say it, then write it in your own words.”

Guided practice — fill the grid

12 min
  1. Each child gets copies of Source A and B and a grid. Pairs fill in the "What do they eat?" row from Source B and one more fact for "How do they survive?"
  2. Use "read, cover, say, write" for every fact. Walk round and check notes are short and in their own words.
  3. Each pair chooses their best fact and writes it as a sentence on a strip of paper with the source letter.
  4. Strips go up on the class chart under the right question. Read the report so far aloud together.
“Is that a fact from the text, or something you already knew? Write down where it came from.”

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the printable. One sheet asks them to write a short report on an animal using facts from two places; the other asks them to record what they saw in a science observation, saying what they did and what happened.
  2. Remind them to write a source letter or name next to each fact they use.

Close

2 min
  1. Read the finished class report aloud. Ask: "Which fact came from Source B? How do you know?"

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Copies whole sentences word for word: "A camel's hump is full of fat, not water."

Why: The sentence in the book is already correct, so copying seems like the safest way to get the fact right.

Fix: Use "read, cover, say, write." With the text covered, they must say it in their own words before writing. Notes are three to five words.

Writes "camels store water in their humps" even though Source A says the opposite.

Why: They bring an old belief to the reading and it wins over what the text says.

Fix: Ask: "Show me where it says that." When they cannot, reread the sentence together. Praise changing your mind because of a source.

Uses only one source and leaves the second column empty.

Why: Once they have found an answer, the job feels finished; they do not yet see the point of checking.

Fix: Ask: "Does Source B say anything more?" Show a question that Source A cannot answer (What do they eat?) so the second source is needed.

If they are not there yet

  • Highlight the key sentence in each source so the child knows where to look.
  • Give a grid with the first words of each note started: "Hump stores ___."
  • Let the child draw a fact with a one-word label instead of writing a sentence.

If they finish early

  • Find one more fact from a third source (a book or website chosen by the teacher) and add it to the report.
  • Write the report's introduction and conclusion for the class.
  • Find a place where the two sources say something slightly different and explain which they trust more and why.

Exit ticket

Write one fact about camels in your own words. Write which source it came from.

What to look for: A short, accurate fact in their own words with "A" or "B." An exact copied sentence: practice read-cover-say-write. A fact not in either source ("camels spit"): they are using prior knowledge — ask "Where does it say that?" No source: remind them researchers always record it.

Printable practice for W.2.7

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about A Shared Research Project

How long does the A Shared Research Project lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does A Shared Research Project teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.7 — W.2.7, Writing for Grade 2: “Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).” In plain terms, read several books on one topic and write a shared report.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Two short texts on camels: Source A (a book page) and Source B (a fact card), in the Teach section, a research grid per child: question, Source A, Source B, a class chart with three questions: Where do camels live? What do they eat? How do they survive? and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: copies whole sentences word for word: "A camel's hump is full of fat, not water."; writes "camels store water in their humps" even though Source A says the opposite and uses only one source and leaves the second column empty. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “Write one fact about camels in your own words. Write which source it came from.” A short, accurate fact in their own words with "A" or "B." An exact copied sentence: practice read-cover-say-write. A fact not in either source ("camels spit"): they are using prior knowledge — ask "Where does it say that?" No source: remind them researchers always record it. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with A Shared Research Project?

Yes — 1 printable W.2.7 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is A Shared Research Project free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to W.2.7 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.