Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Choose your research question and find three sources
1–2 weeks
A research report begins with a specific question, not a broad topic. 'What are dolphins?' is a topic. 'How do dolphins communicate with each other?' is a question with a specific answer that requires finding and evaluating evidence. Once you have your question, find at least three sources that help answer it. At least one source should not be a website — a book, an encyclopedia entry, or a magazine article from your library counts. Write a list of your sources with the title and where you found each one before you begin reading closely.
Proof required
Share your research question (one sentence) and your list of at least three sources, each with a title and where you found it. A photo of handwritten notes or a typed list are both fine.
What gets checked
- A research question is stated as a specific question, not a topic — 'What is climate change?' is a topic; 'How does climate change affect polar bear populations in the Arctic?' is a research question with a scope that can be answered in 3–5 pages
- At least three sources are listed with enough information to locate them — 'a website' is not a source entry; the website name and article title, or book title and author, must be present for each
- At least one source is not a website — books, print encyclopedias, and school library databases all count; this requirement develops source diversity and reduces over-reliance on a single search engine
Common mistakes
- Choosing a topic so broad it cannot be answered in 3–5 pages — 'the environment' has no scope; 'the effect of ocean acidification on coral reefs' is specific enough; narrow the topic until it can be answered with the sources you can find
- Using Wikipedia as a citable source rather than as a starting point — Wikipedia's references section is useful for finding credible sources, but Wikipedia itself should not appear in the works-cited list for this report
Resources
Foundationstart here
What a verifier looks for
- Check that the question is specific and answerable in 3–5 pages — a question covering an entire scientific field or historical era needs narrowing; ask the student to identify one specific aspect they want to investigate
- Count the sources: at least 3 with at least one non-website; ask the student where each one was found
- Ask the student what drew them to this question — a genuine researcher will have a reason for choosing this specific angle
Write a first draft with an introduction, body, and conclusion
2–3 weeks
Using your sources and notes from M1, write a first draft of your report. Every research report has three parts: an introduction that states your question and previews your main points; a body section that answers the question using evidence from your sources; and a conclusion that summarises what you found. Aim for 2–3 pages for the draft. For each piece of evidence you use, note where it came from — a simple 'Source 1' next to the sentence is enough for now; you will format citations properly in M3.
Proof required
Share your first draft (2–3 pages minimum). The draft should have an introduction, at least two body paragraphs using evidence from your sources, and a conclusion. Source labels in any format are fine at this stage.
What gets checked
- The draft has an identifiable introduction, body, and conclusion — these three parts should be clear even in a first draft; a continuous block of text with no structure does not meet the standard
- At least two body paragraphs use specific evidence from the sources — 'dolphins are smart' with no source is an opinion; 'dolphins use a system of clicks and whistles to coordinate hunting (Source 2)' is evidence attributed to a specific source
- The draft is a genuine first attempt, not a polished final version — rough sentences, incomplete transitions, and ideas that need more development are expected and correct at M2
Common mistakes
- Copying sentences directly from sources — paraphrase the idea in your own words and then add the source label; copying word-for-word without citation is plagiarism
- Skipping source labels during drafting and planning to add them later — adding citations from memory after the draft is complete produces inaccurate citations; label each piece of evidence as you write
Resources
Foundationstart here
What a verifier looks for
- Check that the draft has all three structural components — introduction, body, conclusion — and that each is distinguishable
- Ask the student to point to one piece of evidence they used from a specific source — they should be able to say 'this sentence came from source 2'
- Ask what they found most surprising in the research — a student who genuinely engaged with sources will have a specific answer
Revise your draft and submit your final 3–5 page report with citations
2–3 weeks (revision and final)
Revision means reading your draft and making it better — not just fixing spelling. Ask one person (a teacher, parent, or classmate) to read your draft and give you one piece of feedback. Make at least one specific improvement based on that feedback. Then write your final citations: for each source, include the title, the author if known, and where you found it. Your school may use MLA or APA format; if not, ask your teacher or use the Purdue OWL guide. Your final report should be 3–5 pages including the citations section.
Proof required
Share your final report (3–5 pages) with a citations or works-cited section at the end. Also share: (1) who gave you feedback on the draft and (2) one specific change you made based on that feedback.
What gets checked
- The final report is 3–5 pages with a citations section listing all three sources — the page count and the citations section are the two completion markers
- At least one revision is documented — name the person who gave feedback and the specific change made; 'I revised it' without naming a change does not meet the standard
- Citations are present for all sources used — the format does not have to be perfect, but a reader must be able to identify each source from the title and location
Common mistakes
- Submitting the M2 draft as the final report without revision — a report that has not been changed since the first draft shows no engagement with feedback; revision is the learning step this milestone is designed to develop
- Adding citations after the report is complete without checking they match the sources actually used — cite only sources that appear as evidence in the body; sources you read but did not use do not belong in the works cited
Resources
Foundationstart here
What a verifier looks for
- Check the citations section: are all three sources accounted for with enough information to identify each one?
- Ask the student what specific change they made based on feedback — if they cannot name a specific change, the revision step was not completed
- Confirm the report is 3–5 pages — a 2-page report did not require the research depth this outcome is designed to develop
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