Grade: Grade 5 Subject: English Language Arts Unit: Citing Sources SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Writing Application: Using Sources in Essays

📖 Learn

Now that you know how to paraphrase and cite sources, it's time to put those skills together in real writing! In this lesson, you'll learn how to smoothly integrate evidence into research paragraphs and essays.

📝 The Evidence Sandwich

Think of integrating evidence like making a sandwich. You need three layers:

  1. Top Bread - Introduce: Use a signal phrase to set up the evidence
  2. Filling - Evidence: Include the quote or paraphrase with citation
  3. Bottom Bread - Explain: Tell why this evidence matters and how it supports your point

Never serve "naked" evidence (a quote with no introduction or explanation)!

Essay Structure with Sources

Here's how sources fit into a typical research paragraph:

Model Research Paragraph

Body Paragraph

Topic Sentence: Plastic pollution poses a serious threat to ocean wildlife. According to marine biologist Dr. Sarah Chen, "Over one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die each year from plastic debris" (Chen 45). These shocking numbers show that plastic doesn't just float harmlessly in the ocean - it actively kills the animals that live there. Furthermore, the problem is getting worse. Research from the Ocean Conservancy indicates that plastic production has doubled in the last twenty years, with much of it ending up in our seas (Ocean Conservancy). Without immediate action to reduce plastic use, wildlife populations will continue to decline dramatically.

Color Key:

Blue = Signal phrase | Yellow = Evidence + Citation | Green = Explanation

Using Multiple Sources

Strong research writing uses evidence from more than one source. This shows you've done thorough research and makes your argument more convincing.

Tips for Using Multiple Sources

  • Vary your signal phrases: Don't start every piece of evidence with "According to..."
  • Balance quotes and paraphrases: Too many direct quotes makes your writing choppy
  • Connect your sources: Show how evidence from different sources relates
  • Keep your voice: The essay should sound like you, not a patchwork of quotes

Citation Checklist

Before You Submit: Check Your Sources

💡 Examples

Let's analyze how evidence is integrated in real writing.

Example 1: Well-Integrated Evidence

Honeybees play a crucial role in our food system. The USDA reports that bees pollinate approximately $15 billion worth of crops in the United States each year (USDA). This means that without bees, we would lose many of the fruits and vegetables we eat every day, from apples to zucchini.

Why it works: The evidence is smoothly introduced, properly cited, and clearly explained.

Example 2: Poorly Integrated Evidence

Honeybees are important. "Bees pollinate approximately $15 billion worth of crops in the United States each year." Bees help farmers.

Problems:

  • No signal phrase - the quote is "dropped in"
  • No citation - we don't know where this came from
  • No explanation of why this matters
  • Sentences don't connect smoothly

Example 3: Using Two Sources Together

Climate change is affecting wildlife around the world. According to the World Wildlife Fund, "Rising temperatures have caused polar bear populations to decline by 40% in some regions" (WWF 12). This decline is alarming because polar bears are already vulnerable due to their specialized Arctic habitat. Similarly, researcher Dr. James Morton notes that coral reef bleaching has increased fivefold since 1980 (Morton 78). Together, these examples show that climate change threatens ecosystems from the Arctic to the tropics.

Why it works: Two different sources support the same main idea, with smooth transitions between them.

✏️ Practice

Writing Workshop: Build a Research Paragraph

Use the sources below to write a paragraph about endangered species. Remember to use signal phrases, citations, and explanations!

Your Sources

Source 1: "Protecting Earth's Wildlife"
By Dr. Lisa Park, Nature Journal, page 34
"More than 40,000 species are currently threatened with extinction, including 41% of amphibians and 26% of mammals."
Source 2: "Conservation Success Stories"
By Michael Torres, Wildlife Today, page 18
"When humans take action, species can recover. The bald eagle population has grown from 417 breeding pairs in 1963 to over 9,700 pairs today."
Source 3: World Conservation Report
By the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Habitat destruction is the leading cause of species decline, affecting 85% of threatened species.

Write Your Paragraph

Topic: Why protecting endangered species matters and what can be done

Practice Problems

Practice 1

Which of these correctly integrates a quote?

Practice 2

What's missing from this sentence?

"According to the article, recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy needed to make new aluminum."

Practice 3

What should come AFTER you include evidence in your writing?

Practice 4

Why is it important to use multiple sources in research writing?

Practice 5

Read this paragraph. What's the MAIN problem?

"Bees are important. 'Bees pollinate one-third of our food' (Smith 12). 'Without bees, we would have no apples' (Jones 5). 'Bee populations are declining' (Lee 8). We need to save the bees."

Practice 6

Which signal phrase would work BEST to introduce disagreement between sources?

Practice 7

What percentage of your research paragraph should be YOUR OWN words and ideas?

Practice 8

When should you use a direct quote instead of a paraphrase?

✅ Check Your Understanding

Question 1

What are the three parts of the "evidence sandwich"?

Question 2

What does "dropped quote" mean?

Question 3

Why should you vary your signal phrases?

Question 4

In a research paragraph, whose ideas should be the main focus?

🚀 Summary & Next Steps

🥪

Evidence Sandwich

Introduce, cite, explain

📚

Multiple Sources

Shows thorough research

🗣️

Your Voice

Evidence supports YOUR ideas

✅

Checklist

Review before submitting

Practice Ideas

  • Pick an article and practice writing a paragraph using its evidence
  • Trade paragraphs with a partner and check each other's citations
  • Highlight signal phrases, evidence, and explanations in different colors
  • Read published articles and notice how professional writers integrate sources

Continue Learning

  • Move on to Editing Workshop to practice fixing citation errors
  • Review In-Text Citations if you need a refresher on formats
  • Try using these skills in your next research assignment