Gathering and Recalling Information Worksheet

How to teach Research Skills

This Gathering and Recalling Information Worksheet helps young students learn the first step of research: answering a question with information. In 1st grade, children learn that they can answer a question in two ways. They can recall what they already know from their own experiences, from a lesson, or from a book read aloud, and they can gather new facts from a source their teacher provides. Putting both kinds of information side by side teaches children that good answers come from real facts, not guesses, and it builds the habits of curiosity and careful thinking that every writer needs.

The worksheet walks students through the process one step at a time. First, they write their own question on the line at the top of the page. Next, they write what they remember about the topic in the first box. Then they look in a book or another provided source and write what they found. Finally, they put it all together and write an answer to the question in their own words. Because each child chooses a question and writes from their own memory and reading, every page will be different.

What’s Included

• One printable page with a question line for the student’s own question
• A numbered box for writing what the student remembers
• A numbered box for writing what the student found in a book
• A “My answer” box with roomy 1st grade writing lines
• Simple directions young learners can follow on their own

Three reasons this helps kids

• It shows children the difference between what they already know and what they can learn from a source
• It gives beginning writers a clear order to follow, from question to answer
• It builds early research habits that support science, social studies, and informational writing

Ideas for teachers and parents

Use this Gathering and Recalling Information Worksheet after a science or social studies lesson, when students have fresh ideas to recall and a class book to explore. Model the page first with a question the whole class wonders about, such as how bees make honey, and fill it in together on the board. Then let students pick their own questions and use library books, picture books, or a simple article you provide. At home, parents can pair the page with a trip to the library. These 1st grade research prompts also work well in small groups, where partners can share what they remember before they read.

Related Resources

• Group Researching Worksheet
• Partnered Research Project Worksheet
• Collaborative Research Worksheet
• Author’s Purpose Song