Middle School Research Project: Student Workbook on Folklore & Cryptids | Step-by-Step Research Skills Curriculum (Grades 6–8)

Give your middle schooler the tools to research any topic with confidence — using a subject they’ll love: folklore and mysterious creatures!

This 31-page student workbook guides learners step-by-step through the entire research process, from choosing a topic to presenting their findings. With engaging prompts and clear activities, students learn how to think like researchers while exploring fascinating stories of cryptids, legends, and folklore.

 What’s Included:

• Step-by-step lessons written directly to the student.
• Guided activities for each stage of the research process.
• Practice in narrowing topics, creating research questions, and finding reliable sources.
• Printable templates for note-taking, source tracking, and organizing ideas.
• Final project guidance: writing and presenting a polished research paper.

Skills Taught:

• How to narrow a broad topic into a focused research question.
• The difference between primary and secondary sources.
• Evaluating source reliability and bias.
• Note-taking strategies (summarizing, quoting, paraphrasing).
• Organizing notes into an outline.
• Writing a thesis and drafting a paper.
• Properly citing sources (beginner-friendly citation practice).
• Editing, revising, and reflecting on work.

Who Is It For?

• Grades 6–8 (adaptable for advanced 5th graders or high school beginners).
• Homeschool families, co-ops, and teachers looking for a structured, engaging research project.
• Perfect as a semester-long independent study or guided project.

Important Note

This listing is for the Student Workbook only. For teacher support (sidebars, teaching tips, grading rubrics, and extension ideas), see the [Teacher’s Guide] or grab the [Bundle] for best value.