Research Fact Strips: A Tool for Organizing Information for Research Projects

Research fact strips are a great tool for helping students of all ages collect and organize information for any research project. Students write one fact on each strip; create a color code based on the categories/topics they should include in their report; use that code to color code their fact strips; and then cut, sort, and organize their facts by color.

This download contains a teacher and student guide for using research fact strips, ready-to-print research fact sheets, and a color code creation sheet. A sample series of strips, code creation, and color-coded strips is also included so you can see how things should look at each stage of the process.

How to Use Research Fact Strips: It’s as easy as collect, color, cut, and copy!

Step One: Once your students have selected research topics, have them conduct their research and collect information.

Step Two: Distribute fact strip sheets to students. Have them write one fact from their notes onto each strip.

Step Three: Distribute the Color Code sheet to students. With younger students, you may want to help them brainstorm the categories that may be relevant for their topics. Have students create their research facts color code.

Step Four: Have students start organizing their facts. Using their color code and categories/topics list, have students decide which color each fact should be color-coded and then fill in the circle on each fact strip with the correct color.

Step Five: Have students cut out their fact strips. For younger students, make sure you have them write their names or initials on the back of each strip.

Step Six: Have students sort their fact strips into piles for each of their colors.

Step Seven: Within each pile, have students organize the facts in a way that makes sense.

Step Eight: Next, have students decide in what order they will write about each of the color-coded categories/topics.

Step Nine: Students are now ready to start writing their reports. Starting with the first color-coded pile, students write the facts into a well-organized paragraph. Have students repeat this process with each of their color-coded categories.