Ctrl + Cite

This worksheet supports students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 as they practice source evaluation, academic integrity, citation accuracy, and close reading through realistic academic-style paragraphs. Students analyze mixed-origin texts to determine which sections are AI-generated and which rely on external human sources, then decide when an AI citation is required versus when organizations, archives, or publications must be cited.

Instructional Objectives

• Source Evaluation (Grades 6-8): Identify where information originates by distinguishing AI-generated text from externally sourced content.
• Academic Integrity: Apply appropriate citation rules based on the type of source used.
• Reading Comprehension: Analyze paragraph structure and clues to determine authorship and information origin.
• Writing Skills: Create correct APA and MLA citations for both AI tools and human-authored sources.

Learning Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource: Developed by educators to align with middle school research and writing standards.
• Realistic Practice: Uses academic-style paragraphs that mirror real student research scenarios.
• Dual-Format Focus: Reinforces both APA and MLA citation rules in one structured activity.
• Critical Thinking Emphasis: Encourages students to justify citation decisions, not just format them.

This printable worksheet helps students strengthen skills in source tracking, citation formatting, reading analysis, and ethical research practices. By comparing AI-generated content with traditionally sourced information, learners build clarity around when and how to credit different types of sources. Suitable for classroom instruction or homeschool learning, it’s a no-prep resource that supports responsible writing and informed use of AI in academic work.

This worksheet is part of our How to Cite AI as a Source Worksheets collection.