Paraphrasing Skills Lesson Plan

    Teach students to restate ideas in their own words effectively while maintaining meaning and proper attribution.

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    Practice and compare paraphrasing

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    Published: January 13, 2026
    By heypaperhero Team

    Lesson Overview

    Duration

    50-65 minutes

    Grade Level

    7-12 / College

    Focus

    Effective Rewording

    Paraphrasing is one of the most essential academic skills—and one of the most misunderstood. This lesson teaches students to genuinely restate ideas in their own words, moving beyond simple synonym swapping to true comprehension-based rewording.

    Learning Objectives

    Distinguish between effective paraphrasing and problematic patchwriting
    Apply the read-cover-write-check method for authentic paraphrasing
    Change both sentence structure AND vocabulary while preserving meaning
    Recognize when a passage requires direct quotation vs. paraphrasing
    Verify paraphrase quality using comparison tools

    The Read-Cover-Write-Check Method

    1

    Read

    Read the original passage carefully, multiple times if needed

    Tip: Focus on understanding the IDEAS, not memorizing the words

    2

    Cover

    Put the original text away so you can't see it

    Tip: This forces you to work from understanding, not copying

    3

    Write

    Write the ideas in your own words and sentence structure

    Tip: Pretend you're explaining it to a friend who hasn't read the source

    4

    Check

    Compare your version to the original for accuracy and originality

    Tip: Make sure meaning is preserved but wording is genuinely different

    Common Mistakes

    Synonym Swapping

    Example: Changing only individual words while keeping the same structure

    Fix: Restructure the sentence AND change vocabulary

    Patchwriting

    Example: Combining copied phrases with a few original words

    Fix: Use the cover method—write without looking at the original

    Missing Citation

    Example: Paraphrasing well but forgetting to cite the source

    Fix: Paraphrased ideas still need citations—only YOUR original ideas don't

    Materials & Tools

    Digital Tools

    Paraphrase ToolCompare paraphrasing approachesPlagiarism CheckerVerify paraphrase originality

    Classroom Materials

    • Source passages of varying complexity

    • Patchwriting example cards

    • Paraphrase quality checklist

    • Quote vs. paraphrase decision guide

    Activity Sequence

    1
    Read-Cover-Write Practice
    20 min

    Students practice the four-step method with progressively complex passages

    2
    Spot the Patchwriting
    15 min

    Students identify problematic paraphrases and explain what makes them insufficient

    3
    Paraphrase vs. Quote Decision
    15 min

    Given passages, students decide whether to paraphrase or quote, and justify their choice

    Related Resources

    Paraphrasing Guide →

    Complete student paraphrasing guide

    Quoting Guide →

    When to use direct quotes

    Source Integration Lesson →

    Teaching evidence integration

    Plagiarism Prevention Lesson →

    Building originality skills