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Ferguson/Rhodes 1

English III Research Plan I. Focus – The English III research process will center on an interpretative,

supported opinion made by the student in regard to a controversial event/person/invention that had great significance in American history from 1800‐1950. Each student’s topic must be unique and not duplicated. The broader the topic the better. The research project is an academic writing requirement that best prepares students for the writing demands of college and professional careers.

II. Dates: the research process will be an ongoing project throughout the semester, and a more detailed plan will be provided as the class instruction is geared towards more research‐intensive writing. At this point, the dates that have been determined are . . .

a. Research topic approval: ________________ b. Supporting topic approval: ________________ c. 1st source of Working Bibliography due _______________

i. From this point forward, weekly addition to working bibliography will be assigned until all required sources are found

III. Sources – By the end of the semester students will have acquired at least 6

cited sources/examples. The students’ research projects must have a variety of sources that include each of the following:

a. Book b. Database c. Article in print periodical d. Web source (both primary and secondary)

i. x2 primary ii. x1 secondary

IV. Each week, the class will add one of the six required sources to a working

bibliography. Each entry in the working bibliography must include the following:

a. all relevant citation information b. the topic from the thesis sentence that the source supports c. an introductory sentence d. a cited example from the source e. sentence of relevance

V. Responsibility – Students will keep‐up with their working bibliography and

collectively present the entries near the end of the research project, which will count as a research project test grade.*

( * ) = the research project counts as 40% of the final grade. Therefore opting not to do research project elements will have a more significant impact on the final grade. The late assignment policy applies.

The US History research project

1877-1980.

end of the

December 2, 2016December 7, 2016

Bibliography due: December 10, 2016d. Rough draft due: December 11, 2016 e. Final draft due: December 15, 2016

For this research projectat least 3

(the textbook is acceptable)PDF file from a primary source (must include a copy of the 1st page in the final packet)A primary web source (only from a .edu, .gov, or .mil website)

students may not cite or incorporate sources from non-credible sources (such as Wikipedia, BrainyQuote, Google, etc.)

IV. Grading - This research project will incorporate several grades:

a. Thesis map & topic approval: 100 point quiz grade b. Supporting topic approval: 100 point quiz grade c. Bibliography: 100 point quiz grade d. Rough draft (word processed): 100 point quiz grade e. Peer edit (conducted in class): 100 point quiz grade f. Final draft: 200 point TEST grade

V. Format - For the most part, the essay will follow MLA format. An essay model will be provided during instruction, and students are expected to follow the provided example(s). - The intent of this project is to assist students in recovering their grade in U.S. History, as well as to provide them an opportunity to construct a tangible product that can be used in future writing and/or English classes.

IntentVI.

NAME: __________________________

1

U.S. History Final Research Project

In order to save time, a research topic will be directly assigned to the student

In order to save time, students will only be required to utilize four primary sources from the web - at a minimum. Sources must be in PDF format, printed, and included in the final packet.

December 2, 2016December 7, 2016

with rough draft on December 11, 2016

during class on December 11, 2016

b.

d.

ESSAY TOPIC APPROVAL FORM Name: _________________________________ Block: _____________ Assignment/Essay: _________________________________ Proposed Essay Topic: __________________________________________________________ Research Question: WHY_________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Three Supporting Topics: 1. ________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________

------------------------------------------- Do NOT write below this line --------------------------------------- Comments:

APPROVED / DISAPPROVED

[APPROVAL STAMP & INITIALS]

ESSAY’S SUBJECT

HOOK SENTENCE:

SUMMARY SENTENCE:

Who or what will this essay cover? (This has been assigned)

SUPPORTING TOPICS:

3 POINT THESIS STATEMENT:

Some additional advice on thesis paragraphs:

THESIS or INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

(give a broad statement of facts; be concise and to the point; include a

time or date reference)

1.

2.

3.

(try grabbing the audience’s attention by making a unique claim)

ESSAY’S TITLEMake it unique and clever (if you cannot do this right away, do not worry it will come to you later in the writing process)

● The hook sentence is your first opportunity to OWN the paper - take advantage of it

● The thesis paragraph is to be completely of YOUR writing - no citations or direct quotes

● Do not create an argument. Approach the subject in an authoritative tone (pretend you know)

● Stay in THIRD person only throughout the entire essay (do not us I, me, my, we, our, you, yours, etc.)

● Avoid contractions (don’t, won’t, can’t, etc.)

● Focus on your CLAIM. Do not try to prove you have done your research by vomiting tons of information on your audience. Nobody cares. Be quick, be right, and get out (B.L.U.F - bottom line up front).

● Do not ask questions. Just give answers.● The only ending punctuation you should try to

use is the period. ● Do not give sneak previews (In this essay I will

blah, blah, blah. . . .). Oh please!● Avoid cliches

(try to keep each of these to one to three words)

US History Analytical Research Paper Construction Guide

NAME

FIRST TOPIC:

FIRST TOPIC SENTENCE:

FIRST SUPPORTING DIRECT QUOTE:source - person or

organization Signal verb

“

” ( ).Parenthetical citation: author and page number; or author only if no page number; or just the root site

one word topic from the thesis statement thesis

provide the direct quote

INTRODUCE IT:

EXPLAIN IT: (relevance - why is

this important?)

SECOND SUPPORTING DIRECT QUOTE:source - person or


“



INTRODUCE IT:


this important?)

FIRST CONCLUDING SENTENCE:(just reiterate the paragraph’s topic sentence)

1st SUPPORTING PARAGRAPH

(of the first supporting paragraph)

(of the first supporting paragraph)

SECOND TOPIC:

SECOND TOPIC SENTENCE:



“




INTRODUCE IT:


this important?)



“



INTRODUCE IT:


this important?)

SECOND CONCLUDING SENTENCE:(just reiterate the paragraph’s topic sentence)

2nd SUPPORTING PARAGRAPH

(of the second supporting paragraph)

(of the second supporting paragraph)

(transitional phrase)

THIRD TOPIC:

THIRD TOPIC SENTENCE:



“




INTRODUCE IT:


this important?)



“



INTRODUCE IT:


this important?)

THIRD CONCLUDING SENTENCE:(just reiterate the paragraph’s topic sentence)

3rd SUPPORTING PARAGRAPH

(of the third supporting paragraph)

(of the third supporting paragraph)

(transitional phrase)

REITERATE THE HOOK SENTENCE:

REITERATE THE SUMMARY SENTENCE:

REITERATE THE 3 POINT THESIS STATEMENT:

Proofreading and Revision

CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH

● Now that the hard part is over, step back, get some rest, and come back to your essay with a fresh perspective (unless you waited until the last minute)

● Be prepared to revise a good essay 7-10 times● Read your paper out loud to yourself (you will be surprised at the mistake you might find)● Let someone else read your essay● Make sure you have cited every direct quotation and paraphrase. ● Make sure your essay (and supporting paragraphs) begin and end on the same points (do not go

chasing rabbit holes)

REFERENCESSOURCE #1 URL: http: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Author(s) or editor(s) if available: _______________________Name of site: _________________Sponsor of site: ____________________Date site was first posted or last updated: ___________________Date you accessed the site: _______________________

If the source is an article or book reprinted on the web, include its title, the title and publication information of the periodical or book, where it was first published, and any page numbers.

Name of the topic from your thesis statement this source supports: ___________________

SOURCE #2 URL: http: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Author(s) or editor(s) if available: _______________________Name of site: _________________Sponsor of site: ____________________Date site was first posted or last updated: ___________________Date you accessed the site: _______________________









AT LEAST 4 SOURCES ARE REQUIRED

SOURCE URL: http: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Author(s) or editor(s) if available: _______________________Name of site: _________________Sponsor of site: ____________________Date site was first posted or last updated: ___________________Date you accessed the site: _______________________



SOURCE URL: http: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Author(s) or editor(s) if available: _______________________Name of site: _________________Sponsor of site: ____________________Date site was first posted or last updated: ___________________Date you accessed the site: _______________________



Research Paper Cheat SheetHook sentence: first sentence of the introductory paragraph. Keep it short and try to grasp the audience’s attention

Summary sentence: second sentence that gives a very brief summary of the facts - easy to do in a research paper.

Thesis statement: Usually the last sentence(s) of the introductory paragraph. This is the most important (and most difficult) sentence of the entire research paper. The thesis statement must posses all supporting topics of the essay and in sequential order. Example:

While John Wilkes Booth is better known as the assassin of President Lincoln, he was

uncompromising confederate who possessed an unyielding taste for fame.

(assassin) the first supporting topic which should be addressed in the first supporting paragraph

(uncompromising confederate) the second supporting topic which should be addressed in the second supporting paragraph

(taste for fame) the third supporting topic which should be addressed in the third supporting paragraph

1

2

3

Topic sentence: the first and most important sentence of a supporting paragraph. The topic sentence addresses the topic as introduced in the thesis statement. Keep it short and to the point. For example the first topic sentence might be:

John Wilkes Booth is better known as the man who assassinated President Lincoln.

More

successful

thesis

statements

make a claim

Employing Evidence: When writing a research essay it is important to ensure the evidence supports YOU You should not support the evidence. To do this you must take this three-separate-sentence approach: INTRODUCE IT, GIVE IT, and EXPLAIN IT.

1. INTRODUCE IT: make your claim

Booth was a narcissistic self-promoter who was desperate to make his mark in history.

2. GIVE IT: provide the direct evidence (usually a direct quote) that supports your claim:

This quest for personal fame is affirmed in Booth’s personal diary when he proclaims: “I must act now, for the

stage of life is upon its very own curtain call” (Booth 125).

3. EXPLAIN IT: now explain why this evidence is important. In other words, give the relevance (*note - far too many students just stop with a direct quote. Do not make this mistake).

Booth knew the war was ending and that his chances of going down in the history books

were diminishing as well.

USE A SIGNAL PHRASE WHEN PROVIDING A DQ. (NO QUOTE STANDS ALONE)

PARENTHETICAL CITATION

Research Paper Cheat Sheet (con’t)Looking Smart: When it comes to writing oftentimes it comes down to LOOKING SMART, not necessarily *being smart. Think about it. By the time you turn in your essay your teacher will have your class’ worth of essays, in addition to his/her other classes, to grade in the fraction of the time it took you to write your paper. Therefore, you will want to LOOK SMART. You do this by not drawing attention to your essay. For example if you write your essay in crayon with your feet and misspell your own name, the teacher is going to think to himself or herself, “Hmmmmmm, what else has this student screwed up.” To maximize this Looking Smart theory, you will want to follow these “Always” and “Never” do lists:

ALWAYS:● Include an information block on the first page only in the upper left-hand

corner. Example:Jim SmithUS HistoryResearch PaperDecember 14, 2016Ferguson

● Include a page number in the header. The page number should be in the same font and same size os the font in the rest of the paper. Page numbers should be preceded by your last name then followed by the respective page number. Example:

Smith 2

● Use third person● Cite your sources● PROOFREAD YOUR WORK

NEVER:● Place the information block in the header (it will appear on every page)● Begin a paragraph with a direct quote● End a paragraph with a direct quote● Begin a paragraph (or sentence for that matter) with a pronoun. ● Never plagiarize (If you think you will come across better by using directly from a source without citing, think again.

You will come across looking too smart and it will end badly - it always does). ● Use self-centric phrases such as “in my opinion,” “I believe,” etc. It is your essay, of course it is your opinion● Use contractions● Employ any cited evidence in the first (introductory) or last (conclusion) paragraphs - your words only● Use texting syntax, such as “u” or “lol” or “i” - this flies in the face of the Looking Smart theory● Pencil or pen-in last minute corrections. You have come this far, so why take a chance by drawing attention to your

mistakes?● Use parentheses unless citing● Use bold (make sure to underline or italicize major titles)● Refer to real (non-fictional) people by their first name only. After you use the full name in the beginning (e.g. John

Wilkes Booth) then you are free to refer to the person by last name only (e.g. Booth)● Ask questions● Speculate (avoid the “what if” trap)● Use conclusive language (e.g. “Everybody knows John Wilkes Booth.” How do you know EVERYONE knows this

dude?)

Reiterate: to rephrase or emphasize (not to repeat)

Signal phrases - Signal phrases are a great way to ease a direct quotation into your writing. HEre are a few common signal verbs to help:

Transitional Phrase: to ensure the flow of your writing, transitional phrases are generally used to ease the audience from one topic to another (hint: in most cases you would employ a transitional phrase at teh beginiing of the second and third supporting paragraph). Example:

In addition to being an uncompromising confederate, Booth was also motivated by the idea of immortal fame.

TRANSITIONAL PHRASE THAT MENTIONS THE TOPIC FROM THE PREVIOUS SUPPORTING PARAGRAPH

TRANSITIONAL PHRASES ARE USUALLY SET-OFF BY A COMMA

Common transitional verbs:

PEER EDIT REVIEW SHEET

CLASS: ______________________________ WRITER'S NAME: _________________________________ PAPER'S TITLE: _________________________________

SECTION/BLOCK: ______________________ REVIEWER'S NAME: _________________________________ DATE PEER EDITED: ______________________________MLA FORMAT GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS

1 Is the writer's paper in the correct MLA format? Y N 15 Have the bold type and parentheses been avoided? Y N Copy the writer's research question:

2 Are the pages numbered correctly (last name and pg. no.)? Y N 16 Is the punctuation within quotation marks as needed

(i.e. titles)? Y N

3 Does the first page have a title (should not be underlined, italicized, or in quotations? Y N

17 Have the indefinite pronouns, numerals, and references been omitted? Y N

4 Is there an information block on the first page (upper left side)? Y N

18 Has the slang, expressive, and verbal language been avoided? Y N

5 Does the information block have the appropriate information (Student's name, class & section, assignment, date, and instructor's name?)

Y N20 Is the tense the same throughout the paper (active

voice)? Y NCopy the writer's thesis statement:

6 Are there one inch margins on each side of the paper (should only be 1/2 inch from pg. no.)? Y N 21 Is the plurality the same throughout the paper (i.e. one =

him or her)? Y N

7 Are the paragraphs indented three to five spaces ?Y N

22 Does the writer have a clear and concise thesis statement? Y N

8 Are there no extra spaces between paragraphs (double-spaced throughout)? Y N

23 Is the writer's thesis supported throughout the paper (in every paragraph with topic sentences)? Y N

9 Does every paragraph contain al least three sentences or more? Y N 24 Is the writer's thesis statement reiterated in the

conclusion? Y N What are the the writer's three main supporting topics?

10 Is the paper double-spaced throughout (info. Block can be single spaced)? Y N WORKS CITED PAGE Y N 1.

11 Are there page numbers on every page? Y N 26 Is the works cited page labeled correctly ("works cited" centered [without quotation marks])? Y N

12 Is the punctuation correct, including commas? Is punctutation porperly noted in the parenthetical citation to include end marks?

Y N27 Is the works cited page in alphabetical order by author's

last name? Y N2.

13 Is the paper 12 point Times New Roman font throughout (including the page numbers)? Y N 28 Is the edition of each source provided? Y N

14 Are the parenthetical citations correct per MLA (author's last name then page number)? Y N 29 Are the editors listed as needed? Y N 3.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMIn what three major, grammatical and mechanical areas do you think the writer might need more focus?

PEER EDIT REVIEW SHEETWORKS CITED PAGE (continued) POSITIVE FOCUS

30 Have the source titles been correctly quoted or underlined as needed (italics are acceptable)? Y N In what three areas do you think the writer does well (explain your comments)

31 Are the page numbers listed for every source possible? Y N 1.

32 Is the publisher listed correctly per MLA? Y N

33 Is punctuation correct throughout the works cited page? Y N

34 Is the punctuation witin quotation marks throughout the works cited page (as applicable)? Y N

2. 35 Is no punctuation underlined? Y N

36 Are there no extra spaces between sources? Y N

37 Are the sources indented correctly (hanging indention) and is the entire works cited page double-spaced? Y N

3.

THE BIG PICTURE

* Established purpose/theisis

* Thesis supported throughout

* MLA fomat

* Grammar/mehanics

* Works cited page

INSTRUCTOR'S COMMENTS PARTICIPATION GRADE

Complete rough draft Y or N

Effort ______ out of ______

Constructive effort towards peer(s) ______ out of ______

Overall grade ______ out of ______

(needs improvement) (outstanding)

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Correct MLA Essay Format

No BOLD

Info block is the only article which

May be single spaced

NO TITLE or COVER PAGE *

Page Number on Every Page

Document Design – ENG III

WHEN INDOUBT, USE

THE A Writer’s Reference

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