Phase 2: Research Rough Draft

Process, Planning, Writing

Creating Topics

Organize your note cards into categories (at least 6) Sort them by common ideas.

Following is an example.

Example: Identify the subject of categories.

Subject: Robinson organized a major event.

Note card Initiating the Movement

“Robinson was an influential and leading figure both during the two years of Black civic activism leading up to the boycott and as a major player in the significant events that transformed the arrest of Rosa Parks into a communitywide protest movement” (“Robinson”).

Note card Pamphlets

“Robinson stayed up all night mimeographing 35,000 handbills calling for a boycott of the Montgomery bus system. By Friday night, word of the boycott had traveled throughout the city” (“Jo Ann Robinson”).

Naming Categories (use provided index cards)

How did you categorize your cards? What subjects did you use to create your categories?

Once you identify each category you need to ask: How does this category help answer my focus question?

Write your categories on the provided colored index cards.

Set them as markers for each stack.

How does the category help answer the focus question? Each paragraph of your research paper

must work to answer your focus question. Focus Question: Leaders—Who most

effectively led the movement? Why was she/he motivated to do so?

Example: Jo Ann Robinson’s leadership helped put on a major civil rights event.

Creating the “A” Topic Sentence “C” Topic Sentence

Jo Ann Robinson’s leadership helped put on a major civil rights event.

“B” Topic Sentence Jo Ann Robinson’s dedicated leadership was

helpful in putting on an important civil rights event.

“A” Topic Sentence Jo Ann Robinson’s dedicated leadership in the

organization of a key civil rights event played a critical role in the movement’s fight for social justice.

Topic Sentence Break Down

“C” Topic Sentence: Jo Ann Robinson’s leadership helped put on a major civil rights event. Why is it a “C”?

(It has a SUBJECT and OPINION.) “B” Topic Sentence: Jo Ann Robinson’s dedicated leadership

was helpful in putting on a key civil rights event. Why is it a “B”?

(Adds to the subject and opinion by further describing the opinion word “leadership” as “dedicated”)

“A” Topic Sentence: Jo Ann Robinson’s dedicated leadership in the organization of a key civil rights event played a critical role in the movement’s fight for social justice. Why is it an “A”?

(Has subject and opinion, modifies “leadership”, connects topic to overall research paper.)

Focus Questions Reason: What did the movement fight against? In other

words: Who did it work to emancipate? What was the purpose of movement? Why did people find it necessary to rise up?

Leaders: Who most effectively led the movement? Why was she/he motivated to do so?

Backlash: What obstacles did the movement encounter? Why?

Powerful Moments: What was one of the most powerful moments of the movement? Why? How did it help or hurt the cause?

Outcome: How has it influenced society? What freedoms do we now enjoy as a result of that movement?

Write Topic Sentences

Review your note cards and categories to make sure the information works to answer your focus question.

On the worksheet, create a topic sentence for each category. 30 minutes

Exchange papers and grade three of your partner’s topic sentences.