DO NOT REMOVE FROM CLASSROOM – PLEASE RETURN TO MRS. FRNKA
English IV Research Project
Please read through the entire packet before beginning your research paper. Please complete the questionnaire at the end of the packet on another sheet of paper and turn it into the box with your class period.
1)Primary Literary Sources:
You will choose from a list of British literary pieces available at the library desk; however, you may sign up for a literary piece that only one other person has signed up for :
Sign up for literary piece and 1 written paragraph about why you chose piece
DUE JANUARY 10 - Daily Grade
Drama
Short-Story
Novel
-or-
Poetry (2 poems)
2)Definition of a literary research paper:
A literary research paper is a critical analysis of a literary work. An analysis is when you break something down into pieces to see how it is put together and how it works. In a research paper, you rely heavily on what literary critics (the experts) say. Therefore, the paper is not about what you think, but what all those college educated PhDs with Doctoral degrees think. (If you are smart, you can find an expert who agrees with your position.)
3)Basic Requirements:
In this paper, you must discuss:
a)The background of the author.
b)Any relevant historical events (great battles, tragedies, new discoveries, etc.).
c)The important philosophical movements and ideas of the time and their roots.
d)Whether the author is in agreement, divergent, or in opposition to those movements/ideas.
e)Literary devices used by the author: here you will describe the characterization, mood, plot, point of view, setting, tone, and voice.
f)Major themes: although theme is also a literary device, it is almost always a major and separate part of any critical analysis because theme(s) generally contain the overall message meaning of the story.
g)At least two literary critics’ interpretations of the themes in the book. If you can quote three different experts who agree on the themes in the book, you will receive a higher grade.
h)Finally, your evaluation of the critics’ interpretations of the book.
4) Minimum Requirements:
-8-10 full pages of text
-1 Works Cited page attached directly to the research
-1 primary source (2 for poetry)
-5 secondary sources (2 book, 2 database, 1 pre-approved (i.e. teacher-
approved) Internet—or 3rd database)
-8direct quote references incorporated into text (minimum)
5) Items required:
-Cover Page
-Essay with heading and parenthetical citations
-Works Cited page
-photocopies of sources, highlighted and numbered according to use in your paper-legal pad with all Cornell notes
-an 10x14 (or larger) envelope or gallon plastic bag to hold your research paper
process.
- Flashdrive to save your paper on.
Suggested Ideas for How to Complete Your Research Paper:
1)Choose your literary piece.
2)Read your piece.
3)Annotate (take notes) for summary and identify the elements of the plot.
4)Draft preliminary thesis/topic statement (this should cover important themes)
5)Decide on the sub-topics for each of your paragraphs (see basic requirements for ideas)
6)Go to the library and research background information (author, historical events, and philosophical trends, and literary critics).
7)Compile a list of quotes from primary and secondary sources
8)Compile your Works Cited.
9)Revise your thesis/topic statement, if needed.
10)Rough draft #1
11)Edit/Revise
12)Meet with your teacher to review paper
13)Rough draft #2
14)Edit/Revise
15)Rough draft #3
16)Edit/Revise
17)Final draft
Formatting:
-double-spaced
-12-point Times New Roman font
-1” margins top, bottom, and sides
-on the upper right corner (last name, page # - 2nd page and up),
-title should be centered and included immediately after your header (do not underline
or place in quotations)
Grades:
Final paper – 2 major grades and 2 daily grades
-1 Formatting (daily)
-1 Content (major)
-1 Documentation (major)
-1 for grammar, mechanics, and proofreading (daily)
Timeline grades (these are daily grades to keep you on track):
Choose literary piece—by Tuesday, 1/10
Legal Pad/Envelope Due—Tuesday, 2/24
Two-Column Notes—due DAILY (during library/lab research week)
Library Research [Author Biography & Time Period]—Monday, 2/27, Tuesday, 2/28
Library Research [Literary Devices]—Monday, 3/5, Tuesday, 3/6
Library Research [Themes]—Monday, 3/19, Tuesday 3/20
Thesis development—due Tuesday 3/23
Library Research [Literary Criticism]—Monday, 4/2, Tuesday 4/3
Library Research [Finalizing]—Monday, 4/9, Tuesday, 4/10
Computer Lab [Drafting & Revision]—Thursdays: 3/1, 3/8, 3/22, 4/5, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26, 5/3
Rough Draft #1& Self-Evaluation (Computer Lab) -Monday, 4/16, Tuesday 4/17
Peer Editing Exercise— (Computer Lab) Monday 4/23, Tuesday 4/24
Rough Draft #2 & Clocking—Monday, 4/30, Tuesday 5/1
Rough Draft #3 and Ratiocination (Computer Lab)—Wednesday, 5/2, Thursday 5/3
Format Paper & Works Cited (Computer Lab)—Friday, 5/4
Final Computer Lab Day—5/8
Final paper (Both a hard copyandelectronic submission) due MAY 8 to turnitin.com(This date and others may need to be revised based on official notice of the exemption due date, which has not yet been provided by administration.)
Literary Devices
Characterization is how each person’s age, background, and personality are developed. This can be done by physical description, as well as describing what each character thinks, says, and does.
Mood the overall feeling, or mood, of a piece of writing is constructed through the details (*description) and language (word choice). Some examples of MOOD might be: upbeat, romantic, happy, sad, tragic, scary, etc.
Plot is the story line. The standard plot develops as follows:
1)Exposition is background information needed to explain the story.
2)Rising action lets things build toward a climax, developing the conflict.
3)Climax is the point of the highest interest, conflict, or suspense (showdown).
4)Falling action is what happens after the climax. It is usually a cooling off period. The French call it the “denouement,” meaning the unraveling of the knot.
5)Resolution is the ending which explains how the conflict or problem is solved.
*Note that plots can vary greatly from this order. For example, the story may begin with the climax, or it may have flashbacks.
Point of view determines who will be the narrator of your story.
First person point of view uses I. Once upon a time I turned into a bug…
Third person point of view uses either third person limited narrator (knows some things, but not everything) or a third person omniscient narrator (knows everything). Once upon a time Gregor turned into a bug…
Second person point of viewis rare, but can be effective. Once upon a time you woke up in your bed, and you noticed that you were a bug with big scaly wings…
Scene or setting is environment, milieu, or locale where the story takes place. It includes the time, place, weather, culture, and historical period.
Theme is the insight into human life that the writer conveys through the story. The theme may be life and death, good versus evil, vaulting ambition (remember Macbeth), nice guys finish last, good always triumphs over evil, etc.
Tone: When you are speaking to someone, your TONE tells the listener how you feel about your subject, as well as how you feel about the listener. Tone in writing is created by choice of words, choice of details, and sentence structure. Some examples of tone: personal, friendly, informal, formal, serious, humorous, unemotional, emotional, passionate, obsessed, objective, subjective, critical. (Note: the Tone of a research paper is almost always formal, which means you use the third person point of view).
Author’s Voice: see past the book and hear the author’s cry in the wilderness.
Suggestion for Outline
- Introduction: Attention getter (hook), background information, and thesis statement
- Important Information about the Author—explain who he/she is and why this person chose to write this book.
- Times in Which the Author Lived—what events took place before or during the author’s lifetime that may have inspired or motivated the author to write about the things he/she included in the book.
- Literary Elements/Literary Devices—how the author uses these to create his/her story. These include a.) Characterization, b.) Plot, c.) Point of View, d.) Setting/Scene, e.) Tone, f.) Voice
- Themes—the most important literary element. a.) Explain the themes clearly and accurately, b.) Note any symbolism or other literary devices the author used to get his/her ideas across, c.) Give a good critique of the of the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s thematic structure
- Literary Critics—These are people with Doctoral Degrees from big universities that have the title Ph.D. behind their name. Quote/show what they thought of the book, the author, and his/her ideas.
- Personal Opinion—Finally, you get to say your piece. Here is where you say what you think of the book, the author, and his/her ideas.
- Conclusion—summate overall research findings
Review Research Paper Requirements
1.When must you have signed up for your literary piece?
2.When is your paper due?
3.Where are you going to submit your paper?
4.In addition to signing up for your literary piece, what other requirement must you complete?
5.When should you have read your literary piece by?
6.What is a literary research paper?
7.What are the basic requirements for this paper? (hint – discuss at least 8 items)
8.When is your paper due?
9.Where are you going to submit your paper?
10.What are the minimum requirements for this paper?
11.What items are required?
12.What formatting should be used?
13.How many grades is this paper worth?
14.How will you be graded?
15.When is your paper due?
16.Where are you going to submit your paper?
17.What days will we be in the computer lab?
18.What days will we be in the library doing research?
19.How many print sources do you need?
20.When is your paper due?
21.Where are you going to submit your paper?
22.How many database sources do you need?
23.What is the minimum amount of direct quotes that you need?
24.How many drafts will you write?
25.When is your paper due?
26.Where are you going to submit your paper?
27.Explain at least 3 different literary devices.
28.When is your paper due?
29.Where are you going to submit your paper?
30.Take out your planner a write down all of you research paper due dates