Biographical Research

Biographical Research

NAME: TOPIC:

I. RESEARCH PAPER

· Use Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced, margins 1” throughout the paper

· Title page with title, your name, date due, period (centered horizontally and vertically)

· The body of the paper must be from 3 to 5 pages typed. Put page # on all pages EXCEPT title page.

· 5 to 8 well-developed paragraphs (minimum 6 sentences each, using varied sentence structure)

· Use parenthetical documentation after every sentence throughout the paper except topic sentences (Source author’s last

name page #). For example (Smith 13).

· Works cited page at the conclusion of the paper

· Upload your file to Blackboard (EX: Jane Doe Research Paper).

Paper must include the following information

· Introduction: No more than three paragraphs. Suggestions include using a broad to narrow concept; you could include the literary history of your author’s lifetime and/or the movement with which your author is associated

· Biographical information about the author’s life and works.

· Summary of work from author (one non-fiction essay, one short story, one long poem, or two short poems). No more than one paragraph. Parenthetical documentation will be at the end of the paragraph.

· Analysis of work based on your research. No more than two paragraphs.

III. SOURCES

· At least ten total. YOUR LITERATURE BOOK WILL NOT BE A SOURCE FOR THE MOVEMENT OR THE AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY. IT WILL ONLY BE USED FOR THE AUTHOR’S WORK AND ANY LITERARY ELEMENT DEFINITIONS.

· May be: Newspaper, magazine, lecture, interview; encyclopedia (no more than 2); Internet—seek instructor approval before use (at least 4—must be reputable: .org, .gov, or .edu); books (at least 2)

· Provide highlighted copies of all sources. Highlight ONLY the material used in the final paper.

· Improper documentation will result in a zero. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. All information must be properly documented AND written in your own words. You may quote no more than 15% of the paper.

IV. PROJECT

Enclose this work, in this order, in a large envelope with your name written on the outside.

1. The final research paper.

2. This research packet.

3. The rough draft(s)

4. Sources copied and highlighted

5. Bibliography & note cards

You will be graded on the quality of your completed work.

V. TOPICS

1. James Joyce

2. Flannery O’Connor

3. William Faulkner

4. Robert Frost

5. Joyce Carol Oates

6. Ralph Ellison

7. Stephen Crane

8. Stephen King

9. Alice Walker

10. Katherine Mansfield

11. Renaissance: William Shakespeare

12. Puritan: John Milton

13. Metaphysical poetry: John Donne

14. Restoration period: Jonathan Swift

15. 1st Generation Romantic poets Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge

16. 2nd Generation Romantic poets Shelley, Keats, Byron

17. Victorian poetry: Tennyson, Browning, Browning

18. 20th Century nonfiction: Winston Churchill

19. Drama: Sophocles

20. Drama: Ibsen

21. Terry Goodkind

22. YOUR CHOICE FROM LIT BOOK (requires preapproval)

MLA Works Cited Documentation

Note: These citations serve as examples of how to format entries on Works Cited pages of student research papers. These examples may or may not be actual published literary works, and you should not be disappointed if the internet web site URLs are not functional. Again, this page is simply a set of examples to help you format a paper written in MLA style.

When creating your Works Cited Page, remember to:

· Begin the Works Cited on a new page, but number consecutively (i.e., if the last page of your essay is page 3, the Works Cited is page 4)

· Alphabetize each entry by first letter

· Underline all titles of books, magazines, films, etc.

· Put quotation marks around the titles of poems, short stories, and articles

· Indent the 2nd line, the 3rd line, and all subsequent lines of each citation

· Double-space all entries...the examples which follow are single-spaced only to save space on this handout

See pages ______in your literature book for guidelines. Additional citation information may be found at http://citationmachine.net/ and http://www.studyguide.org/MLAdocumentation.htm.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND NOTE CARD FORMAT

Research Paper Checklist

Is each sentence (except the topic sentence) followed by parenthetical documentation?
Does each parenthetical documentation have the author’s last name and a page number?
Does each parenthetical documentation have a corresponding works cited?
Does the parenthetical documentation match the source?
Is the works cited page in alphabetical order and correctly formatted?
Does each works cited have a corresponding parenthetical documentation?
Is the source highlighted?
Do I have a cover page?
Do I have a Works Cited page?
I am going to pass this paper.
Is the entire paper double-spaced?
Is the paper numbered beginning with the first page of the body of the paper and continuing through the works cited page?
Are the vocabulary and sentence structure that I used on the twelfth grade level?
Did I use transition words and phrases between sentences and paragraphs?
Does the paper “flow”?
Did I check for plagiarism?
Did I carefully look at the rubric?

In your folder (put in this order prior to turning in):

Do I have this stapled research packet COMPLETED?
Do I have this checklist completed, signed, and dated?
Do I have my typed cover page?
Do I have my typed paper?
Do I have my typed works cited page?
Do I have all of my sources copied and highlighted?

I submit the following research paper for grading. The teacher has taught the concept of plagiarism to me. I have had ample opportunity to practice the format of the paper and the concept of plagiarism. I have gone over my paper and checked my parenthetical documentation, works cited, and highlighted sources to ensure that I did not plagiarize. I have answered the questions above. I understand that plagiarism and/or poor documentation will result in a zero and possibly a failing grade for the third nine weeks.

______

Student signature Date

I have read the above.

______

Parent/guardian signature Date

Research Paper Grading Rubric

Points possible based on folder contents: 300
No typed cover page -25
No typed paper -300
No typed works cited -300
No rough draft title page -25
No rough draft history -25
No rough draft biography -25
No rough draft summary -25
No rough draft analysis -25
No rough draft bio sheet -25
No rough draft period brainstorm -25
No highlighted sources -300
No bibliography and note cards -100
Total points possible______
Content
All information is
factually correct
5 / Most information is
factually correct
432 / Many factual
errors/inconsistencies
1
Excellent topic sentences and supporting sentences
5 / Adequate topic sentences and supporting sentences
432 / Poor topic sentences and supporting sentences
1
Excellent discussion of detail
5 / Adequate discussion of detail
432 / Vague discussion of detail
1
Clear organization
5 / Adequate organization
432 / Confusing organization
1
Smooth transitions
5 / Adequate transitions
432 / Awkward transitions
1
Effective conclusion/integration
5 / Adequate conclusion/integration
432 / Weak conclusion/integration
1
Correct grammar/
no spelling mistakes
5 / Few grammar errors/
Few spelling mistakes
432 / Incorrect grammar/
many spelling mistakes
1
Format and Style
Excellent MLA Style
5 / Adequate MLA Style
432 / Poor MLA Style
1
Excellent variety of sources
5 / Adequate variety of sources
432 / Inadequate variety of sources
1
Clean/legible manuscript/In folder, in order, neat
5 / Adequate manuscript/order
4 3 2 / Sloppy manuscript/order
1
Sum Points
______/ Sum points to get total score.

Sum points: ______/ 50 = ______X ___4____ (Total points possible) = ______/___200_____

DIRECTIONS: Here are some helpful research activities. REMEMBER TO KEEP A WORKS REFERENCES PAGE OF THESE SOURCES SO THAT YOU CAN EASILY RETURN TO THE SOURCE AND/OR MAKE YOUR WORKS CITED.

INTERNET ACTIVITIES

1. Use Alabama Virtual Library by typing www.avl.lib.al.us.

2. Go to www.dogpile.com.

3. Type in your AUTHOR’S NAME and .EDU.

ENCYCLOPEDIA ACTIVITIES

1. Choose an encyclopedia from the shelf based on the last name of your author or the movement with which your author is involved.

2. Make a bibliography card for the source.

3. Take notes on the source.

BOOK ACTIVITIES

1. Choose a book from the shelf based on the last name of your author or the movement with which your author is involved.

2. Make a bibliography card for the source.

3. Take notes on the source.

BIOGRAPHY

DIRECTIONS: Use your sources to complete the information below. Use more than one source. Remember to make bib cards for and to provide a copy of your source (if other than internet). Parenthetically document after each question.

NAME:

DATE OF BIRTH (year only):

DATE OF DEATH (year only):

AGE (at death):

PLACE OF BIRTH:

PLACE OF DEATH:

SCHOOL(S) ATTENDED:

SPOUSE:

SPOUSE’S EMPLOYMENT:

NUMBER OF CHILDREN:______

AUTHOR’S EMPLOYMENT: (Please list in chronological order from first to last job)

AWARDS/HONORS:

GENRE:

FIRST PUBLISHED WORK:

______

NOTABLE WORKS:

INFORMATION ABOUT WORK WHICH YOU ARE RESEARCHING

MOVEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH (dates of movement, characteristics of movement, notable authors and works, etc):

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

PERIOD/MOVEMENT

After you have determined the time period/movement with which your author is associated, research information that will allow you to write two to three paragraphs which will ultimately introduce your author and the work you will be analyzing. Parenthetically document each sentence that you list below.

Types of things you may include:

Distinguishing characteristics of time period or movement

Notable historical events

Notable historical people

Social and cultural activities

INTRODUCTION

DIRECTIONS: No more than three paragraphs. Suggestions include using a broad to narrow concept. You could include the literary history of your author’s lifetime and/or the movement with which your author is associated. Parenthetically document each sentence.

Suggested topic sentence for paragraph 1: The PERIOD NAME of British literature included the years (YEARS HERE). You will need to develop another topic sentence for paragraph 2 and 3.

______

DIRECTIONS: Use your bio sheet as an outline to write one to two paragraphs about your author’s life. The first paragraph may be biographical information; the second paragraph (or both paragraphs) must relate to his/her writing career. Parenthetically document each note that you list below.

Suggested topic sentence paragraph 1: “One SHORT STORY AUTHOR/ ESSAYIST/ POET /NOVELIST /PLAYWRIGHT who lived during the ROMANTIC /VICTORIAN /MODERN period was AUTHOR’S FULL NAME.

Suggested topic sentence paragraph 2: LAST NAME OF AUTHOR was best known for HIS/HER SHORT STORIES/ NOVELS/ POEMS.

SUMMARY

DIRECTIONS: Read your author’s work(s) in your lit book. Summarize the work in one paragraph. Since this is in your own words, you should not have to parenthetically document except at the end of each paragraph. DO NOT USE ANOTHER SOURCE FOR A SUMMARY.

Suggested topic sentence: One of HIS/HER well-known works is TITLE HERE.

______

ANALYSIS

DIRECTIONS: Write two paragraphs discussing literary elements effectively employed by the author in his/her work – how the author’s style is impacted by using these elements in this particular story, essay, play, poem.

Suggested opening: In order to create HIS/HER work, AUTHOR’S LAST NAME relied on several literary elements. One of the most important elements in TITLE OF WORK is NAME OF LITERARY ELEMENT.

NEXT: Define the element then (pretty much) write a literary glossary. J

Suggested opening for paragraph two: Another important element used by AUTHOR’S LAST NAME in TITLE OF WORK is NAME OF LITERARY ELEMENT.

NEXT: Do the exact same thing you did in paragraph one.

______

Works Cited

DIRECTIONS: Your works cited should include a full reference to each work cited in your paper. The first line of each source should be against the margin; indent the second and each subsequent line of the source. Put your sources in ABC order. Refer to your MLA handbook for proper documentation.

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