How Do I Put the Paper Together?

I-Search Project

What is it?

This paper is a story of learning about a topic that fascinates you. You have wondered about this and developed a question to answer. An example might be "How do blue whales live?" or "How are 3-d Printers being used to make artificial body parts?"

How do I put the paper together?

First, research your question. Learn as much as you can from reliable sources such as web sites ending .edu, or .gov. Sites ending .com are okay too, especially if they are news organizations. Don't stop there! Try to locate at least 1 expert with whom you can talk or email to learn more. Use books, magazines, and encyclopedias too, especially for historical background. Make source cards and notecards using patterns in your text.

Next, tell what you learned in a conversational style of writing, as if you were sharing it with a friend or parent. Include what surprised you, what you weren't able to find that frustrated you, and the things you found satisfying as you worked.

Last, summarize your learning and tell how you will use what you know now to guide further study. The outline of the paper would be like this:

I. Intro

Tells what you wanted to learn and why.

Engages the reader with a hook

II. Body

Tells the story of your learning in several paragraphs with sources identified in the text. Example: "Houston Chronicle's front page of September 13 described an award given to Dr. James Allison, whose work has given doctors a new kind of cancer therapy that uses the immune system to fight tumors." You could tell what you learned from a blog post by an expert or write about an interview you did. That might be something like this: "Miss Lauren Gomez, who recently received a cochlear implant, described getting used to her new hearing as "different, but it's great to hear." Don’t be afraid to tell what inspired you as you developed deeper knowledge.

III. Conclusion

Wrap up the story with your conclusions and the direction you would go to learn more. Summarize key facts you would want the reader to remember and state what you see as concerns others should know or pursue about this topic.

Example: "Vaccination is a controversial topic in some areas, but the majority of experts agree it is a life-saving and worthwhile practice."

Rubric Elements for I-Search Project:

Has a reasonable research question

Tells information in an interesting way

Shows the writer's process of learning

Uses at least 4 sources

Avoids plagiarism

Uses proper documentation

Uses conventions of writing