The Grad Project consists of 4 parts:

1. The Paper: All students will complete an 8-10 page research paper. This paper will encompass the required writing techniques address by the Common Core Standards adopted by the state and the county. This includes but is not limited to a minimum of six full pages of text, a properly cited visual aid referred to within the text of the paper, and a works cited page. The subject of your paper must be approved by the Grad Project Advisory Board during your English III class. Additional information concerning the format of this paper is provided in this booklet and will be addressed by your English III teacher.

2. The Product: Based on research conducted for the paper, students will produce a product that is connected to the research knowledge. This component will be completed outside of class time. The time expected for students to commit for this part of the project is 15 hours minimum. Products can include performances, service projects, models or any challenging application of the students’ research. This must also be approved by the Grad Project Advisory Board. Half of the Product hours will be due prior to completion of the Product. You must adhere to any and all deadlines to receive full credit for your work.

3. The Portfolio: All documentation, forms, letters, evidences, and reflections about the entire process are contained in the portfolio. It must be contained in a 3-ring binder with dividers and sheet protectors.

4. The Presentation: The final step to complete the Grad Project requires the student to give a formal presentation to a small panel consisting of community members and teachers. The student will prepare and give a presentation describing the research and project experience. The presentation will address what was learned and what the student plans to do as a result of completing the project.

*UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU ALLOWED TO CHANGE ANYTHING (TOPIC, MENTOR, PRODUCT, ETC.) WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM MS. KELLUM OR MRS. MORTON. APPROVAL MUST BE WRITTEN, NOT VERBAL.

Statement Concerning Plagiarism, Dishonesty, and Cheating

Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else’s ideas as your own. It can also mean writing facts of opinions that you got from someone else without identifying your source. Unintentional plagiarism still counts as plagiarism, so be careful.

Forgery of signatures or initials on Grad Project sign-off sheets counts as dishonesty.

Plagiarism, dishonesty, and cheating are unacceptable and have serious consequences.

They can result in a failing grade on the research paper, an incomplete on the Grad Project, ISS, or suspension from school as well as removal from Academic Organizations.

Know the rules for the correct crediting of sources. Your English teacher can help.

Dates for the Junior Research Paper:

First Semester 2017-2018

Date Due: / Item Due:
Friday, September 8th / Topic Proposal Form and Parent Acknowledgement Form
Friday, September 29th / Component 1 – Outline, Thesis, and Working Bibliography
Friday, October 27th / Component 2 – Research (with internal citations) and Works Cited
Wednesday, December 6th / Component 3 – Final Complete Research Paper

Second Semester 2017-2018

Date Due: / Item Due:
Wednesday, February 7th / Topic Proposal Form and Parent Acknowledgement Form
Wednesday, February 28th / Component 1 – Outline, Thesis, and Working Bibliography
Wednesday, March 28th / Component 2 – Research (with internal citations) and Works Cited
Wednesday, May 9th / Component 3 – Final Complete Research Paper

Due Dates for the Research Paper:

The research paper has been divided into 3 components to help you get through the process. Each component counts as 40% of each six weeks. You cannot pass each six weeks if you do not complete the components.

Component 1 – Outline, Thesis, and Working Bibliography

·  The topic you choose should be one that interests you. Choosing a topic with very little information about it will not give you enough information for an entire research paper. This topic will follow you to English IV as will the grade you make on the paper. A Working Bibliography is just that – a work in progress. You may use all of the sources you find but then again you may not. Based upon the sources you find, you should be able to determine an outline which will lead to your thesis. Take your teacher’s advice throughout this process and make corrections as needed.

Component 2 – Research and Works Cited

·  This will be the most challenging part of your paper. You should be given an opportunity for research in your English class. Make sure you include internal citations. The research should be four complete pages in length. All of the sources on your Works Cited page should be found in your paper AND all of your internal citations in your research should be found on your Works Cited page. When the second component is turned in, it will be proofread by an English teacher for needed corrections. When it is returned to you, the changes need to be made prior to turning in your final copy of the component to your English III teacher in order for your grade to be determined for the second six weeks. You must turn in your proofed copy as well.

Component 3 – Final Complete Research Paper

·  This is the final component so make it count. The final copy of your paper should include your introduction, your conclusion, a graphic, your corrected research, your final outline, and your works cited page. Your actual paper must be 5 pages without the graphic, works cited, or outline. Your graphic should be student-generated and able to be incorporated into your research. Do not forget to provide the citation for your graphic. This final copy of your research paper will be graded by your English III teacher. Make sure to save an electronic copy and turn in all of your work with your paper.

Remember that there has to be a connection between your paper and your product. A form has been added at the end of this booklet for you to complete in order to incorporate the information into your Oral Presentation in English IV.

Guidelines for the English III Research Paper:

*Please note that failure to complete the Grad Project research paper in your English III class may result in credit not being awarded for the course. It is NOT an OPTION!

The following guidelines have been designed to aid you when writing your research paper.

A.  Mechanics:

1.  5 full pages of written content. You may not use visual aids to take up “space” in the body of your paper. Failure to complete 5 full pages of content will result in a failing grade. However, your paper must have a visual aid created by you and it must be contained and referenced by you during the course of your paper. Again, this DOES NOT count toward your 5 pages.

2.  Thesis statement. This occurs at the end of your introduction and is NOT documented. It is your summarization of what your paper will prove. DO NOT phrase your thesis as “This paper will prove…” or anything similar to this.

3.  Double spaced. The body of the paper as well as the heading on the first page must be double spaced.

4.  12-point font - Times New Roman. Any other size and font chosen for this paper is UNACCEPTABLE.

5.  Your paper must have a cover sheet. Your cover sheet contains the same information as the heading on the first page of your research paper. However, your title page is centered in the middle of the page. Triple space between your title and your name. The rest of the information is double spaced.

6.  Pages must be consecutively numbered starting with the first page in top right corner of pages. It must include your last name as well (Smith 1, Smith 2, Smith 3, etc).

7.  On the first page of your paper, you must place the following information in the top left-hand corner: Student name, Instructor, Course, Date (Day Month Year). Remember – double space.

8.  Sources – 3 minimum – 1 source must come from a source other than the internet. Understand that print sources located on the internet (i.e. books, magazines, newspapers, journals, etc.) are still print sources. However, you must correctly document them throughout the paper as well as in your bibliography.

9.  No opinions are to appear in the body of the paper. Research is based upon fact, not opinion.

10.  No personal pronouns (I, you, me, etc) are to be used in your paper.

B.  Content

11.  Internal citations must appear throughout the paper and must be in proper format within the paper – web addresses are NOT acceptable as internal citations. More information about this is covered in this booklet.

12.  Outline – This page comes after the title page but before the actual paper. See the information in this packet for correct formatting. This page DOES NOT count as part of your 5 page minimum.

13.  Introduction – Must include your thesis at the end of your introduction.

14.  Body – Must be a minimum of 4 pages in length. It must also include internal citations that reference your works you have used (i.e. your Works Cited). The body is also required to contain a visual aid. Statistics work easily to make graphs or pie charts. It must be referenced as well as your own work.

15.  Conclusion – This should be the final part of your actual paper. Use the material you gathered in your research to answer the question you posed at the beginning of your paper. Do not use personal pronouns and do not simply repeat what you have already written.

16.  Works cited page – alphabetical order, not bulleted or numbered, with a hanging indent. This is the same thing as a bibliography. This DOES NOT count as part of your 5 page minimum. The Reference tab on Microsoft Word makes this process very simple but check with your teacher for acceptance of this application.

C.  Important Reminders:

17.  Plagiarism in any form is NOT acceptable. If it is borrowed from another source, you must give credit to that source. “I didn’t know I was plagiarizing” is not an excuse. If any part of your paper is plagiarized, you will fail.

18.  Keep your own copy of EVERYTHING! SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!! Save your work to your own flash drive.

Understand these guidelines are meant to provide you with guidance as you write your research paper. Your teacher may require more items throughout the process of your paper such as note pages (instead of note cards). If you have questions, please see your instructor.

Paraphrase: Write It in Your Own Words

Paraphrasing is one way to use a text in your own writing without directly quoting source material. Anytime you are taking information from a source that is not your own, you need to specify where you got that information.

A paraphrase is...

·  Your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form.

·  One legitimate way (when accompanied by accurate documentation) to borrow from a source.

·  A more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea.

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because...

·  It is better than quoting information from an undistinguished passage.

·  It helps you control the temptation to quote too much.

·  The mental process required for successful paraphrasing helps you to grasp the full meaning of the original.

6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

1.  Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.

2.  Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.

3.  Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.

4.  Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.

5.  Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.

6.  Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

Some examples to compare

The original passage:

Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes. Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47.

A legitimate paraphrase:

In research papers students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim (Lester 46-47).

An acceptable summary:

Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted material in a research paper (Lester 46-47).