Introduction to Persuasive Essay

Student Name:
Civil Rights Movement Research Paper Rubric
Follow these guidelines as you work through your paper. / Points Possible / Points Earned
DAILY PREPARATION Did you come to class prepared to work?
Average Grade Did you come to class with all necessary materials? Did you come with a task to work on in mind? Did you work productively during class time? / 25
COLLECTING SOURCES Did you collect four sources and record them?
Sources sheet: You can type this so you do not have to write the entire website.Must have 3-5 sources / 10
Work cited Do you have at least 3 sources? Are the both primary and secondary sources? / 15
NOTECARDS Did you take notes from each source using notecards?
At least 15 cards that: has the correct format, is paraphrased, stays on topic / 30
WRITING PROCESS Did you go through the steps of the writing process?
Outline shows clear relationships between topics and subtopics. / 15
Rough draft that consists of numerous markings and suggestions
due to peer editing. / 30
Revised/Good draft shows that needed revisions in content and organization have been made. See below for criteria.
96A: Strong introduction with clear, original thesis.Mastery of material and sophisticated analysis.Evidence of independent and extended thought.Persuasive reasoning and well-chosen examples that are linked clearly to thesis.Coherent organization, well-developed paragraphs, fluid structure, clear transitions.Engaging, sophisticated writing style.Evidence is accurately cited. No grammatical or typing errors.Good conclusion.
89: B: Strong introduction containing a clear thesis.Good understanding of material. Well-developed argument with some originality. Coherent organization with each paragraph developed around one main idea. Evidence is accurately cited. Occasional stylistic or grammatical problems.Good conclusion.
81: C: Weak thesis.Some confusion of facts or interpretation.Argument is insufficiently developed, and the organization contains weaknesses.Many grammatical and typing errors. Ineffectual writing using unclear or awkward sentences, wordiness, and passive voice.
73D: Weak, vague, or irrelevant thesis.Significant conceptual or factual errors. Argument is undeveloped, and paper contains poor organization. Ignores relevant evidence. Uses many generalizations without evidential support.Inaccurate citations. Significant grammatical and typing errors.
1-69 F:No introduction, no thesis.Failure to respond to the specific assignment. Superficial content with no indication of sources.Plagiarism. Poor structure. Significant grammatical and typing errors.Failure to understand material.
0 F: Plagiarism. (Parts or Whole) / 100
TOTAL / 225

Introduction to Persuasive Essay

After reading the statement below choose one side of the argument to write your persuasive essay. The typed paper should be double-spaced with one-inch margins and 12-point font. Please title the paper, but no cover page is necessary. Please include a Works Cited page.

Read the following statement then do some research until you have enough information to decide whether or not you agree or disagree with the statement, and why?

Between 1945 and 1965, the anger and activism of individuals like Daisy Bates and the organizational efforts of such groups as NAACP, SCLC, CORE, and SNCC werelessimportant to the success of the Civil Rights Movement than were actions taken by the federal government (ex: The multiple Civil Rights Act of 1964, results of various Supreme Court Cases, etc…)

What you will need:

1)3-5 sources (include primary and secondary). Make sure you use all as equally as you can.

2)15-20 thorough, quality, notecards

3)Outline

4)Rough Draft

5)Good Draft-Due May 5th

MUST BE BETWEEN 2-4 pages. NO MORE, NO LESS!

IF LATE:

Unless you have a terrible emergency, a late paper will be deducted one letter grade (10 points) per day it is late, including weekend days(you can email it to me if it is already late: or ).

YOUR CALENDAR AND DUE DATES

How to use your days in school:

1)****DON’T FORGET TO WRITE ALL SOURCES IN PACKET

2)Wednesday April 29th: Complete enough notecards in order to make an informed decision about what you are going to argue.

The cards so be organized into the following category categories (each activist, group, and action taken by federal government should be their own category)
Activists and importances
Research least three different groups that were vital to the movement like the NAACP, SCLC, CORE, and SNCC. Find who they were, their purpose, and their importance.
Actions taken by the federal government (ex: The multiple Civil Rights Acts, results of various Supreme Court Cases, etc…)

3)Thursday April 30th: Completed notecards by the end of class. Take notes on index cards make sure to include the source # and give each index card a topic.

After research is completed organize cards into 3 categories, which should signify your three strongest supporting arguments.

4)Friday May 1st: Completed outline by the end of class (you should have at least two paragraphs per argument that contain quality information including primary and secondary source references.

5)Tuesday May 5th: MUST BRING IN a copy of Rough Draft

***Points will be deducted if you have to print paper in classroom.

Paper must be:

Typed, double-spaced with one-inch margins and 12-point font. Please title the paper, but no cover page is necessary. Include a Works Cited page(this does not count as 1 of the 2-4pgs required for essay.

Peer-edit with a partner you trust will take this seriously; providing comments, feedback, and critiques.

6)Thursday May 7th: Complete Good Draft and turn in 1 printed out copy in beginning of class. You may not use class time to print paper!

Some important notes regarding writing a research paper

You are to make an informed argument about the topic you choose based on evidence you researched.The key to a good paper is a strongthesis, or argument.You should state your thesis clearly and concisely in your introduction, and then develop the argument in the body of your paper. (A thesiscanbe more than one sentence long.) Make sure that the information and interpretations in the body of your paper relate to your thesis.The thesis should address all parts of the question.Lay out all your arguments in the introduction and develop them in the body of the paper.Don’t surprise your reader with a new argument halfway through the paper.

A good essay requires a judicious balance betweenevidence(facts) andanalysis(explanation).You must considerhowthe information you include fits into the larger picture -- why is a particular fact significant?On the other hand, an essay that has a clear thesis but lacks sufficient details is not much better.You must support your generalizations with specific examples/facts. One of the keys to writing with both evidence and analysis is structuring your paragraph.Your last sentence of each body paragraph should wrap up that argument, make sure to connect it to the thesis sentence, and transition to the next argument.

Use of sources: When citing specific factual information fromone of your sources, you should put the abbreviated title and page number (if known) in parentheses immediately following the sentence or sentences.You need a citation even if it’s not a direct quote.For example: Anne Moody questioned Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the movement (Coming of Age, 350-3).Note that the period comes AFTER the end parenthesis.

Please include a Works Cited(i.e. bibliography)pageat the conclusion of your paper.

Quotations

Use quotations selectively and only when they provide relevant evidence.If you use a quote longer than one line, every single part must be relevant. If it is over three line, please make sure to center it and single space it. *You may not have more than 1 long quote. ***Quotes will not be included in length.

This paper should be about your ideas and arguments.In other words, do not use too many quotations and always make sure you analyze them and make it clear to your reader why you’re featuring a particular quote.When you use quotations, do not isolate them. Instead, introduce them and integrate them into your sentences.

**A quotation should never stand alone.

EXAMPLE:Martin Luther King’s nonviolent strategies made big strides in the suburbs, but Malcolm X was much more successful in the rural areas. It was July 14th, 1965 when MLK’s wife receives a letter that states, “______” (King, 1). He shamefully admits his peaceful protests failed in Philadelphia, PA.

You must use quotation marks around words that are not your own (this includes texts found on websites)!Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism, a very serious offense that will earn you an F. Failure to include citations is also plagiarism.

PEER-EDITING

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE SOMEONE PROOFREAD YOUR PAPER!I highly recommend that you have someone who you respect and trust for his/her critical opinion read over your paper.A second pair of eyes can be very helpful. Word processing spellcheckers will help, but they will not catch mistakes such as they’re, their, there, or would of (instead of would have) or lead vs.led, or your you’re.Also, sometimes your spellchecker will suggest a word that is not even close to what you want, and you click replace without thinking twice.This often is humorous for me,but it reflects carelessness on your part.

EXTRA HELP

Ihighlyrecommend that you make a meeting with me if you would like more assistance.

Other quick writing tips:�

*Book titles (and film titles) are underlined or italicized. Use quotation marks around article, chapter, speech, and most short document titles.

*Maintain a consistent verb tense (I recommend past tense.)A common error that students make in papers is to switch back and forth between present and past tense.

*Make sure your pronouns match their antecedents (e.g. singular or plural.)

*Write in complete sentences. Do NOT use fragments, and do not write run-on sentences.

*You may NOT USE first “I” or second tense “you”

*Do NOT use contractions“didn’t, ” “won’t,” etc…

*Avoid wordiness and redundancy.

*Write as clearly and efficiently as possible.

*Punctuate correctly

*Structure each paragraph around one main idea.Think carefully about clear organization and logical structure of your ideas.

SOURCES (you need 3-5 both primary and secondary)

1. Title:______

Author: ______

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Is this a Primary and Secondary Source: ______

2. Title:______

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3. Title:______

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4. Title:______

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5. Title:______

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6. Title:______

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7. Title:______

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8. Title:______

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NOTECARDS

#1 You will first make a total of 6 cards in order to decide which side you will argue for.

Activists and their importance
Research least three different groups that were vital to the movement like the NAACP, SCLC, CORE, and SNCC. Find who they were, their purpose, and their importance.
Actions taken by the federal government (ex: The multiple Civil Rights Acts, results of various Supreme Court Cases, etc…)

#2 Decide whether or not you agree with the following statement based on your research: Do you agree that they were lessimportant or do you think they were more important??

#3 You will use notecards to take notes on each sub-topic for your essay. You may use the notecards you initially made if you can fit them under one of the following three sub-topics:

1. Argument #1:______

2. Argument #2:______

3. Argument #3:______

You will need at least three cards for each subtopic, making a total of 15 cards.

*** You will not know these three arguments until you have done some research (#1)

On each card, you need to write your teacher’s name, the sub-topic, and the source number. Cards should be formatted like this:

INTRODUCTION

OUTLINE

Fill in the following spaces to create an outline that you can use to write your rough draft. Remember that in a formal piece of writing not to use the words “I” or “you” do not use contractions or slang and write as if the person reading it has never met you.

I. Introduction Paragraph: (indent)

A. First sentence: can be a question, quote or fact to grab the reader’s attention: ______(place the author’s last name and the page # in parentheses here if this sentence is taken from a source).

B. Second sentence: one that explains or supports the attention–grabber and transitions into the thesis. This can be a quote from the source if you did not use it in your first sentence. You need at least one in your introduction paragraph:

______(author’s last name and page# if from a source).

C. Your thesis statement: ______.

D. Fourth sentence/concluding sentence ( this is the second sentence of your thesis if you did not include them in the previous sentence): You can list some of the sub-topics of your paper here in the order they will be discussed in your body paragraphs: ______.

II. First point that supports your argument:

(indent) Subtopic: ______

A. Topic sentence telling the reader how this paragraph’s topic relates to your thesis statement. ______

B. Second sentence of this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic sentence in your own words:______.

C. Third sentence in this paragraph: A note/quote from a source that proves this fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why the source is an expert: ______(author’s last name and page number).

D. Fourth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic sentence in your own words:______

E. Fifth sentence in this paragraph: A note/quote from a source that proves this fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why the source is an expert: ______(author’s last name and page number).

F. Sixth sentence: A fact that supports your thesis and topic sentence in your own words: ______

G. Seventh Sentence in this paragraph: : A note/quote from a source that proves this fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why the source is an expert: ______(author’s last name and page number).

H.Concluding sentence for this paragraph: use words like “therefore” or “as one can see” or “one can clearly deduce that” to lead into it. Transition to next paragraph______.

III. Second point that supports your argument:

(indent) Subtopic: ______

A. Topic sentence telling the reader how this paragraph’s topic relates to your thesis statement. ______.

B. Second sentence of this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic sentence in your own words:______.

D. Fourth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic sentence in your own words:______.

F. Sixth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic sentence in your own words:______.

H. Concluding sentence for this paragraph: use words like “therefore” or “as one can see” or “one can clearly deduce that” to lead into it. (Note: DO NOT USE THE SAME LEAD-INS FOR EACH BODY PARAGRAPH!)Transition to next paragraph______.

IV. Third point that supports your argument:

(indent) Subtopic: ______

A. Topic sentence telling the reader how this paragraph’s topic relates to your thesis statement. ______.

B. Second sentence of this paragraph: A fact for or against your thesis in your

own words: ______.

D. Fourth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic sentence in your own words:______.