English 3 Honors Research Paper

Carmichael 2011

The North Carolina Standard Course of Study requires that each student in English III produce an argumentative research paper. You will need to choose and focus an essential question. Ideally, your research will help you answer the question, and your answer will become your thesis statement. Note: Your paper should not be a history or other kind of “report,” but rather an argumentative, analytical paper. Your paper must have evidence of higher order thinking, synthesis of research materials, and attention to the “so what factor.”

Format:

  • Your paper must be in correct MLA format. (We will devote some class time to reviewing this format, and the media center provides access to style guides. Ignorance is no excuse.)
  • black, twelve-point, double-spaced, Times New Roman font, one-inch margins all around
  • proper heading: Full Name, Teacher’s Name, Course Name, Inverted Date
  • last name included with page numbers in each upper right-hand corner
  • adequate title, centered on the first page
  • presence of direct quotations and proper use of parenthetical citations
  • Works Cited page with hanging indents, double-spaced text, alphabetical order, proper citations, and the presence of each source within the paper
  • Your paper must be 5-7FULL pages of writingnot including the Works Cited page.
  • You are required to use at least five sources.
  • Three of your sources must be print sources, but keep in mind that Galenet can provide excellent access to print sources, such as magazines and scholarly journals.
  • One source may be the novel
  • Web sources will only be allowed except in cases that have been cleared by Ms. Carmichael or one of the media coordinators. Carefully evaluating sources is a large part of the research process. Variety and quality are expected.

You are required to use turnitin.com. Any student who fails to do so will receive an automatic zero, regardless of whether or not the student turns in a hard copy.

Research Tips:

Keep all research paper materials in the manila envelope provided for you.

  • Research your subject first. Gather information and study your subject before you form your opinion. You might be surprised by what you discover.
  • Stay on top of deadlines! Refer to the assignment calendar as often as necessary. Deadlines will also be listed on your weekly agendas. Do not procrastinate!
  • This project is meant to be self-directed. We will do some work in class, but much of it will need to be done on your own. You should always feel free to meet with me if you need extra help. Remember that I am in Room 1010 before and after school. E-mail is also a great way to ask for help ()
  • Be extra careful when it comes to avoiding plagiarism. Many students do not take plagiarism seriously, but you should be aware of the serious nature of this act and its penalties, particularly with the adoption of the new Honor Code.

What constitutes plagiarism?

  • Not using quotation marks to identify a direct quotation from your source
  • Not citing your source when using ideas and information taken from the text
  • Not paraphrasing correctly
  • Use of others’ work and ideas as one’s own

How can you avoid plagiarism?

  • Use your brain!
  • Take very careful notes as you read through your sources so that you know exactly where your information is from.
  • Add parenthetical citations as you go—both to your outline and your paper.

Page 1

Grading: These smaller assignments throughout the project will count as homework and class work grades. Your paper itself will be judged according to the rubric below. Be sure to study it carefully ahead of time.

4 points / 3 points / 2 points / 1 point / 0 points
Focus / Presents an insightful and focused thesis statement. / Presents a thesis statement with adequate insight and focus. / Presents a thesis statement with minimal insight and focus. / Presents a thesis statement with no insight or focus. / No thesis
Draws strong and clear connections between the thesis and significant related ideas. / Draws adequate connections between thesis and related ideas. / Draws insufficient connections between thesis and related ideas. / Shows little understanding of connections between thesis and related ideas. / Shows no understanding of connections
The paper adheres to the topic and exhibits exceptional sensitivity to audience and context. / The paper adheres to the topic and exhibits sensitivity to audience and context. / The paper adheres to the topic but lacks sensitivity to audience and/or context / The paper strays from the topic, lacks sensitivity to audience and/or context. / The paper does not adhere to topic
Organization / Effectively provides a logical progression of related ideas and supporting information in the body of the paper. / Adequately provides a progression of ideas and supporting information in the body of the paper. / Provides a poorly organized progression of ideas and supporting information in the body of the paper. / Does not provide a progression of ideas and supporting information in the body of the paper. / There is no progression of ideas
Effectively uses transitions to connect supporting information clearly. / Adequately uses transitions to connect supporting information. / Ineffectively uses transitions to connect supporting information. / Does not use transitions to connect supporting information. / No transitions present
Arrives at a well-documented, logical conclusion, involving critical thinking. / Arrives at an adequately-documented conclusion. / Arrives at an insufficiently documented conclusion. / Does not arrive at a documented conclusion. / Does not have a conclusion
Argumentation / The paper incorporates an adequate amount of background information without coming across as a report. / The paper incorporates more background information than argument / The paper is all background information and very little argument / The paper is a report / The paper has little focus
The paper demonstrates exemplary higher order thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to synthesize complex ideas, paying ample attention to the “so what” factor. / The paper demonstrates adequate high order thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to synthesize complex ideas paying attention to the “so what” factor / The paper demonstrates some high order thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to synthesize complex ideas paying attention to the “so what” factor / The paper demonstrates very little high order thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to synthesize complex ideas paying attention to the “so what” factor / The paper has no higher order thinking
Support/Elaboration / Effectively synthesizes complex ideas from research sources. / Sufficiently synthesizes ideas from research sources. / Ineffectively synthesizes ideas from research sources. / No evidence of synthesizing ideas from research sources. / No sources documented
Demonstrates exceptional selection of supporting information clearly relevant to the thesis and its related ideas. / Demonstrates sufficient selection of supporting information clearly relevant to the thesis and its related ideas. / Demonstrates insufficient selection of supporting information clearly relevant to the thesis and its related ideas. / Lacks supporting information clearly relevant to the thesis and its related ideas. / Ideas do not connect to thesis
Provides a meaningful presentation of multiple perspectives. / Provides an adequate presentation of multiple perspectives. / Provides a limited presentation of multiple perspectives. / Does not present multiple perspectives. / Only one perspective
Effectively balances use of quotations and student paraphrasing. / Adequately balances use of quotations and student paraphrasing. / Insufficiently balances use of quotations and student paraphrasing. / Does not balance use of quotations and student paraphrasing. / No quotes or paraphrasing
Style / Exhibits skillful use of language, including effective word choice, clarity, and consistent voice. / Exhibits good use of language, including some mastery of word choice, clarity, and consistent voice. / Exhibits ineffective use of language, including weak word choice, limited clarity, and inconsistent voice. / Exhibits severely flawed use of language, including weak word choice, no clarity, and no voice. / Editing not evident
Demonstrates exceptional fluency through varied sentence structure, paragraphing, flow of ideas, and transitions. / Demonstrates sufficient fluency through sentence structure, paragraphing, flow of ideas, and transitions. / Demonstrates limited fluency through sentence structure, paragraphing, flow of ideas, and transitions. / Lacks fluency through sentence structure, paragraphing, flow of ideas, and transitions. / No sentence structure
Counts 2 times (8) / The paper is five to seven pages in length (or longer) not including the works cited. / The paper is less than five full pages (automatic failure)
Format / Direct quotations are present and correctly incorporated and formatted within the paper. / Direct quotations are present and somewhat correctly incorporated and formatted within the paper / Direct quotations are present, but incorrectly incorporated and/or formatted within the paper / Direct quotations are present but not incorporated OR formatted within the paper / No direct quotations present
The paper uses black, double-spaced, twelve-point, Times New Roman font only. The paper has one-inch margins throughout. / One mistake present with the MLA format / 2-3 mistakes present with the MLA format / 4-5 mistakes present with the MLA format / No MLA format detected
The paper includes a first-page header and subsequent page-number headings.The paper has an adequate title, centered on the first page. / One mistake present with the header/heading format / 2-3 mistakes present with the header/heading format / 4-5 mistakes present with the header/heading format / No header/heading format present
Conventions / Consistently uses standard writing conventions in spelling, and capitalization. / Generally uses standard writing conventions in spelling, and capitalization. / Minimally uses standard writing conventions in spelling, and capitalization. / Does not use standard writing conventions in spelling, and capitalization. / No editing detected
Consistently uses standard writing conventions in grammar, punctuation, and usage. / Generally uses standard writing conventions in grammar, punctuation, and usage. / Minimally uses standard writing conventions in grammar, punctuation, and usage. / Does not use standard writing conventions in grammar, punctuation, and usage. / No editing detected
Information Literacy / Conscientiously and consistently demonstrates integrity in citing practices. / Generally demonstrates integrity in citing practices. / Inconsistently demonstrates integrity in citing practices. / Does not demonstrate integrity in citing practices. / No citations present Automatic failure
Effectively employs an extensive variety of primary and secondary sources, including a significant amount of current information.
*6 sources according to guidelines / Adequately employs a sufficient variety of primary and secondary sources, including a sufficient amount of current information.
*6 sources according to guidelines / Employs a limited variety of primary and secondary sources, including an insufficient amount of current information. / Does not employ a variety of primary and secondary sources and/ or does not include current information. / No citations present
Demonstrates strong evaluation skills in determining resource credibility and reliability. / Demonstrates sufficient evaluation skills in determining resource credibility and reliability. / Demonstrates limited evaluation skills in determining resource credibility and reliability. / Demonstrates no evaluation skills to determine resource credibility and reliability. / No sources/ citations present
The included Works Cited page displays proper format: hanging indents, double spacing, alphabetical order, and the presence of each source within the paper. / One mistake present with Works Cited / 2-3 mistakes present with Works Cited / 4-5 mistakes present with Works Cited / No works Cited (Automatic Failure)
Total points earned:______
x 2
Total grade______/200

Letter Grade:______

Assignment / Point Value / Due date

Parent letter

/ 5 pt EC

Anticipation guide

/ 10 points

Pre writing & Brainstorming

/ 10 points

Research Notes (40 “rows” 3 pts each) and Working Bib (5 Sources 5 pts each)

/ 145 points

Thesis Statement

/ 15 points
Works Cited Draft / 10 points
Outline: completion and format / 70 points
Rough Draft completion / 20 points
Peer Edit 1 In Class / 10 points
Peer Edit 2 Out of Class / 10 points
Final draft w/ works cited & online submission to / 200 points
Total points possible: 500

Project Calendar:

Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
October/November / 24
Lit Circle # 1 / 25
Meet in Library / 26
Meet in Library / 27
Meet in Library / 28
No School—Continue Research
31
No School—Continue Research / 1All Research notes due
Thesis statement due by end of class / 2
Lit Circle # 2 / 3
Meet in 1020
Works Cited Rough Draft due / 4
Meet in 1020
7
Outline due / 8
Lit Circle # 3 / 9
Meet in 1020
First 2 pages of rough draft due / 10 / 11
No School—finish Paper
14 / 15
Lit Circle # 4 / 16 / 17 / 18
Lit Circle # 5
Final due dates begin

Prominent Schools of Literary Criticism:

You may choose any of the ones we discussed. However, I highly suggest using one of the following:

□Historical/Biographical—with this school you would research the author’s background and the historical context. Really consider the roles these things play to develop your argumentative question. Remember, it’s not a report on Mark Twain or the Civil War, or Slavery, but it evaluates the influences of these things on the text and the reader.

□Moral/philosophical—with this school you would research the moral issues involved with Huck Finn. For example, you might focus on the censorship of Huck Finn, or the issues of race.

□Archetypal—with this school you would research the symbolism and the patterns seen in the text and how it affects/enhances meaning

□Feminist—with this school you would research the female role in comparison to the male roles in the novel.

□Marxist—with this school you would research the class system (slavery and race) and the role of the government (pre-civil war politics)

□Reader Response—with this school you would focus on your own reaction as well as the reaction of other readers and critics and what elicits that reaction, particularly the backgrounds of the audience in question.

Choose the one you are most comfortable with and develop your essential question around it.

I highly suggest you peruse the articles first to help you decide which school of thought you feel the most comfortable with. Don’t just type in “Huck Finn and Feminism” read the critical articles carefully and extract only the information that will help you with your particular direction. This is true research.

English 3 Research Project Topic Anticipation Guide

Name: ______Period: ______Date: ______

Anticipated Critical School:______

My Anticipated Research Essential Question: ______

I feel… ___ comfortable with my topic & EQ____worried about my topic

____worried about my EQ ____confused about my topic

____confused about my EQ

THESIS STATEMENT

WHY: A well-written thesis statement is the most important sentence in your entire paper. Crafting a tentative thesis ahead of time allows for teacher feedback and adequate revision. Having a thesis on hand also helps you maintain focus while designing an outline and writing your actual paper.

KEEP IN MIND:

  • A thesis statement should both summarize for your reader the position you will argue and set up the pattern of organization you will use in the body of your paper.
  • A thesis statement is NOT a statement of accepted fact; it is the position that needs the proof you will provide in your argument. Think of it as a claim—it indicates what you claim to be true, interesting, or valuable about your subject. It is an interpretation of your subject, rather than the subject itself. Show me your critical thinking skills!
  • Your thesis should reflect the full scope of your argument—no more and no less. Avoid using a thesis statement that is too broad to be defended within the scope of your paper or too narrow to be an appropriate response to the assignment.
  • A strong thesis not only grabs the interest of your reader, who now wants to see you support your unique interpretation, it also provides a focus or “road map” for your argument.
  • You may revise your thesis statement as you write. The important thing is for your thesis to identify the purpose of your paper and for each aspect of your paper to relate back to your thesis.
  • Be sure to keep a copy for yourself so that you can begin writing your outline!

EXAMPLES: Below are some common thesis errors. Each bad example is followed by a better one.

  • TOO BROAD: “The Catholic Church’s influence on the formation of labor unions in the nineteenth century was extremely significant.”
  • SUFFICIENTLY FOCUSED: “Through its use of both the pulpit and the purse, the Catholic Church exerted significant influence on the labor movement in the United States during the final decades of the nineteenth century.”
  • MERE FACT/OBSERVATION: “People use many lawn chemicals.”
  • ASSERTION: “People are poisoning the environment with chemicals merely to keep their lawns free of weeds.”
  • ANNOUNCEMENT: “The thesis of this paper is the difficulty of solving our environmental problems.”
  • TAKING A STAND: “Solving our environmental problems is more difficult than many environmentalists believe.”
  • TOO VAGUE/GENERAL: “Hemingway’s war stories are very good.”
  • SPECIFIC: “Hemingway’s stories helped create a new prose style by employing extensive dialogue, shorter sentences, and strong Anglo-Saxon words.”

Tentative Thesis Statement Guide