The Great American I-Search Paper
ROUGH DRAFT: DUE FRIDAY, MAY 22
FINAL DRAFT: DUE FRIDAY, MAY 29
What is I-Search?
Most research papers are written in the third person, explaining the answers to a research question. In an I-Search, you are not only telling your readers the information they seek, but also HOW you got to that information. This process helps you think about your own research methods.
What Do I Do?
I-Search can actually be more fun than research because you get to talk about yourself! Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Choose a Topic.
You have a broad spectrum: any American artist, living or dead. By artist, I mean writer, painter, poet, musician, sculptor, actor, director … you get the idea. Your main question is: HOW DOES (your artist) EXEMPLIFY THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE? What about your person is truly American, as related to what we’ve discussed in this class. Think about what we’ve read:
Beyond the Burning Time – The theme here was our suspicious nature. Witch hunts are a part of our history.
In Cold Blood – Our search for truth and our obsession with the macabre (it was a vocabulary word).
A Raisin in the Sun – We talked about dreams and dreams deferred. This play also gave us insight into the African American experience.
We also read tons of poems and short stories that touched on other American ideals: freedom, innovation, adventure … look back through your textbook to refresh your memory.
Step 2: Start Your Research and Document Every Step You Take.
Begin your paper from your very first thought about this topic. Which artists do you think of when you think of America? Why? Why do you ultimately choose the person you choose? Then, start with a basic search of your person and continue documenting what you learn and how you learn it. For example:
“I chose Bob Dylan because, to me, he is a true poet. I’ve seen him in concert and I have all of his albums. To start my research, I went to Google and typed in in his name. I found thousands of references to him …”
You must visit AT LEAST 10 SOURCES for your paper, writing a paragraph on each. You must also document this source by referring to it in your paper and in a works cited page at the end.
How Long Does This Have to Be?
Because you put so much of yourself into this paper, you will write more. Here are the guidelines.
Title Page – 10 points
Research Paper – 70 points
n 7-10 pages
n Double-spaced
n Times New Roman Font
Works Cited Page – 20 points
n Correct MLA format
n Times New Roman
n At least 10 sources
How Much Does this Count?
Your rough draft is a test grade and your final draft is a test grade.
For help, go to www.chathamcentralenglish.wikispaces.com. There, you will find links to