Research Paper
Name
Ms. Begin’s Class
Language Arts
January-February 2014
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(11 Spaces = 11 Enter/Returns)
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Fourth Grade Research Paper (TITLE)
(YOUR NAME)
(RESEARCH TOPIC)
(TEACHER’S NAME)
Language Arts (CLASS NAME)
(MONTH & YEAR)
Remember:
· Font size: 12 pt.
· Font: Times New Roman or Arial
· Double Spaced
RESEARCH PAPER GRADE SHEET
Topic Selection: _____ (5 points pts – selected & signed)
Note Cards: (50 points – 1 pt/card) ______
Sub Topics/Web of Ideas: _____ (15 pts – 5pts/subtopic) ______
(Note cards need to categorized by subtopic and organized within subtopics)
Works Cited Required Form: _____ (50 pts – 10 pts each) ______
Visual Aides: _____ (10 pts) ______
Typed Outline: _____ (20 pts)
Title Page: _____ (10 pts – 3 pts/line)
Opening Paragraph: _____ (10 pts – topic sentence, 3 details, closing – 2 pts each)
Closing Paragraph: _____ (10 pts – topic sentence, 3 details, closing – 2 pts each)
Paragraph Transitions: _____ (10 pts)
Works Cited Page: _____ (50 pts – 10 pts each) ______
Two Typed Pages of Text: _____ (20 pts – 10 pts per page)
Minimum of 3 citations in the body of your paper ___ (30 pts- 10 pt per citation)
Final Paper Content: _____ (10 pts)
PowerPoint Preparation: _____ (10 pts)
Total: _____ (300 pts)
SEQUENCE & FLOW OF THE RESEARCH PAPER
WHAT SHOULD MY RESEARCH PAPER LOOK LIKE?
Pages 3-4 (optional, but no more than 4 typed pages) / An illustration/picture/ graph/ map tied to your topic / Works Cited / Works Cited (if necessary)
Research papers should consist of:
· Title Page (should look like the cover of the packet)
· Typed Outline
· Body of paper is at least 2 full pages typed, but no more than 4 typed pages
· Your name, and page number in the heading (upper right hand corner) on each page
· One illustration/graphic related to topic
· Work Cited page (with at least 5 required resources in alphabetical order)
Word Processing Guidelines:
· 12 point font size
· Font: Times New Roman or Arial
· Double Spaced
· No extra spaces between paragraphs (only hit return/enter once)
· Paper does not conclude with “the End” nor does it contain “No-No” words – see list near the end of this packet
· Your paper should be saved in your Novell folder on the school’s server in a file folder labeled “Research Paper”
WORKS CITED FORMS
Book: Works Cited Form (REQUIRED)
Source #: ______
Author: ______
Editor: ______
Title: ______
City of Publication: ______
Name of Publisher: ______
Copyright Date: ______
Book: Works Cited Form (REQUIRED)
Source #: ______
Author: ______
Editor: ______
Title: ______
City of Publication: ______
Name of Publisher: ______
Copyright Date: ______
WORKS CITED FORMS (CONTINUED)
Internet: Works Cited Form (REQUIRED)
Source #: ______
Author: ______
Editor: ______
Title: ______
Date of Publication: ______
Date of Access: ______
URL (web address): ______
Internet: Works Cited Form (REQUIRED)
Source #: ______
Author: ______
Editor: ______
Title: ______
Date of Publication: ______
Date of Access: ______
URL (web address): ______
WORKS CITED FORM (CONTINUED)
______(Your Choice): Works Cited Form (REQUIRED)
Source #: ______
Author: ______
Editor: ______
Source Title: ______
Title of Article: ______
City of Publication: ______
Name of Publisher: ______
Copyright Date: ______
Edition: ______Volume: ______
Date of Access: ______
URL (web address): ______
______: Works Cited Form (EXTRA)
Source #: ______
Author: ______
Editor: ______
Source Title: ______
Title of Article: ______
City of Publication: ______
Name of Publisher: ______
Copyright Date: ______
Edition: ______Volume: ______
Date of Access: ______
URL (web address): ______
Use additional works cited form worksheets, if needed.
SAMPLE NOTE CARD
Informational notes taken on note cards need to be written in YOUR OWN WORDS (which is paraphrasing) and each note card should contain only one idea/complete thought.
WEB OF IDEAS
IMPACT
Focusing Questions: Why do we need to know about this person? What has his/her impact (influence/lasting effect or impression) been on the world? What did he/she achieve? How did the time and place in which he/she lived play a role in what he/she was able to achieve? What did he/she have to overcome? What can we learn from him/her?
Example:
Matthew Henson overcame social boundaries and prejudice to become the first African-American to reach the North Pole during a time when African-Americans were not considered to be equals to other Americans. However, without Henson’s guidance and help, it is believed the expedition to the North Pole led by Robert Peary would never have been completed. Henson is a hero among the African-American community and to the United States as he is “co-discoverer of the North Pole”. Henson not only overcame the hardships of being born into a poor, farming, African-American family at a time where African-Americans were not considered equal, but he also overcame the physical hardships of one of the most difficult expeditions to complete at that time.
Your Impact Statement:
______
SAMPLE OUTLINE
Title/Subject: ______
I. (Introductory Sentence)
a. (Detail)
b. (Detail)
c. (Detail)
d. (Closing/Transition Sentence)
II. (Transition/Topic Sentence I)
a. (Detail)
b. (Detail)
c. (Detail)
d. (Closing/Transition Sentence)
III. (Transition/Topic Sentence 2)
a. (Detail)
b. (Detail)
c. (Detail)
d. (Closing/Transition Sentence)
IV. (Transition/Topic Sentence 3)
a. (Detail)
b. (Detail)
c. (Detail)
d. (Closing/Transition Sentence)
V. (Transition/Topic Sentence 4)
a. (Detail)
b. (Detail)
c. (Detail)
d. (Closing/Transition Sentence)
VI. (Transition/Topic Sentence for the Conclusion)
a. (Detail)
b. (Detail)
c. (Detail)
d. (Closing Sentence – what will you leave with the reader to think about?)
“No-No” WORDS FOR FORMAL WRITING
As you edit your paper, circle any of these words – if you find them in your paper – and make sure to change and replace them for the final copy. Add a tally mark(s) to the words/phrases you found – and then be sure to change them!
Me / This paper is about…I / Here is some information on…
You / Don’t you want to read about…
In this paragraph I will… / I hope you enjoyed my paper…
Let’s read on to find out… / I tried to tell you…
My paper is about… / And that was my paper…
My story is about…. / The End
Let me tell you about…. / We
Remember, in a research paper:
· No feelings or opinions should be expressed (i.e. Annie Oakley was awesome; or, Annie Oakley was the greatest women to ever shoot a rifle.)
· No pronouns (I, me, you, we, etc.)
AUTHOR’S EDIT & EVALUATION
1 = Not Yet; 2 = Emerging; 3 = Developing; 4 = Maturing; 5 = WOW! Strong
Content: Organization & Ideas
Proper title page / 1 2 3 4 5Table of Contents / 1 2 3 4 5
Opening paragraph introduced the topic / 1 2 3 4 5
Facts are stated in your own words / 1 2 3 4 5
Topic sentences include the main idea / 1 2 3 4 5
Details in paragraphs support main idea / 1 2 3 4 5
Visual Aids/ Maps/ Graphs / 1 2 3 4 5
Concluding paragraphs sums up report / 1 2 3 4 5
Grammar, Mechanics & Word Choice
Avoids “No-No” words / 1 2 3 4 5Uses paragraphs, indents / 1 2 3 4 5
Uses variety of sentence lengths / 1 2 3 4 5
Starts sentences with a variety of words / 1 2 3 4 5
No spelling errors / 1 2 3 4 5
Capitalized and punctuated correctly / 1 2 3 4 5
Works Cited/ Bibliography in correct format / 1 2 3 4 5
Basic in-text citation rules
In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what is known as parenthetical citation. This method involves placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase.
General Guidelines
· The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1.) upon the source medium (e.g. Print, Web, DVD) and (2.) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited (bibliography) page.
· Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text, must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry in the Works Cited List.
In-text citations: Author-page style
MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:
Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford U.P., 1967. Print.
WRITING a Bibliography in MLA STYLE
Begin typing your list of cited sources flush to the left margin. Indent 5 spaces (or half an inch) for second and subsequent lines of citation.
Some citations are short and may fit all on one line. Nothing is wrong with that.
Do not type author on one line, title on a second line, and publication information on a third line. Type all citation information continuously until you reach the end of the line. Indent the second line and continue with the citation. If the citation is very long, indent the third and subsequent lines.
Citations should be in alphabetical order by author.
1. Standard Format for a Book:
Author. Title: Subtitle. City or Town: Publisher, Year of Publication.
If a book has no author or editor stated, begin with the title. If the city or town is not commonly known, add the abbreviation for the State or Province.
2. Standard Format for a website:
Chen, Quest. “Oedipus Rex: The Myth. http://www.members.aol/annie/oedipus.html
(January 2001).
3. Standard Website Format:
“Oedipus Rex.” Encyclopedia Americana. 1980 ed.
Sample
Works Consulted
Chen, Quest. “Oedipus Rex: The Myth. http://www.members.aol/annie/oedipus.html
(January 2001).
Fuddle, Ermus T. and Charles Dede. Classical Greek Literature. California: Macmillian
Press, 1976.
“Oedipus Rex.” Encyclopedia Americana. 1980 ed.
Walter, William, ed. Plays of Sophocles. California: Macmillian Press, 1976.
Zebub, B. L. “The Questions in Oedipus Rex.” Literary Criticism. New York: McGraw and Hill
Publishing Company, 1967, 290-297.
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