Research Paper Proposal

And so it begins. This week, we begin your research paper. Well, almost. This week we will write the proposal.

But first, I need you to pick a good topic. For the love of Peter, Paul, and Eminem, pick a good topic.  Something you’re interested in. Please don’t pick the first thing that comes to mind. This is a perfect opportunity for you to figure out something you’ve always wanted to know or plan a course of action to conquer a problem or simply become a more well informed person in this world.  

As long as you can develop an essential question you can pick any topic you’d like. I’m thinking of all the topics I’ve had to look into lately.  For instance, in May I’m running in my first half marathon.  I’ve never run that far before. So, in order to prepare for that race, I had to do a ton of research to figure out the best plan to help prepare myself for that toil.  Here’s another example.  This week we bought a TV. I had to spend the entire weekend reading reviews, comparing prices, calling stores.  There was a lot of research involved.  Recently I also became really interested in the revolutions going on in the Middle East. Since it has piqued my interest I’ve read countless articles, watched a slew of videos, and had to do some pretty in-depth research in order to gain a basic understanding of the uprisings.

Why am I telling you this? Two reasons.  First, because people research all the time. We live in a 

complicated society. To keep up, you have to look up. Secondly, because I want you to think beyond the first idea that comes to mind (<bored student voice> “okay, time to do yet another research paper. I guess I’ll do global warming again” </bored student voice>.

Instead of that, why don’t you ask yourself, What do I need to know right now?

Here’s your assignment.  It’s due next Wednesday, March 23rd.

Your Task:  Write a 1.5 - 2 page paper in which you do the following:

• Explain your topic.  What topic are you researching. (1 paragraph)
• Explain why this topic.  You could research anything you want.  Why are you researching this particular topic?  Why is this topic of personal significance to you? ?  Why is this topic important enough to research? (1 or more paragraphs)
• Explain what you hope to find out.  What is your essential question?  What supporting questions might you have to answer in order to answer this essential question? (1 paragraph)
• Find two articles about your topic for preliminary research. Instead of printing and annotating these articles, you will use Noodletools to create a notecard for each source.  You have a field for direct quotation, paraphrase, and “my ideas.”  Use them.  In your proposal, respond to these articles.  What interesting information did you find? Comment on that information.  Make sure to include correctly formatted parenthetical in-text citations. You will share this Noodletools project with the dropbox I have set up.
• Hand in a Works Cited page with citations for these two articles.

This week and early next week we will balance SSR/Independent reading and work on this paper.  So gear up.  Enjoy!

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies

Hey folks.  This afternoon I finished The Girl Who Threw Butterflies.  I wrote a quick response to the novel that maxed out at 275 words.  When you finish reading your books you have responses due, so if you'd like to see a sample, feel free to read mine. 

Research Paper Topic

It is time to start thinking seriously about the topic you will choose for your research paper.  I invite you to pick any topic of interest to research as long as you can generate an inquiry question about this topic.  An inquiry question is one which:

• a question which requires the student to develop a plan or course of action. 
• a question that requires the student to make a decision  (source)

For example, you are free to do a research paper on football but you need to formulate a research question that will lead you to take a stance on an issue.  For example:

• NFL:  
• Possible inquiry question:  Should the NFL issue more severe punishments regarding hits to the head? 
• Possible inquiry question:  Should the NFL do more to protect it's small market teams?
• Possible inquiry question:  What should the NFL do to prevent it's players from taking performance enhancing drugs?
• Possible inquiry question:  What should the NFL do to help rookies and young players assimilate into the league and avoid common pitfalls like embarrassing arrests, etc. 

Here are some more sample essential questions:

• Why is the concept of cloning human beings controversial? (decision-making) 
• What invention of the 20th Century has had the greatest impact? Justify your response (decision-making). 
• Why was _________ the greatest home run hitter in baseball history? (decision-making) 
• Which credit card is best for me? (decision-making). 
• What plan could be developed to reduce the impact of zebra mussels on the Great Lakes ecosystem? Your plan can include three strategies. (developing an action plan)
• What is the best plan for losing 20 pounds? Your plan can include 3 strategies (developing an action plan) 
• What plan could I use to prepare for a 5K run? The plan can include 2 strategies (developing an action plan)

Independent Reading Project

Here is the independent reading project we went over this week.

Shelfari Directions

1.  Renew your Shelfari account.  Choose "I do not have an Amazon.com password" and put in the email you used to sign up for Shelfari. (It should be your Gaggle.net account.)
2.  Add any books you've forgotten to add.
3.  Change the search field to "members."
4.  Find Mr. Malley!  Request his Shelfari friendship.
5.  Find the last book you finished.  Click on "Recommend Book."  Choose Mr. Malley from the drop down box.
6.  Write one sentence telling me why you liked this book so much.
7.  Complete those steps and you've earned credit for today!
8.  If you have extra time, add your friends!

Article of the Week (3/7 - 3/11)

For the next article of the week I'm going to again ask you to find an article about a topic you are interested in, but this time I'm going to suggest that you find something related to your research project.  Also, this week, your article must come from the library database EBSCO: Eric.

Your Task

• Find an article about a topic that interests you from a library database.
• This article must be at least 1000 words (use wordcounttool.com to verify the length). 
• Print the article. Annotate the article. 
• Make sure there is ample evidence of your active reading. 
• Write a one page response to the article in your notebook.  This week, you must include one in-text parenthetical citation after a direct quote or paraphrased portion of the article.
• Create a citation for your article using Noodlebib. Print the Works Cited page. 

On Friday you will hand in:

• The printed/annotated article (25 points) 
• the one page response (25 points) with a correct in text citation (10 points) 
• the Works Cited page with one entry (15 points)

Checklist for 3/4

Check off the list of the following as you complete each portion of the assignment.  All of your work is due  in the beginning of class on Friday.

• I’ve found an article of at least 1200 words
• I’ve printed this article
• I’ve created a Works Cited page with a correctly formatted citation using Noodlebib
• I’ve read and annotated my article
• I’ve written a one page response to my article, being careful not to simply summarize but instead sharing my own thoughts, insights, and reactions to what the article says

Ignore what the original assignment sheet said about in text citation.  We'll broach that assignment next week.  

Getting In to Noodlebib

You should be able to figure out your username and password from prior years.  If for any reason you try and cannot, please follow these directions:

• Click "Create a Personal ID"
• Choose "An Account linked to a school/library subscription or trial"
• Enter the username and password.  I've written this information on the chalkboard.
• Complete the form:  Use your computer login as your personal ID and Password
• Click "Create a new project."  Choose "MLA Advanced"

Find your article.  Enter the citation information.  Create a Works Cited for your article of the week.  

Finding an Article

Today you are to hop online and find your own article of the week. The only requirement is that this piece of writing:

• be an article (as opposed to a story)
• be 1200 words (use the word counter tool to verify)
• be from a reputable news source (New York Times, Buffalo News, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, etc.  For this assignment you'll need to avoid blogs and websites of questionable accuracy.  Use your best judgement.)

By the end of the class, you'll need to print and bookmark the article.  

Article of the Week (2/28 - 3/4)

We will be beginning the early stages of our research project next week so I want you to start thinking about issues and ideas and topics you are interested in, curious about, worried about, wondering about, upset about, etc.

This week you will choose your own article of the week. Here is what you are responsible for the following:

• Find an article about a topic that interests you 
• This article must be at least 1200 words (use wordcounttool.com to verify the length). 
• Print the article. Annotate the article. 
• Make sure there is ample evidence of your active reading. 
• Write a one page response to the article in your notebook.  Include one in-text parenthetical citation after a direct quote or paraphrased portion of the article.
• Create a citation for your article using Noodlebib. Print the Works Cited page. 

On Friday you will hand in:

• The printed/annotated article (25 points) 
• the one page response (25 points) with a correct in text citation (10 points) 
• the Works Cited page with one entry (15 points)

Saying No to $1 Billion

I read an interesting article in The Atlantic yesterday about the Sioux nation and their struggle to reclaim ancestral lands unethically taken from them.  It is a very interesting piece related to the Seneca article we just read.

Crafting an Essay Lead

Opening an essay is tough.  Once you get past the lead (opening sentence or sentences) and the thesis, usually it is clear sailing.  Take a look at the following site to remind yourself of possible essay  leads.  This should be a review of what you've learned in prior years, but if we need to spend more time on it we can.

What Does it Mean to Be American? (Part Deux)

What does it mean to be an American?  As we've discussed, there are a million different ways to answer this question.  You can tell a story about something that happened to you.  Or you can focus on a few key characteristics and develop an idea.  You can write about what it doesn't mean to be an American.  All we ask is that you be thoughtful, creative, complex, interesting, and blow our doors off.  

As usual, if you need help we are both here to read drafts, conference, etc.  Feel free to Google the question and find other resources to help you figure it out.  Lastly, if you need to see some samples, visit Teen Ink and look at the nonfiction or opinion sections to see some stellar writing. 

The New Jim Crow: How the War on Drugs Gave Birth to a Permanent American Undercaste

In class today I read some statistics from a section of a book relating to our conversations about stereotypes, self perception, and what it means to be an American.  Here is that article. 

Book Response (Due 2/18)

This week you have a required response for your novel.  I want you to try to connect the ideas from your novel to this overarching unit question we are discussing.  What does your novel say, either directly or indirectly, about the American experience?  What does it say about being American?

(For some of you, this may seem a stretch.  Try to make it work.  Stretch yourself.)

Whole Class Participation

I wanted to help you get a better idea of what I expect from you during class discussion. Being able to articulate your ideas in public and navigate an evolving discussion is an extremely important life skill. In college and in the workplace, you will be required to talk, collaborate, tell stories, present, etc.

So, here are the characteristics I expect you to exhibit during class discussion:

• Freely participated
• Supported Opinions
• Made significant contributions
• Stayed on task
• Cooperated with peers
• Modified thinking when appropriate
• shared personal experiences, opinions
• showed confidence in own judgement
• encouraged others to participate (appropriately)
• displayed tolerance for differing opinions

President Obama's State of the Union Address

Yesterday in class we read the first few pages of President Obama's State of the Union. In case you missed it, here is what we wrote about:

Write a half page response in your journal. In your opinion, how does Barack Obama define our nation in 2011. Are there sections you disagree with? Strongly agree with? Please explain.

What Does it Mean to Be American?

Your Task:  Write an essay explaining what you think it means to be American.  

Guidelines:

• This can be a personal essay, an essay of definition, a descriptive essay, or a persuasive essay. 
• In addition to development, language use, organization, and development, you will also be graded on the sophistication of your ideas.  This can be a complicated question.  We are reading several texts that make different assertions about what it means to be American (Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Barack Obama’s “State of the Union,” the article on the Seneca Nation) and we expect you to consider all of these sources, as well as your prior learning and lived experiences, as you attempt to answer this question.  
• Due Thursday, February 17th

Seneca's Long, Tragic History

This week's Article of the Week has to do with the Seneca Indians and appeared in the Buffalo News.  Here is the link to the original article.  I will not be printing any more articles as I have come to believe that many of you (usually the same people) are becoming negligent with your articles.  You may print a copy of the article from the link above.

The Legacy of High-School Cliques

This week's article is "The Legacy of High School Cliques," which recently was published at Newsweek.

One possible thing you could explore in your response is what this articles says about America.  What can you infer?