Final Paper Due: _________________________________

For this assignment, you will choose a topic related to health and nutrition, fast food, how something is made, a figure important to the industry, organic eating, meat factories, flavorists/flavor additives, or any other pre-approved topic.

STEP ONE:

Choose a topic to research: _____________________________________________________________

Backup Topic: ___________________________________________________________________

STEP TWO:

Using the Internet, or books in the Library, find information on your poet. Take notes (no sentences) over the information that you find using the Note-card

Graphic Organizer that I have provided for you. At least TWO sources are required! You may use more, but will need to add your own

note card graphic organizer. Use reliable resources (Wikipedia does not count! Also, don’t site “Google”) You need to take enough notes to write TWO paragraphs (2 main points) of information.

(That does not include the introduction or conclusion.

REQUIREMENT:

At least TWO of these sources MUST be used and cited in your paper. o See Citations page

STEP THREE:

Using your notes, create an outline in preparation for your FOUR paragraph essay.

Outline Format

I. Introduction*This paragraph should have a catchy lead in order to grab your reader’s attention. Begin with a direct quotation OR begin with a crazy fact about your topic

*Next, provide important and relevant basic information on your topic. This information should serve as a background leading up to the main point paragraphs….

*The last sentence of the intro paragraph should be a thesis statement which explains what your paper will be about. *NOTE: The introduction paragraph does NOT include any phrase like, “I am going to tell you” or “My paper is about” or “In this essay I will.”

Suggested THESIS: “_Ray Kroc__ is an important figure for the fast food industry because…”

II. Subtopic #1 = _________________________A. Supporting detailB. Supporting detailC. Supporting detail

III. Subtopic #2 = _______________ (Use transition words such as – Second, or Next,) A. Supporting detailB. Supporting detailC. Supporting detail

IV. Conclusion*Restate the most important/interesting details you learned about your topic.

*Provide your personal opinion on this person, or topic---without saying “I” – just state it; it is what you have gathered (learned) from your research

*Make sure you have re-worded your thesis statement somewhere in your conclusion.

*NOTE: The last sentence does NOT say, “The end” or “Thank you for reading my paper” or “I hope you learned” or any phrase like this. Also, the last sentence should NOT be a question for your reader.

Remember = cite your sources!

Remember = cite your sources!

Main point paragraphs must be at least 6 sentences long.

STEP FOUR:

Once the outline is complete, begin your rough draft. (Your paper cannot be longer than 5 paragraphs)

REMEMBER TO CITE YOUR SOURCES in your text (author’s last name; or “title of article”). Place your in-text parenthetical citation inside of (parenthesis) and at the end the sentence or paragraph where you wrote about that information (even if you didn’t write the info word-for-word!).

**See the Citations page, on the back, for examples of how to correctly cite your sources within your text.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Remember, research papers do NOT include: - Contractions or abbreviations (don’t, can’t, b/c, jk, lol etc.) - Pronouns (I, you, etc.) - Your opinions (“it’s pretty cool!” or “I thought this was interesting”)- Questions (“Did you know?”)- Statements such as “I’m going to tell you about” or “This essay is about…” or

“Thank you for reading my paper” or “I hope you learned a lot”….or anything else that is you talking to your reader.

Instructions for Parenthetical Citations within Your Text1. If the author's name is mentioned in your text:

If the author's name is used in the text introducing the source material, then cite the page number(s) in parentheses:

Example: Branscomb argues that "it's a good idea to lurk for a few weeks, to ensure that you don't break any of the rules of netiquette" (7) when joining a listserv.

If the author's name is not mentioned in your text

If the author's name is not used in the sentence introducing the source material, then include the author's last name in the parenthetical citation before the page number(s). Note that no comma appears between the author's name and the page number(s).

Example: The modern world requires both the ability to concentrate on one thing and the ability to attend to more than one thing at a time: "Ideally, each individual would cultivate a repertoire of styles of attention, appropriate to different situations, and would learn how to embed activities and types of attention one within another" (Bateson 97).

If no author is identified

If a source does not include an author's name, substitute the title or an abbreviated title in the citation. Underline the title if the source is a book; if the source is an article, use quotation marks:

Example: The use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems has grown substantially over the past five years as companies attempt to adapt to customer needs and to improve their profitability ("Making CRM Work").

Placement of Citations Place a citation as close to the quoted or paraphrased material as possible without

disrupting the sentence.

When material from one source and the same page numbers is used throughout a paragraph, use one citation at the end of the paragraph rather than a citation at the end of each sentence.

Page # is the only thing you need to cite since author’s name was used in the text in that same sentence.

Author’s last name

Author’s last name and page #

Use the information from your note-card to go back to the website. Use the website and citationmachine.net to cite the source correctly for your Works Cited. (Copy and paste into

STEP FIVE: Example of First Page Heading:

Format of your First Page Heading (left aligned):

- First and Last Name- Teacher’s Name; Class Name- Assignment Title- Due Date

Essay Title (centered)

STEP SIX:

Create a Works Cited page. (Use the “References” tab at the top of your Word Document)- Remember that your Works Cited page is on its own

piece of paper.- Remember to title this page “Works Cited.” - Remember that your Works Cited page is double-

spaced.- Remember that your sources should be in alphabetical order by the first word of the

source - Remember that all lines after the first line of each source are indented (hanging).

Example of Works Cited

STEP SEVEN:

Revise and Edit your paper! (Read through your essay – add, change, fix as needed)- Double check that you have cited your sources WITHIN your text - correctly! - Double check that three sources were used in your paper AND they are listed on your

Works Cited page.- Double check that you have used the correct format.

STEP EIGHT:

SAVE and PRINT your paper! Use the chart to highlight items in your

paper!

FINAL REQUIREMENT:

- Staple your paper in the following order: Research Paper on top, Works Cited behind that, Outline behind that, and Note-Card Graphic Organizer behind that.

Susan Brown

Mrs. Bouyett Language Arts

Poet Spotlight Research Paper

17 April 2012

Works Cited

"Beginner Tip: Presenting Your Page with Style." Webmaster Tips Newsletter. July 2000. NetMechanic. 13 Oct. 2002

<http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol3/beginner_no7.htm>.

Fowler, Ronald K.L., and David M. Skover. The Trials of Lenny Bruce: The Fall and Rise of an American Icon.

Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, 2002.

YELLOW – Thesis statement (in the intro. paragraph)

ORANGE – Every in-text parenthetical citation

BLUE – Re-worded thesis (this should be in the concl.

Note Card Graphic Organizer

Fill out the “note cards” below using all research you gather on your topic. At the top of the card you should fully cite your source, so that you do not have to go back through and look up your sources again. You should do this for every bit of information, even if you are not sure you will be using it in your paper. Also, somewhere on the card, write the parenthetical citation for each source. You may cut the cards out to help you organize your facts, if you wish. All cards need to be turned in with paper. Be sure to paraphrase and bullet point – nothing should be word for word!

Cited Source:

Facts:

Cited Source:

Facts:

Cited Source:

Facts:

Cited Source:

Facts:

Cited Source:

Facts:

Cited Source:

Facts: