name: _______________________________ period: _____

ENGLISH IIIRESEARCH PACKET

2016 – 2017

Overview & ExpectationsThe research paper for English III is an analytical essay that explores topics pertaining to a student-selected work of nonfiction. Students will read this work of nonfiction to determine author’s purpose and the methods used to achieve that purpose. Research from outside sources will accompany examples from the nonfiction text to support the student’s ideas.

Your final draft must be typed in Microsoft Word in proper MLA format: Size 12 font Times New Roman Double spaced throughout 1” margins all around Page number in top right corner

Research requirements: You need a minimum of THREE sources for your research paper. You must have ONE primary source and TWO secondary sources. Your secondary sources must be relevant, credible, accurate, and trustworthy. We will be conducting research using the databases on the RHHS library website. All sources will be listed on a Works Cited page

ONE LONG QUOTES: You must include ONLY one long quote since your research paper will only be two to three pages long. Long quote = must be three lines or more… All other quotes must be two lines or less.

Save all your work during the research unit to your Google Drive.

The due date for the research paper FORMAT draft is 11:59pm on Dec. 15, 2016. The due date for the research paper CONTENT draft is 11:59pm on Jan. 13, 2016.

All research papers must be turned in via Turnitin.com.

Research unit grading – T3 Reader’s Notebook: test grade (taking the place of your Writer’s Notebook) 11/30 Research packet assignments #1-3 are all daily grades 11/28 - 12/02 Notecard document: quiz grade 12/08 Outline: daily grade 12/12 Rough draft: quiz grade 12/14 Format draft: test grade 12/15

Research unit grading – T4

Content draft: test grade 01/13

The English III Research Paper: an Analytical Essay

What is an analytical essay?

An analytical essay is a piece of writing that analyzes and interprets a work by using specific examples from the text to build a logical argument beyond a summary or description of the work.

An analytical essay does:

Focus on the text of the work. Draw conclusions about the author’s purpose. Examine the style, tone, and diction the author uses to advance his/her purpose.

An analytical essay does NOT:

Summarize the plot of the work. Summarize information about the background of the author. Simply state the style, tone, and diction that are used.

In addition to using your own skills and comprehension of the text, you will also be required to use three sources to help develop your thesis.

One primary source: the work of nonfiction Two secondary sources: articles from the library databases

Therefore, the heart of the essay should be a discussion of the style, tone, and diction used by the author to achieve his or her purpose. This should be done by a close examination of specific examples from the text. This project will be broken down into several assignments, all leading to a well-written analytical essay.

Vocabulary and Terms to Know

Author’s purpose: To inform, explain, demonstrate, reveal, teach, communicate, establish To illustrate, show, describe To compare, contrast To provide, give information/examples To persuade, express an opinion, prove, encourage, argue, establish, convince To reinforce (an idea), emphasize To suggest, imply To celebrate To question

Style: the way something is written, in contrast to its content (e.g., Hemingway’s writing style is terse, blunt, and conversational)

Tone: the author’s particular attitude, either stated or implied in the writing (e.g., serious, humorous, logical, emotional)

Diction: the author’s specific choice of words

Perspective: stance or viewpoint—the position from which something is observed or considered

Organizational pattern: the pattern an author constructs as he or she organizes his or her ideas and provides supporting details. Examples of commonly used patterns are cause and effect, problem and solution, description, and order of importance.

ASSIGNMENT #1: Exploring author’s purpose

Students will analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.

In order to determine author’s purpose, answer the questions from your Reader’s Notebook – shorten this to 2 well written sentences.

1. Identify the central topics, or "big ideas" in the text… AKA Theme (Family, growing up, secrets, relationships, death, poverty, crime, coping, racism, etc.).

2. Identify how the author relates to the theme. What are the key events, conversations, ideas, and changes in actions or beliefs in relation to the theme?

3. Organize your thoughts. Write down examples from the text that support the theme. What did the people involved do? What did they say? How did they react? Are there any symbols or patterns? What greater meaning might they have?

4. Determine the author’s purpose. Why did the author write this text? What was he or she trying to accomplish? What message was he or she trying to express?

ASSIGNMENT #1: Analysis of author’s purpose

Analyze how the style, tone, and diction of a text advance the author's purpose and perspective or stance. Answer the questions from your Reader’s Notebook – shorten this to 2 well-written sentences.

STYLE What is the author’s writing style?

Example of style, with citation:

TONE What is the author’s attitude toward his or her central topic?

Example of tone, with citations:

DICTION What specific words does the author use to express his or her purpose/attitude/style?

Examples of diction, with citations:

ASSIGNMENT #2: Writing your thesis statement

The thesis states the focus of your analytical essay. A formula for the most basic thesis could look something like this:

In ______________________________________,__________________________ title of work of nonfiction comma author’s full name

uses (which TWO writing devices – style, tone, diction) in order to

___________________________________.purpose from Assignment #1

Example: In In Cold Blood, Truman Capote uses a detached writing style with vivid diction in order to illustrate the inhumanity of the death penalty.

You do not have to follow this format exactly; it is just a suggestion. Write your thesis statement below (remember, this is what you are going to prove/argue in your paper). Don’t forget to underline the title of your nonfiction work include proper punctuation.

Thesis statement draft #1:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Thesis statement draft #2, if necessary:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ASSIGNMENT #3: Finding textual evidence

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:1. Choose the three most important scenes from the work that express the author’s purpose

through your chosen writing devices. 2. Identify specific quotes from each scene that demonstrate the author’s purpose through

your chosen writing devices. Write them on the chart and include a parenthetical citation.

Write your thesis here: Scene #1: Give a summary of the scene here:

Scene #2: Give a summary of the scene here.

Scene #3: Give a summary of the scene here.

Writing Device #1 (from your thesis)

Quote from scene #1 that shows author’s purpose using writing device #1:

Quote from scene #2 that shows author’s purpose using writing device #1:

Quote from scene #3 that shows author’s purpose using writing device #1:

Writing Device #2 (from your thesis)

Quote from scene #1 that shows author’s purpose using writing device #2:

Quote from scene #2 that shows author’s purpose using writing device #2:

Quote from scene #3 that shows author’s purpose using writing device #2:

Research

Now that you have written your thesis, it is time to look for additional support for your claim by researching the author, events, or topics of your chosen nonfiction work. In order to be an effective researcher, you must develop questions to guide your research. What information could you find that would support your thesis/ideas?

Example

If this is your thesis: In In Cold Blood, Truman Capote uses a detached writing style with vivid diction in order to illustrate the inhumanity of the death penalty.

These could be your research questions: What were the death penalty laws in the country at the time Capote

wrote the novel? Did Capote ever say directly his views on the death penalty? Did Capote have a relationship with Perry that influenced his views?

What are some topics you could research from your book?

During research, you will need to find a minimum of two secondary sources. These can be from print or electronic sources. You may only use articles that have been published by a professional and/or peer reviewed source (Wikipedia is not one of these). In addition, materials found on any book summary sites will NOT be allowed (Sparknotes, Shmoop, Gradesaver, eNotes, Book Rags, Cliff’s Notes, etc.). You know by now what is and what isn’t acceptable – Think back to The Scarlet Letter essay and the articles you found for that (.edu, .gov, .org).

Once you find an article that you think you can use in your research paper, download it and save it to your Google Drive so you will always have them.

Notecard Document

1. Your notecard document is on Google Classroom.

2. Fill in ALL boxes with the required information. 3. You will need to figure out how to cite your sources (use easybib.com). 4. Go back to your research article. Copy and paste any quotes you might use from this article

into your notecard document. 5. Repeat this process for each source.6. Turn in your notecard document to Google Classroom.

Research Paper Outline

HELPFUL HINTS

For each main body paragraph:

1. Compose a topic sentence that supports your thesis. The topic sentence should introduce the style, tone, or diction that appears in the quotes for that paragraph.

Example: In the beginning of the work, (author) uses (specific style/tone/diction) to express (his or her purpose).

2. Select a specific quote that offers the reader evidence of your claim. Make sure you include a citation after the quote (Author’s last name + page number).

3. Write two sentences of commentary for this quote. The first sentence after the quote should explain the quote. Any sentences after that should explain how the quote expresses the author’s

purpose. This sentence should have nothing to do with PLOT.

4. Select a second quote that offers the reader more evidence of your claim.

5. Write two sentences of commentary for this quote. The first sentence after the quote should explain the quote. Any sentences after that should explain how the quote expresses the author’s

purpose. This sentence should have nothing to do with PLOT.

6. In your concluding sentence, summarize the main ideas of your paragraph.

Remember: The analysis part involves explaining how your chosen quotes help to communicate the author’s purpose. To be sophisticated in your analysis, you must have ideas that are "in-depth" - not just the superficial facts of what you see on the page. You must interpret what the text says and show that you understand the author’s purpose, all while supporting your argument with information from your sources.

NOTE: At least two of your quotes must come from your research (one from each secondary source). The rest of your quotes may come from your nonfiction text. These quotes can be incorporated into any main body paragraph, as long as they support your argument.

ALL QUOTES MUST INCLUDE A PROPER MLA CITATION.

Writing the Rough Draft

If your outline is the skeleton of your research paper, the rough draft is where you add the muscle. Start by writing an interesting introduction paragraph, then craft at least two main body paragraphs, and finish with a strong conclusion. The rough draft must be typed and submitted to Turnitin.com by the due date.

Introduction paragraphSentence #1: Begin with a broad, general statement about your chosen topic.Sentence #2: Relate it to your work of nonfictionSentence #3-4: Touch upon the ideas you will present in your main body paragraphsSentence #5: Thesis statement

The Concluding ParagraphConcluding paragraphs can be the most difficult part of an essay to write. In some ways, writing a conclusion is like writing an introduction in reverse. There are a few key points to remember when writing conclusions.

A conclusion should:• rephrase the thesis statement in the first sentence• review key ideas from your essay• provide a graceful exit from the paper to the “real world” (Universal Level) • provide a sense of completion

There are several techniques that you can use in writing a conclusion. You conclusion might include:

• A summary of the paper’s main points • A circular reference to the introduction• An expression of the importance of the thesis • An affirmation of hope • A strong vivid visual image

Your conclusion should NOT:• Start off in a new direction or introduce a new topic • Contradict your thesis• Make exaggerated/absolute claims (always, never)

Turnitin.com Instructions

If you’ve never logged in to Turnitin.com, you will need to create an account before you can submit a paper. Get the class code from hour housemates.

Turning in your work Once you’re logged in to Turnitin.com, click on your class name Find the assignment you are turning in and click “Submit” At the top of the page, make sure “Submit: Single File Upload” is selected ; if not, click

the blue drop down menu and select “Single File Upload” Fill out the required information and then click “Choose from this computer” Find your essay file and click “Open” Click “Upload”

Once your file uploads, wait for the confirmation page to appear. Check to make sure everything is correct. Then click “Confirm” and a message confirming your submission should appear at the top of the page. Once your essay is submitted, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address you used to register for Turnitin. Check your email to verify that your essay uploaded correctly. If you did not get a confirmation email, submit your essay again. You do not need to print your digital receipt.

After you submit your paper to Turnitin, make sure you view the Originality Report. This report will tell you how much of your paper is similar to outside sources. The similarity percentage MUST be BELOW 24% and all outside sources used MUST be cited properly. Anything over 24% will result in a 0!

Not having a works cited page included with the paper will also result in a 0!

Hint: If your percentage is too high, it means you need more commentary.

You will have the time between the Format draft and the Content draft to fix your percentage!!!

IF YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH TURNITIN.COM, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PROBLEM-SOLVE. MAKE IT WORK!

EDITING YOUR CONTENT DRAFT

What should I consider as I revise my rough draft?

Everything. When you revise a paper, you should consider improving all aspects of the essay, including:1. Thesis statement2. Organization (following the shaping sheet format)3. Topic sentences4. Support and development of ideas5. Effective quotes from the text6. Logical progression of ideas7. Use of transitions8. Stylistic matters (word choice, tone, sentence variety, etc.)9. Mechanics (correction of errors, the correct format, use of a title, etc.)

Note that your research paper CONTENT draft must demonstrate both "deep-level" and "surface-level" revisions.

Deep-level revision involves improvements to the thesis, organization, and support and development of ideas. In general, deep-level revision involves changes to the content of essays. Deep-level revision to an essay includes the following:

Changing the approach to the topic and the main ideas presented Reorganizing the ideas and paragraphs Deleting or adding passages or even entire body paragraphs Using more or better supporting evidence Deleting ineffective supporting evidence Developing ideas more effectively with better explanation

Surface-level revision involves changes at the sentence level and the correction of errors. Surface-level revision to an essay includes the following:

Rewriting sentences Improving word choice Adding/improving transitions Embedding quotations Correcting spelling errors Correcting citations

Note: Writers are most often successful with their revisions if they begin with the larger aspects of a paper, such as the thesis and organization, as opposed to beginning with the sentence-level matters like spelling and mechanics.

Errors in your content draft will substantially reduce your grade. PLEASE proofread carefully! You must submit your Format draft to Turnitin.com no later than 11:59 PM on December 15, 2016.

You must submit your Content draft to Turnitin.com no later than 11:59 PM on January 13, 2016 (We will have a content peer editing day after Christmas break).