The Simple Process1. Pick Topic

2. Ask compelling question

3. Make a claim answering the question

4. Gather support for your claim

5. Explain claim and support in an essay

The Complex Process• Choose Topic • Create question on topic • Make a claim on the answer to your question • Begin research (support for claim) • Evaluate if claim is too broad or too narrow • continue research (Evaluate Sources) • organize gathered support (OUTLINE) • begin synthesizing support (paraphrase/direct

quote) • draft paper • review/edit/revise redraft • PEER review/edit/revise redraft • Final draft

My topic: Teen Stress

• What stresses teens out?• My claim: I think that school work must

stress teens out.• LOOK FOR SUPPORT: Where?

– School library: NCWiseowl http://iss.schoolwires.com/Page/25633

– Google.Scholar– Google– PRIMARY SOURCE: you guys

MON 3/12

Homework

Reliable Support

• No Wikipedia

• No Blogs, fan sites, or personal webpages

• Look for .org .gov .edu

• Pay attention to the ORGanization or GOVernment agency – it may still be baised

MON 3/12

Homework

Gathering Information

• You need:– WEBSITE– TITLE OF THE ARTICLE/WEBPAGE– AUTHOR’S/WRITER’S NAME– DATE OF PUBLICATION/COPYRIGHT

You may COPY/PASTE texts, but you must have this information to use Direct Quotes legally.

MON 3/12

Homework

USEFUL SOURCES

• STEP ONE:– READ THE SOURCE TEXT!!!!!!

• STEP TWO:– ADJUST YOUR CLAIM IF YOU NEED TO!

• STEP THREE:– HIGHLIGHT USEFUL LINES

Do with ALL SOURCE TEXT: THEN CREATE OUTLINE!

What to look for…

• What stress out teens…

• JUST THE BASIC PART OF THE SENTENCE

• “Many students are stressed out by school work.”

• ***Getting Approval/Acceptance *****

• ***Other people/tragedies affecting teens

My findings:

• 7 source texts• HOME, SCHOOL, PERSONAL (work,

relationships)• Families are a big stressor too• Social acceptance • Some biological reasons why so stressed• Self-caused vs. caused by others• More interesting: Self-image, Biology,

Outside/Secondary Stressors

OUTLINES:I. INTRODUCTION

Hook, Background Info (to understand topic), CLAIM

II. BODY PARAGRAPH 1: SUPPORT 1Topic sentence, support from source text explained, transition to Support 2

III. BODY PARAGRAPH 2: SUPPORT 2Topic sentence, support from source text explained, transition to Support 3

IV. BODY PARAGRAPH 3: SUPPORT 3Topic sentence, support from source text explained, transition to Main Topic

V. CONCLUSIONReview main claim, reword 3 supports, So What? (explain why it all matters)

Self-image, Biology, Outside Forces• Image support: 5 of 7 sources B1

– Appearance > Approval - Expectations– Choices > AcceptanceB1/B2: YOU DEAL WITH ALL THE TIME

• Biology support: 3 sources B2– Brain: pre-frontal cortex– Chemicals: overproduced– Risk-takers: cycle of stressB2/B3: THINGS OUT OF YOUR CONTROL

• Outside-Stress support: 4 sources B3– Tragedies out of one’s control:

• Review sources for quotes to use… HIGHLIGHT if not already highlighted

Introduction• Hook: (general statement/loosely related)

Many people don’t take teen stress seriously, but they should.

• Background: (give info. needed to understand the message of the paper)On the most basic level, stress is “an internal response

to an external event.”

• Claim: (Your claim = your 3 support/reasons)GOOD: In teens, stress is caused by a struggle for a

desired image, and by biology and events that are beyond their control.

BETTER: In teens, stress is caused by a some things that they can control, but also by some stressors outside of anyone’s control.

Body Paragraph 1: Self-Image

• TOPIC SENTENCE: The most obvious cause of teen stress is the struggle to create and maintain an image that makes everyone else happy.

• 5 of 7 sources [SUPPORT]– Appearance > Approval– Choices > Acceptance

• Boy/girl-friend• Peers/social group• Parents• Coaches• Teammates• Boss

Body Paragraph 2: Biological

• TOPIC SENTENCE: One of the most overlooked causes for teen stress is biology.

• 3 sources [SUPPORT]– Brain: pre-frontal cortex– Chemicals: overproduced– Risk-takers: cycle of stress

Body Paragraph 3: Outside Factors

• TOPIC SENTENCE: The last, and least accepted, source of teen stress is the effect of conflicts surrounding the teen.

• 4 sources [SUPPORT]– Tragedies out of one’s control:

• School shootings• Divorce• Family $$ struggles• Family illness/death• Family fighting• Moving schools

Conclusion• Reword major claim:

– There are more reasons for teens to be stressed than most adults would expect.

• Review major support points:– Young people are relentlessly strained to present an

image everyone likes, and this is only exacerbated by chemical changes and unforeseen tragedies that threaten to bring down even the most unruffled teen.

• So What?: – Adults should be more understanding of all that teens

struggle through during those difficult transitional years. Everyone goes through those teen years, but not everyone copes well, so give a teen a break once in a while.

Draft Paper• The paper is mostly done… just need to

get the support into paragraph form.

• Include ONE SOURCE Quote or Paraphrase in EACH Paragraph…

• CITATIONS for quoted/paraphrase material = lead ins,

follow ups,

parenthetical citation

Grab a sheet of paper!

• What I type You write…

• You must have this all written, so you can type it up for a BIG WRITING GRADE.

• READY…