Challenged Book Synthesis Essay

Transcription

1 Challenged Book Synthesis Essay ASSIGNMENT: Books commonly taught in secondary schools show up again and again on the American Library Association s most frequently challenged list. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is still frequently on the ALA list. Why are some books challenged year after year? You may have noticed from reading Julius Caesar that people often make decisions for reasons other than logical weighing of evidence. You will choose a frequently-challenged classic from a teacher-provided list and read it, noting any passages you think someone may challenge. Once you ve read the book, you will investigate its history of challenges (both sides of the controversy) before developing a claim about this book s place in school systems and society. You will analyze why society challenges books and prepare a well-written analysis of the merits of the book of your choosing. You will research to find information about the challenges of the book you choose. You will write an argumentative essay that includes parenthetical citations and a works cited page, including outside sources and your chosen text. Remember that this should be a well-reasoned argument. A note about behavior: Any talking, sleeping, or doing of any homework or any other activity not directly associated with this essay during work time will result in a loss of points and class time to do the paper. Continuing behavior will result in an additional assignment and/or being referred to the office. You are not finished with this project until I have the final paper. A note about plagiarism: Plagiarism is a serious academic, legal, and ethical offense in which a person, intentionally or unintentionally, takes another person s words, thoughts, or ideas and expresses them as his/her own. To avoid all question of this offense, carefully document each step of the process. Follow all instructions concerning documentation. Enclose direct quotations in quotation marks and cite that source. Make sure you significantly rephrase any information you do not wish to directly quote and document it. Any student who commits this offense will receive an automatic zero for this assignment. In addition, parents, coaches, and any club advisors will be notified. Turning in your final paper in class and via Google Drive: Your first and final draft must be submitted to Google Drive. Everything that you turn in for your research paper must be turned in with your final draft. You will have at least two drafts of your paper, and all drafts must be turned in along with note cards, outlines, and copies of sources. KEEP EVERYTHING RELATING TO THIS PAPER! Required Materials: 4 x 6 or 3 x 5 lined note cards about 30 (make sure you use only one size) Highlighter any translucent color Paper clips and rubber bands Pen for peer evaluations (any color that will show up anything but black) Large 9 x 12 envelope (teacher-provided) Change for copying sources (a photocopy or printout of all sources must be turned in) Length and Format: 4-5 (full) typed, double-spaced pages and a Works Cited page (No, the works cited page does not count as one of the 4-5 pages.) MLA format: Refer to Essay Guidelines 1

2 Assignment One: Choosing a frequently-challenged book and getting topic form signed and returned Based on your blind reading of the first two pages of each, choose one of the following frequently-challenged classic books for this essay: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Alternate Titles I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou A Separate Peace by John Knowles Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut The Awakening by Kate Chopin Lord of the Flies by William Golding Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger Once you have selected your book, discuss the essay assignment and your selection with a parent/guardian. Both of you must sign the topic for and return it by the deadline date. You will not be allowed to move onto the next part of the essay until you have completed this assignment. Assignment Two: Completing literature circle roles, T-charts, and assessment Once you ve turned in your signed permission form, you will be placed in a group with fellow classmates to discuss the book as you read. As you read your book, annotate and note areas you think may have been controversial or challenged and complete your assigned role for each meeting. I will periodically check your progress on your literature circle meetings. You will also turn in your completed T- charts from literature circle meetings when you finish the book. Additionally, you will be assessed on your understanding of your book before you begin the research process. Assignment Three: Locating information, narrowing research, and making copies of sources; Organizing sources into a works cited draft You must gather four potential sources for your paper (excluding your chosen book). To avoid being short of information, you must find more sources than may be necessary. You must also include your novel as a source, though it will not count as one of your required four. In total, your works cited draft will list at least five sources. Print or photocopy all the sources that you use in your paper except for your chosen book. This means that you print or copy all the pages from the book or website where you gained information for your paper. Also, copy the title page and the copyright page of all books. If a source consists of more than one page, staple the entire source together. Only legitimate sources submitted, approved, and documented on your works cited page on time will be acceptable in the paper. If you have a question about the legitimacy of your source, ask the teacher. 2

3 Works Cited Information: Use the following information regarding research and composing a Works Cited page in MLA format. Additional examples may be found in The MLA Handbook, The Purdue Owl (Online Writing Lab), as well as the back of your literature book (p. 1107). Follow the examples for the types of sources you have chosen to use. Pay close attention to punctuation. ALL DATES must be written in MLA format, never abbreviated! General Library Research Tips Use the Card Catalog on Library Search Stations to Find Books Use keyword searching for a narrow or complex search topic (For example, search Title censorship or Title school board challenge and NOT Why is Title banned? ). Use subject searching for a broad subject (For example, search school board book challenges or high school library censorship ). Print or write down the citation (author, title, etc.) and the location information (call number). Info the circulation status (checked in or out). When you pull the book from the shelf, scan the bibliography for additional sources. Excellent information can also be found in the reference section of the library (i.e. encyclopedias). Internet Research Tips **DO NOT ASK GOOGLE SEARCH QUESTIONS. SEE ABOVE SEARCH EXAMPLES.** Be careful with using the Internet to find research. Anyone with access to a computer can publish something online. Remember that an Internet source used in your paper must be from a legitimate site that is sponsored by a legitimate company or university. (HINT: Wikipedia is NOT a legitimate site!) Carefully Select Your Search Terms Broad or general terms will return thousands of possible sites. Try to use terms that are more specific to your topic. To narrow your terms, look at sites that you already have found and that are relevant to your topic. Identify possible search terms from those sites. Finding Periodical Sources The two main ways to find periodicals in our library are the Reader s Guide to Periodical Literature and the Alabama Virtual Library. The Reader s Guide can be found in the back right corner of the library by the magazines. The AVL can be accessed online here at school at It will also put citations in MLA format for you before you print them. On the next few pages are examples of many types of sources you might encounter. Additional examples may be found in The MLA Handbook. Follow the examples for the types of sources you have chosen to use. Pay close attention to punctuation. If you have any trouble citing your sources, here are some websites to help: The Owl at Purdue - General Guidelines: ALWAYS spell out dates in MLA format (Day Month Year with no abbreviations). Double space entries but put no extra space between entries. DO NOT underline; ITALICIZE! NEW since 2009: Include a medium of publication marker at the end of each entry. Most entries will be print or web sources, but other possibilities include CD-ROM, TV. Performance, or DVD. Most of the markers come at the ends of entries. However, web sources will have date of access following the marker. Many web entries now require a publisher name, a date of publication, and/or page numbers. When no publisher name appears on the website, write N.p. for no publisher given. When sites omit a date of 3

4 publication, write n.d. for no date. For online journals that appear only online (no print version) or on databases that do not provide pagination, write n. pag. for no pagination. Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper, Double-space the text of your paper, and use Times New Roman font. The font size should be 12 pt. Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks. Set margins to 1 inch on all four sides. Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. Label the page Works Cited (do not underline the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks) and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page. Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations five spaces so that you create a hanging indent. List page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed. If you refer to a journal article that appeared on pages 225 through 250, list the page numbers on your Works Cited page as Entries are listed by author name (or, for entire edited collections, editor names). Author names are written last name first; middle names or middle initials follow the first name. Do not list titles (Dr., Sir, Saint, etc.) or degrees (PhD, MA, DDS, etc.) with names. A book listing an author named "John Bigbrain, PhD" appears simply as "Bigbrain, John"; do, however, include suffixes like "Jr." or "II." Putting it all together, a work by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be cited as "King, Martin Luther, Jr.," with the suffix following the first or middle name and a comma. If you have cited more than one work by a particular author, order the entries alphabetically by title, and use three hyphens in place of the author's name for every entry after the first. The Works Cited Process 1. Alphabetize your sources. It does not matter if the entry begins with an author, title, etc. Alphabetize by whatever comes first in the entry. 2. The entire page should be evenly double-spaced. This means the same amount of space comes between entries as well as before and after the Works Cited. If a citation is more than one line long, you must indent on the second line to indicate you are continuing information from the above source. Center Works Cited at the top of the page, 1 from the top. 3. Put your last name and page number in the right hand corner, ½ from the top of the page. The works cited page must be the last page of your research paper. 4. Begin typing your source information based on the following format. BOOKS: Author s last name, first name. Book title. City of publication: Publishing company, year of publication. Medium of publication. *with a single author Mardis, Karen. Loony Legends of Layfield Hollow. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, Print. *with two or three authors Espirit, Katherine, and Charles Lunsford. Literary Liaisons in New York. New York: McMillan, Print. 4

5 *with more than three authors (name only the first author and add et al and others ) Smith, Edna, et al. A Comprehensive Analysis of the Victorian Feminism. London: Bantam, Print. PERIODICALS (magazines and newspaper articles): Author s last name, first name. Title of Article. Title of Periodical. Date of publication in MLA format: page numbers. Medium of publication. Date of access (if web source). Mozart, Wolfgang. The Precarious Perch of a Child Prodigy. Musician s Monthly Digest. 10 March 1701: Print. Grizard, Lewis. The Reign of Bear Bryant Comes to a Close. The Birmingham News. 8 February 1982: B1. Web. 9 September < *Online periodical must include both the name of the website in italics and name of publisher. If no publisher can be found, use N.p. Follow with the date of publication, Web as medium of publication, and date of access. Put web address in <brackets> at the end of the entry. Lubell, Sam. Of the Sea and Air and Sky. New York Times. New York Times, 26 November Web. 1 December < Cohen, Elizabeth. Five Ways to Avoid Germs While Traveling. CNN.com. CNN, 27 November Web. 28 November < *Periodical found using a database like SIRS RESEARCHER, EBSCOhost, or any other computer source that allows you to print magazine articles: The information begins the same as a regular periodical as above. Provide the database name in italics. Library information is no longer required. List the medium of publication as Web and end with the date of access. Berger, James D. and Helmut J. Schmidt. Regulation of Macronuclear DNA Content in Paramecium Tetraurelia. The Journal of Cell Biology 76.1 (1978): JSTOR. Web. 20 November REFERENCE WORKS: Author s last name, first name (if given), Topic. Title of Reference Work. Year of edition (lowercase ed for edition). Medium of publication. <URL if found online>. 5

6 Nursing. The World Book Encyclopedia ed. Print. *specialized reference works Author s last name, first name (if given). Topic. Title of reference source. City of publication: Publishing company, year of publication. Page numbers. Medium of publication. Textile Technicians. Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance. Ed. William Hopke. Vol. 2. Chicago: Ferguson, Print. *online reference Last name, first name (if given). Topic. Title of Electronic Publication. Version (if provided). Publisher. Year of publication (if no version given). Medium of publication. Access date. Fresco. Britannica Online. Vers April Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 29 March < INTERNET: While this might be the easiest to find, it is also the most difficult kind of source to cite. Fill in all information as shown below, omitting any information you absolutely can t find. For articles that appear in an online-only format or in databases that do not provide a page number, use the abbreviation n. pag. for no pagination. End the citation with the medium of publication, Web, and the date of access. Author s last name, first name. Title of the work. Title of the database, project, or website. Date of electronic publication or last update (Volume for online journals will suffice): pagination information. Name of the institution or organization sponsoring the site. Mode of publication. Date of access. <URL or web address>. Kessl, Fabian, and Nadia Kutsche. Rationalities, Practices, and Resistance in Post-Welfarism. A Comment on Kevin Stenson. Social Work & Society 6.1 (2008): n. pag. Center for Social Work and Social Policy. Web. 10 October < Oakley, John H. The Achilles Painter. The Perseus Project. March 1997: n. pag. Tufts University. Web. 14 May < 6

7 Example Works Cited Page: Smith 1 Works Cited Fikes, Robert. The Black Love-Hate Affair with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Western Journal of Black Studies 35.4 (2011): Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 March The Hunger Games Reaches Another Milestone: Top 10 Censored Books. TIME. Time Inc., 26 September Web. 3 March Huck Finn in Context: A Teaching Guide. Public Broadcasting Service / WGBH, Web. 3 March Morrow, Lance. "In praise of 'Huckleberry Finn.'" Current 372 (1995): 28+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 3 March Roberts, Gregory. Huck Finn a masterpiece -- or an insult? Seattle Post-Intelligence. Hearst Seattle Media, LLC, 25 November Web. 4 March Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Modern Library, Assignment Four: Creating note cards Annotate information on the photocopies or printouts of the information that is relevant to your topic. The information on your note cards must be annotated on the photocopy or printout in order for me to check your citations. All information used in your paper must be written on a note card. Even after the note card due date, if you find information within your approved sources, write it on a card. Also, when you turn in your final paper, you must arrange your note cards in the order they were used in your paper. There are three methods of taking notes: summary, paraphrase, and quotation. Summarize if you want to record only the general idea of large amounts of material. Paraphrase if you require detailed notes on specific sentences and passages but do not need the exact wording. This is to restate the material in your own words. Quote only when you believe that some sentence or passage in its original wording might make an effective addition to your paper. This information must be transcribed exactly as it appears, word for word, comma for comma onto your note card. 7

8 Make Note Cards 1. Give it a topic heading. A word or phrase that lets you know at a glance what information the card contains Ex.: For a paper on a career, a heading might be salary or education. 2. Include basic bibliographic information (who said it?). Usually, this is the author, but it is ALWAYS what comes first on your works cited page. Also, you always need to include the page number your information comes from. This step is essential to proper documentation of your source when you begin writing your paper. 3. Fill the note card with notes. Either a summary, paraphrase, or direct quotation Record only small amounts of information on each card. Do not continue information from one card to another. Use ellipses (three dots) when words within a sentence are left out. If words are left out at the end of a sentence, use the ellipses plus a final period (four dots in all). 4. Indicate the type of note-taking you used. You need to indicate which kind of note-taking you used with the letters S, P, or Q. (This will remind you if you have already put the information into your own words.) 5. Put your name or initials on the back of every note card. 6. Number your note cards. How to Number Your Note Cards All of your note cards must be labeled using one number and one letter. 1. Each source you find is assigned a number. Write that source number on each note card that corresponds to that source. For example, if your information came from The World Book Encyclopedia and that was the second source you used, then you write 2 at the top of that note card. 2. The letter corresponds to different note cards from the same source. For example, if you used several note cards from the same source, they will all have the same number but different letters (e.g.: 1a, 1b, 1c, etc.). 3. Just make sure that the note cards that are all from the same source begin with the same number. Assignment Five: Developing a thesis statement, choosing a title, and creating an outline Thesis Statements: It is important that your thesis statement clearly makes a claim about your chosen novel and whether or not it should be taught in a high school classroom. Sample Thesis Statements: Although Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a classic piece of American literature, it should not be taught in high school classrooms because its irony and satire is too subtle for students not yet in college. Although Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is controversial because of its non-standard dialect and derogatory language, the book should be taught in high school classrooms because it provides an opportunity for discussion of derogatory terms in an academic setting and the protagonist s point of view provides a window into a historical time period that students can easily relate to. 8

9 Choosing a Title A good title provides information and generates interest. Just like your topic, it should be specific. Make sure your title is appropriate for the subject matter. It is not always advisable to have a humorous title for a serious research paper. EXAMPLES Too broad: Earthquakes (not informative; what about earthquakes are you studying?) Better: The Need for Earthquake Protection Titles for research papers should be centered on the page. They should not be bold, italicized, underlined, printed in all capital letters, in quotes, or in a font larger than the rest of the paper. Use the same font throughout your outline and paper. Traditional Pattern for Organizing an Argument Use the frame below to compose your outline. Words in bold are actually written on the outline. Normal type is for directions. Thesis: Write your thesis clearly here. Title I. Introduction A. Grab your reader s attention. Build common ground, establish your tone and style, and establish your credentials. B. Clarify why this issue is important C. Introduce your topic (answer who, what, when, where, or why Will probably be more than one sentence) D. Claim: Your thesis statement (Word for word. Yes, it s already at the top. Yes, it needs to be here too. AGAIN.) E. OPTIONAL: Concluding Sentence (Sum up what you have just said in one sentence and prepare your reader for what is to come.) II. Body A. **Background of publication of the novel, including controversy of the novel. 1. What note cards explain this? (List the note card numbers) 2. What note cards give you examples to support this point? (List the note card numbers) B.** The other side of the controversy, including reasons those controversial aspects may have been included in the novel (WHY the author would choose to put them in the book) 1. What note cards explain this? (List the note card numbers) 2. What note cards give you examples to support this point? (List the note card numbers) C. **YOUR argument PROVE IT HERE. 1. What note cards explain this? (List the note card numbers) 2. What note cards give you examples to support this point? (List the note card numbers) 9

10 III. Conclusion A. END STRONGLY! Finish with conviction and passion. You might end with a review of your main points, a reference to something in your introduction, or a plea for action. You might also encourage your opposition to jump ship and come to your side. IV. Works Cited (Only list this to remind yourself that your works cited is the last page of your paper.) **Body sections will definitely be more than one paragraph. Remember to break up long paragraphs but never end a paragraph with a citation. You may also decide to organize your essay by controversial topic. This is just a guide for one way to organize your essay. An example outline follows: Learning the Right Lessons: Why Adventures of Huck Finn Should Be Taught in High Schools Thesis: Even though Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain is controversial, the book should be taught in high school classrooms because it provides an opportunity for discussion of derogatory terms in an academic setting and teaches universal truths that are still applicable in students lives today. I. Introduction a. Great writing does not censor its purpose and style to fit the needs or to meet the expectations of society; the author should make his point by demanding the attention of the audience and disregarding social disapproval. b. From the moment of its publication, Adventures of Huck Finn and its author, Mark Twain, faced controversy about aspects of the novel, including its portrayal of uneducated Southerners and frequent use of the nword. c. Even though Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain is controversial, the book should be taught in high school classrooms because it provides an opportunity for discussion of derogatory terms in an academic setting and teaches universal truths that are still applicable in students lives today. II. Body a. Publication background i. Time period, historical context (Note cards 4-3 and 4-5) ii. What critics at the time said (Note cards 4-2 and 3-8) b. Current controversy i. Use of the n-word (Note card 3-1) ii. Portrayal of uneducated characters (Note cards 3-3 and 3-6) iii. Satire that can be difficult for students to understand (Note cards 3-2, 4-12, and 4-1) c. Counterargument i. Use of the n-word as time period and satire (Note cards 4-5, 1-4, and 1-6) ii. Uneducated characters as satire (Note cards 1-8, 1-10, 1-12, and 3-7) d. My argument i. Students can grasp satire more easily than people give them credit. (Note cards 1-9 and 4-9) ii. Opportunity to discuss derogatory terms and satire iii. Young protagonist easily accessible to students iv. Opportunity to discuss universal truths applicable to contemporary life III. Conclusion a. On the whole, a classic novel like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should continue to be taught in high school classrooms because it is not a racist novel, despite its use of the n-word and portrayal of uneducated characters. Also, the novel provides an accurate picture of the time period that Twain meant to satirize. Its presence in a classroom opens students minds to discussions of derogatory terms in general, satire and its analysis, and universal truths students can apply to their own lives. The novel provides opportunity for students to learn life s key lessons and discuss them in an academic setting, which is what school is supposed to be about, right? IV. Works Cited 10

11 Assignment Six: Creating the first draft and completing peer review Your first draft must be typed. Your first draft should include your heading, page numbers, and title. You must bring your first draft to class for writer s workshop on the date listed on the calendar AND submit to Google Drive. You will peer review for your classmates as they peer review for you. The more people you have to read over your paper, the better it will most likely be. They can catch mistakes you have overlooked. Preventing Plagiarism Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. Plagiarism occurs in one or more of these three ways: 1. Failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas 2. Failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks 3. Failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words Citations All borrowed information must be documented, whether you borrow an author s words, ideas, or sentence structures. Sentences conveying your own original thoughts obviously do not need documentation. Information that is assumed to be common knowledge, like George Washington was the first president of the United States does not need to be documented. Quotation Marks To indicate that you are using a source s exact words, phrases, or sentences, you must enclose them in quotation marks. To omit the quotation marks is to claim -falsely- that the words are your own. Such an omission is plagiarism, even if you cited the source. Example: Original source No animal has done more to renew interest in animal intelligence than a beguiling, bilingual baboon named Kanzi, who has the grammatical abilities of a 2 ½-year-old child and a taste for movies about cavemen. Eugene Linden, Animals, p. 57 Example: Plagiarism According to Eugene Linden, no animal has done more to renew interest in animal intelligence than a beguiling, bilingual baboon named Kanzi, who has the grammatical abilities of a 2 ½-year-old child and a taste for movies about cavemen (57). Example: Correctly borrowed language in quotation marks According to Eugene Linden, No animal has done more to renew interest in animal intelligence than a beguiling, bilingual baboon named Kanzi, who has the grammatical abilities of a 2 ½-year-old child and a taste for movies about cavemen (57). Summaries and Paraphrases When you summarize or paraphrase, it is not enough to name the source. You must restate the source s meaning using your own language. You are guilty of plagiarism if you half-copy the author s sentences either by mixing the author s well-chosen phrases without using quotation marks or by plugging your own synonyms into the author s sentence structure. Example: Original source If the existence of a signing ape was unsettling for linguists, it was also startling news for animal behaviorists. -Davis, Eloquent Animals, p. 26 Example: Unacceptable borrowing of phrases (plagiarism) The existence of a signing ape unsettled linguists and startled animal behaviorists (Davis 26). 11

12 Example: Unacceptable borrowing of structure (plagiarism) If the existence of a sign-language-using chimp was disturbing for scientists studying language, it was also surprising to scientists studying animal behavior (Davis 26). To avoid plagiarizing an author s language, resist the temptation to look at the source while you are summarizing or paraphrasing. Close the book, write from memory, and then open the book to check for accuracy. This technique prevents you from being captivated by the words on the page. Acceptable paraphrases When they learned of an ape s ability to learn sign language, both linguists and animal behaviorists were taken by surprise (Davis 26). According to Flora Davis, linguists and animal behaviorists were unprepared for the news that a chimp could communicate with its trainers through sign language (26). Parenthetical Documentation What It Is A way to indicate in parentheses the source of borrowed information Avoids plagiarism Points to the works cited page for a given source and its page number What Must Be Documented 1. All borrowed information. To do so, copy the bibliographic information and page number from each info card into parentheses at the end of the sentence. In most cases, you must document each sentence separately. However, if you use a single source for an entire paragraph and it is clear exactly which information is borrowed then you may provide a single citation at the end of the last sentence that contains the borrowed information. 2. It does NOT matter if you have summarized, paraphrased, or directly quoted the information; you must always document. What Must Be Included In The Parentheses: Author s last name and page numbers Example: Every living organism, from the simplest to the most complex, affects the environment and is in turn affected by it (Newton 13). Common Problems or Exceptions Author mentioned in sentence Sometimes an author is mentioned in the context of a sentence; therefore, only the page number is need in the parentheses. [*Use introductory tags to identify the author, and when useful, the author s credentials, to guide readers through the sources.] Example: The social acceptance of coal miners, according to Peter Jones, British correspondent for Newsweek, was far from good (32). The source does not have an author When no author is given, you must include the first piece of information from the works cited page for that source. Quite often, this is the title of the article. Example: The need for nurses will continue to grow ( Nursing Trends 110). Several pages used If you have used several pages, use a dash to indicate the page ranges used. Example: Intelligent people form a cognitive elite in our society (Bernstein 26-27). 12

13 Borrowed material ends before the end of the sentence Place the parenthetical reference after the borrowed material and before any subsequent punctuation. This clearly shows what is borrowed and what is your own work. Example: Sport, Allen observes about the 1920 s, had developed into an obsession (66), another similarity between the 1920 s and the 1980 s. Two sources by the same person or containing the same beginning word Distinguish in the parentheses to which source you are referring. Example: ( Nursing, World Book Encyclopedia 110) and ( Nursing, Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance 404). As this gets to be rather lengthy, starting with the second time you use these sources you may abbreviate the book titles by using the first letters of each word, thus World Book Encyclopedia would become WBE. Example: ( Nursing, ECVG 405). Assignment Seven: Revising and polishing your paper; Organizing your materials for submission Your final paper must be turned in to Google Drive AND your packet of research paper materials with your printed final draft must be turned in at the start of class by the assigned due date listed on the calendar. Your final draft must be typed and be accompanied by your note cards, works cited draft, outline, all drafts, and peer revision forms. Editing the works cited page Correct citation style Correct punctuation errors Remove any sources not actually cited in your paper Be sure the header on your paper is included on your works cited page Revising the body of the paper Carefully review your peer evaluations Correct structure, grammar, style, and spelling errors Make sure every sentence is relevant to the thesis. Cross out any irrelevant material. Make sure you have a clearly stated thesis. Remember that spellcheckers won t catch errors like using their instead of there. Putting It All Together Check for correct format 1 margins, Times New Roman font, 12 pt., heading on first page, page numbers, etc. Be sure you have documented everything you took from a note card. Remember, plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in a ZERO and/or office referral. Check and correct any first or second person pronouns. Check for vague pronoun references. Make sure you haven t used any past tense or passive voice verb usage or shifts in tense. Check for and correct contractions and abbreviations. Read over your rubric. Check your own paper by the rubric to make sure you have addressed each section so there are no surprises about your grade. 13