This assignment is to be completed in stages. Each stage will bring you one step closer to a finished 5 paragraph report. The first paragraph will be an introduction to your Main Topic. The second, third, and fourth paragraphs will be Body paragraphs that contain your research on your Main Topic. And the final paragraph will be a concluding paragraph that finishes your report. Please read each stage carefully. Follow the exercises in the order they are listed. And finally, be sure to ask lots of questions as often as possible. Good Luck and enjoy your report!
Introduction Welcome to your first High School research project. The following package will walk you through the steps necessary to complete your report on time and with the confidence that you have taken all of the appropriate steps, in order. There will be a minimum of five class days spent in the school library for research and writing. If you are absent for any of the days then it would be wise to spend some of your free time outside of class, in the school library, to complete the work. Moreover, it may be necessary to go to the local library in Aurora or Newmarket to do some more research on your own time. Some topics might have limited information in our school's library. It is manadatory that you use 3 formal sources to write this report. This means that you cannot only use your opinon and the information that you already know. You must get some more secondary information from one website and two books. Make sure that the website is not a Blog or a web journal. If you are not sure of whether or not the website is appropriate, ask your teacher. If you are unsure of how to find information in a library, your instructor will be available to help you. Moreover, the librarian is a great source of help when you are looking for information in the library on any topic. As you collect your information be sure to make a note of where you find it. On each of the Rough Notes pages in this package, there is space to write the bibliographical information that you will need for the Bibliography page of the report. Avoid plagiarism, write down your sources immediately. noun pla gia rism -adapted from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plagiarism 1. the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. 2. something used and represented in this manner
Stage 1- Creating a Main topic with Subtopics Main Topic: Identifying a Main Topic is one of the most challenging aspects of the research process. Students need Main Topics that are realistic in their scope and compelling enough to keep them interested. Effective topics also require students to use their critical thinking skills. If you do not like your Main Topic you will not like writing about your Main Topic. Create 3 possible Subtopics [Body Paragraphs] that will be discussed in the report. Subtopics can in the form of a question you have about your Main Topic. For example, if your Main Topic is Bears, then your three Subtopics could be-what do they eat? Where do they live? And finally- What is their life cycle? #1: #2: #3:
Stage 2- Identifying Due Dates And Timelines Stage Due Date Completed? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Write the due dates for each stage in your Agenda. Check to see if you have other assignments due during this assignment. Decide how much time you will need for each stage and set a timeline to complete each stage. Assign specific amounts of time within your Agenda to ork on this report. Commit to the time as closely as you can. If you think that you may need some more time for any of the stages, talk with the instructor as soon as possible.
Stage 3- Expanding Your Subtopics Create 3 possible questions to be answered for each of the Subtopics in your report. The questions should be directed at things that are unknown about your Subtopic. Work with your instructor on the quality of the questions so that they are clear to you and the teacher. Use your questions to focus your research once you go to the library. The following example continues from Stage 1. Topic = Bears Body Paragraph / Subtopic #1 What do they eat? Honey? Fish? Humans? Topic = Bears In Canada? Body Paragraph / Subtopic #2 Where do they live? In forests? In cities and campgrounds? Topic = Bears How old do they get? Body Paragraph / Subtopic #3 What is their life cycle? How long do they live? How big do they get? What's up with all that hibernation?
Introductory Paragraph: Stage 4- Mapping Out The Report - Catch the reader s interest introduce topic - Give the purpose of the writing - Introduce the points or areas you will discuss (use at least 3) First Body Paragraph: [Subtopic # 1] - Topic Sentence (first area to be discussed) - Major and minor supporting details to support your first topic - Include: reasons, examples, facts, descriptions (whatever applies to this topic) Second Body Paragraph: [Subtopic # 2] - Topic Sentence (second area to be discussed) - Major and minor supporting details to support your second topic - Include: reasons, examples, facts, descriptions (whatever applies to this topic) Third Body Paragraph: [Subtopic # 3] [Keep using this format if you have any other Body paragraphs] - Topic Sentence (second area to be discussed) - Major and minor supporting details to support your second topic - Include: reasons, examples, facts, descriptions (whatever applies to this topic) Concluding Paragraph: - Restate the topic or purpose for this entire piece of writing - Restate the points or areas you discussed - Concluding sentence (do not introduce new ideas or thoughts)
Stage 5- Finding Resources Be sure to write down all of the information that you will need to find the book again. You may even want to make a small note as to which library you found the resource. It is absolutely necessary that you account for the origin and owner of all of the information that you use in this report. In order to develop your thinking, inquiry, and analysis skills you and your teacher must be able to tell the difference between your thoughts and the thoughts of someone else. This rough Bibliography is called a Working Bibliography. The following diagram is a blank sample of a Working Bibliography. Sample Working Bibliography Call Number or Web Address: Author: Last name, First name Title: Place of Publication: Name of City Publisher: Copyright Date: Year only For every resource in this assignment, you must provide the bibliographical information. As you complete the Rough Notes, write the Working Bibliographical information directly on the work sheet. This way will ensure that you will be able to connect all of your research to the author that created it.
Sample Working Bibliography for a website Call Number or Web address:_www.friendsofblackbears.com Author: Jones, Marie Title: Friends of Black Bears Place of Publication: Publisher: Copyright Date: 2008 Sample Working Bibliography for a book Call Number: 001.96 HAI Author: Haining, Peter Title: Hibernation is for the bears! Place of Publication: London Publisher: Treasure Press Copyright Date: 1979
Writing a Bibliography According to Modern Language Association (MLA) -adapted from http://teenlink.nypl.org/bibliography.html 12/14/08 A Bibliography is an alphabetical list of all the sources you used when researching an essay or paper. You will find it easier to prepare your final Bibliography if you keep track of each book, encyclopedia, or article you use as you are reading and taking notes. You will want to keep track of the full title, author, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication for each source. Every citation in a bibliography should include the author and title. If it is a book, it should also include the date and place of publication. If it is an article (from a magazine or journal), it should include the magazine or newspaper title, volume number, year or date of publication and appropriate page numbers. When assembling a final Bibliography, list your sources (texts, articles, interviews, and so on) in alphabetical order by authors' last names. Sources that do not have authors (encyclopedias, movies) should be alphabetized by title. The following page illustrates several methods to write out bibliographical information, depending on the type of source.
BOOKS: 1. One Author: Munsch, Robert. Thomas Snowsuit. Toronto: Annick Press, 1985. 2. More than One Author: Cook, Ramsay and John Ricker. Canada. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1989. 3. No Author: The Economist Book of Vital World Statistics. New York: Times Books, 1990. 4. Editor: Smith, Simone, ed. The Novels of Charles Dickens. New York: Oriole Books, 1980. ENCYCLOPEDIAS: 1. Signed Article: Mulligan, Pamela. Genetic Engineering. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. 1992 ed. 2. Unsigned Article: Chemical Warfare. Encyclopedia Britannica: Micropedia. 1992 ed. INTERNET SITES: 1. Professional Site: Doyle, Patricia. Insulin: the facts About Diabetes. Canadian Diabetes Association. (6 November 2001). <http://www.diabetes.ca> 2. Government Site: Canada. Ministry of Natural Resources. Mineral Trade. Natural Resources Canada, Mineral and Metals Sector. May 16, 2001 (5 November 2001) <http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/mms/efab/ mmsd/trade
Stage 6- Gathering Rough Notes and Tracking Resources Rough Notes Body Paragraph #1: Call Number or Web address: Author: Title: Place of Publication: Publisher: Copyright Date: (use additional paper or back of this sheet if necessary)
Rough Notes Body Paragraph #2: Call Number or Web addres: Author: Title: Place of Publication: Publisher: Copyright Date: (use additional paper or back of this sheet if necessary)
Rough Notes Body Paragraph #3: Call Number or Web address: Author: Title: Place of Publication: Publisher: Copyright Date: (use additional paper or back of this sheet if necessary)
Rough Notes Additional Information, Quotes, Facts, Etc: (use additional paper or back of this sheet if necessary)
Stage 7- sequencing Your Paragraphs Intr Introduction Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2 Does your Introduction clearly explain what is going to happen in your report? Body Paragraph #3 Conclusion Are your paragraphs in the correct order? Do your ideas flow clearly from the Introduction all the way to the Conclusion? Should you reorganize the paragraphs so that the report sounds more clear? Should you reorganize the information within each paragraph so that it sounds more clear? Does your Conclusion clearly wrap up your report? Does your Conclusion mention the points that were written in the report? Does your Conclusion connect with your Introduction?
Stage 8- Writing The Rough Copy -adapted from 12/12/08 http://www.angelfire.com/wi/writingprocess/specificgos.html Students often ask why a Rough Copy is necessary. Many of these same students do not enjoy writing in general so the question is very important to them. If they do not enjoy the act of writing in the first place then why would they do an extra step? Eventhough writing tasks can be labour intensive and boring they are a necessary part of a student's skill package. Also, writing tasks are part of the building blocks of Literacy. As such, since they are going to be unavoidable in high school and life- here are some considerations that if followed will increase your final mark, and might make the writing process a little more purposeful, and possibly even a bit more enjoyable. By writing a Rough Copy... You can be be selective in the ideas that you include. You do not have to include everything that was in your Rough Notes! Pick your best ideas. Make sure they relate to each other and your topic. WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! Do not stop once you start writing. Revising and editing come later. Just let the ideas flow. You will feel the pleasure that you have completed your own ideas and when you are ready to go to the next stage. Do not count words, ask your teacher how long it should be or when it is done. You will feel, read, and understand if you are lacking content, go back to your Rough Notes for more ideas and details. HOLD IT! Before going to the next stage, make sure you have enough content to work with. You allow the teacher to get in on process. Students often bring the final product to the instructor and say that they are not sure if they have written the right thing. Share your Rough Work with the teacher throughout your writing process to avoid any surprises or misconceptions.
Stage 9- Editing In Two Forms Self-Editing Checklist Assignment: Yes No Suggestions/Concerns 1 There is an interesting title 2 There are at least 5 paragraphs 3 Each paragraph is indented 4 In the introductory paragraph there is an interesting sentence to catch the reader s attention. 5 The purpose of the essay is clear and is stated in the introductory paragraph. 6 All body paragraph topics are listed in the introductory paragraph. 7 There are at least 3 body paragraphs. 8 Each body paragraph contains a topic sentence, at least one major supporting detail, and three minor supporting details. 9 The topic sentence of each body paragraph relates back to the original topic and the introductory paragraph. 10 The topic/thesis and body paragraph topics are clearly restated in the concluding paragraph. 11 There is a concluding sentence present in the concluding paragraph. 12 There are several signal words used per paragraph 13 All words are spelled correctly. 14 Punctuation is correct throughout the essay. 15 All names, titles, and the first words of each sentence are capitalized. 16 All sentences are complete. 17 The verb tense is consistent throughout Other helpful comments: Edited by: Signed:
Parent/Peer Editing Checklist Assignment: Yes No Suggestions/Concerns 1 There is an interesting title 2 There are at least 5 paragraphs 3 Each paragraph is indented 4 In the introductory paragraph there is an interesting sentence to catch the reader s attention. 5 The purpose of the essay is clear and is stated in the introductory paragraph. 6 All body paragraph topics are listed in the introductory paragraph. 7 There are at least 3 body paragraphs. 8 Each body paragraph contains a topic sentence, at least one major supporting detail, and three minor supporting details. 9 The topic sentence of each body paragraph relates back to the original topic and the introductory paragraph. 10 The topic/thesis and body paragraph topics are clearly restated in the concluding paragraph. 11 There is a concluding sentence present in the concluding paragraph. 12 There are several signal words used per paragraph 13 All words are spelled correctly. 14 Punctuation is correct throughout the essay. 15 All names, titles, and the first words of each sentence are capitalized. 16 All sentences are complete. 17 The verb tense is consistent throughout Other helpful comments: Edited by: Signed:
Stage 10- Writing The Final Copy This assignment has many pieces. Each piece is a necessary step towards the final 5 paragraphs. Please be sure to submit all of your work, at each deadline, so that the instructor can work with you towards the final product. If at any time you feel that the work is getting out of hand, or that you are having difficulty keeping pace with the deadlines, please let your instructor know. Please submit all of the following components... 1. Point Form Rough Notes with Working Bibliographies 2. Mapping of Paragraphs for Organization of Writing 3. Rough Draft with Evidence of Editing and Proofreading 4. Title Page for Final Good Copy (5 Elements: Student s Name, Topic Title, Teacher s Name, Due Date and Creative Aspect) 5. Final Copy of Report 6. Bibliography
SKILL Compiling Point Form Notes /4 marks Mapping of Paragraphs for Organization of Writing /4 marks Evaluation RESEARCH ESSAY RUBRIC NEEDS IMPROVEMENT Little information was collected; point from strategy was inadequately used; poor sorting of information; few research note pages were present Mapping strategy was attempted for some paragraphs but missing many key elements. Student s Total Mark = out of 40 = % Parent Signature: Date: SATISFACTORY GOOD EXCELLENT Some information was collected but more was required; attempted point form strategy but full sentences were sometimes used; sorting of information was attempted; some research note pages were present Maps present for some body paragraphs; some major/minor details missing. A good amount of useful information was collected; point form strategy was reasonably used; sorting of the information was evident; most research note pages were present. Maps present for all body paragraphs; most major and minor supporting details included. An abundance of useful information was collected; point form strategy was consistently used; sorting of information was effective and appropriate; all research note pages were present. Maps present and complete for all body paragraphs, including topic, major and minor supporting details. Rough Draft /8 marks No obvious introductory and concluding paragraphs; body of information was poorly organized with inappropriate paragraph structure An attempt was made at introductory and concluding paragraphs but more refinement was needed; paragraph organization and structure was attempted but weak Introductory and concluding paragraphs were reasonably well developed; paragraph structure was clearly evident with good use of paragraph indents and signal words Introductory and concluding paragraphs were concise and thoughtful making thesis statement clear; excellent use of paragraph structure including indents and use of signal words was noted Evidence of Editing and Proofreading /4 marks Title Page (5 Elements:Name, Title, Teacher s Name,Due Date and Creative Aspect) /4 marks Final Copy The rough copy showed little evidence of editing for structure and the proofreading for spelling, punctuation and grammar was weak; was not edited by someone else; editing form not present The rough copy showed some evidence of editing for structure and the proofreading for spelling, punctuation and grammar was attempted but still required attention to detail; was edited by someone else; editing form present A title page was provided but some elements were missing The rough copy showed good evidence of editing for structure and the proofreading for spelling, punctuation, and grammar was obvious; was edited by someone else; editing form present The rough copy showed excellent judgment in editing for structure and the proofreading for spelling, punctuation and grammar was completely accurate; was edited by someone else; editing form present A title page was provided but many elements were missing A title page was provided with most elements included A title page was provided with all elements included and with obvious attention to detail /12 marks Bibliography Essay was less than 4 paragraphs; Much more content required to answer research questions; Final draft more like rough copy many errors noted. The bibliography lacked the format required for resources used; no variety and less than 3 resources used; working bibliography was not present. Essay was 4 to 5 paragraphs; Content of paragraphs attempted to answer research questions but more detail was required; Several errors noted in final draft. An attempt was made to use the proper format but the bibliography was still inaccurate; some variety and less than 3 resources used; working bibliography was present but not complete. Essay met the required 5 paragraphs; Content of paragraphs adequately answered research questions; Final draft had very few errors noted. Most entries in the bibliography were accurate and entered using the proper format; variety and 3 resources used; working bibliography complete and present. Essay met or exceeded the required 5 paragraphs; Content of paragraphs thoroughly answered research questions; Final draft is error free. All entries in the bibliography were accurate and entered using the proper format; variety and more than 3 resources used; working bibliography complete and present. /4 marks