MANSON ESSAY HANDBOOK

1 MANSON ESSAY HANDBOOK

2 Table of Contents Topic Page Foreword 3 Policies 3 Topic Selection 4 Thesis Statement 4 Format 4 Sources 4 The Writing Process 5 Plagiarism 5 Parenthetical Citations 5 On-line Resources 6 Evaluating Internet Sources 7 MLA Works Cited Sample Entries 8-12 Sample Essay 13-17 Sample Works Cited 18 Humanities Public Speaking Rubric 19-20

3 Manson Essay Handbook Foreword The Manson Essay is a major paper written by all MCI students. The objectives of the Manson Essay are: to write a thesis paper using different types of sources; to access and use information in support of that paper; to provide a logical defense of a point of view in both written and oral formats; to demonstrate competency in formal documentation of primary and secondary sources; to apply word processing skills; and to develop organization, independent learning, and time management skills. The contest in one form or another was a part of MCI at least as early as 1871. Until 1875 it was open to all students but in 1875 it became a contest for the junior class. It was originally held the week of graduation. For a period of time the girls received a prize for an oration and the boys for an original paper. In 1875 the prize was provided by Dr. Howe. Dr. John C. Manson later left a sum of money as a prize for the essay and oration for essays to be written by members of the junior class, with the best of them to be spoken in public (Bud Lewis, former English department head). John W. Manson later added additional money to fund the prize. In the 1920s juniors were sequestered in the one-room library for a day to write the Manson essay. Today students research and write a paper for both their history and English teachers and then present the results in front of their classes before being selected to participate before the public. Judging is based on the written grades of both English and United States history teachers and the oral performance. Final selection of the winner is based one half on the written and one half on the spoken version. Policies! A timeline will be provided to the students by their English teachers early in the Junior year.! Topics must be approved by both Junior Humanities teachers.*! Thesis statements must be turned in to both Humanities teachers and approved by both of them.*! Rough drafts must be turned in to both Humanities teachers and assessed by both.! Final drafts must be turned in to both Humanities teachers and graded by both.! Teachers will consult with each other on all grades before handing the paper back. *In cases where there is not agreement, the student and both teachers should meet and make a final decision.

4 Topic selection The topic must have real evidence available, relate to the United States and not have been done by the student at an earlier time. Biographies are not acceptable. Students must take a position on the topic. Thesis Statement An acceptable thesis statement must be a single declarative sentence that: defends a position, is consistently and thoroughly defensible throughout the text of the essay, is approved by both Humanities teachers, and is typed separately at the beginning of the paper as well as in its appropriate place in the introductory paragraph. Example: The consumption of chocolate improves academic achievement. Format The Modern Language Association (MLA) rules for formatting must be used in the Manson Essay. The text of the paper should be typed in 12 point font, double spaced, with the page numbers and a running head in the upper right corner of every page. Following the MLA style rules, the first page will also contain the paper title, date of submission, and author s name. Sources Remember that this is a research paper, not a book report or a journal. You must use at least different sources in your paper. You must have evidence of a variety of types of sources, including a book and a periodical originally published in a print newspaper or magazine. A paper with only one type of resource will result in a failing grade. A paper that is primarily from only one source will also result in a failing grade. You must use print and non-print resources. Do not use encyclopedias, including online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, as sources. Be sure that you record all necessary information for later citations. If you cite Internet sources, please print the information and pass it in with your final paper. Consider that sources may not have equal merit. Is the author an expert? Why is the person writing the article? For example, do not limit a paper on gun control to sources from the NRA. What is the context of the information? Is the material outdated? Don t quote teen crime statistics from a 1982 source to show teen crime today.

5 The Writing Process As with any thesis paper, the Manson Essay should demonstrate the attributes of good writing. Students should review all their research. Then they should compose a draft in their own words. Upon completion of the draft, students should select relevant supporting evidence from their research and integrate it into their own text. Students should use quotes sparingly except in papers dealing with lyrics or literary works. Quotes should also be used when an authority says something key to the thesis or when a statement is extremely well worded. In these cases the quote should be introduced with information about the author. The paper must be typed. If writing at school, save your work to your student network folder. Plagiarism Your English teacher will review note taking and how copying may result in plagiarism. Long sections of other people s work, credited or not, are not acceptable. Quotes should be used to support the student s words, not the other way around. Using another s words, ideas, or statistics without giving proper credit is dishonest and will be penalized according to MCI policy listed under Academic Integrity in the MCI Handbook. Parenthetical Documentation When you use another s words, facts, or ideas in your paper, you must include a brief acknowledgment in the body of your paper. Supplying the author s last name and page number(s) in parentheses is usually enough to identify the source and location. The purpose of this parenthetical documentation is to guide the reader easily to fuller information in the Works Cited list at the end of the paper. The general form is: (author s last name page(s)) SINGLE AUTHOR (Jones 47) MULTIPLE AUTHORS BUT FEWER THAN FOUR (Snodgrass and Anderson 15) (Snodgrass, Jones, and Anderson 21) MORE THAN THREE AUTHORS (Snodgrass et al. 245) AUTHOR NAMED IN SENTENCE As Jones said, blah blah (47). INTERVIEW (Wingo) AUTHORED ELECTRONIC SOURCES (Anderson, par. 4) This refers to paragraph 4 of a web page. ANONYMOUS ELECTRONIC SOURCES ( Chocolate Shakes ) TWO OR MORE SOURCES IN A SINGLE CITATION (Skor 225; Pavlov 219) ANONYMOUS WORK ( Chocolate is good for you 58)

6 Online Research Sources Available to MCI Students and Staff MARVEL is a collection of research databases made available through the Maine State Library. These databases give you full-text access to magazines, academic journals, newspapers, dictionaries, and reference works. Full-text means you will be able to read, print, save, or email relevant articles as soon as you locate them. URL: http://libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases! No password required from school computers! From home you will have to register and create a username and password. Some of the general databases include:! Academic Search Premier: includes general interest magazines and highly specialized journals.! ProQuest Newspapers: includes the full-text of more than 500 U.S. and international news sources. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and London Times are among the newspapers included.! Student Research Center: this student-friendly database searches through several databases at once to locate relevant periodical articles, reference works, images, and primary sources. MARVEL also contains a wide range of specialized databases, such as:! Business Source Premier: provides full-text for thousands of business journals, and also includes company profiles and market research.! ERIC Education: includes articles and documents on education research and practice.! Health Source: Consumer Edition: includes reliable information on all aspects of medicine and health. (The Nursing & Academic Edition includes articles from hundreds of scholary journals.)! Military & Government Collection: provides access to military and government periodicals. OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS RESOURCE CENTER This is an online library of current event topics with essays, magazine and newspaper articles, statistics, audio files, images, and links to important websites. Students will find many sides of controversial issues addressed here. Use the search feature to locate relevant information or select a topic from the list on the database s home page. URL: http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/huskies! Password: huskies

7 USEFUL CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING WEB PAGES http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html Evaluation of Web documents 1. Accuracy of Web Documents! Who wrote the page and can you contact him or her?! What is the purpose of the document and why was it produced?! What credentials are listed for the authors? Is this person qualified to write this document? 2. Authority of Web Documents! Who published the document and is it separate from the "Webmaster?"! Check the domain of the document: what institution publishes this document? Does the publisher list his or her qualifications? 3. Objectivity of Web Documents! What goals/objectives does this page meet?! How detailed is the information?! What opinions (if any) are expressed by the author?! Determine if page is a mask for advertising; if so information might be biased. View any Web page as you would an infommercial on television. Ask yourself why was this written and for whom? 4. Currency of Web Documents! When was it produced?! When was it updated?! How many dead links are on the page?! Are the links current or updated regularly? Is the information on the page outdated? 5. Coverage of the Web Documents! Are the links (if any) evaluated and do they complement the document s theme?! Is it all images or a balance of text and images?! If page requires special software to view the information, how much are you missing if you don't have the software?! Is it free, or is there a fee to obtain the information? Is the information presented cited correctly?

8 Putting it all together! Accuracy. If your page lists the author and institution that published the page and provides a way of contacting him/her and...! Authority. If your page lists the author credentials and its domain is preferred (.edu,.gov,.org, or.net), and,..! Objectivity. If your page provides accurate information with limited advertising and it is objective in presenting the information, and...! Currency. If your page is current and updated regularly (as stated on the page) and the links (if any) are also up-to-date, and...! Coverage. If you can view the information properly--not limited to fees, browser technology, or software requirement, then... You may have a Web page that could be of value to your research! Kapoun, Jim. "Teaching undergrads WEB evaluation: A guide for library instruction." C&RL News (July/August 1998):

9 Works Cited List alphabetically all the sources you used in your research. Entries must be double-spaced, and formatted with a hanging indent (see the Snodgrass example below to see a hanging indent). The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers is available in the MCI library if you need help with a particular citation. MLA Samples of entries: Generally provide: BOOKS: Author's last name, first name. City of publication: Publishing company, publication date. Medium of publication. Single author Dawson, Richard E. A History of Chocolate. Burnham: Random, 1997. Print. Two or more books by the same author Lake, Rikki. Chocolate Ruined My Life. Detroit: Houghton Press, 1998. Print. -----Chocolate Can Kill. Palmyra: Smith Press, 1996. Print. A book by two or more authors Snodgrass, Harriet, Gregory Powers, and Bertha Bessey. Chocolate Makes the Grades. Auburn: Dell, 1998. Print. A book with an author and an editor Toomey, John. Chocolate. Ed. Darin Miles. New York: Norton, 1989. Print. A work in an anthology. Brown, Chastity. Wonka s Dream. America and Chocolate: Selected Stories. Eds. Anne Kaan and Earl Anderson. Boston: Miller, 1998. 16-20. Print. An introduction, preface, forward, or afterward Nichols, Bryan. Afterword. Chocolate Wars. By Nathan Allen. Chicago: Vintage, 1988. Print. A multivolume work Nicely, Jane. The Chocolate Factor: Selected Views. 5 vols. Boston: Mifflin, 1995. Print.

10 An edition other than the first Bunny, Easter. The Hunt for Red Eggs. Ed. Tim Sample. 2nd ed. Pittsfield: Allen Printing, 1997. Print. A book by 4 or more authors Bates, Herman, et al. Chocolate We Have Loved. New York: Pantheon, 1994. Print. A book by a corporate author The American Chocolate Institute. Your Body Needs Chocolate. Philadelphia: Franklin, 1986. Print. A book by an anonymous author The Dictionary of Chocolate. 1995 ed. Philadelphia: Franklin, 1995. Print. A book with an editor Pratt, Matthew, ed. Quotations by Basketball Hall of Famers on the Benefits of Chocolate. Chicago: Riley Press, 1998. Print. A government document United States. Cong. Senate. Committee on Education. Chocolate Standards. 5th ed. Washington: GPO, 1989. Print. ARTICLES IN PERIODICALS Generally follow this guideline for magazines and newspapers: Author's last name, first name. Article title. Periodical title date: pages of article. (Do not give volume and issue numbers unless you are citing a scholarly journal.) Medium of publication. Signed article from a newspaper Obesus, Francine. The Sources of Colombian Cocoa Plantations. Manchester Guardian 18 Mar. 1996. nat. ed., sec.1:12. Print. An unsigned article from a daily newspaper Choco-holic Addiction Mortality Down; Disparity Widens. Hershey Bugle [Hershey, PA]12 Apr. 1994: A12. Print.

An article from a magazine Rivera, Geraldo. The Vanilla Bean that Remade Chocolate Bars. Atlantic June 1992: 57-79. Print. 11 An article from an academic journal Rolls, Edmund T.and Ciara McCabe. Enhanced affective brain representations of chocolate in cravers vs. non-cravers. European Journal of Neuroscience, 26 (2007): 1067-1076. Print. An editorial Gold-foil Wrappers Wield Undue Influence in Chocolate Selection. Editorial. Cocoa Courier [Cairo, IL] 12 Aug. 1994: 6B. Print. A review Heath, Barry, Coping with Cashews. Rev. of America s Chocolate History, by Willy Wonka. Milk Chocolate Memories 64 (1994):132-39. Print. Generally provide: ELECTRONIC SOURCES Author s last name, first name. Title of the document. Information about electronic publication (Title of site, date of publication or last update, and name of sponsoring organization or institution). Medium of Publication. Date of access. URL in angle brackets < >if required by instructor. Provide as complete a citation as you can, but be aware that many sites will not have complete information.

12 DOCUMENTS FROM INTERNET SITES Web document Scharffen Berger, Kent. How Chocolate Improved my Performance in High School Psychology Class. Success Stories. 2003. Center for Candy in Education. Web. 5 Oct. 2004 Web site/scholarly project Webster, Augusta. Woman Sold on Chocolate. Victorian Women Writers Project. Apr. 1998. Indiana U. Web. 13 Mar. 2003. Articles from online databases For material that first appeared in print, begin your citation with the print format given above, then include information about the online service. This additional information will include: Name of database, medium of publication, and date of access. Academic journal article Greedy, Hugh. Shakespeare s Links to Cocoa and Sugar: Constructing a Modern Palate in Early Modern Europe. Chocolate and Literature 52.2 (2000): 119-143. Web. 23 Mar. 2002. Newspaper article Truman, Harry. Chocolate tastes good. Chicago Tribune 7 Aug. 1999, Chicagoland Final ed., sec. 1: 12+. Web. 16 Dec. 2003. Magazine article Jones, Ed. Chocolate helps Basketball Players. Sports Illustrated July 2004: 37. Newsbank. Web. 5 Oct. 2004. Viewpoint essay from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center Nococao, Jim. "Organizations That Fight Teen Chocolate Consumption." Contemporary Issues Companion: Chocolate Consumption. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2001. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Web. 26 Sep. 2002.

13 MIXED MEDIA A film or television program Hitler Ate Chocolate. Cronkite: The World Knew. Prod. Herman Goring. PBS. WNET, New York. Television. 6 June 1998. An audio recording Dylan, Bob. Got Those Chocolate Blues. Audio tape. Columbia, 4-5320, 1967. An interview Williams, Rosalie. Personal Interview. 22 Oct. 1997.

14 Sample Paper student s last name 1 Student s Name Teacher/ Teacher Junior Humanities Periods X & X XX November 2009 Chocolate Improves Academic Achievement Thesis: The consumption of chocolate improves academic achievement. Chocolate has been around for centuries. The earliest chocolate imports to Europe were quickly recognized for their potent effects on individuals, and laws were passed to prevent the reckless sale and consumption of chocolate by women and children. In 1898 in the United States, Snicker, an early doctor of chocolatology, experimented with using chocolate as a positive motivator for students (Snicker 23). The effects were astounding, and, as President McKinley noted, Students normally capable of earning Cs were suddenly making As (Snicker 33). However, lack of conclusive scientific evidence resulted in the discounting of Snicker s theory, and the practice soon fell out of use. Recent advances in biochemical studies demonstrate clearly that the consumption of chocolate improves academic achievement. Aside from the moderate motivation that chocolate as a reward offers many individuals, there are actual changes in the brain which take place. Increased mental activity, improved test scores, and increased cognitive ability are all documented results of chocolate consumption (Skor 278). The consumption of chocolate improves academic achievement. Originally Snicker s research was written off as motivational (Freud 38, Pavlov 67).

15 student s last name 2 Researchers believed that students were simply willing to work harder for a piece of delicious chocolate. In 1987 Skor analyzed the brains of students before and after the consumption of chocolate. The results speak for themselves: The frontal lobe of the anterior medulla showed green to yellow coloring when the subject was asked a series of questions on Shakespeare while in the MRI, and the subject received a score of 12 out of 20 questions. Twenty minutes after eating1 ounce of chocolate, the same subject scored 19 out of 20, and the frontal lobe of anterior medulla was orange and red. (Skor 345) The increase in correct answers accompanied by the change in color of the MRI scan demonstrates an increase in brain function. Skor tried carrots, celery, and Starbursts, but nothing increased the brain function to the level of bright orange and red as the chocolate did (Skor 279). Skor s research was expanded by Cadbury and Godiva. They wanted to demonstrate that chocolate quality also played a part in the increased brain function. In a blind study, subjects were divided into four groups. Group A received Godiva chocolate, at $25 per pound the most expensive chocolate; Group B received Cadbury chocolate ($6/LB); Group C received Lowney s ($2/lb); Group D received carob, a naturally occurring chocolate substitute. The results were conclusive: MRI testing showed higher levels of brain function in all subjects consuming a minimum of one ounce of chocolate per hour, and better quality chocolate resulted in more increased brain function for longer periods than lesser quality chocolate (Cadbury and Godiva 39). The subjects who ate carob actually showed a decrease in brain function: MRI

16 student s last name 3 testing showed sluggish responses and brain activity in the green and blue range (Cadbury and Godiva 45). At the same time that Cadbury and Godiva were conducting their chocolate MRI testing, the Nestlé Company was conducting its own experiments. Nestlé s theory that moderately priced chocolate could result in the same improved brain function as higher-end chocolates was based upon serotonin testing. Again, subjects were given chocolate of varying price and quality, only in this experiment, blood was drawn directly from the cerebral cortex of the subjects. Nestlé was careful to make the study a totally blind one: neither subjects nor researchers knew who consumed which type of chocolate. The results were mixed: all serotonin levels showed an increase, but, with the results within.003 micrograms of each other, it was impossible for Nestlé to prove its theory. Nestlé quickly dropped the study ( Pamplet #33 3). It seems clear that the biochemical benefits of chocolate consumption outweigh the risks. Weight gain, increased cavities, and pimples are small and curable prices to pay for higher test scores. In 1996 our own school conducted experiments with chocolate consumption and SAT scores. Half the junior class was allowed to eat chocolate before and during their SAT testing. The other half was not. The results were impressive: in the chocolate consumption group, scores averaged 1432, while in the non-chocolate consumption group, the scores averaged 1267 (Williams). Mrs. Rosalie Williams, MCI s Director of Studies, noted: We ve never had such a marked difference in an alphabetical division of the junior class (Williams). The science department expressed some doubt, so the experiment was conducted a second time with the opposite half of the alphabet consuming chocolate during the test and the former chocolate consumers being denied chocolate. The results were that the half consuming chocolate had an

17 student s last name 4 average score of 1429; those not consuming chocolate scored an average of 1284 (Williams). Even taking into account the changes in scoring through testing conditions, it seems clear that the consumption of chocolate provides a benefit to students. At the Ghirardelli Laboratory for the Advanced Study of Chocolate, experiments over the last five years show incontestable evidence that chocolate increases cognitive ability. A volunteer group of 6 th graders has been divided randomly into three groups and tracked over three years of public education. Group A was the placebo group consuming a chocolate substitute which had the taste, smell, and texture of chocolate without any of the biochemical effects. Group A earned an average grade of 78 over three years of the study. Group B ate premium chocolate and earned an average grade of 93, while Group C ate bargain chocolate and earned an average grade of 84 (Ghirardelli 6). There is no current legislation to adequately and fairly distribute chocolate to students. Most schools are ignorant of the positive biochemical effects of chocolate as it relates to learning. All schools should be including, at the very least, chocolate as part of a balanced school lunch program. Equal access to high quality chocolate is also an issue. Schools wanting their students to achieve high test scores must include the regular consumption (minimum of one ounce/hour) of premium chocolate for each student. Legislatures at local and national levels must be lobbied to immediately draft and pass legislation which makes quality chocolate available to every American student. Schools must also alter rules regarding the consumption of chocolate during class time. There is plenty of documented scientific research showing actual changes in the brain and in serotonin levels to make chocolate consumption a standard part of every school day in every

18 Student s last name 5 school. Cadbury and Godiva conclude their study by saying: Clearly premium chocolate consumption offers every individual the opportunity to work to his full potential (76). Nestlé dropped its study because the results of its tests did not support an increase in market share ( Pamphlet #34 8). At a time when our government is requiring that no child be left behind, we must provide each child with quality chocolate.

19 Student s last name 6 Works Cited Cadbury, Samuel and Elizabeth Godiva. Chocolate Experiment #27. Lancet 23 (1997). Newsbank. Web. 23 Nov. 2002. Freud, Sigmund. Lies My Mother Told Me. Vienna: Psychoanalytic Books Inc., 1988. Print. Ghiradelli, Gionfranco. Chocolate Secrets. San Francisco: Alliance Press, 2003. Print. Nestlé Research Group. Company Pamphlet 33. Geneva: Nestlé Press, 2001. ---. Company Pamphlet 34. Geneva: Nestlé Press, 2002. Print. Pavlov, Pascha. Training Children Is Like Training Dogs. Moscow: Czar Press, 1902. Print. Skor, Bertha. Effects of Chocolate on Brain Function. American Biochemical Journal 243 (1987): 225-263. Academic Search Premiere. EBSCO. Web. 26 Oct. 2002. Snicker, Arnold. Chocolate and Students. New York: Harcourt. 2001. Print. Williams, Rosalie. Personal Interview. 22 Oct. 1997. Notice that works cited are arranged alphabetically by author, not grouped by type of source. Remember that this essay is fictitious. The Humanities Department takes no responsibility for the development of cavities, increased weight, or hyperactivity of any who would follow this thesis.