Starting Topic:The 3 greatest quarterbacks of all time are Brett Favre, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw.

For each part of your topic, write a few sentences explaining what you know already based on your previous knowledge and the background research you did.

Your Ideas vs. Source Ideas

We always want to keep clear which ideas are yours and which ideas belong to other people. Your ideas seem smarter when you find other people who back them up. So you never need to take someone else’s ideas and pretend they are your ideas. Instead, you want to use your sources to give support to your own ideas. Plagiarism isn’t just wrong, it’s foolish. A plagiarized paper is never as good as a paper that explains your own ideas and uses other people to support them. Using your own ideas makes the best argument.

Introduction

Idea for starting this paper: I could find a quotation about what it is like to be a quarterback—why the position is hard to play (introduction idea—this should get people interested in the topic—start with an interesting quote, a surprising fact, a mini-story, a statement that seems to contradict what we normally expect)

Thesis Statement

In this paper I will argue that Brett Favre, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw are the three greatest quarterbacks of all time. (sample thesis statement—this should explain what your paper is about and highlight the basic structure of your paper—so list the subtopics in the order you will discuss them)

Part 1

Brett Favre has been a starter in the National Football League for more consecutive games than any player in history. He also has won more games than anyone else and passed for more touchdowns. In addition, he won a Super Bowl. (sample paragraph listing information I already knew)

Part 2

Joe Montana—need something about how well he could see the field (eyes of the quarterback); Super Bowl wins; last second comebacks

Part 3

Terry Bradshaw—need information about the superbowls he won

Conclusion
Finish with a statement about the importance of the quarterback position and why these 3 quarterbacks stood out—what did they have in common?