6th Grade Current Events Opinion/Research Paper

Project Description

Assignment:

  1. Choose two current event topics of interest and write down your opinion on them.
  1. Ask Mrs. Eisberg to approve one of your topics.
  1. Find at least three articles on your topic. At least one must be from a database.
  1. Write an opinion paper (minimum of one page) discussing your opinion of your chosen current event. Use your three articles as sources for your paper, quoting or paraphrasing each article at least once.

Format of paper:

  1. Introduce the topic and your opinion
  2. Support your argument or opinion using information from your three articles. Provide at least three reasons you think you are right.
  3. Acknowledge opposing points of view (refute them if possible or provide a rebuttal to them).
  4. Conclusion: reaffirm your original claim.
  1. Write a Works Cited page that lists all three articles used in the paper. The citations must be in accurate MLA citation format. At least one of your sources must be from a database. You may not use easybib, bibme, or any citation generating website. You must type you citations using the directions given to you during our MLA citations unit.

Credible versus Non Credible Sources

Credible sources are ones the reader can trust. We trust that the author’s ideas are his or her own and can be backed up with evidence. When writing a research paper, doing research, or reading for background information, writers should ALWAYS use a credible source. Citing non- credible sources can damage a writer’s relationship with his or her readers. Keep in mind that the definition of a credible source depends on the audience, the topic, and the discipline.

Credible
Journals by authors respected and well- known in their specific fields
Websites from credible institutions like Mayo Clinic, Department of Justice, and University-affiliated institutions
Materials published in the last ten years (when more recent information is available)
Websites: The more information available, the more credible the website. There is a specific author, the audience is clear, the purpose is informative not biased, and the information is regularly updated. Also look for websites ending in .eduand .gov. / Non Credible
Blogs, facebook posts, or other self- authored sites
Research articles without citations
Websites with information not from an author or governmental department
Materials published over 15 years ago or have theories that are clearly out-of- date
Websites: There is not much information available. If the purpose is not informative but may have other motives, like to persuade, the site may not be credible. The website is not regularly updated or the author is unreliable.

Questions to ask when determining whether or not something is a credible source:

Who is the author? Is he or she known and respected in the specific field? Citing a speech from Martin Luther King Jr. on Civil Rights is usually a better choice than citing a speech from John Williams, who is an unknown person.

When was the material published? Typically, dated publications, from the 1990s and older, may have dated information, and more current information may be available. The exception for this is with primary sources, and primary versus secondary sources are discussed below. Biases can sometimes be masked. Look for over-generalized statements or authors writing for religious or political groups.

•What is the purpose of this source? When we find sources, we want to find clear and unbiased sources that give the facts. We don’t want opinions that aim to alter and persuade people’s views.

•How is this source proved? Does the publication have references and evidence to prove its point? If the publication just gives claims without support, it may not be the best source.

•Is this website from an organization or author I can trust? Websites from governmental agencies or institutions are most likely better resources than a website anyone can post to, like Wikipedia.

Sources for Current Events

Websites for News/Media/Current Events

How to Access Online Databases

World Book Online Databases

1. Go to

2. On the left under Databases, click on “World Book Web.”

3. Enlarge the screen by clicking the green button on the top left.

4. Enter the library card number: 29137005062085 and click “go.”

5. You will have access to 5 World Book products.

Jersey Clicks

  1. Log onto bccls.org
  2. Click on “Digital Collections” (in the dark blue bar)
  3. Select “Jersey Clicks”
  4. Choose a database that suits your needs
  5. If prompted, enter the library card number: 29137005062085

EBSCO: Click the link below

One Search

  1. Log onto destiny.nvnet.org
  2. Enter your search term(s) and press return. For example: dogs
  3. In the tabs on the top right, select “One Search”
  4. Next to “Searching Online Resources, click on “Get Results.”
  5. Click on “Show” next to the checkmark under the database(s) you’d like to use.
  6. Choose an article or articles from the list that suit your needs.

Creating a Works Cited Page

•Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper.

•Label the page Works Cited (do not italicize the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks) and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.

•Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.

•Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations.

MLA Citations for Newspaper Articles

Format:

Author’s last name, firstname. “Title of Article.”

Italicized Title of Newspaper Day Month Year of

Publication, edition: page number(s). Format.

Examples:

Brubaker, Bill. "New Health Center Targets County's

Uninsured Patients." Washington Post 24 May 2007:

LZ01. Print.

Krugman, Andrew. "Fear of Eating." New York Times 21 May

2007 late ed.: A1. Print.

MLA Citations for Webpages

Format:

Author’s last name, firstname. “Title of the work.” Italicized Title of

the Website. Name of Institution/Organization. Day, month and year

of publication (as available). Format. Day, month and year of

access.

Example:

"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow. Demand Media, n.d.

Web. 24 Feb. 2009.

CITING AN ARTICLE FROM AN ONLINE DATABASE

Format:

Author’s lastname, firstname. “Title of the article.”

Italized Title of Journal. Volume number. Issue (when

issuenumber is available). Day Month Year of

Publication: page range. Italicized Name of Database.

Format. Day Month Year when accessed.

Examples:

Junge, Wolfgang, and Nelson, Nathan. “Nature's Rotary

Electromotors.” Science. 29 Apr. 2005: 642-44. Science

Online. Web. 5 Mar. 2009.

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-

Century England.” Historical Journal. 50.1 (2007):

173-96. ProQuest. Web. 27 May 2009.

n.d. = no date

Notes:

a. Work cited pages should be alphabetized by the author’s last name.

b. Punctuation matters in citations, so be careful.

c. Alphabetize works with no known author by their title.

c. When you type a works cited page, all of the titles should be italicized.

d. Some materials do not provide all of the information requested by MLA. Do your best to make as complete of a citation as you can. Some information may be missing. If so, skip it and move on to the next requested piece of information.

Here is a sample of the first page of a paper in MLA style:

For more information: