8th Grade Research Project

Product: A package which includes all the elements of the process for a research paper. You will not actually be writing a paper, but when you are done, you will feel as if you have. 

Task: Choose a topic that interests you and that has an issue or problem on which you can take a stand. Create an essential question to ponder and guide your research. Research topic thoroughly. Compile your findings/information in the form of an annotated bibliography. Develop an effective thesis statement. Demonstrate understanding of your topic by drawing conclusions and answering essential question.

Why should I write an annotated bibliography?

To learn about your topic: Writing an annotated bibliography isexcellent preparation for a research project. Just collecting sources for a bibliography is useful, but when you have to write annotations for each source, you're forced to read each source more carefully. You begin to read more critically instead of just collecting information. At the professional level, annotated bibliographies allow you to see what has been done in the text and where your own research or scholarship can fit. To help you formulate a thesis: Every good research paper is an argument. The purpose of research is to state and support a thesis. So a very important part of research is developing a thesis that is debatable, interesting, and current. Writing an annotated bibliography can help you gain a good perspective on what is being said about your topic. By reading and responding to a variety of sources on a topic, you'll start to see what the issues are, what people are arguing about, and you'll then be able to develop your own point of view.

Required Elements

  1. Essential Question10 pts
  • Focuses on the topic
  • Is researchable -neither too narrow nor too broad in scope
  • Is not biased
  • When answered, takes a stand
  1. Annotated Bibliography50 pts
  • Compose ______annotated bibliographies (number of sources)
  • Use a variety of sources: at least ______different types of sources with at least ___periodical source which was originally in print
  • Each annotated bibliography as separate page
  • Source type centered on page as title with the word Reference following
  • Begin with correctly formatted (according to MLA guidelines) bibliographical entry
  • Entries will summarize, -including main idea(s) and critical details- assess, and reflect on the source as directed
  1. Thesis Statement10 pts
  • A single declarative sentence.
  • Includes the topic, position, and rationale
  • Has a confident tone and is effective (does not contain auxiliary verb)
  • Answers the essential question and “hints” at the reasons why
  • Takes a stand
  1. Drawing Conclusions - Paragraph30 pts
  • Between _____ sentences
  • Demonstrates understanding of topic
  • Effectively answers essential question by supporting thesis statement
  • Clearly organized
  • Demonstrates unity and coherence

Therefore, an annotated bibliography includes a summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources.

  • Summarize: The first thing you need to do is summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of and information in your sources will determine how detailed your summary is.

You are to do this for all of your sources.

  • Assess: After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source? Who is the author? Is he/she qualified in this subject?

You are to do this for _____ out of _____ sources.

  • Reflect: Once you've summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic? Is it too scholarly or not scholarly enough? Is it too broad (general) or too narrow (specific)?

You are to do this for _____ out of _____ sources.

Format:

The bibliographic information: The bibliographic information of the source (the title, author, publisher, date, etc.) is written in either MLA or APA format. We will be using MLA. Further directions can be found on the internet under MLA citing. Be sure to follow exactly. If you choose to use Easy Bib, be sure it is using MLA format.

The annotations: The annotations for each source are written in paragraph form. The lengths of the annotations can vary significantly from a couple of sentences to a couple of pages. The length will depend on the purpose. If you're just writing summaries of your sources, the annotations may not be very long. However, if you are writing an extensive analysis of each source, you'll need more space.