Grade: 10 (Research Paper Task) Date:______

Grade: 10 (Research Paper Task) Date:______

Grade 10

Unit 2: Academic Writing (Introduction to Extended Essay)

Key Concept: Perspective

Related Concepts: Context, Purpose, Audience

Global Context: scientific and technical innovation

Statement of Inquiry:

By researching and reflecting on the different scientific and technical innovations that affect our life, a writer can analyze different perspectives and synthesize his or her own understanding to construct a piece of writing with a clear objective in an academic context.

ATL Focus:

Research- Information Literacy

Thinking- Critical Thinking

Student Name:______
Class: ______

Marking Grid (for teacher use only)

Criterion A: Analyzing
Criterion B: Organizing
Criterion D: Language Usage

Instructions:

· Read the rubrics to make sure you have a clear understanding of what is being assessed.

· Read the entire assignment before beginning your work.

· Do planning, to help organize your ideas.

· Stick to the due date and manage your time effectively.

· Rubrics:

0 / 1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 7-8
Criterion A: Analyzing / The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. / The student:
i. provides limited analysis of the content, context, language, structure, technique and style of text(s) and the relationship among texts
iii. rarely justifies opinions and ideas with examples or explanations; uses little or no terminology / The student:
i. provides adequate analysis of the content, context, language, structure, technique and style of text(s) and the relationship among texts
iii. justifies opinions and ideas with some examples and explanations, though this may not be consistent; uses some terminology / The student:
i. competently analyses the content, context, language, structure, technique, style of text(s) and the relationship among texts
iii. sufficiently justifies opinions and ideas with examples and explanations; uses accurate terminology / The student:
i. provides perceptive analysis of the content, context, language, structure, technique, style of text(s) and the relationship among texts
iii. gives detailed justification of opinions and ideas with a range of examples, and thorough explanations; uses accurate terminology
.
Criterion B: Organizing / The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. / The student:
ii. organizes opinions and ideas with a minimal degree of coherence and logic
iii. makes minimal use of referencing and formatting tools to create a presentation style that may not always be suitable to the context and intention. / The student:
ii. organizes opinions and ideas with some degree of coherence and logic
iii. makes adequate use of referencing and formatting tools to create a presentation style suitable to the context and intention. / The student:
ii. organizes opinions and ideas in a coherent and logical manner with ideas building on each other
iii. makes competent use of referencing and formatting tools to create a presentation style suitable to the context and intention. / The student:
ii. effectively organizes opinions and ideas in a sustained, coherent and logical manner with ideas building on each other in a sophisticated way
iii. makes excellent use of referencing and formatting tools to create an effective presentation style.
Criterion D: Using language / The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. / The student:
i. uses a limited range of appropriate vocabulary and forms of expression
iii. uses grammar, syntax and punctuation with limited accuracy; errors often hinder communication
iv. spells/writes and pronounces with limited accuracy; errors often hinder communication / The student:
i. uses an adequate range of appropriate vocabulary, sentence structures and forms of expression
iii. uses grammar, syntax and punctuation with some degree of accuracy; errors sometimes hinder communication
iv. spells/writes and pronounces with some degree of accuracy; errors sometimes hinder communication / The student:
i. uses a varied range of appropriate vocabulary, sentence structures and forms of expression competently
iii. uses grammar, syntax and punctuation with a considerable degree of accuracy; errors do not hinder effective communication
iv. spells/writes and pronounces with a considerable degree of accuracy; errors do not hinder effective communication
. / The student:
i. effectively uses a range of appropriate vocabulary, sentence structures and forms of expression
iii. uses grammar, syntax and punctuation with a high degree of accuracy; errors are minor and communication is effective
iv. spells/writes and pronounces with a high degree of accuracy; errors are minor and communication is effective

Research Terms

The following terms are used throughout this guide to refer to specific writing and research concepts. Please refer to this sheet if there are any questions throughout the research process.

Bibliographic Information: the address for your source. Author, title, publisher, date, etc. This information needs to be organized according to MLA style in the student’s works cited page.

Bibliography Cards (also known as source cards): contain the bibliographic information for one source. Students will complete a bibliography card for each of the sources they use. These cards should be placed in alphabetical order and number.

Categorizing: the process for sorting through and organizing the research note cards. For example, research papers can be categorized by cause/effect relationships, comparisons, persuasive appeals, problem/solution, qualities of an object, etc.

Commentary: specific opinions expressed by the student about each concrete detail. Commentary must be directly related to the concrete detail, must be specific, and must be focused upon

the overall topic of the paragraph in which it appears.

Conclusion: record of what has been discovered through the writing of the paper. A student’s conclusion should almost entirely consist of commentary and it should not repeat phrases and sentences found elsewhere in the paper.

Concrete Detail: a specific example used to support the topic sentence. It can be a quote, fact, statement, summary, paraphrase, or other illustration.

Controlling idea/ questions: the specific idea that the project is shaped around. In the final draft of the paper, the controlling idea changes into a thesis statement.

Drafting: the process of taking the research that has been done and writing it out in expository form.

Editing: the process of checking spelling, grammatical usage, and punctuation. Format: the physical parameters of the report. Spacing, punctuation, font size, and style are issues of format. The format for this paper must follow MLA guidelines. Format requirements are outlined later on in this packet.

MLA Style: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers specifically dines procedures and requirements for scholarly research. Most colleges and universities use MLA style in some capacity. MLA stands for Modern Language Association.

Paraphrase: recording the ideas found from a source in one’s own words. Paraphrases still must be documented in the works cited page and parenthetical citation. To do otherwise is to commit plagiarism.

Plagiarism: use of another person’s ideas, words, or opinions as if they were your own. Any undocumented information from a source is considered plagiarism. Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional. Students caught plagiarizing will fail the assignment and be subject to the progression of consequences outlined in the student handbook.

Quotation: recording ideas found in a source and writing them with the original text. Quotations must be surrounded by quotation marks.

Revising: the process of changing the structure and ideas in a paper.

Thesis: the articulated point of your essay. The thesis expresses your opinion about the topic and states what your essay is seeking to prove.

Topic Sentence: a sentence that clearly defines the point of a specific paragraph. Each body paragraph needs to begin with a topic sentence. The topic sentence relates directly to and supports the thesis statement.

Transitional expressions: words that are used to provide organizational structure to an essay. They connect ideas and topics in as smooth a manner as possible.

Research Paper Checklist

Topic Selection: ______Due:______

Controlling Idea: ______

______

______Due: ______

Bibliography Cards Due: ______

Note cards or Notes Due: ______

Thesis Statement: ______

______

______Due: ______

Outline Due: ______

Works Cited Due: ______

Rough Draft Due: ______

Final Draft Due: ______

GOALS OF RESEARCH

1. To foster intellectual curiosity

2. To develop researchable questions

3. To become a discerning reader of information

4. To determine the validity and relevancy of sources

5. To credit sources accurately

WHAT IS A RESEARCH PAPER?

Format

Please use MLA format. This includes all of the following:

· 12-point font in a traditional font style such as Arial or Times New Roman

· Double-spaced

· 1” margins all around

Include a cover sheet with the following information:

· Title of Paper

· Your Fabulous Name

Ms. /Mr. English Teacher

Research Project Overview

A research paper is a document in which you prove or defend a thesis with the opinions, ideas, facts, and/or statements of others.

Writing a research paper is one of the most important skills you will learn in the English classroom because the research process is one you will implement continually in high school, in college, and possibly in your chosen profession. You will now use your skills which you have learned and create an essay of 800 – 1000 words in which you discuss one of the research prompts below or create your own research proposal on a global issue which you feel passionately about. This needs to be solely based on research and is not an essay in which you discuss your own opinion. Everything that you discuss in this essay needs to be justified by solid research that you have done.

Students will develop writing that demonstrates a command of writing skills in English as well as research, organization, and drafting strategies. Students should select a specific topic that has a “provable” component to it. Do not create a report that solely gives information on a topic. Pick a topic from the given list and prove something specific in regards to impact and/or significance.

Here are some questions to consider:

How has the topic changed the way we think?

How has the topic changed the way we act?

How has the topic changed the way we live?

Writing Prompt

Optional Research Prompts:

Prompt #1:

In many ways technology has made life easier; however, parents, teachers, and administrators warn that the use of electronic devices (not limited to cell phones and laptops) in schools may have a negative effect on a student’s education.

Assignment:

Read the writing prompt carefully and then, in a paper, develop a position about whether you agree, disagree, or partly agree that using electronic devices in the classroom harms a student’s education in any way.

Prompt #2:

In many ways social networking (Facebook, texting, email, Twitter, blogs, etc.) has become the preferred means of modern communication. Critics maintain that the art of more formal communication (written and oral) has declined exponentially. Others claim that irreparable harm has been done to individuals because of social networking.

Assignment: Read the writing prompt carefully and then, in a paper, develop a position about whether the benefits of social networking outweigh the negative opportunities made available through this technology.