Ms. Arnold English III Junior Research Paper The moment you have ...

Ms. Arnold
English III
Junior Research Paper
The moment you have all been waiting for has finally come…no, not Spring
Break, it’s Research Paper time!!! All of the requirements and due dates are
included in this document, so DO NOT LOSE THIS! Our work on the research paper
will begin on February 6 th , and the final papers will be due on April 18 th .
Your research assignment this year is as follows:
1. You have already chosen a memoir and finished reading it, so the first step
has been completed.
2. Your next step will be to choose a topic to research that is related to your
memoir. You will have two days in the MMC to begin this process. Examples
of topics might include child abuse, Asperger’s Syndrome, or life in the
Appalachian Mountains during a specific time period. As long as the topic is
covered in your memoir, it is fair game. You will have to submit your topics
for approval, though, and I will be available to answer questions as you are
making your selections.
3. Once you have researched your topic, you will develop a thesis statement that
concentrates on how realistically the author of your memoir has portrayed this
topic.
4. Finally, you will write an eight (8) page paper in which you prove your thesis
by discussing your memoir and your research.
Requirements:
Your paper must be 8 pages long and written using standard MLA format. The
best source of information for your MLA questions is
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ .
Notes on your research will be submitted on either note cards or note sheets.
You will need 6-8 sources, of which 3 must be books. The other 3-5 sources
may be online sources. (Yes, your memoir is one of your sources, so you only
need two more books!!!)
You will also submit a thesis statement, an outline, and a rough draft.

I will make extensive comments on the rough draft, and you should take these
comments into account when you write your final draft. Your final paper will
be graded with a rubric and will contain very few comments outside of the
rubric. I find it much more helpful to give you the feedback when you can
actually use it to improve your paper.
Due Dates:
2/8: Choice of topic must be submitted and approved. We will be in the
computer lab on 2/6 and 2/8, and you will have the entire block to
research your topics.
2/24: Note cards or note sheets are due.
2/24: Thesis must be submitted and approved.
3/9: Outline is due.
3/23: Rough draft is due.
4/18: Final draft is due.
The note cards/sheets and outline will be graded as quizzes.
The final paper will be graded as a test/project worth 200 points.
As you all know, I am available in the mornings and during co-curricular, and I can
be reached by email at any time, so if you have questions, please ask them!