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= = =Welcome to Research and Writing!= Your goal in this class is to gain the skills to be able to create a quality, original research paper. We will take this one small step at a time. The steps that we will take are listed below. Check out the links on the right side of this page for a number of tools that you will use throughout the semester.

- Make sure that you choose the highest security/privacy settings so that only you can can edit your work, and viewing your work is by invitation only. || In-class || -Post your learning style inventory chart on your personal Wiki. [|Learning Style Inventory] If you answer the questions honestly, I can figure out the best way to teach you and you may learn a lot about yourself. || In-class || Why do people procrastinate? What are the consequences of "putting it off" ? What strategies can help you "get your butt in gear"? || - Explore this link, [|Procrastination: Ten Things to Know...], then: - Write a brief essay about your most common form of procrastination, the effect it has on you, and how it has burned you in the past. - This assignment should be typed, double-spaced, 12 font and posted below your learning styles inventory on your personal Wiki. - Be prepared for a quiz. Procrastination information from [|California Polytech Institute] Procrastination information from [|University of North Carolina]
 * **Step** || **The Big Question(s)/Idea(s)** || **Tasks'** || **Assessment Type** ||
 * 1 || What's a WIKI? || - Create your own personal Wiki, then post a link to it on the Student Wikis page. You will use this to collect and showcase your work for this class. It's also a great way to save your work so that you may access it from any computer.
 * 2 || What's Your Learning Style? || -Use the this link to access a website that allows you to look at your own learning style.
 * 3 || Getting Started:

Procrastination Cartoon #1 Procrastination Cartoon #2

Procrastination Lesson Plan Procrastination Graphic Organizer || Homework

Quiz ||
 * 4 || What's your topic? || The first step towards topic selection is to define the purpose of the essay that must be written. Your purpose can be:

- To persuade people to believe in something - To explain the impact or significance of a particular event


 * NO REPORTS**

//Whatever topic you choose must fit that purpose.//

i) Brain Storming After determining the purpose of your essay, write down some subjects that interest you. No matter what the purpose of your essay is, an endless number of topics will be suitable. You may also go through the following resources in order to brainstorm:

- Newspapers - Current periodicals - Internet - Current magazines - Recent articles - Television news

If you have trouble thinking of subjects, start by looking around you. Is there anything in your surroundings that interests you? Think about your life. What events have you lived through that might make for a good topic?

ii) Focusing

The next vital step to select an research paper topic is to focus and narrow down the idea. While brainstorming, you will come across general essay paper topics. Having decided your essay paper topic, you should analyze it critically to narrow it down in order to make it specific and manageable. iii) Do’s

The topic should present vast scope and chance to discover more and more about it. It should be a debatable issue or controversy. Your topic should provide you with a chance to be persuasive.

Your topic should be ARGUABLE, PROVABLE, and CONNECTED TO TODAY.

iv) Don’ts

Don’t choose a topic which does not have much information available about it, because you may land in trouble when you start collecting data and writing about it.

Don’t select a topic that is not worthy of research (we will discuss this in class).

Don’t pick a topic which is ordinary and worn out. || Homework/In-class || How can you tell if a website is a good source of information? || - Complete the following [|web-quest]. Have fun, but pay close attention to the criteria for evaluating internet sources because I will evaluate the sources that you choose for your research paper. || In-class || What's difference between a primary and a secondary source? || - Go to this link and complete the [|sources lesson]. By the end of the activities you should have a good idea of the differences between primary and secondary sources, as well as some skills for evaluating print sources. - Be prepared for a Quiz. || In-class
 * 5 || What is a //preliminary research question//? || [|Research Questions] Go to this link and complete the three exercises to help you develop good research questions. Then revise your three preliminary research questions. Post the completed answer sheet to your Wiki. || In-class/Homework ||
 * 6 || Evaluating Internet Sources:
 * 7 || Evaluating Print Sources:

Quiz

TEST || - You should be able to create thesis questions for topics that you are familiar with. This website can help you to [|develop your thesis] The next website is from a local college and may be even more helpful in [|developing a good thesis.] - The next two files are examples of good research papers that are properly formatted with solid theses. - Identify the thesis in the following essays. [|Faceless Teacher] [|Neanderthals] - For homework you will post two possible thesis statements for **YOUR TOPIC** to your wiki page.
 * 8 || What's your thesis? || - By the end of this lesson you should be able to identify the thesis statement in any good essay.

[|LInk to Skype chat] || In-class

Homework || Where do you find good articles for your research paper? || - Add [|Zotero] to Firefox. - Add Hyperwordto Firefox. -Check out [|EasyBib].
 * 9 || What is MLA?

- Define MLA - Find two articles related to your topic from each of the following databases: Google Scholar Marvel Opposing Viewpoints You can access Marvel and Opposing Viewpoints via the [|library]website. - Each article should be saved using Zotero or Easybib. -Post a bibliography to your wiki. || In-class,

Homework ||
 * 10 || Has anyone ever copied your work?

How and why **must** you cite your sources?

What is copyright, and is it important? || - [|University of Maine Farmington Writing Center] - [|USM Academic Integrity Policy] - [|Plagiarism at Yale University] -Quick Guide -Homework Using the links above, answer the following questions...//in your own words:// //Post your answers to your wiki, please.// 1. What is plagiarism? 2.Why is it important not to plagiarize? 3. What is the difference between plagiarism and copyright violation? 4. What are the consequences for plagiarism at Dirigo High School? 5. What are the consequences for Plagiarism in college? 6. How can you avoid plagiarism? Then, [|check this out]! || In-class

Homework || - You will paraphrase and summarize a student-generated story in class. - Post this to your Wiki. || In-class || - Note cards using Zotero - Generate a report using Zotero - Convert report to a PDF file
 * 11 || What is the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing? || [|https://mail.nvnet.org/~cooper_j/Plagiarism/]
 * 12 || Note cards: how should they be done and what's the point? || - Check out the old way of creating note cards.

- Homework: Using Zotero, take three of your best sources that are directly related to your topic, and:
 * 1) Create an abstract
 * 2) Enter notes
 * 3) Generate a report
 * 4) Convert your report to a PDF
 * 5) Post your report to your Wiki || In-class

Homework || What's the best way to make an outline? || - Here is how your note cards and outline work together.
 * 13 || Why make an outline?

Homework:
 * 1) Begin to review for a test by creating an outline/study guide of the topics covered in this course.
 * 2) Print a copy to have in class.
 * 3) Highlight the areas that you think you need me to review in class. || In-class

Homework || This test will be cumulative. In other words, it may be over anything or everything that we have covered so far in this course. Check out Jeopardy! || Test || You will participate in a group research project. Each group will search for evidence contributing to the answer of a single question, which will in turn contribute to deciphering the main question. In other words, each group will answer a question using as many primary sources as possible discovered on line. The answers to these questions will contribute to the answer of a larger/more broad question, in bold text below.
 * 14 || How much have you learned? || After one class period of review, it's time for a test!
 * 15 || Can you locate good primary sources? || HISTORY DETECTIVES - Name your agency.

The "Big Question":
 * What were** **the political, economic, and social conditions that led to political revolutions in the first global age?**

1. What was Simon Bolívar's vision of the Americas? 2. How was the relationship between population and land ownership one of the causes of the French Revolution? 3. Which revolutions were part of the chain reaction set off by Enlightenment ideas? 4. What ideas did Thomas Jefferson copy from John Locke?

borrowed from:Pearson Prentice-Hall, http://www.phschool.com/curriculum_support/brief_review/global_history/essay_questions/dbq5.cfm

Period 1 Post your evidence here. Period 2 Post your evidence here Period 4 Post your evidence here Period 6 Post your evidence here Period 8 Post your evidence here

CREATE AN OUTLINE AND WRITE APPROXIMATELY ONE TO TWO PAGES, 12 FONT, DOUBLE-SPACED. POST TO YOUR WIKI. TRY TO HAVE A THESIS AND THREE TO FIVE PARAGRAPHS.


 * //__THIS SHOULD BE MLA FORMATTED WITH PROPER SOURCE CITATION.__//** || In-class

Homework

The final product will be a project grade. || - Then in groups you will provide positive feedback to every member of another group. - Finally, you will make the necessary edits to your essay based upon the feedback that you received from your peers. || In-class
 * 16 || How can good, positive feedback from my peers help me improve my writing? || - In class you will post your essays from the above assignment in the discussion section of the link that corresponds with your class period.

Homework || - locate a minimum of three sources (books, journal articles, etc.) and enter the information into Zotero. - Update your wiki with a new Zotero report. Pay close attention to detail, please. || In-class ||
 * 17 || How can the library help me to build my bibliography? || We will go to the library, and you will:
 * 18 || How can you write a great introduction?

How can you capture the reader's attention? || - First, you need to open a pages document and choose the "Research Paper" template. - Edit the template information (i.e., name, course, title etc.) - Delete the template essay - Copy and paste your thesis to the page. Remember this should go at the end of the first paragraph. - Now, prepare to write your introduction. Check out the links below and study the introductions of the essays.

What makes an introduction good/memorable? Which of these papers has the best introduction, and why?



- Use your research links in zotero to explore your sources in order to write an interesting Introduction of at least five sentences.

- Break off into four groups - Copy and paste your first draft of your intro. to the correct discussion section of the pages in section #15. - Provide feedback for each member of another group. At the same time, you will receive feedback. - Considering your feedback received, make revisions to your Introduction and post it to your Wiki. || In-class
 * 1) Check spelling and grammar.
 * 2) Check for clarity: Are there words or phrases that need to be expanded, reworded or restated?
 * 3) Check for the hook: Does the introduction make you want to read more about this topic?
 * 4) Be polite and supportive
 * 5) Be clear about your recommendations.
 * 6) Try to provide specific instructions

Homework ||
 * 19 || How does zotero, your introduction, your bibliography and your outline all work together? || * Modify your notes in zotero to include [|parenthetical citation >]


 * Copy and paste your Bibliography to your paper


 * In class you will incorporate/consolidate all the information/notes that you have collected in Zotero in order to create and beef up your outline.


 * begin to convert the topics of your outline to topic sentences of future paragraphs


 * Post a revised draft of your paper on your wiki || In-class

Homework ||
 * 20 || It's finally time to write! || * Pull up both documents onto your browser.
 * Begin writing your paper.
 * Copy and paste topic sentences from your outline as needed.
 * Expand on your ideas.
 * Try to write with fluidity. (this is like half of a conversation with the reader)
 * Be sure to keep in mind all of the writing tips you have learned in this class and in your English classes || In-class ||
 * 21 || When is the first draft due? || * Blue Days - Wednesday December 22nd
 * White Days - Wednesday December 22nd ||  ||
 * 22 || When is the second draft due? || * Blue Days - Thursday January 13th
 * White Days - Thursday January 13th ||
 * 23 || When is the final draft due? || * Blue Days - Thursday January 20th
 * White Days - Thursday January 20th ||
 * 25 || How may I present my work?

What questions should my presentation answer? || * http://www.xtranormal.com/makemovies/ What is your topic? What is your thesis? What did you learn/discover from your research? What surprised you? What difficulties did you have during the process of writing this paper? What skills did you acquire during this process?
 * Keynote or PowerPoint
 * Poster
 * imovie

Due:
 * Blue Days - Thursday January 20th
 * White Days - Friday January 21st ||