Sunday, November 8, 2009
Final Presentation.
So, here is some info about your final presentation. You do not have to use this exact order. Nor do you have to include all of this information; these are merely guidelines.
-5-7 minutes in length.
-You can use notes, but do not just read from a paper.
-Tell us why you chose your topic and why it's important.
-Tell us about your writing process.
-Tell us how you formulated your thesis statement.
-Summarize the main ideas in your paper. Give us examples.
-Tell us what sources you used, why you picked them, how they supported your argument, and how you knew they were reliable sources.
-Tell us anything else you think we should know in order to understand your project and its significance.
*The presentations will be on Dec. 8th and 10th. Sign up in class for a time slot.
-5-7 minutes in length.
-You can use notes, but do not just read from a paper.
-Tell us why you chose your topic and why it's important.
-Tell us about your writing process.
-Tell us how you formulated your thesis statement.
-Summarize the main ideas in your paper. Give us examples.
-Tell us what sources you used, why you picked them, how they supported your argument, and how you knew they were reliable sources.
-Tell us anything else you think we should know in order to understand your project and its significance.
*The presentations will be on Dec. 8th and 10th. Sign up in class for a time slot.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Annotated Bibliography.
Your final research paper requires an annotated bibliography. For this part of the assignment (Due. Nov. 12), you will list 5 sources and annotate each. The paper should have an MLA heading that includes your name, my name, the class, and date. Your title will be your research topic, then a colon, then the words "An Annotated Bibliography." For example:
"Stem Cell Research: An Annotated Bibliography"
Then you will begin your 5 entries. Each entry should be formatted according to MLA, which looks like this. The annotation under each entry should address two issues:
1. How the source is relevant to your thesis (how you will use the information in the source)
2. The quality and/or accuracy of the source
"Stem Cell Research: An Annotated Bibliography"
Then you will begin your 5 entries. Each entry should be formatted according to MLA, which looks like this. The annotation under each entry should address two issues:
1. How the source is relevant to your thesis (how you will use the information in the source)
2. The quality and/or accuracy of the source
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Characteristics of a Good Thesis Statement.
1. Contains stance, position
2. Supportable yet arguable (not something that everyone will agree with)
3. Contains some kind of reason
4. Something important is at stake
5. Simple, clear, concise, forceful
6. Specific
7. Not too broad, not too narrow (it won’t lead us to try to accomplish too much within the scope of the paper)
8. Not too factual
Final Research Paper.
For your final research paper, I want you to write about something that interests you. I am not giving you any topic or issue. However, if you would rather me give you a topic, you can use the Peter Singer assignment detailed below.
You are following the same guidelines you used for your synthesis paper, but a few requirements are different: This paper will be 5-7 pages and will require at least 5 sources. You can use one or more sources from your textbook, but only one source from your textbook can count toward your 5-source total. That means you will need to find and use at least 4 other sources. At least two of these sources must be a periodical (newspaper, magazine, or scholarly journal). At least one source must be from a book or anthology.
If you want to write an expansion of your Synthesis Paper as your Final Research Paper, you can do this, but you must write at least 8 pages total.
A few additional requirements:
-Annotated bibliography (worth 10% of the assignment) (Due Nov. 12) (We'll talk about this in class.)
-Peer review session (Dec. 3) (Your participation is optional, but you will receive 5 extra points for participating.) (Your attendance that day, however, is not optional.)
-E-mail me a draft of your thesis by Nov. 10th for approval. (This counts as part of your grade. It is also important for me to see that your research scope is adequate. Remember that you don't want a topic that is too broad, i.e. giraffes, and you don't want one too narrow, i.e. the color of giraffes' tongues in south eastern Nigeria--we'll talk about this in class.)
-Final paper is due Dec. 8th
-Presentations (which are graded as a separate assignment) will be on Dec. 8th and 10th.
**************************************************************
Possible topic you can use:
Read Peter Singer's Famine, Affluence, and Morality. Then write a paper in which you describe and support your opinion on the role of the US government in regard to foreign aid to impoverished countries. Your thesis should state your position, but doesn't necessarily have to include your solution. (See me if you are unsure of the difference between these two things). Your opening paragraphs should make clear the issue, the problem, key terms, how your paper will be organized (main points of your reasoning), and your thesis, among other things.
The purpose of this assignment is for you to survey the literature on this issue, and, through critical reading and thinking, develop your own well-reasoned, well-supported solution to the problem.
Requirements:
A successful paper will:
1.) Have well-supported and well-developed ideas.
2.) Be clear, focused, and unified.
3.) Use an engaging and appropriate style.
4.) Have a strong, clear thesis statement. This will guide the rest of your paper.
5.) Anticipate and respond to objections others will make to your argument.
6.) Progress from idea to idea in a logical manner.
7.) Have very few errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
You are following the same guidelines you used for your synthesis paper, but a few requirements are different: This paper will be 5-7 pages and will require at least 5 sources. You can use one or more sources from your textbook, but only one source from your textbook can count toward your 5-source total. That means you will need to find and use at least 4 other sources. At least two of these sources must be a periodical (newspaper, magazine, or scholarly journal). At least one source must be from a book or anthology.
If you want to write an expansion of your Synthesis Paper as your Final Research Paper, you can do this, but you must write at least 8 pages total.
A few additional requirements:
-Annotated bibliography (worth 10% of the assignment) (Due Nov. 12) (We'll talk about this in class.)
-Peer review session (Dec. 3) (Your participation is optional, but you will receive 5 extra points for participating.) (Your attendance that day, however, is not optional.)
-E-mail me a draft of your thesis by Nov. 10th for approval. (This counts as part of your grade. It is also important for me to see that your research scope is adequate. Remember that you don't want a topic that is too broad, i.e. giraffes, and you don't want one too narrow, i.e. the color of giraffes' tongues in south eastern Nigeria--we'll talk about this in class.)
-Final paper is due Dec. 8th
-Presentations (which are graded as a separate assignment) will be on Dec. 8th and 10th.
**************************************************************
Possible topic you can use:
Read Peter Singer's Famine, Affluence, and Morality. Then write a paper in which you describe and support your opinion on the role of the US government in regard to foreign aid to impoverished countries. Your thesis should state your position, but doesn't necessarily have to include your solution. (See me if you are unsure of the difference between these two things). Your opening paragraphs should make clear the issue, the problem, key terms, how your paper will be organized (main points of your reasoning), and your thesis, among other things.
The purpose of this assignment is for you to survey the literature on this issue, and, through critical reading and thinking, develop your own well-reasoned, well-supported solution to the problem.
Requirements:
- Refer to Singer's argument (citation required). Also, use at least four other sources. At least two of these sources must be a periodical (newspaper, magazine, or scholarly journal). At least one source must be from a book or anthology. There is an article by Garret Hardin (I'm sure you can find it on the Internet somewhere) that opposes Singer's position. Feel free to use this.
- Formulate and propose your own solution to the problem. Be sure to make it clear why you agree or disagree with Singer.
- Mention the role of the individual in your solution.
A successful paper will:
1.) Have well-supported and well-developed ideas.
2.) Be clear, focused, and unified.
3.) Use an engaging and appropriate style.
4.) Have a strong, clear thesis statement. This will guide the rest of your paper.
5.) Anticipate and respond to objections others will make to your argument.
6.) Progress from idea to idea in a logical manner.
7.) Have very few errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Examples of Specific Titles.
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