Pop Culture Research Paper

Many of you have heard of the Junior Research Paper. You will be doing something slightly different. You will be writing a researched argument based on our work with synthesis papers that is focused on a general, educated audience. This will be a bit longer than your pop culture synthesis essay and require that you find and use credible outside sources. We’re going to do all of this BEFORE the end of May. (“Whew! You’ve GOT to be crazy, Mr. Giddings!” I can hear you saying it in your heads. Nah, if I were crazy, we’d read these papers at the next school board meeting while dancing around a May Pole juggling small woodland creatures. Thank God, I’m not crazy!)

Your assignment is to write a researched response to prompt #3 from the Entering the Conversation section on page 787 of your textbooks. Since we spent half an hour discussing that prompt on Monday, I'm a bit concerned that some of you didn't know what the paper was about.

Requirements

• 1200 words long 
• Full MLA format (see MLA OWL link to sample pages on the blog) 
• Use at least three sources from the conversation section that corresponds to your topic 
• Use at least 2 outside sources – acceptable sources include: 
• Books (Google Books okay)
• Reputable periodicals such as Harpers, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Seattle Times, etc. 
• Any ProQuest resource (see here for the login info) 
• Other essays from our book outside the pop culture conversation section
• The Merchants of Cool
• Interviews with knowledgeable individuals
• Many websites are questionable sources and Wikipedia is verboten. 

Due June 3, 2011

These papers will graded with the concerns of the AP synthesis rubric in mind, though since this is not a rough draft an increased emphasis will be placed on format and conventions.

For the article about the brain and persuasion we discussed the other day, click here.

Research Papers

Hey everyone.  The research papers turned out pretty well.  The average was higher than any other paper we've done this semester.  :)  Nice work over all.

Cloudy and gray

Looks like today is a GREAT day to work on those papers!!  :)

Paper and the weekend

As you finish your papers this weekend, remember the resources linked from this post.  There are links to formatting notes at OWL and on the blog.  There is a sample paper and a veritable plethora of resources!

Hopefully you all got enough done this week that you can get out in the sun this weekend too.

Please, though, do both of us a favor and don't leave your paper until Sunday night --I'm as little interested in reading poor papers as you are in getting a poor grade on that poor paper!  :)

Enjoy your 3-day weekend!

Synthesis Papers

This is a blatent republishing of an April 24th post.  We have Wednesday as a writing day in the computer lab next week, but let's get working on it BEFORE then.  You should have been reading articles in the conversation section of the question you chose and possibly in the broader section as well.

Format and assignment information below:

Remember that Easybib and MLA at OWL are your friends.  Scroll down to the bottom of the MLA at OWL site for various topics concerning formatting your paper.  See especially In-Text Citations: The Basics and In-Text Citations: Author-Page Style.

Follow this link for further resources for writing and formatting your paper:

• Research Paper Resources (Nice collection including a research paper format example and the assignment sheet -- follow this link)

Gender, Sports, Technology! Oh my!

Oh and community or immigration too. 

So look over the research paper assignment sheet and see what question appeals to you the most.  Make sure to take a peek at the essays in the conversation section that corresponds to that question as those sources may inform your decision.  The assignment sheet is the first link on this page.

Synthesis Paper Notes

Good luck on your papers this weekend.  Remember that Easybib and MLA at OWL are your friends.  Scroll down to the bottom of the MLA at OWL site for various topics concerning formatting your paper.  See especially In-Text Citations: The Basics and In-Text Citations: Author-Page Style.

Here are further resources for writing and formatting your paper:

• Research Paper Resources (including the research paper format example)


• Research Paper Format Example

Have a good weekend!

Sprint to the Finish!

Well folks, the AP test is done! But alas, our week-long break has come to an end. We are going to be cramming the last two units of Junior English into the final month of school. Because of this insane schedule, I've mapped out most of what we will do for you in the attached files. Click on the calendar thumbnail for May and June. Then the first document has the F451 assignments, the second is the Junior Research Paper packet, the third is an example of the format that paper should take, and the last is a flowchart of the research process. We will talk about all of this on Monday and then, as you can see, we run like crazy.

1. 451-assignments-2008-ap-juniors.pdf


2. junior-english-research-paper.pdf


3. research-paper-format-example.pdf


4. research-process.pdf

P.S. You may be wondering what we will be doing with Gatsby other than talking. Well we are going through it so fast that we'll confine our work primarily to reading, class discussion and in-class activities. Gatsby, along with many other things, will make a prominent appearance on the final.

P.P.S. Most, if not all, of the dates on the calendar above are subject to change at my whimsy and the seeming caprice of school activities.