Research Paper Information
Famous Person
Point Values:
100 POINTS
100 POINTS
200 POINTS TOTAL!
Guidelines and Focus Correction Areas:
Point Values:
100 POINTS
- checkpoints or min-deadlines that you will be required to meet throughout the writing process will be worth points
- things due on a certain date MUST be brought to class with you in order to be on time.
100 POINTS
- the finished, revised copy of the research paper
- MUST follow all guidelines
200 POINTS TOTAL!
Guidelines and Focus Correction Areas:
- Every student's topic must be teacher approved.
- Completed essay must be 2-3 pages (This means that it must fill up TWO complete pages or go on to a third.)
- It must be typed, double-spaced, in Times New Roman size 12 font
- one-inch margins all around
- minimum of four sources (keep in mind wikis are NOT reliable resources)
Helpful Websites:
Guide to Your Research:
- What do you know of the person's childhood? (when and where born, family members, school info?)
- What were some of his/her accomplishments? (What makes him/her famous? Is he/she known for anything else?
- Did the person face any personal challenges during his/her life? (If so, what were they and how did he/she overcome them?)
- (If the person is no longer alive, how did he/she die?)
Research Suggestions:
William Shakespeare Paul McCartney Michelangelo
John F. Kennedy Walt Disney Vincent Van Gogh
Leonardo Da Vinci Mark Twain Dr. Deuss
George Washington Mohammad Ali Ludwig van Beethoven
Christopher Columbus Thomas Edison Helen Keller
Albert Einstein George W. Bush Bill Clinton
Abraham Lincoln Madonna Tom Hanks
Napoleon Gandhi Neil Armstrong
Elvis Presley Marilyn Monroe Thomas Jefferson
Michael Jackson Isaac Newton Charles Dickens
Bill Gates Benjamin Franklin Houdini
Clint Eastwood Mother Teresa Dwight D. Eisenhower
Martin Luther King Alfred Hitchcock
Mozart Cleopatra
If you want to research someone not on the list, you must get approval first.
Source Cards
Why cite sources?
For important information on Plagiarism please see this very helpful website: http://plagiarism.org/
Online Sources: Source-sheet
Author(s) (Last name first)
Name of Page
Date of posting/revision
Name of institution/organization
Date of access
URL
MLA Work Cited:
Author(s). Name of Page. Date of Posting/Revision. Name of institution/ organization. Date of Access URL.
For additional help try one of these websites:
www.easybib.com
http://www.citationmachine.net/index2.php?reqstyleid=1&new&stylebox=1
- to avoid plagiarism
- to credit the source with the original idea or information
- to lend credibility and authority to a thesis
- to back up ideas with credible illustrations, known facts, and accepted statistics
For important information on Plagiarism please see this very helpful website: http://plagiarism.org/
Online Sources: Source-sheet
Author(s) (Last name first)
Name of Page
Date of posting/revision
Name of institution/organization
Date of access
URL
MLA Work Cited:
Author(s). Name of Page. Date of Posting/Revision. Name of institution/ organization. Date of Access URL.
For additional help try one of these websites:
www.easybib.com
http://www.citationmachine.net/index2.php?reqstyleid=1&new&stylebox=1
Works Cited Page
This will be the last page of the research paper. It tells the reader where you got the information.
Use your source cards to create.
Use your source cards to create.
- Put sources in alphabetical order.
- Remember to double space.
- Be careful of indentation ("hanging indent")
Note Cards
These help you but citations and facts into your paper correctly.
You will make a note card any tie you find a fact you want to use in your paper.
Every note card requires 4 items:
It is a good idea to include the correct way to cite the source in the essay (parenthetical).
You will make a note card any tie you find a fact you want to use in your paper.
Every note card requires 4 items:
- topic
- source #
- information (quoted directly or paraphrased)
- page where you found the information
It is a good idea to include the correct way to cite the source in the essay (parenthetical).
Outline
An outline is where you plan your essay. You are not actually writing the essay yet.
An outline should not have complete sentences. It should just be the key concepts to cover in the essay.
An outline should not have complete sentences. It should just be the key concepts to cover in the essay.
Rough Draft
A rough draft is your first attempt to write your essay. Don't focus too much on grammar at first. Get the ideas out and make sure the information is in a logical order. Keep in mind it is easier to take extra information out rather than try to find a place to squeeze new information in later.
Making Revisions
Carefully read over your essay and make adjustments. Take your time. It is a good idea to wait until the next day to read over your rough draft so you aren't reading what you THINK you wrote but what you actually WROTE.
Final Draft
PROOF READ your final draft before handing it in.
Helpful tips when writing your final copy:
Helpful tips when writing your final copy:
- Make sure it is double-spaced, Times New Roman size 12 font.
- Indent when starting a new paragraph. (Hit "tab" on the keyboard.)
- Round up to the nearest thousand when mentioning salary.
- Write out numbers 1-10. You may use numbers for others (such as salaries).
- Be sure to cite research IN TEXT as well as WORKS CITED PAGE.
- Avoid "you". (Try using "a person" or "one".)
- Avoid slang such as "stuff".
- Show don't tell! (DO NOT WRITE "I am going to tell you about..."!)
- Instead of just listing a huge list of skills needed, list a few important ones and EXPLAIN why they matter.