Where Do We Begin?

Overview:  

Requirements  (What  you  need  for  your  paper)  √  

Topic  Ques1ons  (What  you  need  to  put  into  your  paper)  √    

Choices  (The  disasters  you  will  research)  √    

How  to  write  your  research  paper:  Follow  these  

instruc<ons  step-­‐by-­‐step!  

1.  Your  outline  should  be  wri;en  before  you  start  your  paper.  It  organizes  your  thoughts  and  creates  a  plan  so  you  know  how  your  paper  will  look.  

2.  Your  introduc1on  or  thesis  statement  tells  the  audience  what  you  will  explain  in  your  paper.  It  will  let  the  audience  know  what  to  expect  from  reading  your  paper.  

3.  You  are  required  to  use  a  minimum  of  three  sources.    You  must  have  at  least  one  book  ,  one  website,  and  one  encyclopedia  (online  or  book  format)  *No  wikipedia.org;  mtv.com;  or  youtube.com  unless  by  permission  of  Mrs.  Nuzzo  

 

 

Paraphrase!!!

“How do I QUOTE an author?” ¨  If  you  quote  an  author,  insert  

“quota2on  marks”  around  the  text  you  are  using.  

¨  At  the  end  of  the  quota2on,  parenthe<cal  nota<ons  are  needed.  

¨  Simply  write  the  quote  and  then  put  the  author’s  name  and  page  number:  

¨  (Williamson,  148)  ¨  You  will  cite  the  en2re  source  when  you  get  to  the  bibliography  page  of  your  paper.  

“I WILL NOT PLAGIARIZE I WILL PUT MY

PAPER INTO MY OWN WORDS.”

Source: _A Writer's Reference_ by Diana Hacker

A thesis statement can be:

¨ The answer to a question that you have posed

¨ The solution for a problem you have identified

¨ A statement that takes a position on a debatable topic

General Tips about Thesis Statements

¨  A statement that contains the essay’s topic and point(s) ¨  Gives the reader a sense of what the essay will be about ¨  Usually comes at the end of the introduction ¨  Most thesis statements are only one sentence ¨  Must be a complete sentence ¨  Everything in the essay must support the thesis. ¨  Introduction paragraph should follow this format:

¤  Attention getter (commonly known as a “hook”) ¤  Introduce the topic ¤  State the thesis

What are the Roles of a Thesis?

1. It can assert an argument, explain a topic, and/or analyze an issue.

2. It is specific in presenting the writer's position.

3. It limits both scope and topic of the paper.

4. It captures the reader's interest and focuses that interest on the topic.

Ways of Constructing Thesis Statements: The List (Essay Map)

¨  Contains essay’s topic, point, and three supporting reasons

¨  Example: “To reduce the number of highway fatalities [topic and point], our country needs [purpose=persuasive] to enforce the national law that designates twenty-one as the legal minimum age to drink, set up check points on major holidays, and take away licenses from convicted drunk drivers [three reasons].”

Ways of Constructing Thesis Statements: The Umbrella

¨  Contains essay’s topic, point, and alludes to reasons why the reader should believe you.

¨  Do not directly state the supporting reasons, but instead allude to them.

¨  Example: “Although thought to be humane and necessary, animal testing [topic] for medical and cosmetic purposes does not live up to it’s promises [point and reasons].”

¨  Do NOT use language like, “There are many reasons people don’t like chocolate ice cream.”

Thesis Don’ts ¨  Announce your thesis: “In this essay, I am

going to tell you about Mt. SAC college and why you should go there.” (Side note: Some instructors may encourage this type of statement, and always do what your instructor suggests)

¨  Confuse your reader: Just make sure that the topic and point are clear.

¨  Don’t be vague: Words like “good,” “bad,” “right,” and “wrong,” don’t convey specific meaning.

¨  Cannot be a question: “Don’t you think animal testing is inhumane?” ¤  Does not give the point of the paper. ¤  Leaves it open for readers to fill in the

blank.

Creating a Thesis Statement

1. Determine essay’s topic (what you’re talking about)

Example: Pixar’s film Up

2. Determine what kind of paper you are writing and what kind of thesis statement you need to use: analytical, persuasive, or expository. Example: Persuasive=It’s not really a “kid” movie.

3. Determine the way you will construct your thesis: list or umbrella?

4. Put it all together!

Example: Pixar’s most recent film, Up, should not be considered a “kid” movie because its character conflicts and main theme of loss are too complex for children to understand.

Example 1 Hollywood has a long history of producing adventure films, including everything from King Solomon’s Mines to Jurassic Park. Just as society has evolved, action films also have evolved, becoming more focused on visual effects than dialogue and emphasizing technology over storylines. The recent film Avatar is an excellent example of what is good and bad about modern adventure films. While Avatar has some obvious merits, there are also some significant flaws (such as.... Or flaws in...) Example 2 King Arthur established the Knights of the Round Table. Alfred the Great provided us with a clear history during the Dark Ages. Richard the Lion-Hearted led the Crusades. The infamous Henry VIII established a new religion, uniting church and state. James I gave us a version of the Bible nearly 400 years ago, and it is still widely used today. Victoria ruled for sixty-three years at the height of British power. Monarchs have ruled and influenced England for centuries; however, perhaps none was as singularly responsible for the country's development as Queen Elizabeth I. (instead of development be more specific)

Example 3 The term "sports" evokes many images: tennis, golf, basketball, baseball, football, and bowling, to name a few. During any of these friendly challenges of skill, one can witness players bouncing, hitting, passing, dribbling, throwing, or rolling a ball in order to score points. One sport exists, however, where the object is to deliver blows to the body of another in order to score points. This sport is boxing, a brutal exchange of hooks, swings, and jabs that may eventually knock one athlete unconscious. Because of injuries, short- and long-term neurological damage, and ring deaths, the rules of professional boxing should be changed. Example 4 We all get them. You may have one or many right now. Their name comes from Latin, and it means poison. They are not even truly alive, but they can certainly cause death. Viruses cause nearly one hundred diseases, yet most people do not understand exactly how they work in the human body. (how the affect the ___,______, and ________ in the body)

Bibliography or Works Cited Page

1.    At  the  end  of  your  paper  you  will  include  a  bibliography  or  works  cited  page.  

2.  This  gives  the  authors  of  your  sources  credit  for  their  work.  3.  www.easybib.com  

Works  Cited                  "BaIery."  Encyclopedia  Britannica.  1990.    "Best  BaIeries."  Consumer  Reports  Magazine  32  Dec.  1994:  71-­‐72.    Booth,  Steven  A.  "High-­‐Drain  Alkaline  AA-­‐BaIeries."  Popular  Electronics  62  Jan.  1999:  58.    Brain,  Marshall.  "How  BaIeries  Work."  howstuffworks.  1  Aug.  2006  <hIp://home.howstuffworks.com/baIery.htm>.    "Cells  and  BaIeries."  The  DK  Science  Encyclopedia.  1993.    Dell,  R.  M.,  and  D.  A.  J.  Rand.  Understanding  BaBeries.  Cambridge,  UK:  The  Royal  Society  of  Chemistry,  2001.      "Learning  Center."  Energizer.  Eveready  BaIery  Company,  Inc.  1  Aug.  2006  <hIp://www.energizer.com/learning/default.asp>.    "Learning  Centre."  Duracell.  The  GilleIe  Company.  31  July  2006  <hIp://www.duracell.com/au/main/pages/learning-­‐centre-­‐what-­‐is-­‐a-­‐baIery.asp>.  

Proofread, Proofread, & Proofread!!! 1.   Are  all  words  spelled  correctly?  (Use  a  paper  or  online  

dic1onary  is  unsure!)  

2.   Did  I  capitalize  the  beginning  of  each  sentence  and  all  proper  nouns?  

3.   Did  I  punctuate  correctly?  4.   Do  I  use  grammar  correctly?  

5.   Did  I  answer  all  of  the  topic  ques1ons,  and  fulfill  all  of  the  requirements  on  my  rubric.  

6.   Did  I  include  an  introduc1on  and  conclusion?  7.   Did  I  type  the  paper  using  the  correct  font  type,  size,  line  

spacing  and  margin  requirements?  

8.   Did  I  paraphrase  all  content?  9.   Did  I  use  parenthe1cal  nota1ons  for  quotes?  10.  Do  my  sentences  make  sense  when  read  aloud?  

11.  Have  I  had  my  paper  peer  edited?  

12.  Does  my  paper  flow  well?  

13.  Did  I  include  a  bibliography  page?  

Finished!!! You did it!!!