11th Grade American Literature Research Paper



11th Grade American Literature Research Paper-114300152400Mrs. Smith2013-201411th Grade American Literature Research Paper017526000As you know, American Literature traces the study of U.S. History through its literature in the hopes that students will begin to grasp the fundamental ideas that shaped and continue to mold the country today. Many individuals in history have had a major influence on America. You will have 2 options on the direction you would like to take with your research paper. Option 1: Pick an individual who has had a major impact on American or world events and research him or her, examining the significance of his or her role. Individuals listed below can be considered, as well as others not listed (however, you must clear any alternative topic choice with your teacher first). Please note -- some of the individuals listed below are controversial figures. Option 2: Choose one American author. You will gather biographical information that introduces significant events in the author’s life, discuss the literary movement of which he or she is a part, mention some of the works that made him or her famous, and include some of the literary criticism about the overall works of that particular author. A list of authors is included following this page.In AmericaMuhammad AliSusan B. AnthonyNeil ArmstrongArthur AsheClara BartonJohn BrownGeorge H. W. BushBarbara BushJimmy CarterCrazy HorseWalt DisneyDorothea DixFrederick DouglassW.E.B. DuBoisBob DylanAmelia EarhartBenjamin FranklinWilliam Lloyd GarrisonLou GehrigPatrick HenryThomas JeffersonSteve JobsLyndon B. JohnsonBarbara JordanChief JosephHelen KellerJohn F. KennedyBillie Jean KingMartin Luther King Jr.Abraham LincolnThurgood MarshallRichard NixonJacqueline Kennedy OnassisThomas PaineRosa ParksSister Helen PrejeanElvis PresleyRonald ReaganJackie RobinsonJohn D. RockefellerEleanor RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltSojourner TruthDr. Jonas SalkUpton SinclairElizabeth Cady StantonHarriet Beecher StoweHarriet TubmanAndy WarholBooker T. WashingtonGeorge WashingtonOrson WellesWoodrow WilsonAmerican AuthorsMark TwainAlice WalkerEdgar Allan PoeAnne BradstreetErnest HemingwayWashington IrvingWilliam FaulknerHarriet Beecher StoweF. Scott FitzgeraldAlice SeboldToni MorrisonMargaret MitchellNathaniel HawthorneTim O’BrienHerman MelvilleEudora WeltyMaya AngelouBarbara KingsolverWalt WhitmanLaura Ingalls WilderRalph Waldo EmersonJohn SteinbeckLangston HughesPat ConroyRay BradburyShirley JacksonFlannery O’ConnorStephen KingJ.D. SalingerLouisa May AlcottZora Neal HurstonHarper LeeTruman CapoteKurt VonnegutRobert FrostEmily DickinsonS.E. HintonEdith WhartonTennessee WilliamsJohn IrvingWilla CatherJack LondonSylvia PlathJohn UpdikeHenry David ThoreauT.S. EliotPearl S. BuckJudy BlumeKate ChopinNAME: _____________________ Period: ______11th Grade American Literature Research PaperDate DueAssignment pletedTuesday January 7Topic Chosen (write it here):Wednesday January 15Note Card Check #1 (at least 15 cards total)100 daily gradeFriday January 17Note Card Check #2 (at least 30 cards total)100 daily gradeWednesday January 22Controlling Idea [thesis statement] due (typed or neatly written in packet)100 daily gradeFriday, January 24Detailed Outline due (typed)100 quiz gradeFriday, February 7First Draft Due (typed with cover and works cited page – this should resemble a finished product) – First Draft must be resubmitted with Final Draft100 test gradeFriday,February 28Final Draft Due (typed with cover and works cited page – this sheet must be included as the last page). Hand in your first draft also.100 (2) test gradesAdditional InformationPLAGIARISM: A WarningPlagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty that robs the intellectual property of others. Plagiarism is NEVER acceptable. A research paper showing evidence of plagiarism will receive a grade of zero with no chance of raising the score, and a discipline referral . Remember – if you can find papers or passages to copy on the Internet, your teacher can find them, too.What is PlagiarismMany people think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's original ideas. However, terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense: According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" meansto steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own to use (another's production) without crediting the source to commit literary theft to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source. In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward. Can words and ideas really be stolen?According to U.S. law, the answer is yes. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property, and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some way (such as a book or a computer file). All of the following are considered plagiarism:turning in someone else's work as your own copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit failing to put a quotation in quotation marks giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not.Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent plagiarism. Source of the above information: Developing a Thesis Statement(Controlling Idea)The following examples show how to develop a thesis statement from a broad, general idea. Each step shows a further narrowing of the topic in order to arrive at a legitimate thesis statement.45720012065000BroadNarrow297180059690008001005969000Mark TwainHuckleberry FinnBiographical significance of the endingTHESIS: Huck’s departure at the end of the novel reflects Twain’s own dissatisfactionwith civilization.4572009779000BroadNarrow3314700368300010287003683000Public SchoolsLength of School YearPositive effect of long school yearTHESIS: An extended school year would have a positive effect on learning, studentattitudes toward school, and the retention of skills from year to year.WHAT A THESIS STATEMENT SHOULD NOT BE:1. A topic or subject by itself cannot serve as a thesis statement. That information tells what the paper is about, but not what you and your research have to say about it.2. A question cannot serve as a thesis statement because it is not a statement. A question merely says that an answer will follow. However, a question-and-answer pair can be a thesis statement.3. A general statement that lacks a detailed point of view cannot serve as a thesis statement. A general statement may give the reader background information but does not reflect your point of view.4. A “so what?” statement. This kind of thesis statement is too obvious (common knowledge) and demonstrates no originality of thought.WHAT A THESIS STATEMENT SHOULD BE:1. A complete sentence or two summarizing the point of view in your paper.2. A specific declaration of your main idea.3. A statement reflecting your position.EXAMPLES:THESIS: The Midwife’s Apprentice is a realistic interpretation of the Middle Ages, showing what life was really like for the common villager.THESIS: Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird we see Scout Finch mature as she becomes aware of the true nature of the people in her town.HINT: You write a thesis statement early to focus your attention – not that of your reader. Therefore, as you do your research, you may wish to modify your statement or radically change it (and perhaps you should). That’s okay, but you need to discuss a major change with your teacher.Your Thesis StatementFirst, Jot down your topic: Now, think about what it is about this topic that you want everyone to know, which they may not already know. Present this in the form of a statement that you can prove is true with your research. Remember, a thesis is not a general statement (so it is not common knowledge, i.e. the Earth is round).Using Quotes CorrectlyIn The Crucible John Proctor said, “I say – I say – God is dead!” (111).During the holocaust the Germans “committed unthinkable acts against humanity” (Price 26).“In search of a better life, Nelson Mandela strived for equal rights,” remarks Professor Jenkins (26).SAVE YOURSELF EXTRA WORK by……using one of the citation making cites provided on the school’s library website to format your Works Cited page. Research Paper Final Draft ExpectationsResearch Paper is typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, and a normal font type (Times New Roman is the best – this is the default font in Microsoft Word). Margins should be standard 1-inch margins. The Research Paper should look professional – not wrinkled, misprinted, or damagedYou should have a cover page with your NAME, DATE, CLASS PERIOD, and RESEARCH TOPIC. Feel free to add designs or art to the cover.Your research paper must be 4-5 typed pages total. This does NOT include the “Works Cited” page and the cover page. It should not exceed 8 pages.You must use quotations and proper MLA citation form. The majority of your paper should NOT be quotes, whether direct or indirect.You must include a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. This is where you list the sources you have cited in your writing. They are listed alphabetically. You must have at least 5 sources listed. At least one source must be a book.You MUST submit your TIMELINE CHECKLIST in order to receive credit on all of the checks. If you do not submit this form, you may only receive partial credit for the final draft.First Drafts – Your first draft will only be looked at if it is turned in on time. I highly advise you to submit a first draft, as I will be able to give you suggestions to improve your paper. If you do not submit a rough draft, you will lose receive a 0 for a test grade. There should be nothing “rough” about your first draft. It will be the first time I see it, but not the first time you have written it. I will NOT read your first draft word for word. I will skim your information and check your formatting.The first draft and the final draft must be uploaded to by the day they are due. Don’t fail to do this or you may not receive credit for your work. can help you avoid plagiarism! More specific instructions will be provided separate from this packet.Research Papers turned in late will lose 5 points every day.Printers that are out of ink or don’t work correctly will not constitute a legitimate excuse. Also, computers that fail will not be excused. Save your work often - on both your hard drive and a CD/floppy drive/flash drive. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!! ................
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