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Unsolved Mysteries Research ProjectIn one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, Sherlock Holmes tells his sidekick Watson, “You know my method. It is founded on the observance of trifles.” Indeed, writing a research paper is much the same. You are asked to sift through materials in order to reach some conclusion about the research you find. The most interesting research projects are those that require you to really dig for information, rather than find everything you need in one resource. For this assignment you are asked to choose an unsolved mystery from the provided list (or another teacher-approved mystery of your choice), research and gather many pieces of information about your topic, and use that information to conclusively solve that mystery in a coherent, logical, well-written essay.The Process:Conduct pre-research and select topic: Figure out which unsolved mystery you would like to focus on by doing some pre-research. Is there enough information to be able to complete a project about your choice? Once you have decided upon a topic, get it approved by Dr.Bogdanich. You are not limited to the list provided, but your choice must be approved before you can move forward. Only one student per topic. Research, evaluate, and print credible sources: Research the facts and leading theories of your unsolved mystery. Once you find a possible source, first complete the source evaluation checklist. If you deem the source credible and relevant to your topic, print the resource (before or after school, or at lunch in the Media Center, so you might need to create a Google Doc with links so that you can print later). Complete a Summary & Synthesis sheet for each source: On this handout, you will complete the works cited entry for the source as well as summarize the source’s 3-5 main points and synthesize how the source will inform your research. Organize and analyze: In all unsolved mysteries, there are theories by ‘experts’ as to the mystery’s solution. Begin to organize your research around these various theories. Then, analyze the various theories. Form your own opinion about each theory; think critically and support your answers with evidence from your research. This can be done through annotation on the printed sources themselves and then on the prewriting organizer. Your analysis at this stage needn’t be anything too formal but should ultimately guide you to the next step and then drafting the essay. Propose a solution to your unsolved mystery based upon your research in the form of a thesis statement: The solution can either explain which theory best accounts for the facts or propose an entirely new interpretation. Keep in mind that just because you are offering your opinion does not mean that you should use “I” in the essay. You need to remain objective as a researcher, and using “I’ weakens what you have to say. Also, refrain from using other first and second person pronouns (me, you, us we, etc.). Your thesis statement needs to be written on the prewriting organizer and then approved before you can move onto the next step.Outline: Think about how you want to present your research and outline accordingly. Once complete, have Dr.Bogdanich check off this step. Draft: Begin typing your five page research paper that proves the solution to the mystery. Be sure to include MLA in-text parenthetical citations as well as a Works Cited page. Once complete, have Dr.Bogdanich check off this step. Polish: Complete a writing checklist and self-guided revision of your draft. Once complete, make necessary changes to your final draft before submitting the entire project. Requirements:Length—minimum of five pages.Sources—include a minimum of five sources on your Works Cited page. These sources can include database articles, magazine and newspaper articles, books, or credible websites. No Wikipedia. Format—MLA for parenthetical documentation and Works Cited page.Unsolved Mysteries Research Project Deadline CalendarDue Date (Dates subject to change)Check When CompleteTopic Selected and ApprovedFriday, December 1stResource #1 with Summary & SynthesisTuesday, December 5th Resource #2 ?with Summary & SynthesisWednesday, December 6th Resource #3 with Summary & SynthesisFriday, December 8th Resource #4 with Summary & SynthesisMonday, December 11th Resource #5 with Summary & SynthesisTuesday, December 12th Prewriting Organizer (and Thesis Statement)Wednesday, December 13th OutlineThursday, January 4th Rough DraftTBD Final DraftTBDFinal Topic Selection:_______________________________________________________________________Research Question (This should be a specific question about your topic to guide you throughout the entire research process. Your answer to this question will ultimately formulate your thesis statement): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A Note about Works Cited Entries: Make sure you are using MLA 8. A helpful online resource is OWL Purdue: sources will have a “Cite” icon in which you can copy and paste this information directly onto your works cited page. Just make sure to double check that the information does not add or omit anything so that the citation is in MLA 8. If you use an online citation generator, is the most accurate (just be sure to choose MLA 8 AND check it against the OWL Purdue website information.) ................
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