Molly Oberhausen, Writing a Research Paper

Transcription

1 Writing a Research Paper

2 Table of Contents

3 Step 1: Choose a Topic

4 What topic would you like to research? This will be the title of your research paper. Ancient Egypt Baseball Space Exploration

5 Title of Research Paper:

6 Step 2: Find Information

7 Attach a copy of your Wikipedia article you looked up to this page:

8 What is the first letter of your topic? Attach a copy of the Encyclopedia article you copied for this topic.

9 Which book did you choose to use for your research topic? Morris, Neil The Atlas of Ancient Egypt. Chicago: Peter Bedrick Books, Broekel, Ray, A New True Book: Baseball, New York: Children s Press Inc., Becklake, Sue Space: Stars, Planets and Spacecrafti. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1991.

10 Step 3: Write a Thesis Statement

11 A thesis statement states the main idea of your research project. Choose the thesis statement that best does this for your paper. 1) Exploring space leads us to discover many amazing things. 2) Baseball is a sport many people enjoy playing and watching 3) Ancient Egypt was a fascinating place with amazing traditions, art and culture.

12 Step 4: Make an Outline

13 An introductory statement starts you paper off and gets readers interested in your topic. Choose an introductory statement for your research paper. 1) People have been exploring space since the beginning of civilization. 2) Many different scientists have become fascinated with Ancient Egypt 3) Baseball is a summer tradition for many Americans.

14 Main topics are the primary things you want to talk about in your paper. Cut out three main topics for your research paper. 1) Baseball is a sport played outside in the summer. 1) Ancient Egypt had amazing art. 1) Astronauts have gone to space to make discoveries.. 2) People look at the stars through telescopes to find out about space. 2) Ancient Egypt had a fascinating cultural heritage. 2) Many fans enjoy watching baseball. 3) Many kids get their start playing baseball in Little League teams. 3) Many discoveries made by looking into space help us everyday. 3) Many architectural masterpieces were created in Ancient Egypt.

15 Conclusion sentences sum up your paper and remind the reader of what they have read. Choose a conclusion sentence for your research paper. When looking at Ancient Egypt s contributions to the world, it is easy to see why so many people remain fascinated with them so many years later. Baseball players work hard from a very young age to learn the skills, this is appreciated by the millions of fans that come out every summer to watch them play. Exploration of space by searching the stars or even going up in a rocket to explore the solar system has led to many amazing discoveries over the years.

16 Outline Thesis Statement: Introductory Sentence: Three Main Topics: Conclusion Sentence

17 Step 5: Organize Your Notes

18 Now you will organize the information that you have received from your sources. It is important when you write a first draft that you use sources to say where your ideas came from. In a research paper you are writing about facts, not about your ideas or opinions. In the next few pages you will look at each of your main topics and then choose 3 supporting sentences for that topic from each source you have (Wikipedia, World Book Encyclopedia and your book).

19 Main Topic #1: (copy from outline) 3 Supporting Sentences:

20 Look at these three sentences from your Wikipedia article and pick the one that most accurately goes with your main topic number one from your outline and cut it out. 1) Because of the rigid rules that governed its highly stylized and symbolic appearance, ancient Egyptian art served its political and religious purposes with precision and clarity 1) Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. 1) Earth's Moon was the first celestial body to be the object of space exploration. *Pictures were taken from the open source pictures on Wikipedia.com

21 Look at these three sentences from your book and pick the one that most accurately goes with your main topic number one from your outline and cut it out. 3) There were six trips to the moon between 1969 and ) A baseball field is shaped like a diamond, at each corner of the diamond is a base. 3) All Egyptian towns and villages had skilled craftworkers who made all the essential everyday things, as well as luxury items such as jewelry.

22 Look at these three sentences from your Encyclopedia article and pick the one that most accurately goes with your main topic number one from your outline and cut it out. 2) Many of ancient Egypt s finest paintings and other works of art were produced for tombs and temples. 2) Every year, about 50 million people flock to ballparks to watch major league baseball games. 2) The main tasks of a space station crew involve scientific research.

23 Main Topic #2: (copy from outline) 3 Supporting Sentences:

24 Look at these three sentences from your Wikipedia article and pick the one that most accurately goes with your main topic number two from your outline and cut it out. 1) The ancient Egyptians maintained an elaborate set of burial customs that they believed were necessary to ensure immortality after death 1) The observation of objects in space, known as astronomy, predates reliable recorded history. 1) In the words of sports columnist Jayson Stark, baseball has long been "a unique paragon of American culture" *Pictures were taken from the open source pictures on Wikipedia.com

25 Look at these three sentences from your Encyclopedia article and pick the one that most accurately goes with your main topic number two from your outline and cut it out. 2) Space exploration is about our human response to curiosity about the earth, the moon, the planets, the sun and other stars, and the galaxies. 2) The ancient Egyptians believed that various deities (gods and goddesses) influenced every aspect of nature and every human activity. 2) Interest in baseball soared after 1900, the game soon played such an important part in American life that it became known as the national pastime.

26 Look at these three sentences from your book and pick the one that most accurately goes with your main topic number two from your outline and cut it out. 3) Baseball is played all over the world, the game was developed in the United States, but is popular in Japan, Canada, Mexico, and many other Latin American countries. 3) A long time ago, people watched the stars and Moon slowly moving across the sky and wondered what they were and why they moved. 3) The Egyptians developed many customs and rituals to allow the dead person s spirit to live on after physical death.

27 Main Topic #3: (copy from outline) 3 Supporting Sentences:

28 Look at these three sentences from your Wikipedia article and pick the one that most accurately goes with your main topic number three from your outline and cut it out. 1) As of 2007, Little League Baseball oversees more than 7,000 children's baseball leagues with more than 2.2 million participants 2.1 million in the United States and 123,000 in other countries. 1) The research that is conducted by national space exploration agencies, such as NASA and Roscosmos, is one of the reasons supporters cite to justify government expenses. 1) The architecture of ancient Egypt includes some of the most famous structures in the world: the Great Pyramids of Giza and the temples at Thebes. *Pictures were taken from the open source pictures on Wikipedia.com

29 Look at these three sentences from your Encyclopedia article and pick the one that most accurately goes with your main topic number three from your outline and cut it out. 2) Players can join leagues in some organizations when they are 6 years old. 2) Three huge pyramids at Giza rank as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a list of notable things to see that was made up by travelers during ancient times. 2) Two major areas of space utilization have been the gathering and communication of information.

30 Look at these three sentences from your book and pick the one that most accurately goes with your main topic number three from your outline and cut it out. 3) The large pyramids were tremendous feats of engineering and construction. 3) The satellites circling above the Earth have many different jobs, apart from beaming TV programs around the world, they provide information about all sorts of things, from weather forecasts to migrating animals. 3) The Little League World Series is held every year and invites teams from around the world.

31 Step 6: Write a First Draft

32 Now it s time to write your first draft of your paper. You will need to type the following information: Title: Thesis Statement (or subtitle): Introductory Statement: Topic 1: 3 Supporting Sentences: Topic 2: 3 Supporting Sentences: Topic 3: 3 Supporting Sentences: Concluding Statement:

33 Please attached your typed first draft to this paper.

34 Step 7: Revise your Outline and Draft

35 It is important to not plagiarize (copy) words from other people when writing papers. So, let s revise your draft by changing the words of your supporting sentences and putting them in your own words.

36 Main Topic #1: (copy from outline) 3 Revised Supporting Sentences:

37 Look at these your first supporting sentence from main topic number one, pick the sentence that best puts this sentence in your own words. 1) Egyptian art was often rife with symbolism and stylization due to the strict regulations regarding Egyptian society. 1) There are nine players on both teams in baseball, which is played with a ball and a bat. 1) The first item we explored in space was the moon. *Pictures were taken from the open source pictures on Wikipedia.com

38 Look at these your second supporting sentence from main topic number one, pick the sentence that best puts this sentence in your own words. 2) The religious and burial needs of the ancient Egyptians were the reason for many of their best pieces of artwork. 2) 50 million fans go to see major league ballgames annually. 2) On a space station, the primary responsibility of the crew is to conduct scientific research.

39 Look at these your third supporting sentence from main topic number one, pick the sentence that best puts this sentence in your own words. 3) Between 1962 and 1972 humans went to the moon six times. 3) A base is at each corner of the diamondshaped baseball field. 3) Jewelry and luxury goods were made by the same talented craftspeople who made regular everyday things in every Egyptian town and village.

40 Main Topic #2: (copy from outline) 3 Revised Supporting Sentences:

41 Look at these your first supporting sentence from main topic number two, pick the sentence that best puts this sentence in your own words. 1) In order to make sure that their life continued after they died, Ancient Egyptians had many complex burial traditions. 1) Since before the beginning of history, people have been looking into space, also called astronomy. 1) Jason Stark, a sports writer stated that baseball was a unique paragon of American culture. *Pictures were taken from the open source pictures on Wikipedia.com

42 Look at these your second supporting sentence from main topic number two, pick the sentence that best puts this sentence in your own words. 2) People have always been interested in the night sky, the sun and other objects in space, this led us to exploring space. 2) The ancient Egyptian world, goddesses and gods affected every part of the world, both human and environmental. 2) Baseball became the national pastime after a surge in popularity after 1900.

43 Look at these your third supporting sentence from main topic number two, pick the sentence that best puts this sentence in your own words. 3) Baseball, a game that started in the United states is now played in many countries all over the world. 3) Ancient stargazers would look up at the night sky and ponder why the stars and moon were moving. 3) Many rituals were started by the Egyptian regarding death, they were all concerned with letting the person s spirit live after they died.

44 Main Topic #3: (copy from outline) 3 Revised Supporting Sentences:

45 Look at these your first supporting sentence from main topic number three, pick the sentence that best puts this sentence in your own words. 1) There are 2.2 million little league players all over the world, with over 2.1 million in the United States. In 2007 there were more than 7,000 Little League leagues. 1) NASA and Roscosmos do amazing research that makes the money that government spends on them worth it to the public. 1) Great Pyramids of Giza and the temples at Thebes are some of the most recognized architecture in the whole world. *Pictures were taken from the open source pictures on Wikipedia.com

46 Look at these your second supporting sentence from main topic number three, pick the sentence that best puts this sentence in your own words. 2) Some baseball leagues allow children as young as 6 to join. 2) In the ancient world, travelers decided on seven things to see, called the Seven Wonders of the World, the three pyramids at Giza were on this list. 2) Space exploration has led to huge innovations in the realms of information retrieval and dispersal.

47 Look at these your third supporting sentence from main topic number three, pick the sentence that best puts this sentence in your own words. 3) Amazing innovations in construction and engineering were required to build the pyramids. 3) Space exploration has led to the numerous satellites going around the world. These satellites do things such as provide weather forecasts and beam TV programs. 3) Annually there is a Little League World Series where teams from all over the globe compete.

48 Another way to make sure that you do not plagiarize is to provide a list of the sources where you got the information for your paper from. Please cut out from these list of sources the three which you used in your paper. Space exploration. (2011, November 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:06, November 14, 2011, from w/index.php?title=space_exploration&oldid= Ancient Egypt. (2011, November 8). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:07, November 14, 2011, from index.php?title=ancient_egypt&oldid= Baseball. (2011, November 1). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:07, November 14, 2011, from index.php?title=baseball&oldid= Baseball World Book, Inc. (2004). Volume 2. The World Book encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc. Space Exploration World Book, Inc. (2004). Volume 18. The World Book encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc. Ancient Egypt World Book, Inc. (2004). Volume 6. The World Book encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc. Morris, Neil The Atlas of Ancient Egypt. Chicago: Peter Bedrick Books, Becklake, Sue Space: Stars, Planets and Spacecrafti. New York: Dorling Kindersley, Broekel, Ray, A New True Book: Baseball, New York: Children s Press Inc., 1995.

49 List of Sources:

50 Step 8: Submit a Final Draft

51 You have done all the hard work of getting your research paper together, you have picked a topic, researched your topic, wrote an outline, wrote a first draft, revised your draft checking for plagiarism and made a list of references. Now it is time to type your research paper. You will need the following information: Title: Thesis Statement (or subtitle): Introductory Statement: Topic 1: 3 Revised Supporting Sentences: Topic 2: 3 Revised Supporting Sentences: Topic 3: 3 Revised Supporting Sentences: Concluding Sentence; Sources:

52 Attach your final research paper to this sheet. Congratulations! You worked hard and wrote a great research paper!