Assignment Overview I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY DRAFT OF YOUR ESSAY WITHOUT ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

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1 Assignment Overview 1. Choose a novel and prompt combination from the approved list. 2. Read the selected novel and complete the reading log. 3. Conduct research from reputable, academic sources. 3. Formulate a thesis statement. 4. Prove your thesis by explaining your point of view and supporting it with both textual evidence (examples and quotes from the novel) and outside sources in a well-written, 4 page, MLA-formatted research paper. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY DRAFT OF YOUR ESSAY WITHOUT ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: Typed in size 12 Times New Roman font, with 1 margins, double spaced The length requirement being met A three-prong thesis statement Internal citations A works cited page IF YOU FAIL TO COMPLETE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, I WILL RETURN YOUR DRAFT AND YOU MUST REDO IT. YOU WILL BE PENALIZED 10% PER DAY LATE. I WILL NOT GRADE THE FINAL DRAFT OF YOUR ESSAY WITHOUT THE TURNINTIN.COM SUBMISSION.

2 2 Below you will find a list of approved novels for the Junior CP Research Paper. On the pages following you will see suggested prompts and topics for research that relate to each novel. Your assignment is to write a 4-6 page paper addressing one of these prompts. 1. Douglas Adams - The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy 2. Richard Adams - Watership Down 3. Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice 4. Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid s Tale 5. Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre 6. Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights 7. Anthony Burgess - A Clockwork Orange 8. Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales 9. Charles Dickens - Great Expectations 10. Charles Dickens -David Copperfield 11. Charles Dickens -A Tale of Two Cities, 12. Charles Dickens -Oliver Twist 13. Ralph Ellison - Invisible Man 14. William Faulkner - As I Lay Dying 15. William Faulkner - Light In August 16. William Faulkner - The Sound and the Fury 17. E.M. Forster- A Passage to India 18. E. M. Forster - Howards End 19. E. M. Forster - A Room with a View 20. William Golding - The Lord of the Flies 21. Thomas Hardy - Tess D Ubervilles 22. Seamus Heaney or Burton Raffle - Beowulf 23. Joseph Heller - Catch Ernest Hemingway - For Whom the Bell Tolls 25. Zora Neale Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching God 26. Henrik Ibsen - A Doll s House 27. Henry James - The Turn of the Screw 28. Henry James - The Portrait of a Lady 29. James Joyce - A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man 30. Jack Kerouac - On the Road 31. Ken Kesey - One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest 32. Sue Monk Kidd The Secret Life of Bees 33. Toni Morrison The Bluest Eye 34. George Orwell William Shakespeare - Othello 36. Mary Shelley - Frankenstein 37. Upton Sinclair - The Jungle 38. John Steinbeck - The Grapes of Wrath 39. Bram Stoker - Dracula 40. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five 41. Tennessee Williams - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 42. Edith Wharton - Ethan Frome 43. Virginia Woolf - Mrs.Dalloway 1. Douglas Adams - The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy a. Write an essay that critiques the scientific accuracy of a specific science theme in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, such as the babel fish or the Infinite Improbability Drive. Make a claim related to the connection between how society had viewed technology throughout modern history. Consider the contrasts between how technology was imagined and how it is used today. Be sure to have a provable claim and use the book to support it. b. Investigate and make a claim about the role of the absurd in literature, giving examples of books that use it as a device and explaining what purpose the absurd can play in communicating a message. What role or point does absurdism play in modern literature and culture? 2. Richard Adams - Watership Down a. Discuss the systems of government for the different rabbit warrens in the story; comment on the extent these governments are allegorical representations of human governments. Find a larger message for these ideas as connected to the plot. Use research on the time in which the book was written to inform your ideas. b. Consider the concept of environmentalism as it applies to the book. Why did Adams choose to make the main characters animals instead of humans? What is the effect of this choice. Use biographical and historical evidence to build and develop a thesis on these concepts.

3 3. Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice a. What is the role of marriage in the novel? How does the novel provide commentary on Romantic Era marriage customs? Are any of the girls representative of Austen herself? 3 b. By researching Romantic England find the areas of satire that Austen instilled in the novel. Specifically focus on the concepts of pride and of prejudice. 4. Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid s Tale a. Write an essay that explores feminist concepts present in the novel and compare them with issues that were important in the feminist movement of the 1970s. b. Write an essay comparing the theocracy present in the novel with the one that took over in Iran in 1979 and compare the experiences of women in the two societies. 5. Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre a. The novel is a great exposition of the place of women in Victorian society. At the time, the superiority of men, both in a physical and mental capacity, was a widely accepted theory. It was difficult to achieve any sort of influence or power for women, except through association with a man, and especially through marriage. Develop and explore a thesis on this concept as it applies to the novel. b. Research and report on social class in mid-nineteenth century England. This was a time of great change as the old aristocracy and gentry were being challenged by a new elite made wealthy by the industrial revolution. The face of poverty was also changing as agricultural workers moved into cities looking for factory work. This was a time of great social unrest, which produced literary critics like Dickens and Bronte, as well as political ones like Karl Marx, who wrote the communist manifesto. How do you see social class in Jane Eyre? c. Bronte, a devout Anglican, relies heavily upon the ideas and language of the bible especially the New Testament in her novel. Find several passages in which she does this, and explore how she uses the ideas in her story implicitly and explicitly (by allusion). You may choose to research how these passages are usually interpreted, but certainly explain how Bronte interprets them. 6. Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights a. What role does social class and class ambiguity play in Wuthering Heights? To what extent is Heathcliff s social position responsible for the misery and conflict so persistent in the book? Research historical information to inform your thesis about the role of social class in the novel. b. Is Heathcliff at all heroic (a Byronic Hero perhaps [look this up]), or is he villainous? Pick a position and support it, identifying Heathcliff's redeemable/heroic qualities and explaining his villainous qualities, or vice-versa. Use research to support your theory and develop your thesis. 7. Anthony Burgess - A Clockwork Orange a. Alex and his friends use a distinctive dialect called Nadsat. This is the Russian suffix for "teen" and most of their expressions are Russian or derived from it (Horrorshow from the Russian Kharasho - good - being one example.) Burgess was writing during the Cold War and he intended that to properly understand the book the reader would need a Russian dictionary. At the time the Russians were regarded as the enemy. By identifying Alex and other teens with them, what point was Burgess trying to make? Was he arguing that teenagers are an enemy of society, that the Russians were misunderstood or simply trying to make Alex and his companions seem alien? b. What role does violence play in the story and the changes in Alex s character? Consider the

4 4 society in which Burgess lived, and his personal life. What was he trying to say through his use of violence in the novel, and what, if any, message can we take from it? 8. Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales a. There is a debate among scholars about whether or not Chaucer was a feminist. Look at his female characters and decide whether he was a feminist, a misogynist or an average man of his time. You will need to research women s lives at the time and examine closely the prologues and tales told by women. You should also look at how women were represented in the tales told by men. b. Chaucer considered himself to be a Christian, yet he employs bawdy satire, especially in his commentary about the clergy and those associated with the Catholic Church. Develop a thesis exploring Chaucer s use of satire, considering the medieval religious practice. 9. Charles Dickens - Great Expectations a. What are the great expectations in the novel? How do they develop through the story? How do they relate to the real world setting of Dickens novel. b. Clearly, one of the most obvious images of imprisonment in Great Expectations is represented by the character of Magwitch, the escaped convict who becomes Pip s generous benefactor. There are many other subtle references to imprisonment though, among them the handcuffs made in Joe s forge. Write an essay in which you identify the many images of imprisonment in this novel, and explain the symbolic significance of these images relative to the theme. Connect this to historical and biographical research. 10. Charles Dickens -David Copperfield a. Research Dickens use of social criticism in the novel. What is he trying to say and how is he using the novel to say it? b. While England, even in 1850, was a democracy to an extent, it still had a rigid class system. How has Dickens presented this in David Copperfield? Is it accurate to how the world actually was at that time? What is he trying to say about the role of class in VIctorian Society? 11. Charles Dickens -A Tale of Two Cities a. Do the themes of resurrection and self-sacrifice, and the setting of the French Revolution have anything to do with one another? Why would Dickens set his story in this particular time and place? b. The idea of resurrection or rebirth pervades this novel. How does Dickens use this theme? What does Dickens seem to be saying with it? Consider the historical aspects as well. 12. Charles Dickens -Oliver Twist a. "Society and Class" is one of the central themes of most Dickens novels. In Oliver Twist, Dickens often shows how superficial class structures really are. How do his observations, characters and plot show us the attitude of the Victorians toward the poor? How are other social classes represented? b. Fate and free will are common concepts in literature. How are they shown in this novel? Which characters seem to be able to affect their own fate and which seem locked into a particular path? How much control do characters have over their lives? What does the author s attitude toward these concepts tell us about the Victorian culture? 13. Ralph Ellison - Invisible Man a. Race and racism are huge issues in invisible man. Discuss how the narrator s sense of identity is tied to his race and how racism affects the characters in the text. How does his invisibility coincide with his racial identity? What does the novel tell us about the African American experience during the time when it was written?

5 5 14. William Faulkner - As I Lay Dying a. Multiple narrators, stream of conscious and unreliable narrators are all interesting literary concepts that are used in As I Lay Dying. How does these concepts affect the reader s experience? Are these techniques successful? Which of the characters do you trust most? Who is most reliable? b. The concepts of death and suffering are a major part of the novel. What do the character s opinions and reactions to these concepts tell us about the time period and the south in general? How do they connect to philosophy at the time? 15. William Faulkner - Light In August a. How does race play into the novel? What events from the time period might have affected the novel? How does Joe Christmas s biracial status affect him? b. Southern novels are often interested in history and how it s legacy affects the present. How do the character s histories affect them? How does the legacy of the old south affect them? 16. William Faulkner - The Sound and the Fury a. Shortly after The Sound and the Fury was published, the noted critic Clifton Fadiman dismissed the novel, claiming that its themes were too trivial to deserve the elaborate craftsmanship Faulkner lavished on them. Many other critics have countered that the novel s themes extend beyond the story of the Compson family specifically, and grapple with issues central to human life in general.using historical context, develop a thesis on these ideas. b. How does the American South of the time period in which this novel is set intrinsically affect the development of the story? Also consider the writing style, how would the novel be different if it were written in more formal third person English. Use these ideas as a starting off point for your thesis. 17. E.M. Forster- A Passage to India a. How does the novel deal with the racial differences between the Orientals and the British? Does it support racist ideas or challenge them? How does it fit with ideas about Orientalism and colonialism from the time period? b. How does the novel treat women? Is it feminist or does it promote traditional stereotypes from the time period? Is there a difference in the way English and Indian women are treated? 18. E. M. Forster - Howards End a. Howards End is written just before a period of major changes occurred in society. These changes were definitely on the horizon. How does the novel deal with changes that are imminent? Is change perceived as bad or good? What specific areas does it suggest are about to undergo change? b. Howards End is very concerned with ideas of class and social standing. What viewpoint does it take on these issues? Are class differences described in a traditional way or does the text questions the class system? How does the text deal with the changes to the class system that are looming on the horizon historically? 19. E. M. Forster - A Room with a View a. How does Forster deal with the idea of cultural expectations? These could relate to gender, class or both. Does he support the cultural norms of the time or does he challenge them? How does his commentary reflect the values of the Edwardians?

6 b. How does the novel deal with the transition from childhood to adulthood? What changes occur in the characters that show they have come of age? What does it mean to come of age in the years before WWI? William Golding - The Lord of the Flies a. Using historical information explain the allegories of the novel. Develop a thesis about the point of these allegories and their function in the novel. b. Connect the novel to William Golding s life and develop a thesis based on your research. 21. Thomas Hardy - Tess D Ubervilles a. The character of Tess is something of an idealized woman by her female peers and the men in her life. Consider how she feels about this situation and also examine what this means for women of the time period. Does Hardy actually believe women should be idealized or does he value their individuality? Is he taking a feminist stance or is his novel inadvertently participating in the oppression of women? b. The concepts of fate and free will are at play in this novel. Which do you think Hardy supports more? Which characters blame fate and which accept free will? What can the interplay between these two extremes tell us about Victorian culture? 22. Seamus Heaney or Burton Raffle - Beowulf a. In between every story and its audience stands a narrator who tells the story; the narrator has certain attitudes, opinions, interests and objectives which direct the audience's understanding of the story. This is one of the most basic, and yet most complex, facts of literature. Develop a thesis about the relationship between the narrator and the story, and between the narrator and the audience, in Beowulf. b. Beowulf is an epic hero, but is he a traditional hero according the work of Joseph Campbell. This famous myth collector came up with the concept of the hero s journey, which described the paths hero s take in epics from many different cultures. Research the hero s journey and its parts and create an essay detailing how Beowulf does or does not fit with the framework. 23. Joseph Heller - Catch 22 a. Is Yossarian a hero or an anti-hero in Catch 22? How does he fit with the traditional notions of the hero and how does he break them. Research hero s from the time period and consider what characteristics people valued then when formulating your answer. b. What are the roles of absurdity and hypocrisy in Catch 22? Consider the plot, characters, structure of the novel and goal of the author as well as sentiments for and against war from the time. 24. Ernest Hemingway - For Whom the Bell Tolls a. A common criticism of the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls is that Hemingway creates shallow, stereotypical female characters. In light of this, develop a feminist criticism for the novel. b. Some critics assert that Hemingway s terse and minimal prose is meant to reveal a great deal of complexity beneath the surface. Explore Hemingway s style and analyze its effectiveness as he writes about war in the novel. 25. Zora Neale Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching God a. How is race explored in the novel. Consider racism from whites, internalized racism among the black community, the value of lighter skin in the black community and how the black community is generally portrayed in the novel. Research historical treatment of African Americans after the civil war.

7 b. How does this novel explore traditional gender stereotypes? How are women portrayed? What traits are valued and why? Consider the same questions about the men in the novel. Research gender roles of the time, focusing especially on the black community. 26. Henrik Ibsen - A Doll s House a. Look at the play through a feminist perspective. Develop a thesis. b. Consider the social morays of 1850 s Europe. Given this information, is Helmer truly a villain? Is he even an antagonist or is he a victim of his time period just as much as Nora? 27. Henry James - The Turn of the Screw a. Is the narrator a reliable one in the novel? Can we trust her observations or are there other possible explanations? What sort of issues might cause the narrator to believe this? What does that say about her personality? What role could the narrator s gender play in the novel and her perception of events? b. What role does social class play in the novella? How are people from different classes portrayed? Based on the text, do you think James approves of the class system? What are the dangers [implied or stated] of mixing classes, according to the text? 28. Henry James - The Portrait of a Lady a. The Portrait of Lady presents the reader with many different women. What do they tell us about femininity and female gender roles from the time period? Do they support or challenge these roles? What about other issues that could be related to gender like independence, identity and possession? b. The Portrait of Lady presents the reader with many different men. What do they tell us about masculinity and male gender roles from the time period? Do they support or challenge these roles? What about other issues that could be related to gender like independence, identity and possession? 29. James Joyce - A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man a. James Joyce was a pioneering user of Modernist literary techniques. How are those techniques employed in the novel? How did they develop and what do they tell us about the time period in which they developed? Consider stream of consciousness narration, interiority (a revealing view of the character s inner workings), and frank realism. b. How does the novel deal with the coming of age theme? What role does transformation play in the text? How does the coming of age theme connect to social and cultural expectations of the time? 30. Jack Kerouac - On the Road a. How is this novel a portrayal of the disillusionment of the American youth in the 1950s? b. Jazz music is an underlying theme in On the Road. Describe the role of jazz in the Beat movement. Describe how jazz influences how On the Road was written Ken Kesey - One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest a. The novel critiques the mental health system and questions what it means to be crazy. Which characters do you think are mentally ill and how do their experiences in the institution affect this diagnosis? Would they be normal if they weren t inside? What separates them from those who are sane? b. There is a struggle between the rules [many of which are arbitrary] of the institution and

8 the rebellious nature of some of the characters in the novel. How do these struggles play out? What larger issues occurring in the world at this time might this struggle be mirroring? Is either side totally to blame for the situation? 32. Sue Monk Kidd The Secret Life of Bees a. Discuss the novel s religious symbolism. Is The Secret Life of Beesa religious novel? Why or why not? b. A bildungsroman is a name for a coming of age novel. Research bildungsroman and explain how this novel is an example. c. Consider this novel as a portrayal of the American South of the time period. Develop a thesis. 33. Toni Morrison The Bluest Eye a. Explore the ideas of internalized racism and how they apply to a character or characters in the novel to develop a thesis. Support the thesis with historical research. 34. George Orwell a is often cited as the prime example of a dystopia in fiction. How do the methods of government and social control in the novel connect to the fears of westerners in the years following WWII? b. What different philosophical questions are posed by 1984? Winston is always considering big questions about about the meaning of life, consciousness, reality, etc. Consider one or two of these questions and explain how the novel approaches them. Also consider how events from the first half of the twentieth century might have affected people s viewpoints on them. 35. William Shakespeare - Othello a. For a general in the army, Othello is very gullible. Some critics have gone as far as saying that this flaw detracts from his status as a tragic hero. Do you agree? Is Othello a tragic hero? Use the definition of a tragic hero and your understanding of it from Macbeth. b. Racism was present in Elizabethan England, yet Shakespeare chooses to make Othello a man of color. How does race factor into the play. Does Othello experience racism? Does his marriage to a white woman cause trouble for him? Examine the use of race in the drama and research historical attitudes from the time on the issue. 36. Mary Shelley - Frankenstein a. How is this novel a reflection of the concepts of science and technology of its time period? Consider the fascinations and fears of Victorian society. Develop a thesis related to these concepts and support it with both the novel and outside research. b. Analyze Mary Shelley s Frankenstein through the lens of gender. How are women portrayed in the novel, and what conclusions can be drawn based on their portrayal? Consider Mary Shelley s gender as the author of Frankenstein. Does her development of the monster and Victor reveal an understanding/perspective that a male author of the time may not have achieved? c. Contemporary portrayals of the Victor Frankenstein s monster are distant from Mary Shelley s original story. Draw some conclusions as to why popular culture emphasizes the horror of the monster as opposed to the sensibilities that Mary Shelley develops in the novel. Include other examples of monsters in contemporary film and literature in your analysis. Use textual evidence from the novel for support. 8

9 9 d. Analyze the psychological aspects of Frankenstein. Evaluate Victor Frankenstein s mental state throughout the novel, and explore the Creature s development from birth to a selfactualized being. 37. Upton Sinclair - The Jungle a. Do any of the characters in The Jungle seem to be unique individuals, or are they all simply two-dimensional figures whose experiences serve only to convey Sinclair s political message? What is Sinclair s political message? Research the time period in which it was set and develop a thesis. b. Research the Socialist movement in America at the turn of the 20th century. Apply this to the novel to show how or if it s a socialist novel. 38. John Steinbeck - The Grapes of Wrath a. Walter Landor once said that every great writer is a writer of history and is shaped by the norms, hopes, fears, biases, attitudes, and limitations of the time period in which they write. It s also been said that fiction is an act of human imagination and perhaps is not the most trustworthy source of facts or truth. In this topic choice, your task will be to examine and analyze the Grapes of Wrath using a historical lens. How you examine the novel is entirely up to you, but you will definitely want to start with researching the historical time period of the novel and see where that leads. Your paper should be concerned with examining specific chapters and evaluating the truth of what is being told is what happens entirely truth, fiction, or somewhere in between? b. Describe the role women play throughout this novel. Be sure to comment on the significance of Rose of Sharon s final act in the novel. Consider the roles of women during this time period. c. Connect the major themes of the novel to those of Of Mice and Men. What is Steinbeck s commentary on this era of American history, and its effect on humanity? Use both novels to defend your thesis. 39. Bram Stoker - Dracula a. How does Dracula deal with ideas of sex, marriage and gender? How does it challenge typical Victorian notions about them, and how does it reinforce those notions? Which position does it take more strongly? How does the behavior of vampires deal with these issues? b. How does Dracula s immigration from Eastern Europe connect with British ideas about colonialism and foreigners? How do his language and background make him into an Other? What British fears about foreigners does the novel Dracula deal with? 40. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five a. This novel has an unusual combination of science-fiction and Christianity. In an essay develop a thesis and explore how, why, and to what end Vonnegut combines these two concepts. What is he trying to say? Consider also the concept of determinism that is present in the novel. b. What commentary is this novel making about war and its role in society? Connect the larger themes of the novel with historical information and Vonnegut s life. What possible psychological effects has the war had on the narrator and how is that reflected in the structure of the novel? 41. Tennessee Williams - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof a. Develop a thesis in which you investigate the concept of mendacity in the play. How does

10 10 it pervade the lives of the characters? Connect this to the larger world by supporting your claims with research about the real world setting. b. What connection does this play have to the life of the author? Develop a thesis that shows why Williams would explore the themes present in the play, and how they connect both to his life and the world in which he lived. 42. Edith Wharton - Ethan Frome a. Edith Wharton often wrote stories about people who were trapped by the moral strictures of society and were thus unhappy; she herself spent more than twenty years in a loveless marriage in which she had become involved in order to please her parents. How does Ethan Frome reflect this favorite theme of the author? How and in what ways would you describe the protagonist as being trapped by the society in which he lived? Use research to develop a thesis on this concept. b. In the tragedy of Edith Wharton s Ethan Frome, some have seen the protagonist as a tragic hero. If he is, would you consider passivity to be his tragic flaw? In what ways does Ethan s passivity contribute to his eventual downfall? If he is not a tragic hero, why would you deny him that distinction? Research both the concept of the tragic hero and develop a thesis on this concept. 43. Virginia Woolf - Mrs.Dalloway a. Woolf s narrative technique is one of her major contributions to Modernism, and is worth exploring on its own terms. What was Modernism and how does the style and topics of this novel reflect it? What were Woolf s contributions to and attitude towards Modernism? Show how Mrs. Dalloway is representative of Modernist writing. b. Woolf and most of her friends were pacifists. A defining event of their lives was World War I. Research Woolf s personal beliefs and investigate how they are shown through the novel. Use historical and biographical research to develop and support your thesis. Directions: (1) You are responsible for independently reading your selected research topic novel (2) As you read, you must complete a Reading Log (3) Your Reading Log MUST include all listed requirements (#s 1 4) for every section. Reading Logs will be checked every Monday. If no significant edits or additions have been made during the previous week, you will not receive credit for the assignment. It will be an ALL, HALF, or NOTHING QUIZ grade. (10-5-0) each week. Reading Log Content Requirements COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING ACCORDING TO THE NOVEL PLAN WE AGREED UPON:

11 1. List and define new important characters and settings (if there are none record n/a) Provide a one sentence summary of events. 3a. Record and cite the section s most significant quote(s). (You can use these quotes in your final essay.) 3b. Provide an explanation of the quotes' significance (Explain why you believe it is important) 4. Identify any plot or character developments that seem to connect to the paper prompt that you have chosen. NOTE: ALL FORMATTING AND CONSTRUCTION QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE COMPLETION OF YOUR READING LOG MUST BE ASKED AND RESOLVED PRIOR TO THE READING LOG S FINAL DUE DATE. I DIDN T UNDERSTAND OR I DIDN T KNOW WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AS EXCUSES. FURTHERMORE, LATE READING LOGS WILL ONLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR HALF-CREDIT OR LESS! You may work ahead and read more each week. If you finish the book ahead of the 6 weeks, just write in that you are done, and you will be given 10/10 for all subsequent weeks. Week Chapter/Section/Pages Due Date 1 Monday 10/3 (Tuesday 10/4) 2 Monday 10/10 3 Monday 10/17 4 Monday 10/24 5 Monday 10/31 6 Monday 11/7 Template for Reading Log (EACH Chapter, unless given approval otherwise) #1 Pages Actually Read a. Page # 3b. 4.

12 12 STEP 3: CONSTRUCTING A THESIS STATEMENT Assignment #5 Total Score: / 10 You are now ready to construct a thesis statement. The thesis statement is the specific claim that you will explain in-depth using the evidence you have collected from both your author s text(s) and outside sources. Carefully read the example below. Use it as a model in order to construct your own thesis statement. Be sure your thesis statement includes the following: REQUIRED 1.) Your author s first and last name REQUIRED 2.) What you will prove, according to your prompt REQUIRED 3.) The title of the text which you read ASSIGNMENT #3: CONSTRUCT YOUR THESIS STATEMENT (Record your thesis statement in the space provided below) THESIS STATEMENT:

13 Assignment# 4: TEXTUAL EVIDENCE 13 Directions: 1.) Read back over the research you have collected, your reading log, and your thesis. 2.) Cite evidence from both the novel and from your outside research below. Use quotes and cite each page number. Then, paraphrase the quote s significance to proving the thesis.****list AT LEAST FIFTEEN POINTS OF EVIDENCE***** THESIS: TEXTUAL EVIDENCE Quote word-for-word; use quotation marks Explain connection to thesis in YOUR OWN WORDS SOURCE PAGE #

14 14 Directions: Cite all of the sources you used for this assignment in MLA format. Be sure to alphabetize them and use a hanging indent. Consult The Purdue OWL (online) or MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers for help. Do not use cites such as EasyBib or Citation Machine. WORKS CITED

15 Assignment #5 Total Score: / CONSTRUCTION OF DRAFT #1 Now that you have organized your research and ideas in an outline it is time to put those thoughts into a rough draft. You will take the ideas organized in your outline and connect them in sentence form. The rough draft must be typed in MLA format. Be sure: To use effective transitions between all paragraphs. Each paragraph of the body contains a topic sentence that clearly relates it back to the thesis or a main point (one of the influences) To use internal citations for every paragraph To proofread for punctuation and spelling errors Many students get confused as to what a rough draft really is. A rough draft is not just what you got around to doing. It is a complete paper that is just not perfect. It is proven that the better your rough draft is, the better your final paper will be. If a draft is too poor or incomplete for me to review, then you won t have my guidance for improving it and your grade suffer. The rough draft must: Be a minimum 4 page paper (Use the Wiley fold test) Have a clear thesis For each supporting topic, there must be at least one direct quote and one paraphrase EACH from the novel and the research. (This means you will have a minimum of 6 direct quotes and 6 paraphrases throughout the paper.) Have a complete and accurate Works Cited page (must include the novel you read, Novels for Students, and at least two additional reputable outside sources) Not contain 1st (I) or second (you) person pronouns Proper MLA formatting See my grading checklist for specifics about expectations and requirements Final Hint: Do you want to catch all the spelling and grammar errors in your paper? Do you want to increase your score? If the answer is yes, before you turn in your paper, READ IT OUT LOUD! By reading out loud you will not be able to skim over mistakes. You will hear all of your mistakes, have the chance to catch them, and greatly improve your writing. Assignment #6 CONSTRUCTION OF DRAFT #2 Total Score: / 25 Assignment #7 CONSTRUCTION OF FINAL DRAFT Total Score: / 200 Assignment #8 TURNITIN.COM SUBMISSION

16 16 RESEARCH PAPER GRADING SHEET 11 CP English--Mrs. Hogentogler Name: MLA Format (15 points) Proper MLA heading, header, pagination, and two-part, academic title 12-point Times New Roman font Double spaced; 1 margins Introduction (20 points) Score: /200 Yes No Points Deducted Relevant and interesting AGD (Attention-getting Device) Effective transitions explain the AGD and connect it to a specific thesis. Thesis statement: Pre-approved, academic thesis is used. Body (100 points) Well-written topic sentences are used to introduce each new paragraph and relate it to the thesis. Body follows an organized pattern as previewed in the thesis. Each paragraph maintains focus no superfluous summarization or filler Thoughts and ideas display organization and fluidity. Transitions are used. Main ideas are explained in connection to the thesis using textual evidence and critical, academic sources Proves thesis by fully developing argument; uses logic At least six (6) direct quotes are used correctly, are appropriately formatted, and are properly anchored (Main point + supporting quote + internal citation). Paraphrased information is properly credited. Internal citations are formatted and used correctly. Mechanics (30 points) No run-on sentences or fragments No grammatical errors (verb tense consistent, subject/verb agreement, pronoun/antecedent agreement, maintains formal objective voice) No grammatical homonyms (Ex: there, their, they re) No spelling, capitalization errors, or punctuation errors Sophisticated, effective, and varied vocabulary is used (No forbidden words!) No 1st or 2nd person pronouns (Ex: I, me, my, mine, you, your, we, us) No contractions or abbreviations All numbers less than 100 are written out Conclusion (15 points) Rephrases thesis statement Adequately summarizes paper s argument and comes to a conclusion Has effective clincher Works Cited Page (20 points) At least four sources are used (at least three print; no more than one web) All sources are reputable. All sources listed are cited within the paper. All sources are accurately cited according to MLA format. Additional deductions: Paper is fewer than four pages in length (-60 points per page short) Plagiarism exists (or paper was not submitted to Paper was submitted late (10-30% off earned grade)