GRADE 11 INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY, AND ANTHROPOLOGY Culminating Assignment - Research essay

Essay Structure

Formulate Research Questions: Topic: Child Discipline  Do children of very strict parents behave better?  Does a child's reaction to strict parental rules change as the child grows older?  Does spanking affect children's self-esteem?  Does inconsistent discipline have a negative effect on children's behaviour?

Creating a Central Research Question  Read the textbook page 17  In small groups, complete the activity

Creating a Research Plan  Read the textbook page 135  Reliable sources: CRAAP test  C – is it current?  R – is it relevant to your research?  A – is it accurate information?  A – authority. Who wrote it?  P – purpose. Why was it written?

Gathering and Processing Information  Read the textbook page 259  In small groups, discuss the hypotheses provided

The Thesis or Hypothesis  THE MOST IMPORTANT SENTENCE IN THE ESSAY  It is a forceful and not obvious statement about the topic  It represents an opinion (even though you do not state “my opinion”)  Should be arguable  Should contain a “so what” or why is it important in the larger picture (“so what” can be developed throughout the essay but is especially in the conclusion)  Everything you develop in the paper should be closely connected with this statement

Bad Thesis Statements Revised:  The government has the right to limit free speech (too broad)  The government has the right to limit free speech in cases of overtly racist or sexist language because failure to address such abuses would effectively suggest that society condones such ignorant and hateful views.

 There are many reasons we need to limit hate speech (thesis should not simply be a list)  Among the many reasons to limit hate speech the most compelling ones all refer to America`s history of discrimination and prejudice, and it is, ultimately, for the purpose of trying to repair a troubled racial society that hate speech legislation is greatly needed.

Answer your research questions to form your thesis/hypothesis:  Children of very strict parents follow the rules diligently until adolescence, but not during the teen years; thus challenging the effectiveness of traditional child discipline methods.

Test your thesis/hypothesis  Does the thesis show analysis and depth of thought, or is it mainly descriptive?  Does the thesis present an argument about the material, and is it worded as an argument?  Is the thesis contestable? (Would someone potentially want to argue with you about it?)  Does the thesis statement take into account the “so what” question?

Appropriate Thesis Statements for Senior Students  Topic – poverty  Too broad – narrow it down through research  What causes poverty in developing nations?  How do developed nations help developing nations deal with poverty?  How does poverty affect education in developing countries?  Select one (or more) and formulate a thesis/hypothesis

Thesis/Hypothesis Must Have a “So What”  Level 1 – Very basic statement that expresses an opinion  Wealthy nations do not help the youth in poor countries to become educated.  Level 2 – Basic statement that expresses an opinion and is assertive  Wealthy nations keep youth in developing nations from getting an education.  Level 3 – Assertive statement that expresses an opinion and suggests a “so what”  The elite in developed nations prevent youth in developing nations to become educated, causing them to remain living in poverty.  Level 4 – Assertive and sophisticated statement that expresses an opinion and contains an assertive “so what”  Due to the greed of the leisured class of developed nations, millions of youth suffer from lack of education in developing nations; thus contributing to the cycle of poverty.

Writing Your Report  Read the textbook page 405  Complete activities 1-2

The Introduction  Sentence #1: Provide a general opening statement about the topic  Next few sentences nicely follow your first statement giving basic background to your topic and gradually focusing it toward your thesis  Thesis statement  Preview sentence(s) follow the thesis statement and outline what your main points will be

The Body  Carefully organized  Strongest points are at the beginning and end; weaker points are in the middle  Should flow from one paragraph to another (exceptions in report writing)  Citing should happen throughout, not just at the end of a paragraph  Citing within one paragraph should come from a variety of sources – this shows you have done a lot of research and understand how your sources connect to each other  Integrate quotes, don’t just throw them in

The Conclusion  Restate your thesis/hypothesis  Briefly sum up the main points of your essay  Spend most of the time developing the “so what” of your thesis and topic. Why is it important that this topic is considered through the perspective as is stated in your thesis/hypothesis?  Remember the triangle. Expand!

General Tips  Do not use personal pronouns (I, we, our, your, etc). Use “one” if you cannot figure out how to avoid this in your sentence.  Always use formal writing. Your report is not a conversation! Challenge your vocabulary and sentence variety  Do not use contractions: “don’t” should be “do not”  Avoid “This essay is about” “My paper will discuss”  Write out numbers 1-10 “Eight” not “8”

General Tips  Avoid clichés, colloquial language, euphemisms and other slang and expressions  Cut to the chase  All in all  Breath of fresh air  In this day and age  Time and time again  Sugar coat