Revising Research Papers

Intro Paragraphs ● Include a strong, memorable hook (1-2 sentences). ● Briefly introduce the career you’re writing about (2-3 sentences) ● Should be more broad and general; save specifics for later (unless they’re apart of the hook). ● Set up how the career relates to your own interests. (2-3 sentences). ● Thesis statement (1 sentence) ○ Remember, even though this is a research paper, you should still format your thesis in a way that presents a general kind of argument. “This career is important/interesting/the best one for me because…”

Sample Intro I ● Do you like the idea of changing lives? Teaching is the perfect job for that. It doesn’t make a lot of money, only about 32,000 dollars a year, but that’s okay. In order to become a teacher you have to have a bachelors and a license and sometimes some extra certification. I really want to be a teacher, because i love books, and helping kids. Teaching is an important job, and one i want to do.

Sample Intro II ● From the age of 5-18, who has the most impact on your life, outside of friends and family? The answer: Teachers. Being an educator means using a particular set of skills to help young people develop their own passions and interests and realize their lives to the fullest potential. Teaching English especially means that you build communication and critical thinking skills that people will be using, in some form or another, for the rest of their lives. As someone that is passionate about reading and writing, I love the idea of instilling that passion into others. Because being a teacher conforms to my educational plans, offers good pay and great benefits, and requires a skillset I know I excel in, teaching is the perfect career for me.

Body Paragraphs ● Follow the order you stated in the thesis. ● Follow PEE format, plus a little extra. ○ More context, more details, and more commentary than a regular SCR. USE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE PARENTHETICAL CITATION (Website Title, Author Last Name, etc) [Properly capitalized.] At least two to three full “quotes (bare minimum), in ADDITION to the paraphrasing you might do. ● Lead in to next Body Paragraph.

Body Paragraph I ● Teachers have to get a lot of education in order to succeed and make money. You at least have to have a bachelor’s degree, but you’ll make more money and have more opportunities with a masters. (bls.gov). You also have to get a license. This might require extra schooling, depending on the school you choose. All in all, the education requirements for teaching are a little bigger than most but not by much.

Body Paragraph II The path to becoming a teacher does require a pretty large amount of education, which might be a drawback for some. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, “in addition to requiring a bachelor’s degree, [some] states require teachers to complete a teacher preparation program and … student teaching. States also typically require candidates to pass a general teaching certification test” (BLS.gov). Though that might sound like a lot of education, it isn’t something I mind much at all. I like being in school, and if I can get scholarships it shouldn’t be too expensive. Plus, a good teacher has to actually know what they are talking about, and I want to be a good teacher. Many teachers recommend getting a masters so you can make more money overall (College in Colorado). This is fine, since, again, I love learning, so I don’t mind eventually going back to school. Not only does the extra education suit me, but so does the overall skillset required to teach.

Conclusion ● Briefly restate the main points you’ve already covered in your paper. ● One final opportunity to show why the career is important, and why it is right for you. ● End with a powerful hook: Something memorable that can leave the reader going “Yeah, this IS a really important/interesting/cool career!” ● Intro and Conclusions should be MORE than 3-4 sentences.

Conclusion I ● Overall, teaching is a good career. It lets you impact lives and if you love books it’s a lot of fun too. There’s challenges to face, but what job doesn’t have challenges? What matters is doing your best, and succeeding. I really want to be a teacher, and this paper shows why teaching is a good career to pick.

Conclusion II ● If your child is going to spend the first half of their lives learning in classrooms, you can only hope the teachers they have are good ones. Since I know my educational plans, skillset, and overall career goals align with teaching, I want to join the career so I can make sure students actually enjoy school, and that their learning is meaningful. This career is perfect for me because I know first hand what it’s like for a great teacher to make school not only fun, but life-changing. It may take me a long time to get there, but someday I’d like to do that same thing for my students.