1. English 11B: American Literature
Unit 5: Research Paper

2. Lesson Objectives
Understand the requirements and expectations for the Unit 5 portfolio: Research Paper
Identify the steps in the research writing process.

3. Unit 5
Research Paper

4. Goal
Research writing is used by writers to communicate facts in an unbiased form. 
The goal of a research report is to share information about a subject.
More than duplicating what others have reported about a topic, your research paper is an opportunity to interpret the thoughts of others.

5. Requirements & Expectations
Objective: You will be submitting your US HISTORY RESEARCH PAPER and including one page at the end (1-3 paragraphs) discussing how your historical event affected literature. Length: Full length U.S. History Research Paper + 1 page (1-3 paragraphs + Bibliography) Format: Standard MLA Formatting Support: Include evidence from authors and literature studied THIS YEAR, as well as outside evidence found in primary and secondary sources. This is a resource project. You will need to do research.

6. Requirements & Expectations
Bibliography: You will need to provide a bibliography with all of the sources that you referenced for this project. Please make careful notes of this information during the research process. You will need to use standard MLA format for your bibliography. CheckMyWork: All students are required to submit their literary analysis portfolio to CheckMyWork. Please copy and paste the URL to your CheckMyWork originality report at the end of your essay. Essays without this link will not be graded.

7. Resources
Grolier Online® Multimedia Encyclopedia™ article "American Literature."
Choose your favorite time period in American literature and read that section of the article. Compose five questions that might form the basis of a research report about that time period. Write a possible thesis statement for a research report about the time period.
Access Grolier Online through the hyperlink in the “Links” section of your student homepage in Connexus.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LINK WILL TAKE YOU TO SCHOLASTIC GO! THIS IS A GREAT RESOURCE AS WELL!

8. Resources
EBSCO Host® Student Research Center™ article "American Literature."
Research center for high school students. Search for your topic and access hundreds of databases containing articles, magazines, newspapers, books and encyclopedias, biographies, radio and TV news transcripts, primary sources, and more!
Access EBSCO Host through the hyperlink in the “Links” section of your student homepage in Connexus.

9. Resources

10. Resources English 11B: Unit 5
Your lessons in Connexus walk you through the development of this research paper. Please complete all activities outlined in this lesson to help you successfully complete this assignment.

11. Unit 5: Research Report
The Writing Process

12. Identify a Time Period Literary periods that we studied this year are…
Early American & Colonial (to 1776)
Romantic (1820s-1850s)
Realism ( )
Modernism (1920s-1940s)
Post Modernism (1950s-1960s)
Contemporary Post Modernism (1960s-2000s)

13. Identify Historical EVENTS
Research these time periods and key historical events during that time.
Identify events of interest to you are complete some preliminary research using the databases provided.
Early American & Colonial
Early settlement, Revolutionary War, Great Awakening, etc.
Romantic
Mexican American War, Abolitionist Movement, etc.
Realism
Civil War
Modernism
World War I, The Great Depression, etc.
Post Modernism
World War II, Civil Rights Movement, etc.
Contemporary Post Modernism
Vietnam, 9/11, The Iraq War, etc.

14. THESIS STATEMENT
An effective thesis statement expresses a position that can be supported by research.
Review your notes and draft a statement that reflects a general idea or theme in the material you have collected.
Your thesis statement should introduce your topic and the point that your paper will develop.

15. Thesis Structure
Thesis statement should clearly link to key words in the essay prompt:
Write a research paper analyzing a historical event that had a monumental impact on American Literature.
Thesis: “__________ (historical event) had a monumental impact in the development of American Literature due to/because ____, ____, ____ (three impacts you plan to explain in your paper).”

16. Supporting your Thesis Statement
Once you write your thesis statement, you need to support your view.
How will readers know my thesis is true?
You need to support your thesis with reasons and evidence.
You will find this evidence through your research
You need a minimum of TWO outside sources
One MUST be a literary work studied in this class for that specific time period.
The other source may include a primary or secondary source found in print or online.
Support your claims by incorporating quotes from your sources.
1 supporting detail/impact; Minimum 3 quotes total

17. Supporting your Thesis Statement
To complete the research for this assignment, you will also need to use both primary and secondary sources:
Primary sources include the works of literature you are discussing, and any additional sources such as letters, diaries, or interviews that provide direct information about the historical event.
Secondary sources include books and articles that provide historical background, biographies, and works of literary criticism.
You must include research from at least TWO different sources, at least one MUST be a literary work studied in this class for that specific time period.

18. Supporting your Thesis Statement
Primary Sources include evidence from:
The original work of literature
Interviews about the author
Diaries
Letters
Any additional sources that provide direct information about the author and the time period.
Focus Question: How does the information found in these sources support your claim for the monumental impact of this event on American Literature?

19. Identify Literary Works
Which literary works during that time period show the impact of this historical event?
Brainstorm…
Revolutionary War: “Common Sense,” “Declaration of Independence,”
Abolitionist Movement: “Self-Reliance,” “Walden.”
Civil War: Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
World War I: Hemingway’s “In Another Country.”
The Great Depression: “He,” “Babylon Revisited,” etc.
Vietnam: “Where Have You Gone Charming Billy?”

20. Supporting your Thesis Statement
Secondary Sources include evidence from:
Web Sites
Biographies
Books
Articles from newspapers
Research based articles
Literary criticisms
**Grolier Online and EBSCO Host
Focus Question: How does the information found in these sources support your claim for the monumental impact of this event on American Literature?

21. Using Valid Sources
Using valid sources is key in writing a good research paper.
Using News Articles, books, journals, websites, encyclopedias, quotes from professionals, and personal experiences are all valid sources in providing you with information to support your topic.
Wikipedia is not a valid source because it’s user-created and therefore unreliable

22. Using Valid Sources
Using websites that end with; .edu, .org, and .gov are usually reputable sites maintained by educational institutions, the government, and other professional organizations.
Evaluate the overall appearance of web sites.
Check to see when the site was last updated to be sure it is current.
Always check your facts using different sources.
Confirm your facts from at least two separate sources before using it in your paper.

23. Unit 5 Portfolio
Planning

24. Basic Formatting 4-5 Pages (including Bibliography)
Minimum of 4 sources
Unacceptable sources:
Wikipedia
more than one encyclopedia
MLA Formatting
12 point, Times New Roman font
Double-Spaced
One inch margins

25. So you don’t feel like this…
Suggestions
Get started early
Keep pace with each activity as they appear in your daily lessons
So you don’t feel like this…