1. O.K. It is easy to get lost in all the things we’ve already covered …. So let’s pull out head out of the weeds (so to speak) and take a look at the bigger picture. A quick review …

2. Writing your own non-fiction (Research paper) Always answer these questions: – What is your point? (This is your claim/thesis) – How do you support your claim with argument? – How do you support arguments with evidence? – How you organize it? And is that organization thoughtful and helpful? – Why does what you have to say matter? – What is the significance to your readers? Did you tell them anything new? Did you prove your point? Was it effective? (How do you know it was effective?)

3. Writing Process Prewriting (In order to say anything worthwhile, you have to know what you are talking about.) – Gather/Generate information (keeping complete records of sources from the very beginning) – Develop a claim/thesis – Develop your arguments and then attach various required evidence in support. – Determine your organization – Prepare outline or essay organizer Draft your paper (work on actual sentence/develop smooth transitions from point to point/ create cohesive paragraphs using the T.E.A.C.H. structure and evidence “chunked” around each argument/ test your organization for clarity) Revise (better organization/evidence/unity/completeness, point of view, passive/active voice) Edit (grammar, punctuation, spelling) Publish (MLA formatting, etc)

4. Requirements: This paper will require at least three sources, one primary and two secondary: 1.One interview with an expert of public schools and education. This must be a staff person at Lake Norman High School. 1.We will discuss how to prepare for the interview. 2.We will also discuss how to select the appropriate person to interview. 3.We will discuss how to document your interview. 2.One article published in popular media in the last two years concerning education. The author must be identified, along with where the article was published, when it was published, and who published it. It requires teacher approval. Some sources may be Time or Newsweek Magazine, a national newspaper such as the Washington Post, or a national broadcast. 3.One article published in scholarly journals, preferably “peer-reviewed.” The articles are found by going through the sources in the media-center with the help of Mrs. Holleman. There will also some available for you that I have already found. This paper must be 2 to 3 pages for academic students, 3 to 4 for honors students. This paper will be graded using a rubric which is found on my website.

5. Finding evidence from sources for your paper : 1.Interview at least one appropriate staff person at Lake Norman High School: Determine the type such as face to face, via email, on the phone, etc. Be professional and prepared, write open questions. Avoid questions that are biased, double-barreled, wordy, confusing, or set up false choices. Should include a mixture of quotes and paraphrased answers in your paper 2.Find at least one article in popular national media: Must be from the list I gave you. May provide interesting hook or background for your essay Must have author, be previously published with date in national media 3.Find at least one article from more serious, scholarly journals: Must be accessed through media center website Should be peer reviewed Should contain actual facts to support your arguments Must have an author, journal title, etc.

6. Thesis vs. Claim ( Usually I will use these two words interchangeably.) – A claim is just your point. It is what you are trying to prove or communicate. Some essays actually say what the claim is, and others may just hint at it. – A thesis is a structured sentence that generally has three parts: It identifies the topic (issue), it takes a stance on that issue (point), and it signals how you intend to support your point (arguments). – When evaluating a thesis, you have to look at these qualities qualities: The person’s stance is clear. The topic is important enough to justify discussion The paper is organized around only one idea The topic is narrow enough you can be complete and specific in your paper Writing Process The most important sentence in your essay is your thesis or claim. It is your main point!

7. What goes into a well constructed introductory paragraph? The structure of the essay is held together in the introduction by the following the HOBIT: 1.H= Hook reader’s attention 2.O= Overview of the bigger issue 3.B= Background information needed to understand the issue. 4.I= Interest you personally have in the subject. 5.T= Thesis statement that has a narrow topic, a position or conclusion you want the reader to understand and accept, and your signals about what your arguments will be.

8. How do you hook your reader? Common hooks: 1.Start with an idea that is opposite of the one you will develop to surprise your readers. “When I started school again, I wasn’t worried about my work ethic and ability to do the work required, after-all, I was not some fresh, confused teenager.” 2.Tell about an incident or brief story to catch the readers attention. 3.Ask questions designed to make the reader think. How would you react to someone just moving into your house uninvited? 4.Quote someone the reader may know and respect, or a person or group that is an expert. “Fish and visitors,” wrote Benjamin Franklin, “begin to smell after three days.”

9. Topic Sentence (This is a general statement about your supporting idea or supporting argument. Evidence (You must include plenty of evidence. This is information must be credible, relevant, and valid, it could be examples, statistics, expert opinions, or quotations from an outside, credible sources. EACH SOURCE MUST BE IDENTIFIED!) Analyze (What does the evidence tell you? Identify patterns, changes to patterns, or the bulk of evidence. What is the significance of that evidence?) Conclusions (What does your evidence and analysis tell you to do or believe?) How (How this paragraph connect to the next paragraph? What goes into a well constructed body paragraph? Body Paragraphs – T.E.A.C.H.

10. Today, Americans are too self-centered. Even our families don't matter as much anymore as they once did. Other people and activities take precedence, as James Gleick says in his book, Faster. “We are consumers-on-the-run... the very notion of the family meal as a sit-down occasion is vanishing. Adults and children alike eat... on the way to their next activity” (148). Sit-down meals are a time to share and connect with others; however, that connection has become less valued, as families begin to prize individual activities over shared time, promoting self-centeredness over group identity. Some researchers believe this self-centeredness is associated in some way with our increasing lack of empathy for other people. (T.E.A.C.H. pattern) OR Today, Americans are too self-centered. Even our families don't matter as much anymore as they once did. Other people and activities take precedence. In fact, the evidence shows that most American families no longer eat together, preferring instead to eat on the go while rushing to the next appointment (Gleick 148). Sit-down meals are a time to share and connect with others; however, that connection has become less valued, as families begin to prize individual activities over shared time, promoting self- centeredness over group identity. Some researchers believe this self- centeredness is associated in some way with our increasing lack of empathy for other people.

11. Citing Your Sources (absolutely critical) Evidence appears in essays in the form of quotations and paraphrasing. Both forms of evidence must be cited in your text. Citing evidence means distinguishing other writers’ information from your own ideas and giving credit to your sources. There are plenty of general ways to do citations. Note both the lead-in phrases and the punctuation (except the brackets) in the following examples:  Quoting: According to Source X, “[direct quotation]” ([page #]).  Paraphrasing: Although Source Z argues that [his/her point in your own words], a better way to view the issue is [your own point] ([page # of the first point]).  Summarizing: In her book, Source P’s main points are Q, R, and S [page #].  Quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing without putting the source’s last name in your actual sentence: The evidence shows “[quote, paraphrase, or summary]([author’s last name page #]). So – every time you use evidence, you have to either mention the source (usually the author’s last name) in the sentence, or put the source in the brackets along with the page number the evidence came from. Please note the format in the previous examples. These are known as “in-text citation” and they match up with the sources you list in their entirety on the works cited page (bibliography). According to MLA rules, it is called Works Cited, not Bibliography

12. So, now you’ve … gathered and generated evidence Organized your evidence Determined a thesis (claim) with your reasoning (arguments) Figured out how to write an introductory paragraph Figured out how to integrate your evidence smoothly into a set of well-developed paragraphs WHAT NOW? WHAT DO YOU NEED TO COMPLETE YOUR DRAFT? A CONCLUSION TIME TO GET SOMEONE TO LOOK AT YOUR PAPER AND ADVISE YOU ON WHAT YOU NEED TO REVISE TIME TO EDIT FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT IT ALL IN MLA FORMAT.

13. A concluding paragraph is your chance to remind your reader of your thesis idea and bring the paper to a natural and graceful end. Common Methods of Concluding: End with a summary and final thought Restate your thesis in new words, summarize your supporting points Include a thought-provoking question or series of questions Questions can grab a reader’s attention and is a direct appeal to think further about what you’ve written. The questions should follow logically from the points you’ve already made in the paper Questions should deal with why the subject is important; what might happen in the future; what should be done about the subject; which choice should be made. End with a prediction or recommendation Predictions and recommendations take your reader into the future, and involve the reader directly.

14. REVISING YOUR PAPER (GET SOMEONE ELSE TO READ YOUR PAPER WITH THESE QUESTIONS) Find your main point. What are you trying to say in the paper? Does the paper have a clear thesis in three parts? Identify your readers and your purpose. Is it completely clear from beginning to end? Evaluate your evidence. Does the evidence in your paper support your thesis? Do you offer enough evidence to support your claim? If you are using quotations from the text as evidence, did you cite them properly? Save only the good pieces. Do all of the ideas relate back to the thesis? Is there anything that doesn't seem to fit? If so, you either need to change your thesis to reflect the idea or cut the idea. Tighten and clean up your language. Do all of the ideas in the paper make sense? Are there unclear or confusing ideas or sentences? Read your paper out loud and listen for awkward pauses and unclear ideas. Cut out extra words, vagueness, and misused words. Is it written from a 3 rd person point of view, and the writer avoids referring to himself or herself. Are your sentence structures smooth, of varied length and of varied complexity? Is your tone neutral (objective), and scholarly or professional? PLEASE NOTICE THAT THIS PROCESS BECOMES MORE AND MORE FOCUSED ON SMALLER AND SMALLER DETAILS.

15. EDITING YOUR PAPER Eliminate mistakes in grammar and usage. Do you see any problems with grammar, punctuation, or spelling? If you think something is wrong, you should make a note of it, even if you don't know how to fix it. Why wait until now to really focus on this part? Because when you make big changes when drafting and revising, you would need to do this again every time. In fact, with electronic papers, the most common source of grammar errors comes from cutting, pasting, copying, and changing, and then forgetting to go back to find the little orphaned bits and pieces left over from a previous version. Sometimes, if you are proofing your own work, it is important to finish writing, wait a couple of days, and then re-read what you’ve written. Misspelled words, punctuation errors, and poor grammar will all become more apparent the way. Do not just rely on a spelling checker.