Everything You Need to Know About the Senior Research Paper

September 11, 2017 - September 15, 2017 ERWC Agenda 

Monday, September 11th: 

Senior Project Speak: A Vocabulary List

Some of the following terms may be new; some you may already be familiar with. Let’s take a look.

Annotated Work Cited Page: a list of sources you used, and how you used them. (How you used them makes it an annotated Work Cited Page)

Citation: shows the reader where you got your information

Evidence of Research: notes taken from your sources on note cards, to be available any time your English teacher requires

Fifth-year Senior: what you will be if you don’t complete your project!

Letter of Intent: a business format letter that describes your Senior Project

Mentor: an adult with expertise in your area of research who helps you through the rough patches (this does not include friends or relatives)

MLA Style: Modern Language Association is the style used in college English papers

Plagiarism: intentionally or unintentionally using the words or ideas of another as your own. This occurs when you fail to cite your sources properly, or worse, cut and paste from the Internet.

Portfolio: consists of your research paper, 20-hour project log, presentation evaluations and any other artifacts you wish to include

Research Paper: a 7-10 page paper, analytical or argumentative in nature

Senior Presentation: a 7-10 minute oral presentation that allows you to explain what you learned to an audience of interested adults and peers

Senior Product: a hands-on learning experience that you design and spend 20 hours outside of the classroom physically learning about your topic

Time Log: where you keep track of the hours spent on your Senior Product

PART 2 SELECTING A TOPIC

WRITING YOUR LETTER OF INTENT

Selecting a topic

Answering the following questions will help you 

select a topic for your Senior Project:

• What are your goals in life?
• What careers are you interested in pursuing?
• What political issues do you feel strongly about?
• What changes would you like to see in your community, country, or the world?
• What organizations interest you?
• What are your talents and hobbies?

Still unsure about a topic? Trust your interests and passions. If you had one million dollars, what would you do with it? Now downsize that into something that would work for your Senior Project. Your English teacher can help you narrow your topic.

Sample Paper/Projects

Creationism vs Evolution/Presented findings to six biology classes

Musical arranging/Wrote original song for an orchestra

Funding techniques used for charities/Raised $6,000 for Make a Wish Foundation

Feminism in the 21^st Century/Started a feminist club on campus

Evaluation of running as a form of physical conditioning/Completed a marathon

The success of Latinos in LA politics/Campaign for a local Latino politician.

The impact of pesticides on vegetables/Plant and harvest an organic garden.

Breaking Down the Letter of Intent*

Paragraph 1: 
 Describe the general area of interest and why you have 

 chosen this area. Explain what you already know or have

 accomplished in this area. 

Explain why you are interested in this topic. Do you 

have any experience related to this topic? If your 

experience is extensive then this might not be a good

topic for you.

Paragraph 2: 
 Include the specific research your paper will focus on

 some of the ideas you hope to include and what will

 be possible resources.

 How will you learn more about this topic and what will

 your paper focus on? What questions do you want to 

 answer as you complete this paper? What sources will

you use (books, articles, interviews, websites, etc)?

Paragraph 3: 
 Begin with a transitional sentence showing the relation-

ship between your paper and your product. Then de-

scribe your product, who’s involved, potential costs,

potential time spent and possible resources.

 How will the research you do on your paper relate to

creating your product? List any supplies and possible

people that you will need help from. Will creating this 

product challenge you?

Paragraph 4: 
 Explain your understanding of plagiarism and the reper-

cussions of such an act.

 Describe plagiarism in your own words and vow that you

will not plagiarize!

*Adapted from Santee Education Complex Senior Project Student Survival Guide

Letter of Intent Format

Your Street address

Your City, State, Zip

Today’s Date

Senior Project Committee Member

School Street address

School City, State, Zip

Dear Senior Project Committee Member:

Paragraph 1: Describe the general area of interest, for example: 

history, music, art, and why you have chosen this

area. Explain what you already know or have 

accomplished in this area.

Paragraph 2: Include the specific research your paper will focus on,

some of the ideas you hope to include and what will

be possible resources.

Paragraph 3: Begin with a transitional sentence showing the relation-

ship between your paper and your product. Describe 

your product, who’s involved, potential costs, potential

time spent, and possible resources.

Paragraph 4: Explain your understanding of plagiarism and the reper-

cussions of such an act.

Sincerely,

Signature

Your Name (typed)

Sample Letter

600 S. McCadden Pl. 

Los Angeles, CA 90019 

October 12, 2008 

Hollywood High School 

1521 North Highland Ave. 

Los Angeles, CA 90028 

Dear Senior Project Committee Member: 

My dream is to go to New York and study journalism, and one day work for a prestigious magazine. My passion is writing and expressing my opinion and personality in my writing. I am an effective communicator and I am able to socialize with different kinds of people. I want to major in journalism, and have a bachelor’s degree in public relations. I am currently the Editor-in-Chief of The Crimson Chronicle, our high school newspaper, and already I have made positive and practical changes that will add to the credibility and efficiency of the newspaper. I am a natural leader, and I will always strive for what I want to accomplish in my life. 

Unlike other seniors, the Senior Project is not something I dread, but rather it is something I look forward to, I was able to choose a topic right away because I am excited about this, and already I have so many ideas. My Senior Project topic is a chance for me to put together my talent in creativity, journalism, and effective marketing. Every time I buy a magazine, I notice that every model is skinny and that some of the merchandise (clothes, jewelry, make-up, etc.) is expensive, and things most girls are not able to afford. My physical project will be to put together a magazine that appeals to all teenage girls, regardless of their physical appearance, personal type, or social status. I want to know what these girls want to see in a magazine, so I plan to conduct surveys in different areas, and ask girls what their ideal magazine would contain, and the things they do not like about the magazines that are currently in circulation. 

I plan to do all the photography myself, I will include models that are thick, thin, tall, short, etc. A magazine should be able to elevate a girl’s self esteem regardless of her body, and communicate with them at personal level. I am well aware that my project will take time and hard work, but I am willing to do it all because not only will I enjoy it, but I will make a difference by communicating with teenagers who live in the same world as I do, and have the same questions and fears I have. 

My research paper will focus on the influence magazines have over today’s youth, and the unhealthy and superficial image that these magazine categorize as normal. Simply flipping through some of the most popular magazines can automatically make a girl feel insecure and depressed. The reality of my generation is that we are materialistic, and magazines only enforce this idea. I guarantee that I will not plagiarize, and that all the work I will present will be original, and will be a result of my own ideas and beliefs. 

Sincerely, 

Anastasia Gulaff

PART 3 YOUR RESEARCH PAPER

Researching overview 

1. Determine your topic, making sure it is not too broad or narrow. Determine if your paper is Argumentative (Thesis Statement) or Analytical (Research Question).
1. OWL - Argumentative (Thesis Statement) or Analytical (Research Question) 
2. Graphic Organizer - KWL Chart for Senior Project 
3. Developing a Research Question (A comprehensive website) 
2. Pre-search - Familiarize yourself with your topic. Read an article from an encyclopedia to get an overview of the topic.
3. Determine your sub-topics. Review encyclopedia articles, or books to see how the topic is broken up to help you determine your sub-topics
4. Select your resources. Remember you are never committed to one and can delete or add a resource at another time
5. Read and take notes
6. Organize your notes
7. Write your rough draft and revise
8. Word process your final draft
9. Write a work cited page
10. Submit to teacher

Thoroughly understand what you are being asked to do and define your topic to meet the requirements of your assignment: 

• Understand the assignment 
• Find a topic and brainstorm ideas 
• Narrow and/or broaden the topic as necessary 
• Get an overview to help determine key names, dates, and concepts 
• Decide whether or not the assignment will be Argumentative (Thesis Statement) or Analytical (Research Question) 

Different Types of Paper (Argumentative & Analytical) 

1. Exploratory/ perspective - indicates an informative, exploratory perspective, representing a variety of viewpoints related to a particular issue.
2. Persuasive (supports a conclusion) - makes a forceful statement using proof to persuade the reader of a particular viewpoint. This type of paper requires objectivity, honest portrayal of evidence, and support for the position advocated.
3. Comparison/ Contrast - compares and contrasts one 'thing' to another.
4. Problem/ solution - informatively addresses a problem, previews several solutions, and then endorses one.
5. Parallel - draws an inference or prediction based upon similarities of events or conditions. 

Guide to Sources, References, Work Cited

Sources

When you are searching for information on your topic, you can access a variety of resources that can help meet your needs. The two types of formats that are available are Print and Non-Print (Electronic) sources.

• Print formats: books, references, magazines, newspapers, maps, charts, etc. 
• ACCENT (HHS Online Book Catalog) 
• Non-Print (electronic) formats: online/electronic resources, videos, software, etc... 
• Digital Library (Electronic Databases)

Citing Sources, Plagiarism & Copyright

Don't forget to cite your sources! When you paraphrase an author or quote an author directly, you MUST credit the source. You must also cite another person's work if you use his or her ideas, information, data, evidence or style of presentation. When in doubt, CITE! 

Citations should be a mixture of summary, direct quotation and paraphrase. Follow your English teacher’s directions on this.

Any source cited in the research paper must be listed on the Work Cited page. No source may be listed on the Work Cited page that was not cited in the paper.

 pdf 

*OSLIS Middle and High School: MLA Citation Maker
*Son of Citation Machine: Citation Machine 

UCLA's website offers a nice little tutorial on Citing Sources. 

Research Paper Format Guidelines

Use MLA Format only 

1. Some key rules in formatting 
1. Font: use standard, easy to read font (e.g., Times Roman or Courier) and size (12 point)
2. Standard, white 8 x 11 inch paper. 
3. Leave only one space after period or other punctuation marks. 
4. Print only one side of paper. 
5. Double-space the text of your paper. 
6. Set the margin of all sides to 1 inch. 
7. For more comprehensive information, use this link - The OWL at Purdue
2. Sample 1 Source: Diana Hacker (What the paper should look like)
3. Sample 2 Source: Dallas County Community Colleges (What the paper should look like)
4. HHS Student Sample 

Monday, September 11th: 

Please bring your Pathway booklet to class this week. 

We will go over page 9 in the Pathway booklet. 

We will go over the vocabulary words used in discussing the senior project. 

We will also discuss selecting the topic for the senior project and how to do the letter of intent. 

Tuesday, September 12th: 

Your Unit 2 #1 - #10 Vocabulary will be due today. 

Warm-up exercise: 

Rhetorical Grammar for Expository Reading and Writing 

Activity 1: Guided Composition; pages 1, 2, 3

Do Activity 2: Identifying Verbs, Subjects, and Prepositional Phrases; page 3 

Due on Wednesday, September 13th. 

8:20 - 9:00

Discussion of selecting your topic.

Please email me at jkatbridge2004@gmail.com your name and three topics you would like to do for your senior project in numerical order of preference. If you don’t know, please write “I don’t know”. 

Went over letter of intent. 

Your letter of intent will be due on Friday, September 15th on schoology. 

Wednesday, September 13th: 

Warm-up exercise: 

Activity 3: ˆIdentifying Subjects and Verbs in Your Own Sentences; pages 3 - 4

Due on Monday,  September 18th

8:20 - 9:13

Work on drafting your “letter of intent” 

Go over the format 

Thursday, September 14th: 

Go over this on Monday, September 18th: 

Activity 4: What Makes a Sentence Complete? pages 4 and 5

Activity 5: Identifying Complete and Incomplete Sentences; pages 5 and 6

Due on Wednesday, September 20th

Watch Tedtalks:

Sir Kenneth Robinson: “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”

Discuss the main idea – the thesis of the presentation

Choose three of the main ideas of the presentation:

Schools demonize failure

One needs the freedom to experiment and fail in order to be creative.

If all insects died, all living creature would go extinct in fifty years.

If humans died, all life forms would flourish

Creativity is imperative to provide for a better future for the planet. 

Continue working on your "Letter of Intent" 

Friday, September 15th: 

Go over on Wednesday, September 20th

Activity 6: Combining Sentence; pages 6 and 7 

New Sentence and Original Sentence 

Activity 7: Editing Student Writing; pages 7 and 8 

Due Friday, September 22nd.

8:20 - 9:13
Continue drafting your "letter of intent" 
Next week we will be in the library to do research for the senior project. 

1^st Period:

Went over physical projects:

The physical project is the physical extension of your research, in which you take the information you have discovered into the community and create some tangible way to share the information and/or to rouse to action on that particular topic.

Examples of physical projects:

Video on human trafficking, the signs of human trafficking, where and how to safely report on human trafficking. Upload to youtube or have classes play it during Breakfast in the Classroom, or at community outreach programs.

Create a brochure on some topic – substance abuse, health, diet, exercise – and provide a community outreach center or clinic with the brochure.

Create a jazz ensemble through Lacer, teach the other musicians about jazz, perform with the band at school or some other venue. Record the process of creating the jazz ensemble, the rehearsals, and the performances.

Start a club on an important topic or social issue.

Ms. Nezu spoke to class about physical projects and the mentoring program

Letter of Intent is due today at 11:59 p.m.

Consultations with the following students:

Hakob on the American public school system: reviewed youtube and tedtalk videos on subject.

Benedict on Hollywood’s racism towards Asian characters: found three different newspaper articles on the subject.

Henry on opiod babies: found a “Story Court” article from NPR on neonatal nurse practitioners who pioneered the care and treatment of addicted newborns.

Daylan: brainstormed ideas on his physical project. Shifted ideas of senior project toward jazz music. Suggested starting jazz ensemble through Lacer.

Kaylen: discussed public service video on human trafficking,  signs of human trafficking occurring, and what you can do to help.

How to cite sources: 

According to Webster Dictionary,  e-sport is a multi-player.....

Quotation – write the quotation in quotes and then at the end, write the last name of the writer and the page number (Morgan 468)