FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT EXPLAINED

This is what will become your portfolio, along with a short reflective essay that we will also go over later. The first two essay you did in this class ARE NOT PART OF THE FINAL PORTFOLIO but you may go back to the content of those essays and likely incorporate some of that information into your essay.

HERE IS A GENERAL REVIEW OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR:

REMEMBER Your Final Essay Must Address CLIMATE JUSTICE. Now, if you don’t know what that is exactly, it is up to you to find out and communicate the information to your audience. It is actually a vast topic and you will have to narrow it down. Prior to break you did a one page freewrite immediately after listening and reflecting on what information was more powerful to you, and what do you want to know more about.  

Greta Thunberg TEDtalk (10 minutes)

https://www.ted.com/talks/greta_thunberg_the_disarming_case_to_act_right_now_on_climate_change?language=en 

Also, do the same after reviewing this site:

 

NAACP Climate and Environmental Justice

https://www.naacp.org/issues/environmental-justice/ 

Now, for Tuesday I want you ALSO to do some preliminary research and find FIVE topics related to climate justice on Galileo and then copy their MLA format and create a word document with the five sources. Based on those five sources (I will be checking them) and what you discovered in the podcast and the website, make a list of three possible subtopic under climate justice you might want to explore. For example, food waste is related to climate justice, reduced access to climate control amidst global warming has to do with Climate Justice (poor elderly people suffer the most in heat waves), etc. etc.

 

NOW HERE ARE THE SPECIFICS:

Final Essay in THREE PHASES (Note that this essay will go in the Final Portfolio with a Reflective essay and it will all be worth 300 points)

Ultimately, what you turn in to your portfolio will be a 5-7 page research paper containing AT LEAST 5 sources, two of which should be multimedia sources. The portfolio itself will include the final essay plus a reflective letter detailing your research process. 

FIRST PHASE: 50 points Annotated Bibliography.SECOND PHASE: 50 points Topic summary and Introduction, 3 sample body paragraphs with direct quotation, paraphrase, and a summary. 

THIRD PHASE: 50 points COMPLETE ROUGH DRAFT FOR WORKSHOPPING: 

  It should be 5–7 pages (1,200–1600 words) in length (not including References pages)

  Incorporate feedback from others and professor with revised writing.  

  Assemble your essay in the following format:  

Title page  

The opening paragraph that includes your claim (thesis statement)  and an attention getter

6 body paragraphs that include AT LEAST the following (with properly formatted MLA in-text citations):  

1 quote  

1 summarization  

1 paraphrase 

5 sources, with 2 being Multimedia sources (cited as needed)  

The counter-argument paragraph(s)  

The strong conclusion  that does not simply restate the thesis

Properly formatted MLA Work Cited page

50 points for coming to grading conference as well! 

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND CONSIDERATIONS

 

The essay should be at least 5 content pages plus a work cited page.

Perfect MLA double-spaced

Must have at least 5 outside sources with 2 being multimedia. This would include a graph or picture also. SOURCE MUST BE PERFECTLY FORMATTED IN MLA AND EACH SOURCE IN THE WORK CITED MUST BE USED AND CITED IN THE PAPER.

 

This is a general measure of what you need for each paragraph. Now, REMEMBER, you need to have turned in your annotated bibliography and now we are moving on from that. You should have adequate knowledge of your topic now. It is time to move forward with the rest of the essay.

 

Graded Parts:

1. Annotated bibliography 50 points Dropbox !2. Introduction and three body paragraphs 50 points

3. Rough Draft printed out with three copies 50 points

4. Conference bring NEWLY REVISED FULL Draft to conference points (no class that week) 50

5. FINAL ESSAY w/reflective essay (portfolio) 200 points Turned in online

 

Notice the entire project is worth a combined 400 points. 200 of these points could be an A just by sticking to the dates! 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

 

Should be 1-2 paragraphs  with the following:

 

-You must have a direct quotation, and I suggest a possible story, question, or other topic of interest. A HOOK! WRITE THE PAPER THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO READ!

 

-State what the problem is (your “why” question.) Why should we care about the topic? Think about this question throughout and keep reminding your audience.

 

-Is there some background/history we need to know?

 

SPECIFIC Thesis statement

 

BODY PARAGRAPHS/sections (Sometimes these paragraphs may actually be 2-3 paragraphs working together in what I call a section)

 

Each body paragraph/section should have at least the following progression:

Topic sentence

Make your point and summarize support

Provide support in the form of either a direct quotation, summary, or paraphrase. Remember, YOU MUST HAVE AN IN-TEXT CITATION IF THE AUTHOR ISN’T MENTIONED IN THE SENTENCE. YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO COMMENT ON WHO THE AUTHOR IS AND WHERE THE INFORMATION CAME FROM FOR FURTHER CREDIBILITY.

Build a bridge between your point and the support and explain the connection

Conclude AND provide a transition to the next paragraph by, again, building a “content” bridge that mentions or alludes to the next thing you will talk about.

You should have at least three of these paragraphs/sections.

 

COUNTERARGUMENT

One paragraph/section (it can be anywhere in the body-you decide what is most effective) should address the other side of the issue. Basically, think about it this way… If I feel this way, why do the other feel the opposite? Acknowledge an understand of their view, but then explain that even though you understand, here is why you still hold true to your thesis.

 

CONCLUSION/section 1-2 paragraphs

 

-Return to your main points  AND again, offer a powerful quotation/attention getter that makes a lasting impression.

– end with one or two of the following: A call to action; speculate on the future; is your topic part of a larger issue or concern that needs to be addressed?; 

Here is actually a handout from Harvard on conclusions:

 

https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/ending-essay-conclusions 

WORK CITED

 

You need to have at least 5 sources in perfectly formatted MLA. If you only have a web address you will lose a lot of points!  Each source must appear in your essay and have an in-text citation. TWO of these sources should be multimedia.

 

 

 

 

Sample MLA Annotation

Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Anchor Books, 1995.

            Lamott’s book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures. Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott’s book are wry and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to struggling with one’s own internal critic.

            In the process, Lamott includes writing exercises designed to be both productive and fun. Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one’s own imperfect humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is indispensable because of its honest perspective, its down-to-earth humor, and its encouraging approach.

            Chapters in this text could easily be included in the curriculum for a writing class. Several of the chapters in Part 1 address the writing process and would serve to generate discussion on students’ own drafting and revising processes. Some of the writing exercises would also be appropriate for generating classroom writing exercises. Students should find Lamott’s style both engaging and enjoyable.

In the sample annotation above, the writer includes three paragraphs: a summary, an evaluation of the text, and a reflection on its applicability to his/her own research, respectively.