Core B Research Paper Guidelines
Topic:
For this paper you will conduct research on the life and times of one of the authors whose work we have read in Core B Comp & Lit this year. Your paper will then discuss how the work we have read is related to the historical context in which it was written and/or the life of the author.
Maybe the author used his or her work of literature to make a point about a social structure, philosophy, or event that was prominent at the time. Maybe the author used events from his or her own life to give the inspiration for the piece of literature.
This paper should not merely state facts that you have discovered in your research, but it should show how those facts are pertinent to the piece of literature by your chosen author. This is not an expository essay in which you merely relate what happened or explain an idea. It is an argumentative essay in which you prove why or that the historical/biographical information is relevant to the work of literature. You are going to make an inference or draw a conclusion which you will prove with historical research throughout your essay; thus, you will have to refer to the research you have conducted as well as the literature you have read.
You may choose from the following list of authors/works:
Elizabeth George Speare— The Bronze Bow
O. Henry—“The Gift of the Magi”
O. Henry—“The Ransom of Redchief”
Richard Connell—“The Most Dangerous Game”
Guy de Maupassant—“The Necklace”
John Bunyan—
Pilgrim’s Progress
Arthur Conan Doyle— The Hound of the Baskervilles
John Steinbeck— The Pearl
James Thurber—“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
William Butler Yeats—“Adam’s Curse”
Alexandre Dumas— The Count of Monte Cristo
Requirements:
Length: 4-6 pages ( 3.75 > 7)
Papers that fall below or above the page length requirement will automatically be reduced by one letter grade per page missing or added.
Grading
Topic/Thesis worksheet = 10 points
Each note card = 1 point (40 total points)
Works Cited page = 12 points
Thesis & Outline = 20 points
First half of paper = 20 points
Second half of paper = 20 points
Introduction & Conclusion = 10 points
Rough Draft = 50 points
Final Draft = 100 points

Note: The rough draft should be as well polished as you can possibly make it! Give me your best in order for me to help you make your best even better. If your rough draft receives a grade of 90 or above, you have the option of making your rough draft your final draft as well without performing any revisions.
Content requirements
Each point you make in your research essay must be drawn from your historical research or reading of the author’s literary work, and each point should in some manner support, prove, or respond to the inference made in your thesis statement. Personal experience and generalizations are not sufficient to make a point in this paper.
This paper must conform to MLA standards in all aspects. Summaries, paraphrases, and quotes must be properly credited with in-text, parenthetical documentation. No more than 30% of your final paper may be quoted material (at least 70% of the words must be your own writing).
Resources
You must use at least four sources. At least two sources must be print sources, and you may use exclusively print sources if you wish. If at all possible, cite one primary source . If you know of a website that you wish to use, you must get my approval first . Bring the link for the website to class or email me so I can check its credibility.
Many anthologies, such as the Norton anthologies, contain great introductions to historical time periods and brief biographies. Cliff Notes are also acceptable, credible sources.
RESEARCH PAPER DUE DATES:
(Late penalties: For each deadline that is missed, a 20% deduction will be taken)
1/13
—Topic/Thesis Worksheet
1/27 —First 20-25 Note Cards
2/1 —Works Cited Page
2/3
—Second 20-25 Note Cards
2/10 —Thesis & Outline
2/17 —First half of research paper
2/24
—Second half of research paper
3/2
—Introduction and Conclusion
3/9 —Rough Draft (will not be accepted without the parent checklist completed & signed)
*Final Paper due ONE WEEK after rough draft is handed back!*
The final draft must be submitted in a pocket folder. On the left side, you will include all the edited materials you have turned in to me, including topic/thesis worksheet; works cited page, outline, both parts of research paper, and rough draft. On the right side will be the final draft of your paper, the signed parent checklist, and a grading rubric.