Part 1: Initial Response
• Written in 1st person (I, me, my, etc.
allowed)
• Should be 1 to 1 ½ pages typed
• Should answer all of the questions on the
next slide
Part 1: Initial Response Questions
Comment on the title and what you thought it was
going to be about
Discuss the language (simple vocabulary? Difficult
vocabulary? Identify words you need to look up)
Discuss the figurative language (identify what is there,
but don’t dig too deep just yet)
Discuss the sound devices (rhyme, onomatopoeia, etc.)
Discuss what you think the poem is about
Identify any questions that you have about the poem
that you’d like to answer
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Think of questions you’d like to ask the poet as well
Part 2: Paraphrase
• Write in the SAME
point of view that the
poet wrote in
• Keep the meaning the
SAME
• Write in SENTENCE/
PARAGRAPH form
From “the lost baby poem”
by Lucille Clifton
•
the time i dropped your almost body down
down to meet the waters under the city
and run one with the sewage to the sea
what did i know about waters rushing back
what did i know about drowning
or being drowned
Example Paraphrase:
•
When I miscarried and your body dropped out
of me and into the water of the commode, it
ran into the sewage and was carried out to the
sea. At that time, I did not know anything
about how the water can rush back. I did not
know anything about what a drowning would
feel like.
Part III: Analysis of Style
• Choose one of the
following types of claims:
– Speaker’s attitudes towards an
idea
– Development of theme
– Message delivery
• Determine two to three
figurative language and/or
sound devices that
support your claim
• Write about how those
devices explain your claim
Thesis Statement Formulas
• In (name of poem), (name of
poet) develops a (insert
descriptor here) tone through
the use of (insert figurative
language and/or sound devices
here).
• In (name of poem), (name of
poet) develops a theme of (insert
theme here) through the use of
(insert figurative language
and/or sound devices here).
• (Name of poet) utilizes (insert
figurative language and/or
sound devices here) to show the
speaker’s attitude towards
(insert idea/topic here) in
his/her poem (insert poem title
here).
Part III: Analysis of Style
• Should be written in formal
language
Example
• Should be written in 3rd
person
•
• Should not use:
– Abbreviations
– Contractions
• Should include specific lines
to defend your points
– Make sure to use a / to show
where lines end and begin if
you are using more than one
line
• Thesis Statement:
Forest Hamer uses visual imagery
to illustrate the lessons a young boy
learned during his journey home.
• Specific Line Example:
•
When Hamer writes “and I lay in the quiet
noticing him listen, learning/ that he might
not be able always to protect us,” his visual
imagery allows the reader to see the young
boy watching his father (12 and 13). This
study of his father’s face allows the young boy
to understand that his father is trying to listen
to hear possible intruders. It is when he
notices that his father is listening that he also
realizes that he would not be able to protect
them if someone did come.
Part IV: Research Paper
• Choosing Your Question
– Identify ideas from your poem you could write
about
– Write them in question form
– Try to focus on cause/effect questions
– Example ~ “Auto Wreck” by Karl Shapiro
• Car Accidents
– How does alcohol consumption cause automobile
accidents?
– How does surviving a fatal car accident impact a person’s
life?
Homework
• Create a list of 2 to 3 possible questions
based on your project poem
• Be ready to turn it in when asked to
Part IV: Research Paper
• Needs to follow MLA formatting
– 12 pt. Times New Roman
– Double-spaced (but no spacing after
paragraphs)
– Upper right header – last name and page #
– 1st page needs the following in the upper left
•
•
•
•
Your name
English IV (Honors or AP)
Class Period
Due Date
Part IV: Research Paper
Requirements
• 2 sources from an online
database
– NC WiseOwl
– SIRS

2 sources from the internet
Google Scholar
 Newspaper or magazine page
 Trustworthy!

• ? Book or textbook
• Should have at least 2
sources covering each of
your major points
• Will all need to be
included on your works
cited page
Finding Information
• Search for the definition of the term you are writing
about
• Example:
– “the lost baby poem” by Lucille Clifton
– Suggests that they would have given the child up for
adoption
– My topic --- Why do parents choose to give children up
for adoption?
– Define --- ADOPTION
• Possible Search Terms
– Definition of adoption
– What is adoption
Finding Information
• Look for the causes or effects (depending on
your topic question)
• Possible Search Terms
– Causes of adoption
– Reasons for adoption
– Why do parents give up a child
• Keep trying ideas until you get what you
need
Tonight’s Homework
• Make certain that you have the following:
– A minimum of two credible sources that define your
topic
– A minimum of four credible sources on the
causes/effects (depending on your question)
• Read through them and decide on three to four main
causes or effects
• Highlight information for cause/effects you chose in
separate colors (but the same for each source)
• Determine if you need to find additional information
based on color coding
Scoring Guide --- Notes Sheets
• 35--- 100
• 40 --- 105
• 45 --- 110
• 50 --- 115
Part IV: Research Paper Outline
I.
Introduction
A.
B.
Attention Getter:
Thesis Statement:
II. Definition of ???
III. Causes of ???
A.
B.
C.
Cause #1
Cause #2
Cause #3
IV. Conclusion
I.
Introduction
A.
B.
Attention Getter:
Thesis Statement:
II. Definition of ???
III. Impacts of ???
A.
B.
C.
Effect #1
Effect #2
Effect #3
IV. Conclusion
Please Note
• Subheadings (A, B, C on previous slide)
– Should have parallel structure
• Using the same pattern of words
• Showing they have the same level of importance
– Should be brief phrases; not complete sentences
– Should be separate body paragraphs in the text
of your paper
What is Parallel Structure?
Example ~ infinitive form
•To create a sense of pride
•To improve student interactions
•To eliminate bullying
Example ~ gerunds
•Creating a sense of pride
•Improving student interactions
•Eliminating bullying
Example ~ present tense
•Creates a sense of pride
•Improves student interaction
•Eliminates bullying
Example ~ past tense
•Created a sense of pride
•Improved student interactions
•Eliminated bullying
Parts of the Introduction
• Attention Getter:
– 2 to 3 sentences long
– Draws the reader into the paper
• Transition Sentences:
– 2 to 3 sentences long
– Takes the reader from a small picture to the big picture
• Thesis Statement:
– ONE SENTENCE!! ONE SENTENCE!!
– Tells the reader what the paper will be about
– Does not need to have three separate subtopics included
(those are for essays, not research papers)
Attention Getter Options (part 1)
• Tell a narrative story
– Needs to relate to the topic you are writing about
– Can be from research, personal experience, or made up
• From research – must include a citation to show where it came from
• Based on personal experience – must be written in 3rd person
• Use a quotation
– Should be from someone that has easy recognition by most people
• Examples: famous musicians, politicians, entertainers, or athletes
– Must begin with an introductory phrase in your own words
– Should include an explanation of what the quotation means in your
own words
– Must include a citation to show where it came from
Attention Getter Options (part 2)
• Highlight a statistic
– Needs to relate to the topic you are writing about
– Should have an introductory phrase (in your own
words) so your paper begins with YOUR WORDS
– Must include a citation to show where it came from
• DO NOT BEGIN WITH A QUESTION OR YOU
WILL FAIL!!
Sample Introduction #1
After months of contemplation, Sherry had
finally decided that signing the papers would be her
best option. She knew that it would be better for the
little boy that would soon be born to go to a loving
couple that was desperate for children. She entered
the adoption agency ready to make the biggest
decision of her life official. Across the world, many
people find themselves in the same situation as Sherry.
They carefully review their options and make the final
choice to give their child up for adoption. Birth parents
share a variety of reasons for making the final call to
sign their child over to adoptive parents.
Sample Introduction #2
According to the United States Department
of Health and Human Services, 135,813
individuals were adopted during 2008. This was
“a [six] percent increase in total adoptions from
the year 2000” and these numbers continue to
grow (Child Welfare 8). Each of these children
will one day learn they were adopted. For many,
this discovery comes during the already difficult
time of being a teenager. Realizing that they were
given up for adoption can have many effects on a
teenager.
Sample Introduction #3
Oprah Winfrey once said that “biology is the
least of what makes someone a mother” (quoted in
Morton par. 10). Winfrey meant that it takes much
more than carrying a child for nine months or
providing DNA to create him or her to actually be
considered a parent. Because of adoption, there are
many parents who provide a loving home, necessities,
and guidance that have no biological connection to
the children they touch. These adoptive parents make
the choice to love and raise children. When
considering options for having a child, there are many
different causes to choose adoption.
Tonight’s Homework
• Create your outline
• Write your introduction
– Remember 3 or 4 of the 5 to 7 sentences that
the introduction require are PART of the
outline!
Part V: Interview
• Plan ahead
– Write open-ended questions about the
poem and number them
– Ask EARLY; have copy of poem to give
them when they agree
– Make sure you are able to meet with them
when you schedule the meeting
Part V: Interview
• Be flexible
– Don’t stick to the questions you prepare
– Ask follow up questions
• Take great notes
– Write the question # down and the
response
– Have them repeat something if necessary
Interview Question Examples
• Why do you think Clifton used only lowercase letters
throughout the entire poem?
• Who is the speaker talking to? Why?
• What do you think caused Clifton to write this
poem?
• Why do you think she repeats the phrases “what did
i know” and “let the?”
• What does the speaker say about her other children?
Part V: Interview
• Should be written in 1st person (I, me, my,
etc. are allowed)
• Should be written in narrative form
• Should include details about how the
interview went
– Examples:
• She was very nervous about answering my
questions.
• She only gave one to two word responses.
Part VI: Concluding Response
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Look back at the questions you posed in the initial response. Have you
answered any of them? If so, what did you figure out?
How did re-writing the poem in paraphrased prose help you understand the
poem?
How did looking closely at one element (or two) to write the Analysis of Style
help you understand the poem better?
How has researching your topic improved your understanding of what has
happened in the poem?
How did talking to another person about the poem improve your
understanding of the poem? Did their experiences change their ideas about the
poem? Did you have similar ideas? Explain.
What have you learned about poetry in general through working on this
assignment?
What have you learned about yourself through working on this assignment?
How do you think this assignment has helped to prepare you for a college
experience?
What are your final thoughts on the poem? Do you like it more? less? about the
same? Explain.
Part VII: Annotated Works Cited
• Needs to include:
– The poem that your project is about
– All sources that are cited inside the research paper
section
– The interview(s) you conducted
• Should use EasyBib.com to format
• Will include a brief summary of what the
source is about
– Example:
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/writersref6e/lmc
ontent/ch07/PDF/Hacker-Orlov-MLA-Biblio.pdf
Formatting
• Times New Roman, size 12 font; double-spaced (without spacing
above or below paragraphs); 1” margins
• Includes a header with your last name and the page number in the
upper right
• Begin page 1 with your name, the course title, your instructor’s name,
and the due date; it will also include the POEM; page 2 will be Part 1,
and you will continue in order of the parts
• Center the title of each part of the paper using the titles provided (i.e.
Part I – Initial Response)
• Start each new part of the paper on a new page, continuing the
numbering using MLA style in the upper, right-hand corner of the page.