Research on Abstract Noun
“There is within me (and with sadness I have watched it in others) a knot of cruelty borne by the
stream of love, much as our blood sometimes bears the seed of our destruction.” --James Hurst
“I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and
death.” –James Hurst
“Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, / And vice sometime’s by action dignified” (Romeo and
Juliet 3.2.22-23).
“Two such opposed kings encamp them still
In man as well as herbs—grace and rude will;
And where the worser is predominant,
Full soon the canker death eats up that plant” (Romeo and Juliet 3.2.28).
PART I: Gather evidence. Due Thursday, November 13.
Choose pairs that represent the negative and positive of your chosen abstract noun. You may
choose ways to demonstrate the duality of your word from the following list. You must find a pair
of poems from poetryoutloud.org, but your other two choices are optional.
1. Poems (Required)
2. School-appropriate songs
3. Current events (Must retrieve from a credible news source. Try the New York Times
Learning Network.)
4. Art with artist and date (Must retrieve from a museum web page.)
5. Historical events/biographies/nonfiction (not Hitler!)
6. Film
7. Fiction
On your Wiki, you will provide three significant pieces of information for your six sources (three
pairs):
a. A correct citation for each of the six sources.
b. A summary of each source and how it connects to the abstract noun.
c. One developed paragraph for each set where you clearly explain the opposing ideas. Why
did you place the two songs, films, poems, etc. side by side? How do they demonstrate the
opposing forces of this one abstract noun? Spend time and thought on this particular
paragraph.
Please keep in mind that Mrs. Faubel and Mrs. Bruschetti can check your Wiki at any time. This
assignment is more time-consuming than it appears. You will have little or no other English work
during the next two weeks, so use time wisely by adding one piece of data each night on your Wiki
page. When we visit your site, we should see recent activity.
PART II: Defining Abstract Noun.
Outline due Thursday, November 14
Rough draft due end of period Tuesday, November 18.
Final copy due Friday, November 21.
If you know you will be absent on this day, then due Thursday, November 20. You will write
your essay on either a Microsoft Word document or on Google Drive. You will actually turn in a
hard copy of your essay, a rubric, and a Works Cited page. If your printer does not work at home,
then come to school early enough to print in Lab 201.
Computer Lab Days: Monday, November 10
Tuesday and Wednesday, November 18 and 19
If needed, Friday, November 21
Monday, November 17 through Friday, November 21 from 7:45 to 8:30
in Lab 201. Mrs. Bruschetti will be in Lab 201 each morning helping
students with their documentation.
On computer lab days, come prepared with your Wikispace address, flash drive, etc. --whatever
you need to effortlessly transport your work back and forth from school to home.
Once you’ve gathered your evidence, you are prepared to write an essay defining your abstract
noun. You will precisely define the word in your introduction (but don’t use a dictionary
definition!). You then will develop your claim/definition by organizing three of your sources into
engaging, thoughtful evidence. (HINT: Sometimes it’s easier to write on what your abstract noun
is NOT.) You will also turn in a Works Cited page listing in alphabetical order all six of your
sources, even though you only need to actually use a minimum of three sources in your essay.