LORD OF THE FLIES RESEARCH PROJECT
You are to use research to better understand Lord of the Flies, to work as a group on the general topic and
to write individual papers using documentation. The group will then be a panel sharing their different
opinions.
CHOOSE A TOPIC Your options (and you can propose/evolve from this)
1. The development of the teenage brain
If the characters were older, how might they solve some of their problems better?
How do they reveal “typical” characteristics of eleven year old males?
Are the “younguns” behaving typically?
2. Bullying
How could Piggy have avoided being victims?
How could others have helped the hunters to not bully?
Why does Jack “not want to play anymore”?
Is Jack being sadistic? Is this to his advantage in terms of survival?
What are the characteristics of the island that encourage bullying?
3. What parallels can be made between individuals and nations?
Is Jack a “dictator” and Ralph a “democratic leader”?
[See Fascism ]
Do flaws in human nature lead to flaws in society?
4. What character traits foster being a successful survivor in a group?
Look up biographies of Mutiny on the Bounty/ Pitcairn Island, Shackleford headed to Antarctica, etc.
Does the television show Survivor use the best techniques (tribes, alliances, etc.)?
5. What does educational, sociological, biological, and historical research show about how communities
form from randomly selected people (like students in a class, survivors of a plane crash)?
How do leaders emerge?
Are there examples of situations like Ralph blowing the conch?
How do leaders maintain their leadership?
RESOURCES
1. Use only library resources and on-line sources available through AHS (NetTrekker, Thomas Gale,
etc.). Go to WCS homepage> AHS homepage>Media Center>Online resources.They can be articles,
academic essays, articles on LOF. Do not use student papers or sources that do not have an author.
2. Check library books, reference books.
3. When you find 3 good, relevant sources, start comparing to the novel.
Go back through the novel to find relevant situations and quotes. (Sparknotes can help you to find the
point in the chapter.0 Remember to note the LOF page number.
4. Print out articles, highlight relevant info.
5. Do a detailed outline of what will be in each paragraph of your paper with sources in margin.
6. Refer to The Write Source (the website for Writers Inc) as needed for samples of documentation.
DOCUMENTATION Use MLA form found on Landmarks Citation Guide, or eLibrary or ezbib. Keep up
with your Works Cited entries.
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Perigee, 1954.
Possible Model Outline for LOF research paper (AAABBB comparison essay or 3 reasons/aspects;
part one LOF; part two evidence from various sources)
Thesis (what you are trying to prove/your personal view):
[Lead up to by an interesting quote, personal example]
(Author page)
I. Topic sentence (probably about character or situation from LOF)
A. Support (evidence, example, quote)
1.
2.
(Author page)
(Author page)
B.
II. Topic sentence (probably about situation from one source) What does this research say about whether
LOF is accurate? POINT 1
A.
B.
III. Topic sentence (probably about situation from second source) What does a second source say about
whether LOF is accurate? POINT 2
A.
B.
IV+ Other supporting evidence about other points POINT 3+
V. Conclusion
Model for ABAB Comparison
Thesis (what you are trying to prove/your personal view):
Lead up to by an interesting quote, personal example
I. Topic sentence POINT 1
A. Support (evidence, example, quote) from LOF
1.
2.
B. Support (evidence, example, quote) from source
(Author page)
(Author page)
(Author page)
III. Topic sentence POINT 2
A. LOF
B. source
IV+ Other points POINT 3 etc.
V. Conclusion
Sources: Every time that you use either Golding’s or another author’s IDEAS (and especially for quotes)
you must credit the source by giving the author’s name and the page (if it is an internet source give the
page number of the printout). This last is my rule.
Paraphrasing: If you can’t put it in your words, quote it. But you have to explain it.
Schedule
April 18-23 F-M-T-W in library
Friday Find sources
Monday Turn in Works Cited with at least 3 sources besides LOF
Tuesday turn in outline
Wed begin writing
April 24-28 Continue to write paper and watch the film of LOF
Monday editing
Tues panels begin
Wed. panels continue
April 29 Final due; panels continue