Greek Gods and Goddesses Research Paper
Your research paper is in lieu of the Science Fair project. It must detail important information about the god or
goddess of your choice, including relating a story about him or her and the story’s significance to the Greek culture.
Proper use of the English language and correct spelling must be observed at all times. Third-person, past tense
should be used in this paper. The research paper should be typed one-sided only. It should be double-spaced. The
font should be Times New Roman-12 font, no bigger.
Research Paper—Your paper should be a minimum of full two pages in length, not including the Works Cited.
Thoroughly review the history and information surrounding your chosen god or goddess. All references must be
properly attributed in the paper and on the Works Cited page. You must cite your sources within the paper by
including the first part of the bibliography entry in parentheses and include a Works Cited page at the end listing all
the sources you cite. See the example on the back.
Works Cited—A list of the references (sources) you used in writing your paper, this part must contain a minimum
of three .org, .gov, or .edu sources and two other sources of your choice for a total of at least five sources. Make sure
to put the information in the proper MLA order (Use Easybib.com) and alphabetize the list. Only the sources that
you cited in your paper go on this list. See the example on the back.
Research Process: Prewriting
To begin, research valid websites and print or copy the information about your topic. Make sure to get the
full address so that you can find the source again. If a source a book, etc., make sure to bring it to class.
Next, create a tentative Works Cited page on Easybib.com to use as you write your notes and rough draft.
Then, cut out each section of information you want to use and glue to note cards. Glue one note per card
and put the specific topic at its top. Then, write the first part of the Works Cited entry on the back of the card. You
will need at least 20 notes.
Now, organize these into groups based on the topics. This will make creating your formal outline easier.
From these concepts, create a thesis. What are you trying to prove?
Finally, create a formal outline before you begin your paper. This outline is NOT in sentence form; it is just
a topical outline. It should look similar to the following:
I. Intro
A. General idea
B. Thesis
II. Body
A. Topic 1
1. Subtopic
a. Detail
b. Detail
2. Subtopic
a. Detail
b. Detail
3. Subtopic
a. Detail
b. Detail
B. Topic 2 (repeat pattern)…
III. Conclusion
A. Restated thesis
B. Universal idea
Here are the due dates for your project:
Dec. 1—information from your five sources
Dec. 2—note cards
Dec. 3—outline
Dec. 6—rough draft
Dec. 7—revision
Dec. 8—final draft
Research Paper Rough Draft
Now that you have written your outline, it is time to turn it into an actual paper. How do you do
that? Here are some tips. First, write an introduction to the paper. Think in general terms about your topic.
Then, narrow it down to your thesis, the statement you are trying to prove. Study the following example over
my topic, Zeus.
Humans have always been curious about his origins and the cycles of change that occur within life.
Throughout history man has attempted to explain these concepts in a variety of ways. The ancient Greeks developed
an intricate system of gods and goddesses to explain their origins and their situations in life. The gods ranged from
lesser deities to one almighty force. The most powerful of these gods was Zeus.
Next, use the outline of your paper to help you write the body paragraphs. Following is a sample part
of an outline and its corresponding body paragraph sentences.
A. Zeus’s birth
1. Parents
a. Cronus
b. Rhea
2. Trick
a. Rhea’s help
b. Etc….turns into:
The myth surrounding the birth of Zeus is one of the most fabled tales in all of Greek mythology. Legend
has it that Zeus’ parents were Titans, powerful gods and goddesses who begat the Olympians (Francek). Zeus’ father
was Cronus, a Titan famed for his jealousy and greed of his children and for swallowing most of them immediately
after their births (“Greek Gods and Goddesses”). His mother was Rhea, also known as “mother of the Olympian
gods” (Favis-Mortlock). Wanting to save at least one of her children, Rhea tricks Cronus to save her last born, Zeus
(“Why Should We Worry about Zeus?”) With the help of the Titans Uranus and Gaea, Rhea gave her husband a
rock to swallow instead (Protecting Her Family). –The paragraph would continue….
Notice that the paragraph begins with an uncited, general topic sentence. These citations directly
correspond with the first part of my Works Cited entries. Use your note cards and make sure to cite some
information from every Works Cited entry. Reword most material, but do use quotation marks around direct
quotes. Notice how the citations all correspond with the following Works Cited entries.
Finally, after you finish writing the body paragraphs, craft a conclusion. Restate your thesis in
different words and then summarize each main point from the body in a sentence. Write a universal
statement for the last sentence. Print your research paper and your Works Cited page.
All stages must be completed in order as listed on the front. If a stage is not completed on its due
date, you must complete it and show it to me before I will score any remaining parts. All stages must be
completed and shown to me before you turn in the final draft.
The Works Cited should be a separate page and will be the last page of your paper. Alphabetize your list.
Here is an example:
Works Cited
"Greek Gods and Goddesses." Teacher's Domain. National Mythology Foundation. 25 Oct. 2009. Web. 22 Nov.
2010.
<http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ggds />.
Favis-Mortlock, Dave. “What Is Zeus?” Mythology International. May 2007. Web. 4 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.greekgods.org>.
Francek, Mark. "Birth Myths." Teaching Greek Gods in the 21st Century. 02 July 2009. Carelton College and
Central Michigan University. Web. 25 Oct. 2010.
<http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/gods/visualizations.html>.
Protecting Her Family. Association of Titan Mythology. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.ca.gov/bayarea/enviro/erosion/erosion.html>.
“Why Should We Worry about Zeus?” Learning about Gods. 20 August 2003. Web. 15 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/greek /gods/ecare.html>.