Research Paper Project Guidelines
English III
Dallastown Area High School
Contents
Page
Overview of English III Research Project Requirements
2
Final Draft Requirements
3
Definition of Plagiarism/Department Policy
4
Choosing a Topic for Research/Thesis Statement
5
Source/Bibliography Card—Sample
7
Note Card—Sample
7
Working/Preliminary Outline—Sample
7
Using Information in Research Writing
8
Using Information in Research Writing—Internal Citations
10
Works Cited Guide
Title Punctuation
Works Cited Samples—Print Sources
Works Cited Samples—Online Sources
13
MLA Works Cited Page Sample
17
MLA First Page Sample
18
MLA Outline Sample
19
English III Research Scoring Rubric
20
2
Research Project
Overview of English III Requirements
Objective:
The research project is designed to train students to select a topic for
research; to find, evaluate, and document sources properly; to analyze
sources for helpful information; to synthesize the information into a well-written
document that utilizes the conventions of research properly.
Definition:
A research paper is a summary of what others have already said or written on
a given topic. It is, in essence, an intellectual exercise in which the writer is
demonstrating knowledge and thought in regards to a particular topic,
generally informative or persuasive in nature. A review of these modes will
follow.
Requirements:
_______ Source/Bibliography cards, citations presented in proper Modern
Language Association (MLA) format.
_______ Note cards, properly designed to contain important information but
also a topical heading (slug) and necessary information for inclusion into the
eventual paper in the form of internal citations.
_______ Thesis statement/Preliminary Outline
____/ 60 Rough draft(s) due ______
10 points deducted for each element not included:
 -10 pts. if required number of pages for your level course ___ not done
 -10 pts. if Works Cited page not done (teacher will provide guidelines for this)
 -10 pts. if internal citations are not evident
 -10 pts. if long quote is not included

********not done or showing the above required elements, 0/60********
_______-Page Final Draft with Internal Citations/Works Cited
_______-Formal Outline, parallel format
3
***All of the listed requirements above MUST be completed satisfactorily to
pass the English III Research Project
Final Typed Draft




Cover page
o Your name centered
o Title centered
o Brief paragraph-length annotation providing an overview of the paper
and the general results of what has been learned by the researcher.
First page of text
o Heading justified left; double-spaced (This is the only
Name
page that includes the full heading)
Teacher
o Number page simply as “1” justified right, within ½
Course/Period
Date
inch top margin header
(Note: page 1 is formatted without your last name;
your full name is already in heading.)
o Center title, double-spaced below heading; begin text one doublespace below title.
Body of the RPP
o 3-4 total pages (C/C, L1), 4-6 total pages (L2), 5-7 total pages (L3), 6-8
total pages (L4). Any paper that does not meet the course requirement
length will face a 5 point per line penalty. Graphics—maps, charts,
pictures—will not count as text lines.
o Double-spaced text, including headings and extended quotations.
o 12-point professional font (such as Times New Roman, Courier, Palatino,
Arial)
o 1-inch margins all around. Check your computer’s default. Your last
name, a space, and the page number are typed within the ½” margin
in upper right corner of each page.
o A page is approximately 25 lines of double-spaced text.
Works cited page
o This is a separate page, but number consecutively with the rest of
the paper.
o Follow all guidelines found in this packet to make the Works Cited
perfect.
The final copy of the RPP must feature the use of at least 5 credible sources
(teacher approved) which demonstrate a variety of media. Students should
attempt to access and show evidence of research from sources such as:






Print sources-books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, guides, class
notes, text books
Audio visual-History Channel, movies, documentaries, podcasts, etc.
Other sources- class lectures, interviews, museum experience, visitations
Electronic sources- CQ Researcher, Facts on File, Issues and
Controversies, Power Library, online journals, (see complete list from
library webpage)
Internet- strongly discouraged unless approved by teacher
General encyclopedias and Wikipedia ARE NOT PERMITTED as cited
4
sources.
Dallastown Area High School
English Department
Policy on Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as intentionally or unintentionally presenting the words,
ideas, or work of someone else as one’s own. Plagiarism is most obvious
when a student tries to pass off someone else’s paper as his or her own;
however, even accidentally including someone else's words (or just the ideas)
in one’s own paper without quotation marks and citing that quotation (or
citing the ideas) is plagiarism.
For several important reasons, students must reference the original work and
its author in their writing whenever they do any of the following:



copy another person's exact words;
paraphrase or summarize someone else's ideas; or
present facts, statistics, or any other item developed by another
individual.
Here are some reasons why we must cite our sources: Effectively using
source material from experts, along with one’s own ideas, and accurately
citing that expert and his or her material help to lend support to the
arguments in the student’s paper and credibility to that student’s reputation
as someone who is trying to find the truth. Additionally, providing complete
references enables readers who are interested in that student’s topic to find
out more about his or her research. Finally, just as anyone would expect to
receive credit for his or her work, authors expect and deserve credit for theirs.
Consequences:
Any major paper that includes plagiarism of another’s work will automatically
receive a grade of zero (0). That paper then must be redone to satisfy the
requirements for that course. If the paper is not redone, that student may
automatically fail the entire marking period or the entire course.
If plagiarism is discovered in a minor assignment, the student will earn a zero
(0), and the student may be given the option to redo the assignment at the
teacher’s discretion.
5
Choosing a Topic for Research
Writing to Inform: a good topic is interesting to the writer and provides
detailed, precise information that is tailored to the length of the writing
assignment.
Writing to Persuade: a good topic is interesting to the writer, is argumentative
by nature, and provides detailed, precise information that is tailored
specifically to the chosen stance on the topic as well as to the length of the
writing assignment.
Thesis Statement Guidelines
The thesis statement is the controlling idea that states the purpose of your
entire research, paper. The THESIS is usually stated in the first paragraph. By its
wording, it suggests the arrangement of the information of the entire paper.



states the general topic of your essay
states the specific idea that you will be arguing or examining in your
essay
indicates the reasons or major points that you will use to explore or
to support your persuasive argument or develop your idea.
SAMPLES OF GOOD THESIS STATEMENTS
Basic: Chimpanzees communicate with humans by using symbols and sign
language.
Standard: In communicating with humans, chimpanzees have been taught
to use symbols and sign language.
Complex: Teaching chimpanzees to use symbols and communicate with sign
language raises significant questions about the nature of Sanguage and
intelligence.
Basic: It took many years for Marie Curie to discover radium "and polonium.
Standard: Marie Curie used luck, genius, and time to discover radium and
polonium.
Complex: Marie Curie discovered the new elements radium and polonium
through a combination. of inventive ingenuity, backbreaking labor, and firm
deterimination.
6
Basic: There is hope in combating the expense of school vandalism.
Standard: School vandalism costs taxpayers millions, but new ideas bring hope
to end the problem.
Complex: School vandalism in America has grown to epidemic proportions,
costing taxpayers millions of dollars in damages and security problems; but new
programs to combat vandalism are offering hope.
Basic: Television is bad for your family's health.
Standard: The more your family watches television, the less quality you enjoy in
being a family.
Complex: While TV viewing in American households has increased to an average
of six to seven hours per day, the quality of family life has steadily declined.
Basic: Thin Americans are not necessarily happy or healthy Americans.
Standard: Americans are so obsessed with dieting that they become unhealthy
in the process.
Complex: The national obsession with dieting and weight control is making
many Americans healthier and happier, but dieting carried to extremes can be
physically and psychologically damaging.
MORE SAMPLES OF GOOD THESIS STATEMENTS
Although NASCAR has developed many new rules and regulations to
improve racing safety, including the highly debatable HANS devices, the
sport continues to be dangerous, even deadly; the recent deaths of popular
drivers have fueled the controversy over whether or not these deaths could
have been prevented.
The otherwise beneficial competitive world of youth sports is being
threatened by the questionable behaviors of coaches and parents, causing
damaging physical and mental stress and teaching terrible lessons in
sportsmanship.
Prenatal care is not only beneficial to all pregnancies but also required to
reduce the risk of any issues; moreover, pregnancies without care usually
develop problems of birth defects due to the mother's lack of knowledge.
Regardless to a person's reaction to it, color is continuously affecting
every person emotionally and physically, and learning how to effectively
apply color in one's life can directly affect his well-being.
The prevalent use of Astroturf is an antiquated and dangerous practice in
major sporting events, considering the high rate of injury and various
suitable alternatives.
While many may agree that running is harmful to the body, with good
training, coaching and equipment, the benefits of running, both physical and
mental, far outweigh the negative.
7
The argument over the relationship between dinosaurs and birds is an
intriguing, ongoing controversy that has yet to be fully resolved.
Research Writing: Prewriting Assignments
Tentative Topic: Capital Punishment
Tentative Thesis Statement: The death penalty should only be an option
in cases where a guarantee of guilt can be made through DNA and
other tangible and irrefutable evidence.
Sample Source Card:
3
Jones, Carolyn. "Does Capital
Punishment Work? Business
Week 8 Sept 1997: 78-79. Print.
Each source card is
numbered
consecutively to aid
in the note-taking
process.
[You may include notes for your reference at the
bottom of the card: call number, library, etc.)
Sample Note Card:
The “slug”
indicates a
tentative place
for use within
the paper’s
structure.
Deterrent
3
"75% of the states using capital
punishment report no major
reductions in the crime rate"
Page # from source for
internal citation
79
Sample Thesis Statement/Preliminary Outline:
The death penalty should only be an option in
cases where a guarantee of guilt can be made
through DNA and other tangible and irrefutable
evidence.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Introduction
Deterrent to crime
Financial aspects
Conclusion
Number of
source from
which
information was
taken
8
Using Information in Research Writing
Adapted from the Purdue Online Writing Lab
Summarizing
In many situations, you will not have to provide the level of detail that
the original writer did. At such times, you should summarize, or remove minor
details. For example:
Overall, the first two quarters of 2008 have been profitable to the company.
Nineteen of twenty departments report cutting costs at least twenty percent,
and sales from fifteen departments have risen five percent, or about $5
million. Despite these positive developments, most department heads
believe that they will not be able to maintain these levels for the remainder of
the year.
Revision: The first two quarters of 2008 have been profitable, but the rest of
the year is not expected to be as good.
Unlike paraphrasing, the basic order of the original text is maintained.
However, some words have been changed to close synonyms. When
summarizing, avoid cutting too much important information.
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your
own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source.
Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a
somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.
6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing
o
o
o
o
o
o
Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you
envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or
phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.
Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version
accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have
borrowed exactly from the source.
Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can
credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.
The Original Passage:
9
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result
they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about
10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter.
Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source
materials while taking notes.
A Legitimate Paraphrase:
In research papers students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted
material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates
during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim
(Lester 46-47).
Short Quotations
To indicate short quotations (fewer than four typed lines of prose or
three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double
quotation marks. Provide the author and specific page citation (in the case
of verse, provide line numbers) in the text, and include a complete reference
on the Works Cited page. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and
semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks
and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are
a part of the quoted passage but after the parenthetical citation if they are
a part of your text. For example:
According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of personality"
(Foulkes 184), though others disagree.
According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express "profound aspects of
personality" (184).
Is it possible that dreams may express "profound aspects of personality"
(Foulkes 184)?
Long Quotations
For quotations that extend to more than four lines of verse or prose:
place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks.
Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented one inch
from the left margin; maintain double-spacing. Only indent the first line of the
quotation by a half inch if you are citing multiple paragraphs. Your
parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When
quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain doublespacing throughout your essay.) For example:
Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her
narration:
They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I
had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be
10
gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it
crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber.
Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in
recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house.
(Bronte 78)
Using Information in Research Writing:
Internal Citations
Internal Citations
When a researcher uses ideas of another—whether he directly copies
or paraphrases, credit must be given to the source in an internal citation. This
acknowledgement is an easy way to cite sources, eliminating the need for
footnotes or endnotes An author's name and page number in the text lead
readers to the Works Cited for more details. These parenthetical references
must clearly match the corresponding information in the alphabetically
arranged Works Cited, using whatever last name or title is first in each entry.
The following are different ways to credit the necessary information in
the sentence, yet assure quality writing. For example:
o Insert the last name of the author and the page number(s) in
parentheses in the text.
This concept has been reported earlier (Baron 148).
"Hardened members of the media, people who's covered wars, were
crying, but John didn't cry. He told his story like a man describing how
he had fixed his lawn mower" (Riley 78).
o If the author's name appears in the text, insert only the page number.
Never use first name alone. For clarity, make sure you use first and last
name of author with the initial reference.
James Baron suggests that.... Later in the paragraph he
theorizes...(148).
Rick Reilly expresses his "most gripping press conference" with John
Ralston, the 27-year-old adventurer who saved his own life by cutting
off his lower arm with a pocketknife (78).
According to Rick Reilly, John Ralston "told his story like a man
describing how he fixed his lawn mower" (78).
o If a text is written by multiple authors, place both last names with page
numbers in the internal citation or put both names within the sentence
followed by page numbers only.
11
Goodling and Niering have reported annual wetlands productivity in
Georgia's Alcovy River Swamp equals roughly a $3.1 million impact (47).
According to recent research at Georgia Tech, annual wetlands
productivity in Georgia's Alcovy River Swamp equals roughly a $3.1
million impact (Goodling and Niering 4-7).
o If a summary comes from several sources or if several sources fully
agree on a fact, all sources may appear in a single citation. Separate
the alphabetized sources by semicolons.
Farmers, environmentalists, and government agree that agriculture is to
blame for 87% of recent wetland losses ("Saving Swamps" 44; Tiner 32;
Walter 28).
o If you use indirect information, give credit to the secondary source in
the internal citation, using the abbreviation for quoted (qtd.) with the
source name and page. (For authenticity, mention the original source,
as well.)
As Chief Seattle said in 1854, "Whatever happens to beasts soon
happens to man" (qtd. in Walter 40).
o An unsigned work is listed by the title or a shortened version of the title
in parentheses. This is the same format of a no author internet or other
electronic source.
Earlier labeled "the Rodney Dangerfield of the environment," wetlands
are gaining respect as an integral part of life's interdependence
("Importance" 2).
Note: This citation is the connection to the actual full title listed alphabetically on
Works Cited page: "The Importance of Wetlands." USA Today June 2009: 2. Print.
Staggering statistics are given concerning the Mississippi flyway; "[s]ince
1950 over 4.5 million
acres of wetlands have been lost" ("Roles" 43).
Note: This citation is the connection to the actual full title listed alphabetically on
Works Cited page: "Roles Along the River." Environment Sept. 2005: 40-43+. Print.
o If two different works by the same author appear on the Works Cited
page, the author, a shortened version of the title (separated by
12
commas), and the page numbers should be included
in the parentheses.
Most humans experience depression, often for reasons unknown to
them (Rogers, Psychology, 171-173).
Additional delays in seeking treatment lie in the basic stereotypes and
misunderstanding of depression by the rest of the family and society in
general (Rogers, The Most Misunderstood Epidemic, 230).
To further complicate the problem of clear definition, William Niering
explains, wetlands change, becoming marshes, wet meadows,
eventually shrubs or tree-filled swamps ("Swamp" 8). Niering further
explains that "a one-acre swamp with only a foot of water will retain
330,000 gallons (“Wetlands” 43).
o When using classic fiction as a source, list the page number and the
chapter in parentheses, separating the elements with a semicolon.
The opening words of Melville's symbolic novel Moby Dick, "Call me
Ishmael," quickly identify the narrator (1; ch.l).
o When using plays as sources, list the Act, scene, and line numbers in
parentheses, separating each element with a period. Note that, as
usual, end punctuation is outside the parentheses unless the quotation
punctuation is a question mark or exclamation point.
Her motto is Shakespeare's good advice from Hamlet "To thine own self
be true" (I.iii.78). As Puck says in A Midsummer Night's Dream: "Lord,
what fools these mortals be!" (III.ii.115). [You may use (3.2.115) for an
alternate format]
o The last name of an interviewee is placed in parentheses or
incorporated into the text.
Darlene Cramer's advice was to "never gossip in your shop. It is okay to
talk with them, but never repeat what someone else has confided in
you." Also, "if you have your own business in your home, people think
you never sleep; and therefore, they will call whenever or—worse yet—
just drop in" (Cramer).
13
Works Cited Page Guidelines
The Works Cited Page:
□ is placed at the end of the paper on its own page;
□ labeled by centering Works Cited one inch from the top of the
page;
□ is page-numbered consecutively in the same form as text,
top right corner;
□ lists all sources from which you have gathered information;
□ is arranged alphabetically - based upon the last name of
the author or, if no author is given, by the first main word of
the title of the work;
□ however, the list of works cited is neither numbered nor bulleted;
□ follows rules for MLA bibliography card format with exact
punctuation and sequence;
□ is double-spaced consistently, both within and between entries;
□ begins each entry flush with left margin; if an entry runs more than one
line, indent the subsequent line(s) one tab or 5 spaces (a hanging
indentation);
□ must match the internal citations: every item on the Works Cited list must
be used at least one time within in the paper.
Items to Note:
□ Abbreviate the months in the Works Cited, except May, June, July.
□ Be careful to use correct abbreviations in the case of missing elements.
n. pag. - no page
n.p.
- no publisher given
n.d.
- no date
N.p.
- no place of publication given
Title Punctuation Reminder
Quotation Marks
Short Stories
TV episodes
One-act plays
Poems
Articles, print source or internet
Songs
Essay titles
Chapters
Italics/ Underlining
Books, all kinds
Magazines
Movies/ films
Musical works, long
Newspapers
Plays, full length
Poems, book length
Paintings, artwork
TV series
Vessels: ships, aircraft
Websites
14
Works Cited Entries for Common Types of Sources
BOOK - SINGLE AUTHOR
Henley, Patricia. Secret Codes. Denver: MacMurray Press, 1999. Print.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. 1939. New York: Penguin Press,
1998. Print.
BOOK - TWO AUTHORS
Gielgud, John, and John Miller. Acting Shakespeare. New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons, 1991. Print.
BOOK - WITH EDITOR
Feldman, Paula R., ed. British Women Poets of the
Romantic Era. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1997. Print.
TWO BOOKS BY SAME AUTHOR
Frye, Northrop. Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays. Princeton: Princeton UP,
1957. Print.
—. Sound and Poetry. New York: Columbia UP, 1958. Print.
MULTI-VOLUME BOOK
Prost, Antoine, and Gerard Vincent, eds. A History of Private Life. Vol. 5.
Trans. Arthur Goldhammer. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1991.
Print.
PERIODICAL (MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER, OR JOURNAL) ARTICLE -SIGNED
Trembacki, Paul. "Brees Hopes to Win Heisman for Team."
Sports Illustrated 5 Dec. 2009: 25. Print.
LaRoe, Lee. "LaSalle's Last Voyage." National Geographic May 1997: 72-83.
Print.
Varma, Kavita. "Footnotes in Electronic Age." USA Today 7 Feb. 2008: D7. Print.
PERIODICAL ARTICLE (MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER, OR JOURNAL) - UNSIGNED
"Active Traveler Directory." Newsweek 3 Sept. 2009: 75-77. Print.
15
ARTICLE IN REFERENCE BOOK/ ENCYCLOPEDIA
"Jamaica." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2002 ed. Print.
CQ RESEARCHER
Worsnop, Robert. "Child Care." CQ Researcher. Web. 18 Nov. 2009:975-1027.
GOVERNMENT PUBLICATION
United States. Government Accountability Office. Climate Change: EPA and
DOE Should Do More to Encourage Progress Under Two Voluntary
Programs. Washington: GPO, 2006. Print.
PAMPHLET
Women's Health: Problems of the Digestive System. Washington: American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2006. Print. Your Rights
Under California Welfare Programs. Sacramento, CA: California
Dept. of Social Services, 2007. Print.
PERSONAL INTERVIEW
Fauth, Alan L. Telephone interview. 25 Oct. 2010.
Hildebrand, Robert. Personal interview. Spring 2010.
TELEVISION PROGRAM
"Frederick Douglass." Civil War Journal. Narr. Danny Glover. Dir. Craig
Haffner. A&E Network. 6 April 1993. Television.
"The Blessing Way." The X-Files. Fox. WXIA, Atlanta. 19 Jul. 1998.
Television.
FILM/ MOVIE
The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz
Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro. Polygram, 1995. Film.
16
WORKS CITED FOR ONLINE MATERIAL
GENERAL GUIDELINE FOR WEBSITES
Author. "Article Title." Name of Website. Name of Institution affiliated with
the site, Date of posting/revision. Web. Date of Access.
ARTICLE ON A WEBSITE
For an individual page on a Web site, list the author or alias if known, followed by the
information covered above for entire Web sites. Remember to use n.d. if no publishing
date is given and the abbreviation n.p. if no site publisher is listed.
Poland, Dave. "The Hot Button." Roughcut. Turner Network, 26 Oct. 2005.
Web. 28 Oct. 2009.
"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com. eHow, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2010.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ONLINE JOURNAL ARTICLES
Author. "Title of Article." Title ofJournal Volume. Issue (Year): Paragraphs/pages. Web.
Date of Access.
Wheelis, Mark. "Investigating Disease Outbreaks Under a Protocol to the Biological
and Toxin Weapons Convention." Emerging Infectious Diseases 6.6 (2000): 595600. Web. 8 Feb. 2009.
GENERAL GUIDELINE FOR ARTICLES FROM DATABASES
Author. “Article Title.” Name of Periodical Date of Issue: pages. Name of
database. Web. Date of access.
Junge, Wolfgang, and Nathan Nelson. "Nature's Rotary Electromotors." Science 29
Apr. 2005: 642-44. Science Online. Web. 5 Mar. 2010.
Langhamer, Claire. "Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England." Historical
Journal 50.1 (2007): 173-96. ProQuest. Web. 27 May 2010.
E-MAIL MESSAGE
Note: Use as the article title whatever is written in the subject line of the e-mail.
Russ, Michael. "Education URLs." E-mail. 25 Feb. 20.
17
Final Works Cited Page: According to the
Modern Language Association (2009)
Smith 9
Works Cited
"Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action." Environmental Defense
Fund. Environmental Defense Fund, 8 May 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.
Clinton, Bill. Interview by Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate Change.”
New York Times. New York Times, May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.
Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." New York Times.
New York Times, 22 May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.
Ebert, Roger. "An Inconvenient Truth." Rev. of An Inconvenient Truth, dir. Davis
Guggenheim. Rogerebert.com. Sun-Times News Group, 2 June 2006. Web.
24 May 2009.
Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Self-organized Extinction: Toward a Co-evolutionary
Economics of Sustainability." International Journal of Sustainable
Development and World Ecology 14.1 (2007): 27-36. Print.
An Inconvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Al Gore, Billy West.
Paramount, 2006. DVD.
Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth Or Reality?: The Erring Ways of
Climatology. New York: Springer, 2005. Print.
Milken, Michael, Gary Becker, Myron Scholes, and Daniel Kahneman. "On
Global Warming and Financial Imbalances." New Perspectives Quarterly 23.4
(2006): 63. Print
Shulte, Bret. "Putting a Price on Pollution." Usnews.com. US News & World
Rept., 6 May 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.
18
Final Typed Draft: According to the Modern
Language Association (2009)
A header should appear at
the top of each page,
containing the author’s
last name and page
number.
Beth Catlin
Catlin 1
Professor Elaine Bassett
English 106
3 August 2009
The heading should be
double spaced, as should
the entire document.
Andrew Carnegie: The Father of Middle-Class America
The
document’s
margins
should be 1”
for the top,
bottom, left,
and right
For decades Americans couldn’t help but love the red-headed, fun-loving Little
Orphan Annie. The image of the little girl moving so quickly from poverty to wealth
provided hope for the poor in the 1930s, and her story continues to be a dream of what the
future just might hold. The rags-to-riches phenomenon is the heart of the American
Dream. And few other people have embodied this phenomenon as much as Andrew
Carnegie did in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Andrew Carnegie’s example and industry
caused him to become the father of middle-class America.
Thesis
statements
generally appear
Andrew Carnegie can be looked to as an ideal example of a poor
immigrant
making
towards the end of the introduction
his way up to become leader of the capitalist world. Carnegie was born into a poor
working-class family in Scotland. According to the PBS documentary “The Richest Man
in the World: Andrew Carnegie,” the Industrial Revolution was difficult on Carnegie’s
father, causing him to lose his weaving business. The Carnegie family was much opposed
to the idea of a privileged class, who gained their wealth simply by inheritance (Blumin
316). This type of upbringing played a large factor in Andrew Carnegie’s destiny. In order
to appease his mother’s desire for material benefits, and perhaps in an effort to heal his
father’s wounds, Carnegie rejected poverty and cleaved to prosperity.
19
Final Typed Draft: Alphanumeric Style
Smith 10
Karl Smith
Mrs. Moore
English III
5 December 2009
Controversy over Police Pursuits
Thesis: Although sometimes the only response in emergency situations, high speed police pursuits of
lawbreakers continue to cause controversy, as the number of pursuit-based accidents climbs; however,
excellent training and safer chase methods could improve the problem.
I. Police pursuits controversy
A. Thesis statement
B. Extent of problem
II. Current police pursuit regulations
A. General guidelines
B. Legal issues
C. Acceptable reasons to pursue
III. Pursuit training
A. Certification required for pursuit expertise
B. Schools for training
1. Training facilities
2. Availability of facilities
C. Vehicles used in pursuit training
IV. Pursuit-related accidents
A. Statistics based on pursuit accidents
1.Civilian injury statistics
2. Police injury statistics
3. Lawbreaker injury statistics
4. Miscellaneous facts related to accidents
B. Cases of local accidents caused by pursuit
1. Barbara Ann Lewis
2. Officer John Whetzel and family
3. Fred and Trudy Schmidt
4. Brad Smith
C. Factors affecting increase in pursuit accidents
1. Speed
2. Road conditions
3. Traffic variables
4. Driver inexperience
5. Other factors
V. Police pursuit solutions
A. Wise decisions
B. New policies
C. Reform measures
D. Effective vehicles
E. Improved training
F. Final recommendations
20
Final Rubric for English III Research Project
6
4
3
2
·Good manuscript form,
margins, and spacing;
·Minor errors in heading;
·Correct page
numbering; ·Preliminary
paperwork submitted;
·Exceeds 5 full pages of
text; ·12 pt. Times New
Roman font
·Front cover effectively
prepared
Clear Focus
·Minor errors in
manuscript form,
margins, and spacing;
·Incorrect page 1
heading;
·Page numbering errors;
· Some preliminary
paperwork submitted;
·5 full pages of text;
·12 pt. Times New Roman
font
·Front cover missing
elements
·Vague focus
·Many errors in
manuscript form,
margins, and spacing;
·No heading on page 1;
·No page numbers;
· Little preliminary
paperwork submitted;
·5 full pages of text;
·12 pt. Times New Roman
font
·Front cover missing
elements
·Sharp, distinct focus
·Adequate manuscript
form, margins, and
spacing;
·Errors in page 1
heading;
·Page numbering w/out
name; ·Preliminary
paperwork submitted;
·5 full pages of text;
·12 pt. Times New Roman
font
·Front cover effectively
prepared
·Adequate focus
·Substantial, specific, varied content from
5 or more secondary sources/
incorporation of some common
knowledge;
·Specific and varied
content;
·Solid use of 5 secondary
sources within the paper;
·Incorporates much
common knowledge
·Sufficient content;
·Sources are used
appropriately within the
paper;
·Incorporates too much
common knowledge
·Content limited to a
listing, repetition, or mere
sequence of ideas;
·Sources are used on a
limited basis within the
paper
·Superficial content;
·Sources are used on a
very limited basis
·Meets the minimum of one direct
quotation from each source listed on
Works Cited page
·Uses 4 direct quotes
·Uses 3 direct quotations
·Uses 2 direct quotations
·Uses 1 direct quotations
·Uses no direct
quotations
·Obviously controlled and/or subtle
organization based on clear thesis;
·Smooth coherence / transitions between
& within paragraphs—creative ordering of
ideas/interweaving of research
·Logical and appropriate
organization
·Adequate organization
·Inconsistent
organization
·Confused organization
·Absence of organization
·Writer’s voice apparent in tone, sentence
structure, and word choice
·Precision and variety in
sentence and word
choice
·Some precision and
variety in sentence
structure and word
choice
·Limited sentence variety
and word choice
·Lack of sentence and
word choice variety
·No apparent control over
sentence structure and
word choice
·Superlative use of mechanical elements
and usage
·Few mechanical and
usage errors
·Some mechanical and
usage errors not severe
enough to interfere
significantly with the
writer’s purpose
·Repeated weaknesses in
mechanics and usage
·Serious mechanical and
usage errors that
interfere with the writer’s
purpose
·Severe mechanical and
usage errors that hinder
understanding
·Effective number of internal citations
used correctly; ·Documentation varied:
both parenthetical and in text
·No errors in MLA Format
·Few errors with the
format of the internal
citations
·Some errors with the
format of the internal
citations
·Incorrect format for the
internal citations and/or
some citations are
missing
·Serious errors with the
format of the internal
citations and/or some
citations are missing
REWRITE--No evidence of internal
citations in the paper
·5 or more sources);
·Works Cited follows proper MLA format
with no errors
·All sources used multiple times within
paper
·4 sources
·Few but minor format
errors on Works Cited;
·All sources used at least
once
·4 sources
·Some minor format
errors;
·Each source used once
in the paper
·4 sources;
·Many significant errors
in the format of the
entries;
·Each source used briefly
·4 sources;
·Repeated errors in
format for entries;
·Not all listed sources
used within the paper
REWRITE—Works Cited page is
missing sources or missing; Fewer
than 4 sources used within the
paper
FORMAT
5
6
GENERAL
CONTENT
(X2 – 12
POINTS)
FOCUS
SPECIFIC
DEVELOPMENT
·Confused focus
1
(-25)
REWRITE--Poor manuscript form;
No heading on page 1; No page
numbers; Preliminary paperwork not
submitted;
Less than 5 full pages of text
Absence of focus
REWRITE: Absence of relevant
content; no evidence of the sources
used within the paper
ORGANIZATION
STYLE
CONVENTIONS
WORKS
CITED
CITATIONS
TOTAL SCORE
Note the English Department’s Policy on Plagiarism: Any major paper that includes plagiarism
of another’s work will automatically receive a grade of zero (0). That paper then must be re-done to
satisfy the requirement for that course. If the paper is not re-done, that student may automatically
fail the entire marking period or the entire course.
Rubric Score: ________________/60
Point Score:________________/300