Task  You will choose an epic hero from the region and time period of your choice (options on last page) to complete a 5 paragraph research-type persuasive essay in which you follow correct MLA type formatting . You will also defend your hero in a 5-7 minute presentation of your research.
• Requirements  This essay will:
• Be no more and no less than 5 paragraphs
• Have at least two credible sources
• ** For research, we will use ONLY the Mesa County Library
Resources, OR printed books, as they are reliable and often come with complete bibliography entries.
• While the internet may be a good place to start, there are plenty of books available with extensive information about your topic choice.
• 1 piece of correctly quoted info per paragraph minimum
• Contain Signal Phrases for all quoted material
• Example of a signal phrase: According to Kerey Nicholas in her article titled “Mythology Rocks” she states, “. . . “
• Contain a 3X3 style thesis
• This type of thesis contains three specific elements that you will prove in your essay. Then, each body paragraph takes on one of these elements each. Example of a 3X3 thesis:
Though there are many Greek heroes, Achilles is the greatest because he is nearly immortal , has a goddess for a mother , and is a legend in his own time .
• Follow MLA formatting
• Title your essay.
• Center title two spaces above your text (the first page of your actual essay), no underline, no quotation marks, no bold. NO
TITLE PAGES! Use same font and size as text. Be creative!
• In-text citation
• Conclude with a works cited page
• Typed
• Double-spaced
• Plain, 12 point font
• Use academic language
• NO 1 st or 2 ND person personal pronouns (I, you, me, my, your, our, we, us)
• Avoid contractions (it’s, there’s, they’re, etc.)
• No slang or colloquial language
Thesis Statement due: _____________
Notecards due: _____________
Presentation: _____________
Final Essay due: _____________

Your last name and page number on each page—starting on page 1
Your name
Teacher’s Name
Course Name
Date you’re turning it in
Title
Start of essay (ie. Paragraph #1)
EVERYTHING IS DOUBLE-
SPACED and in a plain, 12 point font!
Sample Works Cited
Smith 4
Works Cited
"Business Coalition for Climate Action Doubles." Environmental Defense.
8 May 2007. Environmental Defense Organization. 24 May 2007
Clinton, Bill. Interview. New York Times on the Web. May 2007. 25 May 2007
Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet."
New York Times on the Web 22 May 2007. 25 May 2007
Ebert, Roger. "An Inconvenient Truth." Rev. of An Inconvenient Truth, dir.
Davis Guggenheim. rogerebert.com. 2 June 2006. 24 May 2007
Global Warming. 2007. Cooler Heads Coalition. 24 May 2007
Top right of each page, even the works cited page, gets your last name and the correct page number
Gets the title: Works Cited
EVERYTHING IS DOUBLE-
SPACED and in a plain, 12 point font!
Entries are alphabetized
Entries use “hanging indent” which means only the first line starts at the left margin. Any additional lines for that particular entry start 5 spaces in.
Entries follow a specific format for punctuation. *See long handout for format!
Resources on this page are from :
The Purdue OWL. 26 Aug. 2008. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. 23 April 2008 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu>.

You may choose any of the following characters for your research essay. If there is another character you would like to use, who is not listed here, you MUST okay it with me.
Great Heroes of History and Legend:
Cleopatra – female who kills family to rule Egypt
Joan of Arc – Dressed like male to fight battles for Catholic France
Charlemagne – Conquered nearly all of
Europe
Abraham Lincoln - Fought for freedom in the face of a failing nation
Queen Elizabeth - Virgin Queen of
England, one of England’s most influential rulers, though her right to the throne was questioned
Oskar Schindler - Helped thousands of
Jew escape the certain death of the
Holocaust
Martin Luther King Junior - Led a peaceful campaign for civil rights
Mahatma Gandhi - Peaceful freedom fighter for Indian Nationalism
Harriet Tubman - Started and led the underground railroad for slavery escape
Modern Athletic “Epic” Heroes:
Peyton Manning - Quarterback extraordinaire, and more
Evelyn Stevens - American businesswoman turned cyclist
Im Dong-hyun - Blind Korean Archer who still hits the target
Lily (Lolo) Jones - American Hurdler who comes from hardship
Lopez Lomong - Sudanese-American runner and lost boy of Sudan
Sarah Attar - Female Saudi Arabian runner who cannot even train in her own country
Modern Heroes (Arguably Epic):
Oprah – raises money and awareness for third world countries
Mother Theresa – catholic nun who founded a missionary in Calcutta
Nelson Mandela - Led South Africa to unite after apartheid, believed in forgiveness above revenge
Malala Yousafzai - Was shot by Taliban for standing up for women’s education - lived to tell about it
Chesley Sullenberger (Captain Sully) -
Successfully emergency landed a jet airliner in the Hudson river, saving all passengers and crew
Anderson Cooper - Covers the world’s news stories, even in the most dangerous environs
Pope Francis - Newly elected pope who takes the name of Saint Francis of
Assisi
Katniss Everdeen - A symbol of hope for the 12 districts, and for her readers