Writing a Research Paper — Writing a Rough Draft
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Topic: Projects—Writing Skills
Grade Levels: 9–12
Lexile Range: 1070–1140
Focus Question: From the information
you gathered from all your different
sources, what details should you
include in your paper that support
your topic sentence and communicate
your ideas most effectively?
Curriculum Objectives: Students will
learn how to draw information from
the materials they have gathered to
write a draft of their research paper.
Key Terms
peer review, topic sentence, transition
sentence, working draft, writing
process
Assessment
Project
Building on the work they did in
Lessons 1 and 2 of this unit,
students will write rough drafts of
their papers and strengthen them
through the peer review process.
Approximate Time Frame
Project
3–4 (50-minute) class periods
Lesson Summary
A working draft, or rough draft, is a complete but still
provisional paper in which a writer concentrates on
presenting his or her arguments and ideas as fully as
possible. Knowing they may still change their mind or
need to add or cut material, students should forgo detailed
polishing at this stage. Instead, they should focus on
organizing their paper into cohesive paragraphs, writing
sentences within those paragraphs that contain details that
support their thesis sentences, and taking care to ensure
that each paragraph flows smoothly to the next with
solid transitions.
Many writers find it helpful to outline their ideas before
they begin writing. Whether students use a traditional
outline structure or a looser, more free-form structure, it
is important that they think through the progression their
papers will follow. In planning this paper, students may
choose the form that their pre-writing notes will take, but
they will be turning in a preliminary list of points.
continued on next page
Teaching Tip
Some students find it helpful to create outlines before
creating working drafts, while other students prefer different
approaches. Allow students the freedom to organize their
ideas as they see fit, without insisting that they create a
traditionally structured outline. Some students may prefer
to brainstorm an ordered list of ideas, for example. Other
students may decide to brainstorm a list of sentences.
Encourage students to use whichever method works for
them, and to keep in mind that the purpose of the outline is
to put their ideas in order and ensure that their papers flow
logically from one idea to the next.
PROJECT: Research Paper Lesson 3
Copyright 2006 Questia Media, Inc. Use of this material by any other individual or organization is prohibited.
Lesson Summary
(continued)
Because the rough draft is a provisional paper that
will still require polishing, it is necessary to review
the rough draft thoroughly in order to determine
what works and what needs improvement. Often,
it can be difficult for students to notice when they
are getting off-track and are not addressing their
thesis. It can also be difficult for writers to see
problems in their own writing. For this reason,
many professional writers have editors review their
work. In the peer review process, students will
review one another’s papers. Student reviews should
be considered carefully, but writers should rely on
their own judgment to revise their papers into a
second draft.
PROJECT: Research Paper Lesson 3
Copyright 2006 Questia Media, Inc. Use of this material by any other individual or organization is prohibited.
Project Activities
This project should take 3 to 4 class periods to
complete. In this lesson, students will build on
the materials they prepared in the first two lessons
to write working drafts of their papers. Using the
information they gained from the Questia readings,
students will create a list of points they will cover
in their papers. They will then write a draft of their
papers, which will include an introduction, several
paragraphs of supporting details, and a conclusion.
Then students will work in pairs to critique one
another’s papers. Students should be encouraged to
give constructive criticism when reviewing papers,
and consider the constructive criticism they received
while they revise their papers.
Procedure:
To complete the project, take the following steps:
Day 1:
• Distribute the student handout and explain
that students will be using the information and
materials from the first two lessons of this unit to
plan and write drafts of their papers.
• Have students log on to Questia.com and go to
the Projects link in the upper left-hand corner of
the page. They should click on the Project Folder
that corresponds to this project to ensure that
they can access the information they compiled in
Lesson 2.
• Discuss the purpose of the introductory
paragraph, the body paragraphs, and the
concluding paragraph. Also, explain the purpose
of the peer review process, and explain that
students will be working in pairs to critique each
other’s drafts.
• Allow students class time to create lists of prewriting points for their papers. Encourage them
to create a type of list or outline that suits their
learning style. Explain that they will be graded
on the organization of their ideas and not on the
structure of their outlines.
Days 2 and 3:
• Students will create rough drafts, or working
drafts, of their papers. They should use wordprocessing software for this task.
• Papers should be between two and four pages
in length (double-spaced); each paper should
contain a clear thesis statement, supporting
paragraphs, and a conclusion that restates
the thesis.
• Students should use the Quote/Cite feature
in the Questia library to quote the Questia
resources where appropriate. (A review of the
feature is on page 20 of the Activity Guide.)
• Tell students which citation style you would like
them to use when using the Quote/Cite tool.
continued on next page
• To help students understand the process of
writing working drafts, refer them to the Questia
readings in the Materials and Resource section
of this lesson plan. They may take notes on these
readings, if they wish.
• After students complete the readings, review
basic composition skills in class. Discuss the
structure of a research paper and the structure
of a paragraph. Discuss transitions between
paragraphs, and encourage them to write
transitional sentences on their list of
pre-writing points.
PROJECT: Research Paper Lesson 3
Copyright 2006 Questia Media, Inc. Use of this material by any other individual or organization is prohibited.
Project Activities (continued)
Day 4:
• Divide students into pairs (preferably students
who are writing about different topics) and have
them critique each other’s papers. Encourage
students to provide constructive criticism,
explaining both what works in the paper and
what needs to be improved. Ask students to pay
particular attention to the following things:
• Did the paper contain an introductory
paragraph, three or more paragraphs of details,
and a concluding paragraph?
• Did the paper provide good transitions
between the paragraphs? (Did the writing seem
to flow?)
• Did all the details in the paper support the
thesis sentence?
• Did the concluding paragraph summarize
the thesis?
• When students are finished reviewing each
other’s papers, they may discuss them. Explain
the purpose of giving constructive criticism.
Encourage students to consider their partner’s
comments, but to use their own judgment when
revising their papers.
• Have students continue revising their drafts
pursuant to their peer reviews.
• At the end of the period, they should submit
their second drafts for grading.
PROJECT: Research Paper Lesson 3
Copyright 2006 Questia Media, Inc. Use of this material by any other individual or organization is prohibited.
Materials and Resources
Questia Resources:
Student Resources
• Pages 10–27 in The Elements of Style by William
Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White, 1959. (Lexile: 1070)
http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=13753034
• Pages 54–56 and 83–92 in Analyze, Organize,
Write: A Structured Program for Expository
Writing by Elizabeth Lynn Jenkins, Arthur
Whimbey, 1987. (Lexile: 1140)
http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?action=openPageView
er&docId=27748685
Teacher Resources: Research Topic Page
• “Teaching Writing”
http://www.questia.com/library/education/curriculumand-instruction/arts-and-humanities-education/
teaching-writing.jsp
National Standards Driving
This Project
The National Council of Teachers of English:
http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm
• Standard 7: Students conduct research on issues
and interests by generating ideas and questions,
and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate,
and synthesize data from a variety of sources
(e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people)
to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit
their purpose and audience.
• Standard 8: Students use a variety of
technological and information resources (e.g.,
libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to
gather and synthesize information and to create
and communicate knowledge.
National Educational Technology Standards for
students:
http://cnets.iste.org/currstands/cstands-netss.html
Traditional Materials:
• Standard 1: Basic operations and concepts
Handouts: Project Student Handout, Project Rubric
Handout
• Standard 2: Social, ethical, and human issues
Technology Resources:
• Standard 4: Technology communications tools
Laptop or desktop computers with Internet access
and subscription to QuestiaSM, The 21st Century
Library
• Standard 5: Technology research tools
Additional Links (to be provided by teacher):
• Standard 3: Technology productivity tools
• Standard 6: Technology problem-solving and
decision-making tools
Teaching Tip
You must be logged on to Questia in order to access
these links. Logging on to Questia will enable you
to access the entire text of the resource.
PROJECT: Research Paper Lesson 3
Copyright 2006 Questia Media, Inc. Use of this material by any other individual or organization is prohibited.
Name:
Date:
Project Student Handout
Writing a Research Paper — Writing a Rough Draft
GOAL: To outline, write a working rough draft and then give and receive a peer review of
the writing draft.
DIRECTIONS: To complete this phase of your research project, take the following steps:
Day 1:
• Log on to Questia.com and go to the Projects link in the upper left-hand corner of the
page. Click on the Project Folder that corresponds to this project to ensure that you can
access the information you compiled in Lesson 2.
• Read the Questia resources your teacher assigns to get an understanding of the process of
writing working drafts. You may take notes on these readings, if you wish.
• After you have completed the readings, your teacher will lead a class discussion about
basic composition skills and the structure of your paper.
• Create a list of pre-writing points or an outline for your paper. The list should contain all
of the major points you intend to make in your paper. The points should appear in the
order they will appear in your paper.
Days 2 and 3:
• Create a rough draft, or working draft, of your paper using word-processing software.
• Your paper should be between two and four pages in length (double-spaced), and should
contain a clear thesis statement, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion that restates
the thesis.
• Use the Quote/Cite feature in the Questia library to quote the Questia resources where
appropriate. (A review of the feature is on page 20 of the Activity Guide, which you used
in Lesson 2.)
• Your teacher will tell you which citation style to use for the Quote/Cite tool.
PROJECT: Research Paper Lesson 3
Project Student Handout
Copyright 2006 Questia Media, Inc. Use of this material by any other individual or organization is prohibited.
Name:
Date:
Project Student Handout (continued)
Writing a Research Paper — Writing a Rough Draft
To complete the project, take the following steps:
Day 4:
• Pair up with another student and critique each other’s papers. Provide constructive
criticism, explaining both what works in the paper and what needs to be improved. Pay
particular attention to the following things:
• Did the paper contain an introductory paragraph, three or more paragraphs of details,
and a concluding paragraph?
• Did the paper provide good transitions between the paragraphs? (Did the writing seem
to flow?)
• Did all the details in the paper support the thesis sentence?
• Did the concluding paragraph summarize the thesis?
• When you are finished reviewing each other’s papers, discuss them. Consider your
partner’s comments, but use your own judgment when revising your paper.
• Continue revising their drafts pursuant to your peer review.
• At the end of the period, submit your second draft for grading.
PROJECT: Research Paper Lesson 3
Project Student Handout
Copyright 2006 Questia Media, Inc. Use of this material by any other individual or organization is prohibited.
Name:
Date:
Project Rubric
Writing a Research Paper — Writing a Rough Draft
Objectives
Above Standard:
4 Points
Meeting Standard:
3 Points
Approaching
Standard: 2 Points
Below Standard:
1 Point
Outline or
Prewriting
Points
Demonstrates a
thorough understanding
of the structure of a
research paper and the
flow of ideas
Demonstrates a
general understanding
of the structure of a
research paper and the
flow of ideas
Demonstrates
a minimal
understanding of the
structure of a research
paper and the flow of
ideas
Demonstrates a lack of
understanding of the
structure of a research
paper and the flow of
ideas
Reviewer
Peer Review
1.) Provides
constructive criticism
that points out
both strengths and
weaknesses in student
paper;
2.) Takes criticism well
3.) Fully participates in
discussion with partner
4.) Back up critique
and makes helpful
suggestions for
improvements
Reviewer demonstrates Reviewer demonstrates Reviewer demonstrates
3 of the 4 elements.
2 of the 4 elements.
1 of the 4 elements.
Working draft contains
Working Draft
1.) An introduction,
three or more
paragraphs of
supporting details, and
a concluding paragraph.
2.) Transitional
sentences between
paragraphs.
3.) All details in logical
order.
4.) All details support
the thesis sentence.
PROJECT: Research Paper Lesson 3
Draft contains 3 of
the 4 elements.
Outline contains 2 of
the 4 elements.
Outline contains 1 of
the 4 elements.
Project Rubric
Copyright 2006 Questia Media, Inc. Use of this material by any other individual or organization is prohibited.