Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Mini-Research Paper Assignment Packet
Objective:
Before reading Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes,
you will complete research on a topic related to the
novel and write a 3-5 page mini-research paper on
that topic.
The Assignment
Follow these steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Choose a topic from the list I provide (see the next page for more details).
Briefly read about your chosen topic so that you can decide what you would like to say or prove about it.
Narrow the topic down into a workable thesis statement. – This will be the focus of your paper. Once your
thesis has been identified, you must have it approved by myself or Ms. Davis. It is common for a thesis
statement to change as you conduct your research. Should this happen, please let one of us know
immediately so that we can help you keep your focus and organization on track!
Research your topic in the library.
a. You will need to find and a minimum of 5 sources for your research paper. You will use the
information that you find to prove your thesis statement.
b. When you find a source that you think you will use, you will need to record the information necessary
to create a works cited page. DO NOT ASSUME THAT YOU CAN RETURN TO THE ARTICLE,
BOOK, OR WEBPAGE AND FIND THE INFORMATION LATER.
c. While reading your sources, you will need to take notes using the worksheet that I provide.
Create an outline.
Have a rough draft completed in time for our peer editing day.
Turn in the final draft with a complete works cited page, both in hard-copy and electronic form.
Requirements for this Paper
On top of the content requirements for this paper, there are other requirements you will need to follow.
• Your paper must be in correct MLA format.
• Your paper must be a minimum of 3-5 pages in length and double-spaced.
• Your paper should contain research from a minimum of 5 sources. You chosen sources may come
from books, magazines, newspapers, journals, videos, databases, or the Internet (as long as the
Internet source is credible). For questions about what sources are deemed as “credible” please see the
“Information From Internet Sources” section on the back of this sheet.
• Your paper must include a Works Cited page.
Plagiarism and Late Work Policy
Your essay is required to be uploaded to Turnitin.com by the date I specify. Turnitin.com is an online
plagiarism detector that our class has used and will continue to utilize this year.
o Plagiarism is when a writer duplicates another writer's language or ideas and then calls the
work his or her own. Plagiarism of any kind will NOT be tolerated.
o Not including a works cited page as the final page of your research paper (with your final
submission) will constitute plagiarism and an automatic score of 50% or less on the research
paper (I reserve the right to determine the final score for this policy on a student-by-student
basis).
•
Your paper needs to be submitted on time. Late (hard-copy) papers will suffer a loss of 10 points (one
letter grade) for every day they are late. This policy takes effect as long as the paper has been uploaded
to Turnitin.com.
•
•
Papers that are not electronically submitted to Turnitin.com by the required date and time will receive
a 30 point deduction (30%) from the final grade of the research paper. This policy is non-negotiable.
Should you not turn in both a hard copy and electronic copy, you will receive an automatic 40%
deduction on the research paper. You will then have two days to upload the paper and hand it in.
Once the two day time frame has passed, you will not be allowed to submit an essay for credit.
o ***NOTE: I reserve the right to require you to attend 5b intervention should you not meet
deadlines during the writing process of your paper. This includes “goofing off” during
library/class time, and/or not submitting any piece of the assessment/writing process—note
cards, a rough draft, the essay itself, etc. by the required due date. Failure to show up to a
required intervention period will result in detention. In other words, GET YOUR WORK
DONE ON TIME!
Turnitin.com
Your essay will be required to be submitted in two ways:
1. Electronically via Turnitin.com by the date/time assigned.
2. A printed, hard-copy turned in to Ms. Williams on the due date assigned. Should you not have a
printer, please feel free to use our library’s computers to print it or, send it to my e-mail
(lindsay.williams@london.k12.oh.us) so that I may print it for you. Failure to submit a printed copy of
your essay will result in a loss of 1 letter grade (10%) for every day it is not turned in.
• “I don’t have a printer” is not an excuse for not turning in your paper! If you need the paper
printed for you, it must be shared with me before class starts on the day it is due. Students
WILL NOT be permitted to go to the library to print their papers before class starts or once
the bell rings.
3. Failure to submit your essay in an electronic (Turnitin) will result in a 30% deduction from your grade.
I will automatically assume that if you do not submit an electronic copy of your essay, you are
plagiarizing.
***NOTE: This class is a college preparation course. As such, you will be treated as a perspective college
student, whether you plan to attend a university or not. College is run, and works similarly to, careers and the
“real world”—you can’t just not turn something in or not show up to class/school or work because it is
incomplete, you need more time, or you just didn’t do it. You will be given plenty of time, guidance, and
resources to complete this research paper. The rest of the work relies solely on you. Therefore, use your time
wisely. If you need to work outside of school to complete this paper, BE RESPONSIBLE and do so. Don’t wait
until the last minute to complete it and expect good results. Your grade will reflect the time, energy, and effort
you put into your paper.
In accordance with the statement above, if you are absent from class on the day the paper is due (whether the
absence is excused or not), this does not exclude you from submitting it to me in the two ways previously
mentioned. You are still required to have the essay uploaded to Turnitin.com and will need to e-mail me a
copy of your essay so that I may print it. Should you fail to complete either of these steps, your essay will be
subject to the late policy as outlined in the Plagiarism and Late Work Policy above.
How will I be graded?
Assessments you will be graded on will include, but are not limited to, the following:
 Class participation/Utilization of work time
 Notes/note cards
 An outline
 Submission of a rough draft/Peer Editing
 Individual conferences with myself or Mrs. Davis (if needed)
 Submission of a final research paper, works cited page, and upload to Turnitin.com
The due date for your research paper will be determined in the following weeks.
Research Topics
Directions: Below is a list of research topics that are related to medicine, ethics, and animal welfare. You are
required to choose one of these topics to focus on for your research paper. Read each excerpt about the topics
in order to help you determine which is the most interesting for you to write about. You will then rank your
choices on a 5 point scale—a 1 means it is the topic you are the most interested in and a 5 means it is the topic
you are the least interested in. There are a limited amount of topics available—only 6 students will be allowed
to write about each topic. Therefore, it is not guaranteed that you will get your first or even second choice, so
please be prepared to research something you may not have normally chosen.
_____ Genetic Screening (medicine and ethics)
Would you want to know if you were susceptible a certain diseases or gene that could affect your future?
Genetic tests are tests on blood and other tissue to find genetic disorders. Over 2000 tests are available. Doctors
use genetic tests for several reasons, including finding genetic diseases in unborn babies and finding out if
people carry a gene for a disease that they might pass on to their children. People have many different reasons
for being tested or not being tested. For some, it is important to know whether a disease can be prevented or
treated if a test is positive. In some cases, there is no treatment. But test results might help a person make life
decisions, such as family planning or insurance coverage. (“Genetic Testing”)
_____ Genetic Engineering/Sex Selection and Cosmetic Genetics (medicine and ethics)
In the future, imagine being able to design the “perfect” baby for you and your partner. Creating designer
babies who are free from disease and super athletic or smart may finally be around the corner. Reproductive
technologies such as sex selection and cosmetic genetics empower parents to make decisions regarding the sex,
health, and other genetic factors of their future children. However, the use of sex selection and cosmetic
genetics will exacerbate existing social inequalities between the sexes, between the abled and the disabled,
between the races, and between rich and poor. What do you think? Would you “design” a human being if you
could? (Codington-Lacerte)
_____ Animal Experimentation/ Animal Rights (animal welfare)
Should animals be used for scientific and/or commercial testing? Research on living animals has been
practiced since at least 500 BC. Animals are used to develop medical treatments, determine the toxicity of
medications, check the safety of products destined for human use, and other biomedical, commercial, and
health care uses. There are pros and cons to this issue—animals help to develop life-saving treatments for
themselves, as well as humans. However, is this the most humane way? Are there any alternative methods that
would help spare the suffering and/or lives of the test subjects? You’ll have to do more research if you want to
find out! (“Should Animals Be Used For Scientific and Commercial Testing?”)
_____ Cloning—both animal and human (animal welfare)
Is it morally and ethically right for humans to play God? The term cloning describes a number of different
processes that can be used to produce genetically identical copies of a biological entity. The copied material,
which has the same genetic makeup as the original, is referred to as a clone. Researchers have cloned a wide
range of biological materials, including genes, cells, tissues, and even entire organisms, such as a sheep.
(“Cloning Fact Sheet”)
_____ Stem Cell Research (medicine and ethics)
Is it right to destroy a human life in order to save countless others? Embryonic stem cells are undifferentiated
cells that show promise in the treatment of heart disease, cancer, spinal cord injuries, diabetes and Parkinson's
disease. For example, if stem cells are introduced into a patient's heart after a heart attack, they will migrate to
the site of the damage, proliferate, and differentiate into new cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells. Human
embryonic stem cell research is a controversial topic because the cells are derived from eight-celled human
embryos called blastocysts. To obtain stem cells from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, the embryo must be
disassembled. A blastocyst is a microscopic five-day-old sphere of cells, not a recognizable human fetus. Still, it
does have the potential to grow into a baby, and this is the heart of the debate. (Farrell)
Works Cited
"Cloning Fact Sheet." National Human Genome Research Institute. National Institute of Health, 28 Apr. 2014. Web.
30 Dec. 2014. <http://www.genome.gov/25020028#al-1>.
Codington-Lacerte, CéLeste. "Sex Selection and Cosmetic Genetics." Points of View Reference Center. Points of
View Reference Center, n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2014.
<http://web.b.ebscohost.com/pov/detail/detail?sid=b949e9e0-13cb-48c3-9a37ce1877f09613%40sessionmgr115&vid=11&hid=128&bdata=JnNpdGU9cG92LWxpdmU%3d#db=pwh
&AN=86451146>.
Farrell, Courtney, and Rosalyn Carson-Dewitt. “Stem Cell Research: An Overview.” Points of View: Stem Cell
Research (2014): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 30 Dec. 2014.
"Genetic Testing." MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 30 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/genetictesting.html>.
"Should Animals Be Used for Scientific or Commercial Testing?" Procon.org. Procon.org, 2014. Web. 30 Dec.
2014. <http://animal-testing.procon.org/#background>.