Modern Day Heroes: The Research Paper
Background:
The popularity of the heroic tradition seen in Greek and other ancient cultures has
continued to the present day. Legends immortalize cultural heroes, fairy tales echo
heroic themes, and folk tales show average men, women, children, and even
animals acting in heroic ways. Modern stories, television programs and films often
follow the heroic tradition---the archetypal pattern of a hero, an imperfect person
who displays fierce determination, courage, and resolve in the face of seemingly
insurmountable challenges. The hero is the person who rises to the occasion—one
who others look up to as a figure of hope that the impossible is possible to attain.
Your (not so easy) Task:
From the list provided you will choose a modern day hero to research. Your objective
is to prove that the person you chose merits the distinction of being regarded as a
hero. You must research the life of your chosen person and show how this person has
overcome obstacles and learned lessons as a result of the challenges they have had
to face. Thus, you must show in what ways this person’s life parallels the archetypal
pattern of the hero. You must ask yourself: what qualites make this person a hero?
What distinguishes this person? What challenges has this person faced? What
contributions has this person made to the world? What lessons has this person
learned?
The Grading:
 Your research paper will be completed in stages for homework grades; the final
product will be worth a double test grade. (Remember: for each class day late, ten
points will be deducted from your paper. I will not accept any paper that has not
been uploaded to turnitin.com.) Please plan on investing in a flash drive, as you will be
working on your paper both at home and at school.
 In addition, you will receive a daily library research grade which will translate into a
participation grade at the end of our research time.
 We will use the Masuk High School Research Paper Rubric
The Product
English 9
English 9 Honors
12 point, Times New Roman, 3 page
research paper
12 point, Times New Roman, 5 page
research paper
MLA format
Works Cited page
MLA format
Works Cited page
3 credible sources: 1 Print, 1 Electronic,
1 Internet. (I must approve all
sources!)The information you find from
these sources will be woven into and
well documented in your research
paper.
5 credible sources: 2 Print, 1 Electronic,
2 Internet (I must approve all
sources!)The information you find from
these sources will be woven into and
well documented in your research
paper.
A minimum of 3 in-text citations—1 for
each of your sources
A minimum of 5 in-text citations—1 for
each of your sources
Upload your paper to turnitin.com prior
to printing out and turning in a hard
copy.
Upload your paper to turnitin.com prior
to printing out and turning in a hard
copy.
Step 1: The Heroes
Choose your top three heroes from the list provided.
Step 2: Research
Once your hero has been assigned to you, you are ready to begin researching your hero. Please visit
the research-paper documents section of my website and print out the document titled “note-taking
form,” which will help you compile and organize the information you find on your hero. (There are
also many links that will help you in your research paper process located in the research-paper
section)
You will be visiting the library where you will be directed to several print sources. Please ask the
librarians for help. Mrs. Letko is very familiar with this research paper & our topic, and she is more than
happy to help you, so please, please ask!
After reviewing some print sources, begin looking at credible sources---the librarians and I will help
you determine if a source is credible. (Wikipedia is not a credible source.)
Warnings: Be sure that you write down the source information for all of your sources.
Please note: This is not a biography of the person. While you must provide an overview
of the person’s life (early life, family life, challenges, struggles, mentor figures, supreme
ordeal, and lessons learned) your primary task is to PROVE how/why this person is a
hero.
This is not a biography!!
Yes, I’ve already said this. But it bears repeating. Here’s why…when you research your
person, you are bound to find many things about them that you find heroic. What you
need to do is find an angle. Here’s what I mean…Martin Luther King, for example,
did many, many things that are considered heroic. You can’t possibly go into them all.
So, you need to find that defining moment where he became a hero---that is the main
idea of your paper. Your thesis should communicate this. Everything in your paper should
lead up to this moment.
Step 3: The (tentative) Thesis
Look over your research. Draw conclusions about your hero. Write a tentative or working
thesis that can be sustained over three pages. The thesis must argue why the person you
have chosen functions as a hero. Your thesis must be an arguable statement:
“Lance Armstrong is regarded as a modern day hero because he won the Tour de France
several times.” NOT A THESIS: This is a statement of fact and cannot be argued.
“Lance Armstrong is regarded as a modern day hero because he overcame cancer to win
the Tour de France several times.” NOPE! Better, but this thesis is still too factual and it is
vague.
Step 4: The Outline
Once your thesis has been approved, you will begin to put together your outline. At minimum, your
outline must contain your introduction and thesis and the topic sentences for all of your body
paragraphs. You must also include your Works Cited page.
Step 5: The Final Copy
Upload your paper to turnitin.com and print out a hard copy to turn it at the start of class. I will not
accept a hard copy without proof of submission to turnitin.com.
MLA format must be followed!
Step 6: The Public-Speaking Presentation
Public-speaking skills and the ability to communicate ideas in an engaging manner through oral
expression supplemented with visual aids are as important as communication through written
expression. You will be responsible for presenting your hero to a group of panelists. Here you must
convince your audience how the person you chose is worthy of the title of hero. You will submit your
paper directly following your presentation. You will NOT read from your paper; rather your wil highlight
for us the following: your definition of hero, background on the person, the hero moment, and
relevant anecdotal stories. Your presentation must also include the use of a visual aid and the
presentation of an artifact that best represents your hero.
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Important Dates:
Hero Selection 30 pts (hw)
Date due: February 26
Source Check 50 pts (hw)
(including MLA format for sources, and article notes)
Date due: March 6
Thesis and Intro 20 (hw)
Date due: March 9
Outline 50 pts (hw)
Date due: March 16
Final paper 100 pts (test x2)
Date due: March 23
Public-Speaking Presentation 50 pts (test)
Date due: March 24
Library Research
(daily grade accumulation/pp)
**dates subject to change in the event of snow days
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