ACC Research Paper Process and Deadlines:
*All Dates listed are A/B; therefore, if you have English on A day, turning it in on the following B day will result in the grade of 0. The tardy bell
indicates late work, which will not be accepted.
1.
Approved Novel is _____________________. This should be completed by January 14 th.
Get supplies: paper clips, highlighters, and 1 large manila envelope with a clasp closure.
2.
Deadline #1 (daily grade): Parent Letter signed and returned by January 7/8
3.
Library Days: Research your topic in the library on January 15-23
In the library, find 6 sources on your topic. BE VERY SELECTIVE AS TO WHICH CRITICISMS YOU CHOOSE. YOU MUST USE
THEM IN YOUR PAPER. IF YOU USE SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE CRITICISMS YOU SELECTED, YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE
A NEW ANNOTATION AND PRINT OFF THE NEW MATERIAL.
If you are using an Internet source (other than databases), I must sign a copy of the HOMEPAGE or it will not count.
Make copies of your 6 sources and their title pages you intend to use in your paper. Paper clip the individual sources
together with the title page on top.
4.
Deadline #2 (test grade) due by the end of class on January 22/23: Create an annotated bibliography for these 6 sources;
you will use these sources in the paper itself. You will ALSO need to turn in a copy of your completed annotated bib to
turnitin.com or a 30 point deduction will be given. Put all sources and the AB into the manila envelope.
5.
Deadline #3 (Daily grade) due by February 3/4: Create an outline with a thesis statement.
6.
Deadline #4 (Quiz grade) due by February 9/10: Write the rough draft of your paper. Be careful to document sources as you
write, using parenthetical citations. The FINAL paper should be double spaced about 5-7 pages typed in MLA format. No
more than 7 pages will be read! Be sure you make a works cited page for the sources used; this is the last page and is not
part of the page count. I will be grading ONLY the 1st paragraph, formatting, and the Works Cited page. Also, beginning on
February 3rd, you may schedule a 15 minute appointment to meet with me about your rough draft during 4 th, 8th, or 7:45
am. This optional after school meeting is for your benefit. Sign-up ASAP!
7. Deadline #5 (3 test grades) due by February 18/19: After we discuss your rough draft, complete your
paper; submit a copy to turnitin.com; turn in a hard copy of your final draft in the large manila envelope. Be sure to
include the graded rough draft, graded annotated bibliography, and 6 sets of highlighted copies and title pages. You will
also need to get a library clearance slip—even if you never checked out a book. Staple this slip to the outside of your
envelope—20 points deducted for each item if not with the final.
*NOTE: If you do not turn it in to turnitin.com, you will receive a 50 point deduction.
When will it be graded? During the 4th nine weeks. I will hand them back to you as soon as I have yours graded.
THE FINE PRINT
***Important Notes: Work is due at the beginning of the block(except the AB) on deadline days. You must be in class, on-time on
all deadline days. NO exceptions. If you know that you will be absent, hand in the work early or make arrangements for someone else
to bring your work to school BEFORE your class meets. Medical excuses will not allow you to turn in the work late. It is DUE on the
day it is due.
***Work is due BY the deadline day. Remember, the last day I will take the assignment is listed above—not the first. Turning it in
early is highly recommended!
**This is an argumentative paper in which you are proving a point. Use criticisms to help establish your own opinion of the work
you have read.
ACC English IV
Portera
Research Paper
Deadline #2: Parent Letter
Due on _______________
Parents,
Please read through the research paper handout given to your student today. Make note of his/her topic, deadlines,
makeup policy, and expectations. Be sure to read over the NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED rule. Work must be
present on or before the day it is due—no exceptions! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at
mportera@madison-schools.com at any time. Please sign below that you understand what is expected of your student
and that you have read through all the information given.
Thank you,
Meridith Portera
Signature:__________________________________________ Date: ___________________________________
Questions? Comments?
Deadline #2-TEST GRADE
DUE___________________
Annotated Bibliography and 6 Copied Sources with the title pages!
DON’T FORGET TO SUBMIT A COPY TO TURNITIN.COM
The annotated bibliography is similar to a works cited page except that you comment on each source. The purpose of annotation is
to summarize the cited material. It should provide enough information about the book or article so that you can determine the
major concept of the piece. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the
sources quoted. BE VERY SELECTIVE AS TO WHICH CRITICISMS YOU CHOOSE. YOU MUST USE THEM IN YOUR PAPER. IF YOU USE
SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE CRITICISMS YOU SELECTED, YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE A NEW ANNOTATION AND PRINT OFF THE
NEW MATERIAL. Double space between each entry and single space within the entries and commentary. Each annotation should
be about 200 words in length and address the following:
1.
Bibliographical information (MLA style – hanging indention – placed separately from the summary) Information on how to
cite can be found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
2.
Commentary on the source
 State the author/website in the opening sentence. Anything significant about him/her/website?
 Summary of concept discussed with your comments included—make sure it’s a complete summary!
 Describe how this information applies to your research project
 Evaluate (How will this source prove your thesis?)---Do not use 1st or 2nd person.
3.
Style of Annotated Bibliography
 The heading with your name and class information appears on the first page only. Subsequent pages contain a
header with your surname and the page number. -----i.e. Smith 2
 Give the annotated bibliography a title that identifies the common topic that all the sources share. Note that you
do not need to label this “Annotated Bibliography” since it is obvious from looking at the page that it is, in fact, an
annotated bibliography.
 Sources appear in alphabetical order by author surname or title. The citation itself follows the normal MLA style.
 Double space between the citation and the summary.
 Annotations can vary in length depending on the complexity of the source. However, even annotations of the
longest sources should be brief—about 200 words.
 The hanging indentation format is used. The first line of each entry is flush left while subsequent lines are
indented. The spacing should be single spaced within the information and also within the commentary and double
spaced between each entry.
 Use Times New Roman font 12 point.
4. TURN IN YOUR COPIED AND HIGHLIGHTED SOURCES!!! I will not accept pages that are not stapled/clipped
together. If you do not turn in your sources and TITLE PAGES, it is an automatic 50 point deduction. (5 points
per title page and 10 points per one you are missing.)
DO NOT USE 1st or 2nd person or contractions—10 points EACH
5. SUBMIT BIBLIOGRAPHY to turnitin.com BEFORE THE CLASS MEETING DEADLINE. (30 points will be deducted if
not done.)
*See following page for Deadline #2 example.
First Name Last Name
Last Name 1
Mrs. Portera
English IV
11 November 2012
Nineteen Eighty-Four and its Relation to Society
Asimov, Isaac. “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” Asimov on Science Fiction. Doubleday & Company, Inc.,
1981. 275-89. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Dennis Poupard and James E.
Person, Jr. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1985. Print.
Isaac Asimov, most known for his extremely successful science fiction, has done quite
well in nearly every genre of writing. In this article, he strongly criticizes Nineteen
Eighty-Four as a failure as a prophecy and as science fiction. He asserts that—whatever
Orwell’s attentions may have been—the outcome focuses solely on Stalinism. He
discusses in detail Orwell’s failure in composing a science fiction novel, if that is what
he set out to do. If it is not, he must have meant for it to be prophetic; Asimov concludes
that Orwell fails as this also. His main point is that Orwell does not successfully predict
certain natural changes in society—such as the dancing role or women, the use of more
advanced drugs and high tech robots, or the alteration of acts like drinking and smoking
based on enhanced knowledge of their harm. However, some of his criticism is quite
unreasonable. Writing in 1980, he knows infinitely more about life to come in 1984 that
Orwell did in the 1940’s. In addition, Orwell’s purpose was not to actually predict the
future as much as it was to alert the public to the corruption of government with absolute
power. While he raises valid points, he misinterprets Orwell’s intentions leading him to
find the novel a complete failure.
Howe, Irving. George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Bloom’s Notes. Ed. Harold Bloom. Broomall:
Chelsea House Publishers, 1996. 34-36. Print.
In this article, Howe discusses Orwell’s ability to illustrate vividly a truly terrifying
society, unlike any in the world before the advent of totalitarian rule. Every society in the
past has had “an oasis of freedom” to escape the overbearing control of the rulers; but
with the advancement of technology, this may not be possible any longer. Orwell
accurately depicts this possibility and capitalizes on people’s fear of it. He does so by
portraying a world of perfect domination, like one without friction. Though this cannot
possibly happen, assuming the absence of friction does not detract from the purpose of
the experiment. This analogy quite accurately represents Orwell’s illustration of a society
under total control. People feared such a situation because technology was advancing
so rapidly that no one could possibly know what would come and how soon. Their fear
of constant surveillance and mind reading is completely rational. Overall, this article
clearly explains how Orwell makes his novel terrifying to impact the public.
Deadline #3—Daily Grade
Writing the Outline and Thesis
DUE___________________
Thesis Statement: Once you have gathered your information, you need to re-read your research notes and draw some
conclusions about what they mean. Do you see a connection? What larger point do they support? Construct a working
thesis. The thesis statement is a sentence expressing both your topic and the conclusion you have drawn about it. Tip:
topic + your idea or opinion about the topic= the thesis statement. Ask yourself what jumped out to me? Be clear and
concise. DO NOT TELL GIVE A SUMMARY OF THE BOOK TO USE AS A THESIS STATEMENT.
Outline: Your outline is the skeleton of the paper. You will include only topic headings on your outline; you will not
write complete sentences. Use the main points or similar wording. The order of the outline will be up to you.
*** You must have 3 Roman Numerals. You need an A and B under each Roman numeral.
***All points must be kept parallel.
Sample Outline Below:
I AM SAVING PAPER—This Should be Double Spaced
Home of the Great
Thesis: Madison Central is the most successful school in the state of Mississippi.
I.
Athletic Programs
A. Football Championships
B. Baseball Championships
II.
Musical Opportunities
A. All Superior Band
B. Reveille and Show Choir
III.
High Test Scores
A. SATP—Star School
B. National Merit
*Notice: 1) The title is relevant AND creative. 2) The outline has a thesis that is clear and concise and argues a point. Not everyone
agrees with the thesis. You will sway your readers by using 3 points to PROVE it. 3) Make note of the three Roman Numerals:
Athletic Programs, Musical Opportunities, and High Test Scores. These argue how the Madison Central is superior to every other
school in the state of Mississippi. Every paper will have three points to argue/support/explain your thesis. 4) The A and B will give
quotes, facts, occurrences in the novel, and information you have researched that PROVES why Madison Central is the most
successful school in the state.
Deadline #4-Quiz Grade
DUE___________________
Rough Draft, Parenthetical Citations, Works Cited Page, and a reminder to Submit your FINAL to turnitin.com
1. Rough Draft: ----formatting grade
You will receive a quiz grade for your rough draft on February 19/20. I will only grade your introductory paragraph, your
formatting, and your works cited page; however, I encourage you to turn in the ENTIRE paper so we can go through It
together.
You will need an introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction you must draw the readers into your research,
give a brief overview of your research, and include your thesis statement. In the body of your paper, develop the ideas
that support your thesis. In the conclusion, restate your thesis and provide final conclusions. Close with a memorable
“clincher.”
*Your final paper will be 5 FULL pages long, using the correct format. Anything less than 5 FULL pages will receive a 20
point deduction per page on your final grade. It will be in MLA format. Do not forget you need to turn it in at
turnitin.com before coming to class on February 18/19 or I WILL NOT TAKE YOUR PAPER.
If you choose, we will go through a hard copy of your paper ON YOUR TIME. I have set aside these dates for you to
meet me during 4th or 8th blocks or at 7:45 in the morning: February 7th. Please tell me in advance when you want to
come. It is a first come, first serve basis, starting today. If you are scheduled to meet with me, and fail to let me know
in advance you cannot make it, you will not be able to reschedule. (Think about it: Not only am I waiting for you, but
you have also taken someone else’s spot for a meeting with me.) Meetings should last about 15 minutes. If you
choose NOT to meet me, then your final grade could be in jeopardy. SIGN UP ASAP!!!
2. Parenthetical Citations:
Every time you use information in your paper that came from one of your sources, you MUST give credit to the source.
The credit occurs in the text in the form of parenthetical citations ( ) and at the end of the paper on the works cited
page. Remember you have to use 4 sources.
When you use an author’s exact words, put them in quotation marks and put a parenthetical citation at the end of the
sentence. If you have paraphrased from the source, you do not need to use quotation marks, but you still must use a
parenthetical reference at the end of the sentence. If you are not giving credit to your sources, you are plagiarizing! Not
only is that illegal, but it will also cost you 100 points on the paper.
Most all of your parenthetical citations will look like these:
His unusual chord combinations seemed to “skim along the tops” of the original ones (Fordham 28).
More than one page: (Fordham 28-29, 31)
More than one author: (Smith and Williams 70) or with 3 or more (Smith et al. 313) *Note- et al. means and others.
Titles (no author available): (World Almanac 809)
Indirect Sources: Abbreviation qtd. in (quoted in) before the source. (qtd. in Hentoff 175)(This is when the author of
the article you are reading quotes from another source.)
If an author is named in the sentence, you need only to give the page number in parentheses.
Novelist Ralph Ellison reflected that Parker struggles harder than any other jazzman “to escape the entertainer’s role”
(888).
For an author who has more than one work in the Works Cited List:
(Harrison, “Jazz” 571)
(Harrison, “Rare Bird” 208)
If you are using a longer quote (four lines or more) in your paper, use block format. Indent ten spaces from the left on a new line
and continue this until you have your quote. (It should look like a block in the middle of your page.) Do not use quotation marks.
Make sure you cite the author after the period.
*A non-print sources such as a Web page will not have a page number. You will need to cite the author’s name or website within the
sentence. (According to Forbes.com… or John Smith writes….)
Still not sure? Here are more ways to do parenthetical citations: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/
3. Works Cited Page:
This should be a piece of cake, if you wrote all of bibliographies properly. The Works Cited page is simply all of your
sources, arranged in ABC order, and typed at the end of the paper.
Important Notes: 1. Center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.
2. Reverse indent entries and double space in between each new entry.
3. Alphabetize sources by author’s last name or, if no author, by the title (exclude A, An, The)
4. If you use two or more sources by the same author, include the author’s name only in the first
entry.
For all other entries, add three hyphens where the author’s name would normally appear,
followed by a period (---.).
Information on how to cite: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Deadline #5: Final Paper
DUE ON __________________
PAPER CLIP THIS SHEET TO THE TOP OF YOUR FINAL
Checklist (20 point deduction for each item not completed)
In your manila envelope include:
____ graded rough draft
____ graded annotated bibliography
____6 sets of highlighted copies and title pages
____Library clearance (even if you NEVER checked out books), stapled to envelope
Others:
____ Final Paper
____Submission of FINAL to Turnitin.com (50 point deduction)
*This grade is weighted heavily on content. Make SURE you have made all necessary changes in formatting errors and
grammar errors, also.
Final grade:
______ (recorded 3x)