Ms. Milton
English Honors II
Composition Project: Research Paper
Topic: World Literature Author
Worth: 200 points
Due Date: December 9, 2013
Step One: Choose one author from the list below to research.
Dante Aligheri
Geoffrey Chaucer
Francesco Petrarch
Miguel de Cervantes
Langston Hughes
Guy de Maupassant
Leo Tolstoy
Henrik Ibsen
Rainer Maria Rilke
Federico Garcia Lorca
Albert Camus
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Alice Munro
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
George Orwell
William Wordsworth
Franz Kafka
Elie Wiesel
Pablo Neruda
Jamaica Kincaid
Santha Rama Rau
Frank McCourt
Volaire
Victor Hugo
Anton Chekhov
Isabel Allende
Doris Lessing
William Shakespeare
Homer
Sandra Cisneros
Chinua Achebe
James Joyce
Isak Dinesen
Jorge Luis Borges
Jose Marti
Nadine Gordimer
Mark Mathabane
Zora Neale Hurston
Sophocles
Step Two: Conduct research on your author. You must gather three to five references/sources (book, internet
sites, magazine/journal articles, etc).
Step Three: Outline your research paper. Include the requirements listed below in Step Four.
Step Four: Write your research paper. Include the requirements listed below:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Title Page—Original Title of paper, Teacher’s Name, Title of Class, Class Period, Due Date, Student
Name—Centered and Formatted according to MLA guidelines. (Page 1)
Introduction of Author—Biographical synopsis of author’s life, important works, thesis statement
about ways the author has made a unique contribution to World Literature. Make sure you use intext parenthetical citations in your paragraphs. (Page 2)
Body—Analysis of author’s most famous works (at least two). Discuss the presence of literary
devices, theme, tone, mood, plot, narrator (or speaker). Explain how the author’s history and culture
have impacted the author’s works. Make sure you use in-text parenthetical citations in your
paragraphs. (Pages 3-5)
Conclusion—Review the major points of the Introduction of Author and Body. Give your final opinion
of the author and his/her works. (Page 6)
Works Cited Page—Follow the current MLA guidelines to list the eight to ten sources you used to
research your topic. (Page 7)
Additional Requirements—Please adhere to the following requirements regarding your research
paper.
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Your last name and page number need to be on each page (except the Title Page) in the top right
corner.
You need to have at least fifteen in-text parenthetical citations throughout your paper, at least
one in each paragraph.
This project is worth 200 points: 100 points for form (grammar and mechanics, MLA formatting)
and for content (substance and meaningful expression).
MLA formatting includes completing your project on white paper, in black ink, with 1” margins
(Top, Bottom, Left, Right), between the lines double-spaced, 5” to the right indentation of each
new paragraph, in Times New Roman font, in 12-point typeface.
Step Five: Fill out your name, period and date on the Research Paper Rubric. Staple it on top of your research
paper. Turn your project in—on time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Name __________________________________ Per _________ Date _______________________
Ms. Milton
English Honors II
Research Paper Two-Part Rubric
PART ONE: Form
Total Part One Points: ________/100
1. Title page follows MLA format: Centered alignment, Proper heading, 12-point typeface, Times New
Roman font, double-spaced, 1” margins, black ink, white paper.
Mediocre=10 points Adequate=15 points Proficient=20 points
2. Introduction of Author and Body follow MLA format with proper last name and page number header on
each page.
Mediocre=10 points Adequate=15 points Proficient=20 points
3. Introduction of Author and Body contain fifteen in-text parenthetical citations, at least one citation in
each paragraph.
Mediocre=10 points Adequate=15 points Proficient=20 points
4. The Works Cited Page is formatted alphabetically according to the current MLA guidelines. All of the
essential elements of each source are present.
Mediocre=10 points Adequate=15 points Proficient=20 points
5. The paper is written in Standard American Written English with few errors in grammar and mechanics.
Mediocre=10 points Adequate=15 points Proficient=20 points
PART TWO: Content
Total Part Two Points:________/100
1. Student uses quotes from references/sources and expounds on them in relation to the author’s life to
support the thesis statement.
Mediocre=10 points Adequate=15 points Proficient=20 points
2. Student discusses and analyzes at least two works of chosen World Literature author. Analysis of each
work discusses literary elements and poetic devices.
Mediocre=10 points Adequate=15 points Proficient=20 points
3. Student provides a fresh approach to review the major points of the paper in the Conclusion.
Mediocre=10 points Adequate=15 points Proficient=20 points
4. Student uses higher level diction and a variety of sentence structures in the research paper.
Mediocre=10 points Adequate=15 points Proficient=20 points
5. Student writes with creative expressions in the research paper.
Mediocre=10 points Adequate=15 points Proficient=20 points
Total Points/Grade/Teacher Comments:
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