Sixth Six Weeks Research Project
English I
This Packet Belongs To:__________________________
If lost, please return to room 411.
Background:
"We Didn't Start the Fire" is a rap-like recitation of events and icons that telescopes the singer's 40 years as it
tries to make some linear sense of the postwar years. It also highlights Billy Joel's fascination with history: "I'm a
history nut," he says. "I devour history books. At one time I wanted to be a history teacher."
The song's inspiration was an encounter in which Joel found himself taking something of a teacher's -certainly an elder's -- role.
"I was talking to this young guy in his early '20s," he says. "And he was talking about what a hard time this
was to grow up in, with crack and AIDS. And I thought, we said that when we were that age. Jeez, there was
Vietnam, the Kennedy assassinations, drugs, Nixon...the song is saying, 'Look, we didn't start the fire, we tried to
fight it, but it was burning and it's gonna burn on after we're gone and it's gonna burn on after you're gone, too.
That's the way the world is, imperfect; you have to learn to deal with it. But don't give up! Change what you can
change; don't fall into cynicism and despair."
Your assignment:
First, you must listen/watch the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. Then, you must choose a
topic out of the song. ALL STUDENTS WILL SIGN UP FOR A TOPIC. NO REPEATS WITHIN A
CLASS!
Lyrics are on the following page.
FYI:
Parts of Research Paper:
Introduction
 Part 1: Background Information – Who? What? When? Where? Why?
 Part 2: Conflict(s)- What is/was wrong about your topic? What was the conflict?
 Part 3: Modern Relevance- Why should WE know about your topic?
Conclusion: Restatement of essay. Wrap Up.
General Information:
 You need a minimum of four sources.
o One source must be a book.
 Do not just settle on the first four sources you find. Find the best sources possible.
 You will need a minimum of 25 note cards.
 Gather more information than you feel is necessary.
 Cite everything that is not common knowledge.
Guidelines for the Research Paper:
1. The final manuscript must be written in MLA (Modern Language Association) format with 12 pt
Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins on all sides, and correct headings.
2. There will be individual due dates for your tentative works cited page, note cards, and outline.
Failure to complete these steps on time will significantly lower your overall grade.
3. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade. Cite everything that is not common knowledge!
The Research Paper Writing Process
 Checklist
Preliminary Steps
 1. Select a topic.
 2. Research the topic by reading general information in books, encyclopedias, and
credible internet sources.
 3. Verify that there are enough available sources of information.
 4. Write a tentative thesis statement.
Gathering Information
 1. Print online information and place in back pocket of research folder.
 2. Have a variety of sources; do not overuse any one source.
 Do I have at least 4 sources?
 Do I have at least one book source?
 3. Record author, title, and publishing information for all sources to create a tentative
works cited page. (Refer to Creating a Works Cited Page on page 10.)
 Have I copied down all source information?
 4. Take notes on notes cards. Include source/page citations. Use subject headings.
Paraphrase. Summarize. Quote.
 5. Keep EVERYTHING (notes, sources, etc.) together!
Writing the Paper
 1. Revise tentative thesis statement.
 2. Write a formal outline.
 3. Write a strong introduction.
 4. Use note cards and outline to write a rough draft. Include parenthetical citations.
 5. Write a strong conclusion. Emphasize the importance of mythology and its relevance
today.
Preparing the Final Manuscript
 1. Revise your draft. Be sure that you have used third person throughout the paper and
have incorporated quotations smoothly and correctly.
 2. A final works cited page should include only the sources that you cited in your paper.
Works cited should be in alphabetical order. This page does not count towards the three
page minimum.
 3. Proofread final manuscript to ensure there are no errors.
 4. Make sure essay and works cited are together.
Turning in Your Work
 1. Turn in paper copy to Mrs. Schwanke
 3. CONGRATULATIONS!!! You’re all done!!!
“We Didn't Start The Fire”
by Billy Joel
'49 Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio
'50 Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, Television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe
'51 Rosenbergs, H-bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom,
Brando, "The King and I" and The Catcher In The Rye
'52 Eisenhower, Vaccine, England's got a new Queen
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye
Chorus We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
'53 Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser, Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc
'54 Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron
Dien Bien Phu falls, Rock Around The Clock
'55 Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn's got a winning team
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland
'56 Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev
Princess Grace, "Peyton Place", trouble in the Suez
Chorus We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
'57 Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac
Sputnik, Chou En-Lai, Bridge on the River Kwai
'58 Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California baseball
Starkweather homicide, children of Thalidomide
'59 Buddy Holly, "Ben Hur", space monkey, Mafia
Hula Hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go
'60 U-2, Syngman Rhee, Payola and Kennedy
Chubby Checker, "Psycho", Belgians in the Congo
Chorus We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
'61 Hemingway, Eichmann, "Stranger in a Strange Land"
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion
'62 "Lawrence of Arabia", British Beatlemania
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson
'63 Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British politician sex
J.F.K. blown away, what else do I have to say
Chorus It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
'64-'89 Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, Punk Rock
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline
Ayatollah's in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan
'64-'89 "Wheel of Fortune", Sally Ride, Heavy Metal, Suicide
Foreign debts, Homeless Vets, AIDS, Crack, Bernie Goetz
Hypodermics on the shores, China's under martial law
Rock and Roller, Cola Wars, I can't take it anymore
Chorus We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Chorus We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on . . .
1)
RESEARCH TERMS
_________________ – a reference book, usually alphabetized, that provides
background information and facts
2)
____________– any person, book, or document that provides information on a topic
3)
____________ – a collection of webpages, images, videos or other digital information
4)
________________– a list of sources that were cited or referenced in a research paper; usually appears on a
separate page at the end of the paper
5)
___________________– a reference in the text contained in parenthesis which points to a specified source in the
Works Cited list containing a page number and author’s name [Example: (42), (Steinbeck 97)]
6)
__________________– a large collection of data organized for rapid search and retrieval through the internet
7)
______________ – an alphabetized list of names, places, and subjects mentioned in a printed work, giving the
page or pages on which each item is mentioned; usually at the end of a reference book
8) _______________ – a program that searches for files, documents, and/or data from a database or the internet using
specified keywords and returns a list of the documents where the keywords were found [Example:
Google, Bing, Yahoo!]
9) ______________– the address bar at the top of a web browser that indicates the website or webpage being viewed
10) ____________ – a punctuation mark (. . .) that indicates an intentional omission of a word or a phrase from the
original text in a direct quotation
11) ___________________– exact words from the author set within quotation marks
12) ______________– a restatements of the author’s ideas in your own words
13) ______________– a condensed restatement of the author’s most important ideas
My THREE choice topics are:
1:__________________________________________________
2:__________________________________________________
3:__________________________________________________
Before you choose your specific topic, it’s important that you brainstorm each of your topics.
For Example:
After you’ve brainstormed ideas off of your topic, create questions over those ideas.
For Example:
Name:__________________________________
Period:__________
Daily Grade: Questions Over Topic
My Topic:__________________________________________________________________________________
My FIVE Questions:
1.________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4.________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5.________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
You will detach this paper from your packet and TURN IT IN to me. Check your back page for due dates.
Plagiarism
What Is It?
Plagiarism is defined as presenting words and/or ideas from an existing source as if they were your own
words and/or ideas. Plagiarism is essentially stealing! Plagiarism can occur if you copy directly from a
source without using quotation marks or an in-text citation. Plagiarism can occur if you use words and
ideas from a source that is not common knowledge and forget to include an in-text citation and
documentation on the works cited page.
How to Avoid It
1. Record information for your works cited page as you find sources rather than waiting until you write your
final manuscript.
2. Take thorough notes and record sources – their authors and their pages numbers – as you go.
3. Put notes in your own words.
4. When paraphrasing, put a majority of the author’s words in your own words.
5. When quoting, use quotation marks.
6. Make sure anything that is not common knowledge has a in-text citation in your final manuscript.
To Note or Not to Note
Ask yourself two questions when deciding whether or not to cite particular information.
1. Does the information or the wording belong to someone else?
2. Would the information appear more credible if I cite it?
Directions: Indicate whether or not a writer should document the information in each of the following and give
credit to a particular source. Circle yes if it needs a citation and no if it doesn’t.
yes
no
1. Mythology helped explain natural phenomenon. It existed before mankind had science.
yes
no
2. Mythology is still relevant in today’s world.
yes
no
3. The phoenix is mentioned in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, but its ancestry and origin of birth is unknow
yes
no
4. “According to ancient writers, the phoenix lived for five hundred years, then died and was reborn.
had brilliant golden and scarlet feathers and grew to the size of an eagle.”
yes
no
5. Mythology is all around the world in art, in literature, in astronomy, and in popular culture.
yes
no
6. Japanese comic creator Osamu Tezuka's developed a twelve-book series titled simply Phoenix.
yes
no
7. The phoenix, a bird associated with immortality, can be seen today in the Harry Potter book serie
by J.K. Rowling.
yes
no
8. The Encyclopedia of World Mythology states: “Fire can also be a symbol of new life, as in the case
of the phoenix the mythical bird that is periodically destroyed by flames to rise reborn from its own
ashes.”
yes
no
9. Today, the phoenix is a symbol of resurrection and rebirth.
yes
no
10. This mythological bird even appears in the name of the heavily populated U.S. city,
Phoenix, Arizona.
Creating a Works Cited Page
For each of the sources you decide to use for your research paper, you must be sure to copy down all the
information necessary for proper MLA (Modern Language Association) documentation and citation. The way you cite
your source depends what kind of text that is it. Due to the overwhelming number of resources available, only the most
frequently used MLA source documentations are listed here. Use the following web sites. They practically write the
MLA citations for you!
http://www. easybib.com
http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
http://www.libs.uga.edu/ref/mlastyle.html
Book with 1 author:
Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. Title of Book. City of the publisher: Name of the Publisher, year of the
publication.
Example:
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. Boston: Little Brown & Company, 1999.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Book with 2 or more authors:
First Author’s Last Name, First Author’s First Name, and Second Author’s First Name and Last Name. Title of Book. City
of the publisher: Name of the Publisher, year of the publication.
Example:
Zell-Ravenheart, Oberon, and Ash Dekirk. A Wizard's Bestiary: A Menagerie of Myth, Magic, and Mystery. New York: New
Page Books, 2007.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Encyclopedia Article:
Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name (if available). “Title of Encyclopedia Article.” Name of Encyclopedia.
Number of edition with ed. Year of the publication.
“Title of Encyclopedia Article.” Name of Encyclopedia. Volume number. Total volumes. City of Publication:
Publisher, Year of Publication. Page numbers of article.
Examples:
Jones, Louis. "Aphrodite." The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th ed. 1987.
"Hades." UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology. 3rd vol. 5 vols. Detroit: UXL, 2008. 471-474.
Page on a Web Site:
Author. “Title of Page.” Name of Website. Date of Post. Name of organization affiliated with site (if available). Date of
Access <electronic URL address>.
Example:
Lindemans, Micha F. "Phoenix." Encyclopedia Mythica: mythology, folklore, and religion. 9 June 2004. 11 Jan. 2009
<http://www.pantheon.org/areas/bestiary/articles.html>.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Entire Web Site:
Author(s). Name of Website. Date of Posting/Revision. Name of Organization affiliated with site (if available). Date of
Access <electronic URL address>.
Example:
Atsma, Aaron. Theoi Greek Mythology: Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature and Art.
11 Jan. 2009 <http://www.theoi.com/>.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Online Database:
Author (if available). “Article Title.” Publication Title. (Year of Publication): page numbers. Name of Database. Name of
Library, Library’s City, State. Date of Access <URL address of home page of service>.
Example:
"Phoenix." Myths and Legends of the World. (2000): 1-2. Student Resource Center - Gold. Mira Monte High School Library,
Bakersfield, CA. 11 Jan. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/>.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Other notes and requirements:
 Authors’ names are always listed with the last name first followed by a comma and then the first name.
 Do NOT underline any punctuations marks.
 Article titles should be in quotations.
 Book and encyclopedia titles should be underlined.
 Dates should be written day month year (i.e. 15 May 1995)
 URL/electronic addresses should be in < >. Avoid hyperlinks and underlining.
 Documentation means giving credit for an idea or fact. In-text documentation usually only includes an
author’s last name and a page number. The rest is on the Works Cited Page.
 There are books exceeding 200 pages that are updated yearly which are devoted to MLA format. You’re not
expected to memorize any of the above information. But pay attention to details, particularly
punctuation. The purpose of MLA citation and documentation is to give credit to the ideas of others and
avoid plagiarism.
 Your Works Cited Page should be written in Times New Roman 12 pt font and double spaced. Look at the
next page for an example of a Works Cited Page. Notice it is in alphabetical order according to author’s
last name or article title (if the author information is not available).
Name: _______________________________________________
Period: _______
Daily Grade
Directions: Make a list of sources as you research your topic. Use proper MLA documentation.
Tentative Works Cited List
Cited in
Final
Paper


Source Type (book, website, etc.)
ABC
order
(number
1, 2, 3,
etc.)
___________________________________________________________________________
____
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________
____
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
____
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
____
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
____
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
____
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
____
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Works Cited (Sample)
Allan, Tony. The Mythic Bestiary: The Illustrated Guide to the World's Most Fantastical Creatures. New York: Duncan
Baird, 2008.
Atsma, Aaron. “Phoinix.” Theoi Greek Mythology: Exploring Literature in Classical Literature and Art. 11 Jan. 2009
<http://www.theoi.com/Thaumasios/Phoinix.html>.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. Boston: Little Brown & Company, 1999.
Lindemans, Micha F. "Phoenix." Encyclopedia Mythica: mythology, folklore, and religion. 9 June 2004. 11 Jan. 2009
<http://www.pantheon.org/areas/bestiary/articles.html>.
"Phoenix." Myths and Legends of the World. (2000). Student Resource Center - Gold. Mire Monte High School Library,
Bakersfield, CA. 11 Jan. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/>.
“Phoenix.” U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology. Vol. 4. (2008): 3. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Mire Monte
High School Library, Bakersfield, CA. 11 Jan. 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/>.
Zell-Ravenheart, Oberon, and Ash Dekirk. A Wizard's Bestiary: A Menagerie of Myth, Magic, and Mystery. New York:
New Page Books, 2007.
Works Cited Pre-Test (True/False)
Directions: Answer the True and False questions based on the sample Works Cited entries above.
_____ 1. My works cited page is a list of all the sources I used and cited in my research paper.
_____ 2. My works cited page needs to be in alphabetical order according to authors’ first names.
_____ 3. Every one of my source entries should begin with the author’s last name or the title of the article
/web page (if there is no author provided).
_____ 4. If there is more than one author, the second author’s name should read last name then first name.
_____ 5. Every one of my source entries should end with a period.
_____ 6. All URL addresses should be placed within < >.
_____ 7. My works cited page needs to have at least four entries.
_____ 8. If a source takes up more than one line, every additional line needs to be indented five spaces
(one tab).
_____ 9. My works cited page should be single-spaced.
_____10. Titles of article should be underlined. Titles of books should be in quotation marks.
_____11. Dates should be written as Day Month Year (i.e. 18 Jan. 2008).
_____12. Months longer than four letters should be abbreviated.
Thesis Statement
What is it?
 The thesis statement is that sentence or two in your text that contains the focus of your essay
and tells your reader what the essay is going to be about.
 Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your
paper and should be supported with specific evidence in your paper.
 In terms of organization and structure, thesis statements typically appear in the last sentence of
the introductory paragraph.
How do I to develop one?
 Thesis statements often need to be adjusted as your research and writing progresses.
 Start with a tentative thesis statement that addresses the focal points of your research paper.
Thesis Statement Formula
Subject + Belief /Opinion/Focal Points = Thesis Statement
Parts of Research Paper: (1) Background Information, (2) Portrayal in Myths, (3) Contemporary Connection
Examples:
The Phoenix is a mythological bird that is still prominent in contemporary society with a great deal of
history and symbolism attached to it.
The Graeae were three sisters with one eye and one tooth shared among them, and they are one of
several female trinities in Greek mythology who have withstood the test of time and remain
recognizable in modern society.
Though his name is not as familiar today, exciting accounts of the fearsome giant, Geryon, survive
through Greek mythology and tales of one of its most famous heroes, Hercules.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tentative Thesis Statement
Name: ________________________
Period: _______
Topic: ________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Outline

Your outline is a preliminary component of your research paper. It will help you organize
your note cards and write your rough draft.

Major content divisions/categories are indicated by Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, IV, etc.)
Your outline will include five major divisions.

Subdivisions of categories are specified by capital letters (A, B, C, D, etc.) Further
subdivisions are indicated by numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, et.), then, if necessary, by lower case
letters (a, b, c, d, etc.).

Subdivisions always include at least two letters/numbers. If there is an A, there must
be a B. If there is a one, there must be a two. Think of an outline as a pizza. Subdivisions
need to be able to be “cut” into at least two pieces. You can’t cut a pizza into one piece, or it
would just be a whole pizza.

Below is a basic structure for how your outline should look. You may leave your introduction
and conclusion without subcategories. Keep in mind that each Roman numeral in your
outline may become multiple paragraphs in your rough draft/final manuscript. Outlines
typically do not contain complete sentences.
Outline Format
Name: ________________________________
I.
Period: _______
Test Grade
Introduction (Engage the reader’s interest. Introduce your topic.)
A. Attention getter:__________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
B. Revised Thesis: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
II.
Background Information
A. __________________________________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________
B. __________________________________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________
C. _________________________________________________________________________
D. _________________________________________________________________________
E. _________________________________________________________________________
III.
Conflicts
A. _________________________________________________________________________
B. _________________________________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________
C. __________________________________________________________________________
D. __________________________________________________________________________
IV.
Modern Relevance
A. _________________________________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________
B. __________________________________________________________________________
C. __________________________________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________
V.
Conclusion (Summarize key points about your topic/subject without being repetitive.
Restate Thesis.)
Presentation
You will create a Power Point of NO LESS than 12 slides over the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who/what is your topic?
Background Information
Conflicts Involved
Modern Relevance
So, you’re pretty much putting your outline on slides with pictures and anything else we might want or need.
Your Power Point will be graded on thoroughness, creativity, colorfulness, pictures, and technicalities.
You MUST HAVE:




Your Thesis
Parenthetical Citations (Quotes and paraphrases from sources)
Pictures
All NECESSARY information
Your Power Point is its OWN TEST GRADE.
DO NOT SLACK HERE.
Your Power Point is to be DONE when you walk in to class on MAY 24th. If you do not have it when called, it will be late.
A Power Point that CANNOT/WILL NOT load will, also, be considered LATE!!!
Research Days:
Library:
April 29-30
May 1 and 3
Typing/Power Point Days:
Ag. Lab:
Library:
May 2
May 20-24
*If you are ABSENT any of these days, you are responsible for making up the lost time ON YOUR OWN.*
Due Dates:
Assignment
Research Vocab Quiz
Topic Questions
Website Evaluations (5)
Tentative Works Cited
(6)
Works Cited Test
Tentative Thesis
Statement
Note Cards (25)
Outline
Power Point
Presentation
Power Point Notes Page
Type of Grade
TWO Daily
TWO Daily
TWO Daily
TWO Daily
April 29
May 1
May 3
May 10
Test
TWO Daily
May 10
May 13
Test
Test
Test
May 17
May 24
May 24- To be graded
AFTER presentation
Due day of last
presentation
Daily
Date
****All dates are subject to change. You WILL receive notice of these changes by keeping up with the
assignment board, the Facebook page, or the classroom page through Smithville ISD.