Research Papers 

and Presentations

-Expository Writing & Speaking-
  Writing a Research Paper   Giving an Oral Research Presentation  
       

Instructions: 

Students may download and/or print out these documents if they have lost theirs:

  • Mini-Research Paper topics  This is the first handout listing topics

  • Steps to writing research paper   This if the form students need to get stamped.  The steps for this assignment are worth 45 points plus the opportunity for 10 extra points (9 steps x 5 = 45 points, but a few steps have parts A & B, so that's 11 stamps x 5= 55 possible.)

Research Links:

Plagiarism & Citing Sources:

  • Developing a list of Sources while researching:  Print this "PathFinder" document to help you keep track of the sources you use.  This will help you write a works cited page later.

  • What is plagiarism:  If you cut and paste text from a website and use it in your paper without citing the source,  you are stealing.   This is called plagiarism.  Even if you do it on accident, it is still plagiarism.   Plagiarism  is  illegal and unethical.  Changing the text slightly without citing the source is still plagiarism and thus still stealing.

  • Consequences of plagiarism:  F on assignment, referral to the assistant principal, U in citizenship.  In high school, a student who plagiarizes may loose credit for the class.  In college, students are often expelled from the university.  Passing off someone else's work as your own is a BIG DEAL.  Don't do it.  Always give credit where credit is due.

  • How to cite sources within your paper: We will use parenthetical citation, not footnotes.  Click here to see citation examples.  

Outlining the paper:

Introductions & Road maps:

Many students wonder, "how do I include a road map which suggests to the reader where my report is headed without writing, 'in this report I will examine these three topics'?"  Here is a simple sample.  Let's suppose that one is writing about Ferraris and that the two main topics the report with address are popularity of this cars and the cost of different models.  Intertwine the thesis statement and road map by asking two questions like so (the road map is in bold to help one pick it out more easily):

 

Walk into any young man's room and chances are you will find a poster of a hot car on the wall.  That car could easily be 1960's Vette, a sleek Lamborghini or even more likely, a red Ferrari.  Just was makes a Ferrari the subject of so many car fantasies and are what makes one so amazingly expensive? 

 

A more common road-map technique is to simply list the two or three sub-topics  the paper will address (popularity and cost in this example) as done in example below.

 

Walk into any young man's room and chances are you will find a poster of a hot car on the wall.  That car could easily be a red Ferrari.  Ferraris are immensely popular despite their high price tag. 

Peer Response & Revision:

  • Peer Response Forms

    • Students have an opportunity to have peers read and respond to their rough drafts in class if they bring their rough drafts to class on time.  Forms are available only in class. (In 2004 they are  blue.) Extras are in the handout basket.

    • Students may definitely ask friends or family members to respond to their rough draft if they didn't have a chance to finish the peer response form in class.

  • Read your report out loud!  The entire point of peer response is to find out how your paper sounds to someone else's ears.  It is to give you a sense of audience.  It also helps to read your own paper out loud to your self to see if it makes sense.

  • English Drop in Lab-- get help from another teacher during the morning.  Times for English tutorial are posted on the tutorial web page. 

Grading Criteria:

 

  

 How to turn your mini-research paper into an informative speech

Modify your research paper so that you have these four elements:  a great introduction, credited sources, transitions, and a strong conclusion.

1.  Have a great introduction

  • Voiceŕ energy and enthusiasm
  • Hook that grabs the listeners’ attention  (see page 655 in the green Holt textbook)
    •   begin speech with an interesting question
    • begin with a personal story (anecdote)
    • begin with an unexpected (and therefore interesting) fact
  • Focus attention on topic (thesis)
  • Make listeners feel comfortable

2.  Credit your sources of information.  Here's how to cite sources when you are speaking 

  • According to (insert name of author here), + fact
  • EXAMPLE:  According to Jose Garcia, president of the North County Skateboard club, blah, blah, blah….
  • (Insert name of expert) + (accomplishment/book title/website title/university where person teaches) + citation verb

List of citation verbs to use

writes

explains

tells

says

points out

discusses

mentions

emphasizes

notes

reports

asks

claims

argues that

concludes

contends

3.  Use transitions to provide coherence.  Your audience needs to understand where you are headed in your speech.  See page 688 in green Holt text book for a list or click here another list of transition phrases and when to use them.

4.      Conclusion

  • Remind reader about your thesis (your main point) and your supporting ideas

  • End with an echo of your introduction gives a sense of closure

Deliver Your Speech:  Grading Criteria

 Click here to see the rubric.  Students will need to print this rubric out and bring it to class on Wednesday, 2/18.  You should be able to print just the first page and get the entire rubric.  Please print it at home if you have internet access at home. 

Rubric is based on class input into what a good speaker should do when delivering this informative speech.  Emphasis is on delivery, not content.  Content is graded in the written mini-research paper which students turned in.

  
     

Created by L. Clark-Burnell, 2003.  Hits since 12/19/03:  Hit Counter