education

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Replace This Title: Ensure It Aligns with Your Thesis Statement and That You Capitalize It Correctly

Insert Your Name Here

School of Education, Liberty University

EDUC 350: Behavior and Individual Differences

Course Instructor’s Name

Month Date, Year

Insert the Same Title Here as on Your Title Page

Begin your introduction here. The purpose of the introductory paragraph is to introduce your thesis statement in a compelling way and to draw the audience into your topic. Typically, the thesis statement is the last sentence of this one-paragraph introduction and serves as a transition into the rest of the paper. The thesis statement is the main argument of the paper—the main claim you are making. Every sentence prior to the thesis statement should serve to introduce it in a simple, clear way without detracting from the main idea. Keep it simple; too many facts detract from the main point of the thesis statement.

Background and Significance

See assignment directions regarding what to enter here. This is not an annotated bibliography. Instead, it is a convincing presentation of the problem or issue at stake. Move your audience’s mind with facts and heart with emotions. Cite your sources. If you mention an author’s name in the body of the paragraph, which is not required, insert the publication year after the first time you mention the author’s name in your paragraph. If you do not incorporate an author’s name into your paragraph, include it parenthetically prior to the publication year, as in this example: (Garcia, 20##).

Direct quotes should be rare and are not required. Generally, they should make up 10% or less of any manuscript. Citations are not just for direct quotes but are also for ideas—to indicate to the reader where you found the idea. Here is one way to cite a direct quote: Gutek (20##) was correct in his observation that “Freire was a doer as well as a thinker” (p. 463). Note that there is no period before the citation; it appears after it. Here is a second way to cite a direct quote: As at least one historian has noted, “Freire’s liberation pedagogy heavily influenced critical theory” (Gutek, 20##, p. 463). Page or paragraph numbers are required for all citations of direct quotes.

Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence. All topic sentences should support the thesis statement of the paper. Paragraphs serve to support the topic sentence of the paragraph. Ensure there is a logical progression in your writing and that you use appropriate transitions from one idea to the next.

There should be no extra lines or spaces throughout the body of the manuscript. Sometimes Microsoft Word automatically inserts lines after headings, paragraphs, or sections. If you do not know how to remove these, simply do an internet search of your question: “How do I remove extra lines in Microsoft Word?”

Practical Application for Differentiation

See assignment directions regarding what to enter in this section. Notice that the headings are all Level 1 headings and are all centered and bolded per APA format. In such a short paper, you should not need Level 2 headings.

Structure this section with a number of clear action points that you will expound upon so that the audience is clear on the reason for the action point and how to carry it out. Strengthen the rationale for your points with citations of supporting research and biblical principles.

Here is one way to cite the Bible: John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world” ( New International Version, 1978/2011). Here is another way: The pastor opened the Bible and read, “For God so loved the world” ( New International Version, 1978/2011, John 3:16). The translation is required only for the first direct quote of Scripture in the manuscript. However, if the subsequent Scripture quotes are from a different translation, the translation must be included every time it switches in the manuscript.

Conclusion

A good conclusion does not simply restate the thesis statement from the introductory paragraph, but it most definitely reiterates it by reminding the reader that the points that have already been made sufficiently support what was hinted at in the title and also introduced in the first paragraph. New support for the thesis should not be introduced in the conclusion. However, you may draw conclusions and discuss implications for the future. For this type of paper, a motivational call to action is appropriate.

References

Notice how the examples below have a hanging indent. Everything in APA must be double-spaced, including the abstract, lengthy quotations, and the references list. Nothing is single-spaced. Delete this statement and also the examples below.

Authorlastname, A. B. (2021). Book title in italics with only the first word and proper nouns, like Christian, capitalized: If there is a subtitle, the first word is capitalized. Publisher.

Authorlastname, A. B. (2020). Article title in regular font with only the first word and proper nouns and adjectives, like European, capitalized: Subtitles may or may not be used. Journal Titles and Volume Numbers Are Italicized, 15(2), 41-50. https://doi.org/###