Nat Turner Confessions

Research Worksheet

Use research to support your close reading draft.

Part One:

1. How will you frame your close reading? In other words, what lens are you using for your research? (E.g. history, culture, literature, theory (such as gender, race, class)

2. More specifically, what will you examine through that lens? Literary genre- examples: sermon, captivity narrative, natural history/nature writing, etc.; literary devices- examples: imagery; tone; mood, etc.; history- examples: Massachusetts Bay Colonies, early-American exploration, slavery and literacy, etc.; theory- examples: the performance of 17th century femininity (theory may overlap with history)

3. What information do you hope to find?

4. List key words that may aid your search (6 minimum)

Part Two:

Find at least one good peer-reviewed, full text, secondary source.

1. List your scholarly secondary source below in MLA format. Refer to the Purdue Owl or library citation tool for help. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html

2. Select an important quote from the source and write it below, using MLA format. This quote should relate to your close reading. (You may choose more than one quote.)

3. Write a paraphrase of the same quote.

4. Compose a paragraph using your quote or paraphrase. This paragraph should connect the research to an aspect of your close reading. You may write it as a background paragraph or a body paragraph that also incorporates close reading.

**Be sure to explain how the quote relates to your close reading. How does it support your idea(s)?