english easy course

Assignment 11: Submitting First Draft of Research Essay Purpose

1. To delve deeper into a topic that you encountered from the research project. 2. Practice citation mechanics. 3. Practice revising for PRE so final drafts contain efficient as well as correct sentences. 4. Experience weaving together several sources for a research report, using citation mechanics.

Objectives

1. Submit a first draft of the research essay between 500 and 600 words whose sources come from the annotated bibliography. 2. Demonstrate correct use of citation mechanics and efficient writing. 3. Demonstrate use of two to three sources in a single research paper with proper bibliographies.

Reading Assignments

• Chapter 8: p. 199 – 200. NOTE – Ignore the reference to “three” research papers, each paper dealing with one book. YOUR assignment will be slightly different: you will write only one research paper that will use 2 to 3 books.

• Student example: p. 204 - 5 (study for citation mechanics) • Chapter 10: p. 221 – 7 • Chapter 9: 205 - 7

COMMENTS Now that you’ve read widely by skimming many books, now choose a research topic that deals with some aspect of the formation of a text or a person. Or you can choose a topic from the list I have provided in Assignments 9 and 10.

BE CAREFUL: you must write about the history of the formation of a text or a person. So, for example, if you write about the Gospel of Mark, you would only be describing what scholars are saying about the formation of the text, about who likely wrote it, who likely was also engaged in revising or editing it, when this activity occurred, etc. Or, if you are writing about a Western personality, you would describe how he or she was “formed,” or what they were like. You do NOT explain their theories. You would explain the things they did that led them to formulate their theories.

1. Please study the student example in the textbook and also the traits of these essays on p. 204 - 6.

2. Be sure that each body paragraph is fully developed. Click on the “Example of an Underdeveloped Paragraph” link in the Assignment 11 folder to review comments on why it is undernourished.

3. Please read the “Checklist for Research Report” document using the link in the Assignment 11 folder to review a list of traits that we should see in each essay.

4. READ THIS CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR FIRST DRAFT AND BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR FIRST DRAFT.

• JUST AS A REMINDER: the textbook refers to “three” research papers, and

each papers deals with ONE book. YOUR assignment will be slightly different: you will write only ONE research papers and you will use 2 to 3 books.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

1. First draft of first research paper 2. Comments about the strengths and weaknesses of this draft with regards to

TWO areas: a. Do you think you did citation mechanics correctly and bibliography

correctly – what questions do you still have about it. b. Your assessment of the content of the essay, paragraph organization

and sequence of ideas. c. Worth 10 points

GRADING: Pass/fail Assessment of draft: 10 points NOTE: while you wait for my comments, read Assignment 12 and complete the activities described there.