Monday, April 7, 2008

The Outline

The Outline for your research paper is due Tuesday, April 8th.

Here are some resources for you if you have questions:
Organizing the Research Paper: The Outline
Adjusting the direction and mapping it out

• The outline combines the "bones" of your thesis or question with the "flesh" from your research and insights to construct a unified essay body.

• An outline is the organizational plan for your paper. You know your starting point: your introduction and thesis/research question. You know your destination: some sort of summative and thoughtful conclusion. But how are you going to get from one to the other? What's your vehicle? See, an outline doesn't just help you articulate what you plan to say, but also how you're going to move from supporting paragraph to supporting paragraph, how you're going to get where you want to go.

• The beginning is the introduction containing your thesis statement; the end is the conclusion; and the middle or body of the essay contains the argument, supported by evidence or example and designed to prove your thesis.

• The research paper should progress towards the conclusion. At this stage, all you are preparing is the outline, which will take you from one end of the essay to the other, like a road map. It should be constructed to keep you from losing your sense of direction as you research and write the paper. A good outline will ensure that everything you write in the research paper supports your thesis, preventing you from wandering off into the tempting byways of irrelevance.

• Construct your outline by listing all the important points you want to cover in your essay. You should provide one main point for each paragraph. Start with the introduction, under which you will write out your thesis statement and work through logically, point by point, until you reach the conclusion. Categorize your points according to their importance, keeping in mind the method of organization you intend to use.

• Group related ideas together under general headings and arrange them so they follow a logical progression of thought. Some essays read as if each point had been written on an index card, then the pile thrown down a flight of stairs to determine the order. Make clear why one point follows another: each point in your outline should connect with the next; each main category should be linked to your thesis; and each sub-category should be linked to the main category. Focus your outline by discarding anything not useful or pertinent to your thesis.

• One of the most helpful things about a full outline is that it will quickly make clear to you where the gaps lie. If you don't yet have enough support in one area, you will know that you have more reading or thinking to do. Remember that sometimes your reading will unearth new facts or idea--and you will modify your essay to reflect them.

The importance of outlines:
• If you can't articulate your paper even in point form, you won't be able to do it effectively in prose and it will take you much longer to write an inferior draft

• If you do find structural problems or gaps as you outline, it's easier to fix them now than to try and totally revamp a 3rd draft. Face it, it's always easier (translation: less intellectually painful) to scrap a note than a paragraph or whole essay

• Any teacher will tell you that you will lose more points for lack of substance than for lack of writing style; outlines are all about the crux and direction of substance

• Should things click into place, an outline gives you confidence. It helps you to realize that, yes, you really do know what you're talking about!

• Stream-of-consciousness writing can be published and fascinating as creative writing, but not as a research paper.

• Outlines make drafting less stressful not only by describing the relationship of your ideas to each other and to the thesis or question, but because you now have small manageable chunks to tackle.

How to write your outline
• Carefully read the notes you took from the last step. Try to find classifications for your findings that relate to your thesis or research question. Look for common trends. They're going to be separated from each other but gather them together. It doesn't really matter how you classify. For a 5,000 word paper, you may find two huge headings. Great, now see what could fall under each. And don't forget to look back at the original assignment for clues about sub-groups your professor might be looking for.

• You can classify using a variety of techniques. If you like putting notes on index cards, then paper-clip ones that go together and shuffle them around to achieve the best order of ideas. You can also do this on paper: use different-coloured symbols or highlighters or cut your sheets into strips (if you wrote on only one side of the page). On the computer, use some of the techniques suggested by our OWL handout on Writing With Computers.

• With several piles of related concepts before you, think of other ways of grouping that might make equal sense.

• Once you're happy with what you've got, you may find that some sections are strong and fleshed-out whereas others are weaker. Do some more research where needed or see if two "weak" sections just couldn't fit under one stronger heading. Perhaps as hard as you try, your points fit together but not with the overarching argument you're making. In that case, don't be afraid to re-evaluate your thesis; it may just need a qualification. Your evidence may be great but if it supports a different thesis, your readers won't see how great it is because they'll be expecting something else.

Summary:
An outline is:
* A logical, general description
* A schematic summary
* An organizational pattern
* A visual and conceptual design of your writing

An outline reflects logical thinking and clear classification.
Purpose
• Aids in the process of writing
• Helps you organize your ideas
• Presents your material in a logical form
• Shows the relationships among ideas in your writing
• Constructs an ordered overview of your writing
• Defines boundaries and groups

Process
Before you begin:
• Determine the purpose of your paper.
• Determine the audience you are writing for.
• Develop the thesis of your paper.

Then:
• Brainstorm: List all the ideas that you want to include in your paper.
• Organize: Group related ideas together.
• Order: Arrange material in subsections from general to specific or from abstract to concrete.
• Label: Create main and sub headings.

Theory
An outline has a balanced structure based on the following principles:
• Parallelism
• Coordination
• Subordination
• Division

Parallelism
Whenever possible, in writing an outline, coordinate heads should be expressed in parallel form. That is, nouns should be made parallel with nouns, verb forms with verb forms, adjectives with adjectives, and so on (Example: Nouns: computers, programs, users; Verbs: to compute, to program, to use; Adjectives: home computers, new programs, experienced users). Although parallel structure is desired, logical and clear writing should not be sacrificed simply to maintain parallelism. (For example, there are times when nouns and gerunds at the same level of an outline are acceptable.) Reasonableness and flexibility of form is preferred to rigidity.

Coordination
In outlining, those items which are of equal significance have comparable numeral or letter designations: an A is equal to a B, a 1 to a 2, an a to a b, etc. Coordinates should be seen as having the same value. Coordination is a principle that enables a writer to maintain a coherent and consistent document.

Correct coordination
A. Word processing programs
B. Database programs
C. Spreadsheet programs

Faulty coordination
A. Word processing programs
B. Microsoft Word
C. Page Maker

Explanation: Word is a type of word processing program and should be treated as a subdivision. Page Maker is a type of desktop publishing program. One way to correct coordination would be:

A. Types of programs
1. Word processing
2. Desktop publishing
B. Evaluation of programs
1. Word processing

a. Word

b. Word Perfect

2. Desktop Publishing

a. Page Maker

b. Quark Express

Subordination
In order to indicate levels of significance, an outline uses major and minor headings. Thus in ordering ideas, you should organize it from general to specific or from abstract to concrete- the more general or abstract the term, the higher the level or rank in the outline. This principle allows your material to be ordered in terms of logic and requires a clear articulation of the relationship between component parts used in the outline. Subdivisions of each higher division should always have the same relationship to the whole.

Correct subordination
A. Word processing programs
1. Microsoft Word
2. Word Perfect
B. Desktop publishing programs
1. PageMaker
2. Quark Express

Faulty subordination
A. Word processing programs
1. Word
2. Useful
3. Obsolete

Explanation: There is an A without a B. Also 1, 2, and 3 are not equal; Word is a type of word processing program, and useful and obsolete are qualities. One way to correct this faulty subordination is:

A. Word
1. Positive features
2. Negative features
B. Word Perfect
1. Positive features
2. Negative features

Division
To divide you always need at least two parts; therefore, there can never be an A without a B, a 1 without a 2, an a without a b, etc. Usually there is more than one way to divide parts; however, when dividing use only one basis of division at each rank, and make the basis of division as sharp as possible.

Correct division
A. Personal computers: hardware
1. Types
2. Cost
3. Maintenance
B. Personal computers: software


Faulty division
A. Computers
1. Mainframe
2. Micro
a. Floppy disk
b. Hard disk
B. Computer uses
1. Institutional
2. Personal

Form
• The most important rule for outlining form is to be consistent!
• An outline can use topic or sentence structure.
• A topic outline uses words or phrases for all entries and uses no punctuation after entries.
• Advantages: presents a brief overview of work and is generally easier and faster to write than a sentence outline.
• A sentence outline uses complete sentences for all entries and uses correct punctuation.
• Advantages: presents a more detailed overview of work including possible topic sentences and is easier and faster for writing the final paper.

Source:
“Research Papers: Outline.” The Owl at Purdue. 2004. Internet Public Library. 11 February 2005.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Wednesday, March 19

Today, we read Death of a Salesman in class.

Hour One read through page 37 and the first two paragraphs on page 38.
Hour Three read through page 40 and then through the first paragraph on page 41.
Hour Five read through page 40.

Homework: continue working on your research paper note cards!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Death of a Salesman Setting Assignment

Re-read the setting description from the first two pages of the play. Draw a picture of the important setting details. Think about if you were creating the setting for this play, how would you design it? Include all the important images that the audience would need.

Death of a Salesman Challenge Projects

Choose one of the following Challenge projects to complete. Make sure to research the topic that you choose and cite those sources correctly.
The proposal is due ______________________________ .
The Challenge Project is due ________________________.

1. Interview a traveling salesman. Ask him/her about the pressures and the conditions of the job, etc. Does the job have an impact on their personal lives? How? Present a report of the interview and a personal reflection of the project.
2. Write a paper about what is interesting about Miller’s handling of time and memory in the play. Discuss how this adds to your understanding of the characters.
3. You are Willy. Write 4 one-page diary entries about your life based on the events given in the play.
4. Write the next chapter to the play. What happens to the Lomans? What becomes of each character?
5. Write a commentary on the Requiem showing what it adds to the play.
6. Write an essay about the following idea: “Biff’s rejection of Willy’s ideas is the climax of his self-discovery.”
7. Watch and write a film review of the film version of Death of a Salesman directed by Wolker Schlondorff in 1985. How does the director make certain decisions with the play that may differ from your own when reading the play?
8. Write an essay about any character/relationship in the play, which you find particularly interesting.
9. Discuss what is the function of sound and music in the play. What music would you include if you were responsible for the sound and music for the play?
10. Discuss the importance of the flashback scenes in the play. Rewrite or add a flashback scene.
11. “Willy’s death shows that the American dream is a phony dream.” Discuss this idea and find other examples of the American dream. Create a project that exhibits the American dreams both failed and those achieved.
12. Research Arthur Miller’s life and write an essay reflecting your research.
13. Read another play by Arthur Miller. Compare/contrast that play and the themes used to Death of a Salesman.
14. Find literary criticism on Death of a Salesman. How was Death of a Salesman received by audiences?
15. Design a 3-D stage set on a small scale. Include the characters in costume for this play using textual evidence. Provide a rationale for the choices you make.
16. Write 4 one-page entries into Linda’s journal. React to what has been happening with your life, your husband, your sons, your finances, etc. Reflect how she is able to escape the tyranny of dreams.
17. Write a scene, complete with stage directions, examining an exchange between Charley and Bernard regarding Willy’s behavior. (To be set into the play after the exchange between Willy and Charley in the office Act II).
18. Write a two to three page paper on how Willy’s life would have been different had he gone with Ben to Alaska.
19. Create a video collage of the American Dream and how it has changed over the years. Use parts of old TV shows, commercials, old photos, interviews, etc.
20. Willy has died. Write a 2-page monologue in which either Happy or Biff is describing what his father was like to one of their children who never met their grandfather.
21. Your own great idea!

"Death of a Salesman" Journal Assignment

Choose ONE of the following characters: Willy, Linda, Biff, or Happy. For each reading assignment, answer the following questions for the ONE character you choose to write about for the play. Use textual evidence to support your claims.

1. Motivation: what does this character want? What is this character trying to get, do, or be?
2. What does this character say, do, or think that shows the character's motivation?
3. How successful is this character in getting what s/he wants?
4. Who or what helps your character get what s/he wants? Explain how that character helps your character.
5. Who or what is holding your character back? Who or what tries to stop your character from getting what s/he wants? Who stops them from succeeding?

The Research Paper Assignment!

Research Paper
Spring 2008


The assignment
The theme for the second semester is the INDIVIDUAL IN SOCIETY. For your research paper, you will investigate and then write about a situation in which an individual or group of individuals within society faces the challenge of fitting into, being accepted by, society as a whole OR is in protest against the whole society.

Sample topics:
• A group of immigrants moving into a neighborhood which had not been integrated before their arrival.
• Senior citizens, once retired, looking for acceptance in a society in which others feel they are irrelevant in the public arena
• Women in the military
• Women or people of color in top executive positions in the business world
• A person who has contributed outstanding service in a particular career or mission: e.g. Cesar Chaves in migrant workers’ rights; Albert Einstein in scientific research; Vincent Van Gogh in painting
• A major U.S. or world writer—what have her/his books contributed in literature in content and style?

Note: These are just examples that can be used. This is not an exhaustive list by any means. Please research something that you find interesting and will be able to sustain your interest for the period of time that this project will cover.


Requirements:
Length 4-6 pages
Typing Papers need to be typed. Make sure you have enough black ink. Use only one side of the paper. You should always make a copy of the paper for yourself.
Format Use 81/2 x 11-inch paper. Except for page numbers in the upper right hand corner of your paper, leave one-inch margins at the top and bottom and both sides of the text. Indent the first word of a paragraph five spaces from the left margin. The entire paper should be typed in 12-point font in either Times or Times New Roman.
Spacing The entire paper, including the heading, needs to be double-spaced. Additionally, there should be two spaces between end punctuation and the next sentence.
MLA Format All papers need to have use an MLA heading. Beginning one inch from the top of the page and flush with the left margin, type your name, the instructor's name, the course name, and the date. Double space and center the title. Do not underline the title or put it in quotation marks or type it in all capital letters.
Textual evidence/ sources Proper citations for every source need to be included whether it is direct quotations being used or paraphrased information. Paper must include citations from at least FIVE sources from books, periodicals, Encyclopedias/internet/software, media (TV, radio), or interviews. You CANNOT use more than 2 Internet sources.
Page Numbers Number all pages consecutively throughout the paper in the upper right-hand corner one half inch from the top. Do not add a period, hyphen, or any other mark or symbol to the number.
Works Cited Page Include a works cited with your paper. Please see separate handout for more information.




9 Quest
Ms. Peifer
2008

Research Paper Schedule

• Have notecards (at least 150) __________/10 points
Due: No later than Monday, March 10

• Chosen topic __________/10 points
Due: No later than Monday, March 10

• Bibliography source cards __________/25 points
Due: Monday, March 17

• Thesis statement __________/10 points
Due: Monday, March 24

• Notecards (at least 100) __________/50 points
Due: Friday, March 28

SPRING BREAK—WORK ON YOUR PAPERS! READ!

• Outline __________/25 points
Due: Tuesday, April 8

• Rough Draft __________/100 points
Due: Friday, April 11

• Peer Editing __________/40 points
(Peer edited two papers and had two people peer edit your paper)
Due: Friday, April 11

• Final Draft ¬¬¬ __________/150 points
Due: Wednesday, April 16


Total points: 420 points

Friday, January 25, 2008

Questions while I am gone...

If you have questions while I am gone, you can post a question under the comments section here or you can email me: lindsay.peifer@spps.org