Starting Your Research Paper: Part One Rough Draft

I would like to take some time to discuss how to begin writing your research paper.  Because this is a longer piece of writing than you are used to, it might seem a bit daunting or intimidating at first. Please remember that it is merely your effort to educate your audience about a topic you now understand. As long as you have found some quality sources and learned some basic information about your topic, you will be more than capable of creating a clear, well-organized first draft.

Here are some suggestions for getting started and a brief description of the process you should go through to help articulate your ideas.

1. Make sure you have information to address all of the topics of discussion in part one.  Refer to the assignment sheet as you read and keep track of which information comes from which sources. As you progress, you may find that you need to do some additional research to "fill in the blanks" and make sure you are addressing all required topics.

2. Take notes / write down where you find specific examples, facts, case studies, expert opinions, etc. that address the different topics in part one. If your source is electronic (online) you will probably want to have a print version to read and mark. Don't try to just remember what your articles say -- a written record, note cards, post-its, etc. will help you recall the relevance/significance of different sources as you write.

3. How to begin? You may start your paper with a traditional introductory paragraph -- establish a hook, transition with the significance of this general discussion, provide a thesis, and then present an overview of the general structure of your paper.  for examples, if I were to write about human rights violations associated with drug trafficking, I might want to include the following in my intro paragraph:
--The hook could be a case study. I could take two or three sentences--or even a brief paragraph--to describe the concrete problems faced by an individual victim of this HR abuse
--My transition sentence would make a connection between this specific example and the broad pattern of HR problems to be discussed in the paper
--My thesis would clearly state why people need to know about the issue and why it is significant to contemporary lives; it might also call for action to end or mitigate the effects of the HR violation
--My overview would raise the three-part structure of the paper.

4. As you develop the body of part one, make sure you attend to the basic organization of the discussion.  Address all of the topics called for in the assignment. However, you do not need to keep the same order. In fact, in some cases you might be discussing more than one of the required topics at a time. As you develop your draft

King Lear Corrections

If you wish to improve your grade (and your writing!) on the King Lear analysis essay, do the following:

Read the comments I made to the intro paragraph and the first two body paragraphs of the essay. 

Select the body paragraph that needs the most help.

This next part should probably be done in a separate document 

Rewrite your intro and the selected body paragraph, keeping in mind the comments I made

As you rewrite, highlight the changes you made, and explain how these changes addressed the various comments I put on the intro and paragraph. You should make sure to address all of the problems that were marked. If you end up completely rephrasing a sentence or changing a passage, you still need to explain how this change fixed the problems I identified.

These corrections are due one week from today.  No additional work from this essay will be accepted after this final submission date.

Multiple Choice Test Corrections

If you have incorrect answers on the MC test, you may recover credit for each wrong item by submitting a correction.  

Each correction must clearly, accurately, and fully explain what the correct answer is and what specifically about the question, text, and response makes it the right answer. When I read the answer, I should be able to understand your meaning without referring to the text. 
Here's an example:

#4. The author uses the phrase :On the same ground" (lines 12-13) to set up a comparison between 
(B) conceptually powerful writers and exemplary educators

When we answer this question, we will want to find evidence from the text showing discussion or writers and educators addressed by the phrase on lines 12-13, and then explain how they are being compared.

The author begins by describing  "effective educators" (6) who "bring into activity the feelings and sympathies that must issue in noble action" (11-12), and then "On the same ground" describes "effective writers" (13-14) who "rouse in others the activities that must issue in discovery" (18-19). These descriptions compare the skill effective educators and writers have in fostering the mental conditions that result in discovery, rather than merely feeding information to the reader or student.

• All test corrections must be done in class or during PACK time.
• All work must be your own. Sharing responses or dividing responsibility for work defeats the purpose of the test corrections assignment. Assignments showing unauthorized collaboration will receive zero credit for the entire assignment.
• Completion of a response is not a guarantee of credit retrieval. Responses will be graded rigorously.

Writing Prompt: Resistance, Rebellion, and Violence in the Face of Oppression

First, let's take a moment to identify the actions Winston and Julia are willing to take in order to support their cause.
-Attacks on children
-Sabotage that might lead to hundreds of deaths
-Distribution of addictive drugs
-Suicide
-Change in identity

Then, take a moment to the actions of the government that they are trying to overthrow
-Bombing civilian populations
-Manipulating human emotions
-Turning children against their parents
-Constant surveillance
-Deprivation of beauty, joy, quality
-Basing the government on a platform of lies
-Murder, Torture

Question 1: Are Winston's and Julia's commitments justified in this context?

Question 2: Are these actions ever warranted in real life?

Please bring these paragraphs to class ready for discussion on Thursday, March 6th

1984 New Concepts Presentations

Tomorrow, your group will be making a brief presentation to the rest of the class regarding the conclusions you have reached about your "Orwellian" concept.

The purpose of the presentation is NOT to simply read the poster you have made; if people want detailed support in understanding the concept, they can read your work -- that's what it's for.

Instead, your goal is to communicate the significance of the concept to the themes of the novel and its importance to understanding the meaning of Orwell's work. The author created this brand new, fictional concept so that he could draw attention to something extremely important about how societies worked at the time -- and how they might work in the future.

As you present,

1. Begin by defining the term. (This is the part you can read out loud)

2. Next, each person needs to explain a way in which the concept supports our understanding of the novel or its themes. People can give examples and evidence of:
A.  how this concept gives insight into the way government exerts its power
B.  how this concept shows (or implies) the potential power of the individual
C.  how this gives insight into the internal struggles faced by people in authoritarian societies
D.  how this describes the external conflicts and limitations faced by people in authoritarian societies

EACH PERSON JUST PICKS ONE.

Here is an example of what might be presented:

DUCKSPEAK is, literally, speaking in a way reminiscent of the quacking of a duck. This is a metaphor for the incessant parroting of loyal party propaganda without conscious thought. 

A. At one point, Winston sees a man engaged in dusckspeak and realizes that the man is not a "real human being but some kind of dummy." Orwell is using this idea to show that authoritarian governments use communication not as a way of expressing ideas and encouraging thought, but as a way to demonstrate and demand obedience. They don't want you to think -- they want you to conform.

How will you be evaluated?

1. To what extent are you prepared to present your ideas to the class? are you clear, fluent, and organized?
2. To what extent to you demonstrate understanding of the use of the idea in the novel?
3. Do you provide a clear, accurate, individual insight into the novel's themes or conflicts?

Two Paragraph Journal Write for Part Two of 1984

In Part Two Chapter 1, Julia slips Winston a piece of paper...
On it was written, in a large unformed handwriting, "I Love You."
Given the totalitarian nature of Winston's society, there are significant implications for this seemingly minor event. Today, respond to this event in two paragraphs:
Option One:
Paragraph 1: How does this change the external conflicts faced by Winston? What are the implications for his safety, behavior, and focus of attention?
Paragraph 2: How does this change the internal conflicts faced by Winston?
Option Two:
Paragraph 1: How does this relationship strengthen Winston in his struggle against The Party? What additional resources / power does this personal connection give him?
Paragraph 2: How could this relationship hinder Winston's struggle against The Party?
FINALLY, Conclude your discussion with a sentence or two summarizing the change initiated by the passing of this note.

1984 New Concepts Group Work

Form a group of three.

With your group, complete the following:

1. Select a new concept to discuss

2. Identify three quotes from the novel that describe the use of the idea. Try to select passages that demontstrate the significance of the concept, not just a definition.