Our goal is to write a research paper on a destination.
a) Pre-Write Class
Task 1 - Choosing a Topic:
When you choose a destination, be careful about not being too focused or too general.
Writing about Paris might be hard because there is SO much you can say, but writing about the Arc de Triomphe might also be difficult because you might not find enough information.
Instead, try writing about the Champs Elysees (a famous street in Paris on which we can find the Arc de Triomphe).
Task 2 - Collecting Information:
Next we have to start doing research, which basically means you have to go to many different sources to find out as much as you can about this travel destination.
What QUESTIONS should we be asking to help us search?
Finding a good source, one that provides interesting and correct facts about names, places, dates and people can be hard. Click on the WHAT ARE GOOD SOURCES? link to get more information on what we talked about in class.
a) Pre-Write Class
Task 1 - Choosing a Topic:
When you choose a destination, be careful about not being too focused or too general.
Writing about Paris might be hard because there is SO much you can say, but writing about the Arc de Triomphe might also be difficult because you might not find enough information.
Instead, try writing about the Champs Elysees (a famous street in Paris on which we can find the Arc de Triomphe).
Task 2 - Collecting Information:
Next we have to start doing research, which basically means you have to go to many different sources to find out as much as you can about this travel destination.
What QUESTIONS should we be asking to help us search?
- Why is this an interesting destination? What interesting facts can I share with my reader in my opening paragraph so that he or she might want to read on?
- Why is this an important place?
- What is the history of this place?
- What is this place like today?
- What is the future of this place? What is going to happen to it?
- What sources am I using? Can I trust them? Am I writing them down?
- Did I save my work in my Dropbox/Research/Pre-Write folder?
Finding a good source, one that provides interesting and correct facts about names, places, dates and people can be hard. Click on the WHAT ARE GOOD SOURCES? link to get more information on what we talked about in class.
b) Drafting Class
Task 1 - Adding Details & Elaboration:
In your pre-write class we created a rough framework for our essay. Now we have to add more information to it.
Task 2 - Citing Sources Correctly:
We have to cite (list) our sources
Remember:
It is important that you provide enough information (elaborate) and cite your sources correctly.
Task 1 - Adding Details & Elaboration:
In your pre-write class we created a rough framework for our essay. Now we have to add more information to it.
- Why is this an interesting destination? What interesting facts can I share with my reader in my opening paragraph so that he or she might want to read on?
Maybe you can add an interesting fact, a quotation or ask the reader a question. - Why is this an important place?
Has this placed played an important role in the lives of people? Has something important happened here?
NOTE: Do not confuse this with history...while it might have happened a long time ago the effect or influence it had is more on people than time. - What is the history of this place?
Now is the time to write one (or three) paragraphs about the historical facts/ timeline. Take your reader until almost the present. - What is this place like today?
What is the present? What ...does it look like, is it used for, how do people feel about it, is it remembered or forgotten, etc. - What is the future of this place? What is going to happen to it?
We know it is important (otherwise why would you write about it?) but will it stay this way? What will happen to it in the future? - What sources am I using? Can I trust them? Am I writing them down?
Task 2 - Citing Sources Correctly:
We have to cite (list) our sources
- at the bottom of the paper and
- in the text.
Remember:
It is important that you provide enough information (elaborate) and cite your sources correctly.
c) Revising Class
Go through the TASKS (jobs) 1 by 1 and make the changes in the draft you have in your Dropbox folder.
Task 1 - Checking for Organization
Do you have all the components of the suggested framework? (6 paragraphs?)
Do not confuse this with the history of the destination. Let's use the Las Vegas Strip as an example.
Las Vegas has an interesting history with lots of Mafia connections and famous stars performing there, but it is
important NOW because it
a) is an important tourist destination,
b) makes a lot of tax money and
c) one of the few places where gambling is legal in the US.
3. Do you have a minimum of 2 paragraphs for HISTORY?
4. Do you describe what it is like now? (Contrast to how it was before and will be in the future?)
5. What will happen to it in the future?
* Did you do in-text citations from at least 3 good different sources for each paragraph?
Did you write at least 10 lines for each paragraph?
Task 2 - Checking for Elaboration
Elaboration is when we add MORE information to the basic details. We can do this by simply using adjectives and adverbs, but also by adding more sentences where we describe details about each part/ sub-category.
How can we do this?
Task 3 - Using Images
Did you find 5 images you want to use?
(Copy and paste both the IMAGE and the LINK into the bottom of the word document so we can use and cite them in the website later)
Task 4 - Citing ALL Sources Correctly
HOMEWORK: Finish the changes for your peer edit next class.
Go through the TASKS (jobs) 1 by 1 and make the changes in the draft you have in your Dropbox folder.
Task 1 - Checking for Organization
Do you have all the components of the suggested framework? (6 paragraphs?)
- Is your opening paragraph a clear introduction to the topic in which you convince your reader that this is an interesting topic he/she would want to read more about?
- Did you hook your reader?
- Did you include an interesting fact or 2?
- Did you do in-text citations from at least 3 good different sources for each paragraph?
- Did you at least write 10 lines? (Production: Students who are comfortable with a language can write MORE.)
Do not confuse this with the history of the destination. Let's use the Las Vegas Strip as an example.
Las Vegas has an interesting history with lots of Mafia connections and famous stars performing there, but it is
important NOW because it
a) is an important tourist destination,
b) makes a lot of tax money and
c) one of the few places where gambling is legal in the US.
3. Do you have a minimum of 2 paragraphs for HISTORY?
4. Do you describe what it is like now? (Contrast to how it was before and will be in the future?)
5. What will happen to it in the future?
* Did you do in-text citations from at least 3 good different sources for each paragraph?
Did you write at least 10 lines for each paragraph?
Task 2 - Checking for Elaboration
Elaboration is when we add MORE information to the basic details. We can do this by simply using adjectives and adverbs, but also by adding more sentences where we describe details about each part/ sub-category.
How can we do this?
- Make sure you have all the basic parts of the framework.
- Take each part and divide it up into sub-categories.
e.g. Las Vegas Strip: Why is it important?
- Tourism: How many people visit every year? What do they come to see? Where do they come from?
- Economy: How much money does it add to the states economy? What is the yearly income?
How much does the state get? How much do visitors spend?
- Legal Gambling: Why is it legal here? What problems does it cause? How are they handled?
Task 3 - Using Images
Did you find 5 images you want to use?
(Copy and paste both the IMAGE and the LINK into the bottom of the word document so we can use and cite them in the website later)
Task 4 - Citing ALL Sources Correctly
- Keep track of all the sources you use.
- Use the 3 in-text (short) citations in the paragraphs.
- You should have a minimum of 5 sources for the whole paper (more is better).
- Use the LINK to create the correct citations.
HOMEWORK: Finish the changes for your peer edit next class.
d) Peer Edit Class
For this one we will skip the Peer Edit and do an initial teacher edit.
For this one we will skip the Peer Edit and do an initial teacher edit.
e) Publishing Class
The final step in our process is to make sure that our site is fully edited and published. To do this we have to check for the following steps.
Task 1: Editing
1) Do you have at least 6 paragraphs, each with NO LESS than 10 lines.
2) Do you have 3 in-text citations ("In-Text") for each of these 6 paragraphs (Remember...you can have MORE!)
3) Do you have your 5 pictures?
4) Do you have the 5 full citations at the bottom?
Task 2: Publishing
Go to http://education.weebly.com/weebly/main.php and use the login on the whiteboard.
The final step in our process is to make sure that our site is fully edited and published. To do this we have to check for the following steps.
Task 1: Editing
1) Do you have at least 6 paragraphs, each with NO LESS than 10 lines.
2) Do you have 3 in-text citations ("In-Text") for each of these 6 paragraphs (Remember...you can have MORE!)
3) Do you have your 5 pictures?
4) Do you have the 5 full citations at the bottom?
Task 2: Publishing
Go to http://education.weebly.com/weebly/main.php and use the login on the whiteboard.