​Take a look at what is expected from you by the end of the unit - here is your formal research assignment with rubric.

March 11B or 12A: Research topic

March 18: Annotated bibliography

March 19B or 20A: Outline

March 24: Rough draft

April 1: Second draft

April 5: Final draft

• Writing a Position Paper from Writers INC

• Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Persuasion/Advertising/Writing

• Developing a Central Claim (thesis) from Duke University

• RAVEN Presentation

• EBSCO Search

• Making a Quote Sandwich

• Counter-arguments, Concessions, and Refutations presentation

​Look at the vocab terms posted on the wall.  Using your colored markers, initial the terms you feel you know/understand in green.  Use your other color to initial terms that you don't know/understand.

Anita Sarkeesian, the founder of Feminist Frequency, which analyzes images of women in popular culture, explores the damsel in distress trope (literary device) used in video games. Watch the Edpuzzle video here - it's also posted on GC. (This is the first video in the series; find links to the other two videos at the bottom of this page.)

After thinking about your own interests and reviewing the "Food for Thought" stations, use the graphic organizers provided in class to help you narrow down your ideas and develop a topic.

Watch the Edpuzzle video on credible websites.

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Take a look at the article "The Media."  Based on the information in the video, why is or isn't this a good source to use? Explain.

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How to evaluate sources - review this Prezi on RAVENing sources.

​Find a news article (no blogs) that relates to exploring your research topic. Print it out as a hard copy - don't forget to include the link to the article.

​Now that you have a "working" research question, it's time to start gathering more resources to help you answer that question.  You will keep track of relevant sources by using an annotated bibliography.  To make sure we are all on the same page, check out this Edpuzzle video "What's an annotated bibliography?"

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Get your annotated bibliography assignment details here.

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NOTE: You are using your topic to guide your research; however, if you find that you need to revise or modify your topic along the way, it's okay! :)

So you've developed a research topic, and then dug into some research.  Now it's time to take a step back and reflect on your findings.  Ask yourself, "What is the research telling me?"  The answer(s) to that question will help you develop a thesis.  So let's get started - read this handout from Duke University's Thompson Writing Program to review what a thesis statement is and how to develop an effective one.

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Remember, a thesis needs to be:

• Debatable

• Specific

• Reasonable

• Meaningful

• Interpretive

​Use this outline template to help build your position paper.

​Let's take a look at the basic structure of an essay using this activity.  Although the example is a different type of essay, it still is worth looking at to explore the basic structure of an essay.

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Then, read through some of sample position papers. Explicitly explain how each body paragraph relates back to the thesis.

It's time to review some rules for in-text citations. Learn how to make a quote sandwich here. Review the presentation and complete the activity on slide #4. 

As you continue to work with in-text citations, be sure you consult the additional resources on the last slide of the above presentation (also available in the writer's toolbox).

​You are going to be doing some peer review and editing; however, BEFORE you take a look at someone else's work, you need to take a critical look at your own. START BY RUNNING YOUR RD THROUGH GRAMMARLY.COM! DON'T FORGET, YOU NEED TO BE SMARTER THAN THE TECHNOLOGY!

Then, use this review document to do a self-evaluation of your RD. Make changes as necessary to upgrade your RD to version 2.0.

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Afterwards, you will be paired with a peer to evaluate each other's RD v2.0. Peer reviews will be done via hard copies.

​It's time to beef up your argument (and your ethos) by making sure you have a beautifully-constructed counter-argument. Let's find out how with this presentation on counter-arguments, concessions, and refutations.

​You are now in second draft status.  Following the same procedure from activity 11, complete a self-evaluation using this review document. Make all comments and responses via hard copies. As you complete your self-evaluation, pick an area of the rubric or requirements that you would like to go over for our personal conference.

Afterwards, partner up with a classmate to evaluate each other's second draft. Peer reviews must be done via hard copies, too.

​Make sure you have a strong line of reasoning. Work on this in your group by completing the task "Proofing Your Peers' Logic."