10 th Grade I-Search Research Project

1. 10th Grade I-Search Research Project Your next BIG writing Assignment!

2. THE I-SEARCH PAPER • Description: The I-Search paper is designed to teach the writer and the reader something valuable about a chosen topic and about the nature of searching and discovery. • As opposed to the standard research paper where the writer usually assumes a detached and objective stance, the I-Search paper allows you to take an active role in your search, to experience some of the hunt for facts and truths first-hand, and to provide a step-by-step record of the discovery process.

3. THE I-SEARCH PAPER • Topic: The cardinal rule in the I-Search paper is to choose a topic that genuinely interests you and that you need to know more about. • You may want to research teenage alcoholism, a second career in interior design, the effects of divorce on the American family, etc. • The important point is that you choose the topic you will investigate, rather than having the instructor select a topic or even provide a number of options.

4. What You Must Submit on 11/23/09! • Final Draft with Works Cited attached (I will show you an appropriate copy) • Final Draft of Outline • 10 Questions from Say What Chart… • IF YOU WANT ME TO READ A ROUGH DRAFT, YOU MUST STAY AFTER SCHOOL (SOME DAY BEFORE 11/19/09) IN ORDER FOR ME TO READ OVER THIS!

5. What You Must Submit on 11/23/09! • DO NOT GIVE ME ANY EXCUSES AS TO WHY YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR PAPER ON THIS DAY. • IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR PAPER, THEN YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR PAPER & YOU LOSE POINTS! • IF YOU TURN THIS PROJECT IN ON TUESDAY, 11/24/09, THEN I WILL TAKE OF ONE LETTER GRADE. So, the highest grade you will receive is a B • IF YOU CHOOSE TO TURN IN THIS PROJECT ON MONDAY, 11/30/09, THEN THE HIGHEST GRADE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE IS A 60=D. • I WILL NOT TAKE SUBMISSION BY EMAIL!

6. Finding a Topic Here are some questions that may help you in choosing a topic: • Is there something that you would like to do in your free time (i.e. sailboat racing, gourmet cooking, playing racquetball, some unusual hobby) that you want to know more about? • Are you saving up to buy anything (camera, home computer, bicycle, motorcycle, car) that you need to know more about? • Are you beginning to think about what you want to do when you graduate (go to college, get a particular kind of job, travel) and need more information to make a decision? • Do you think you might like to move to another city or country some day? If so, how much do you know about wherever that is?

7. Finding a Topic • Do you have any concerns about health (i.e. pros and cons of certain diets and/or exercises, dangers from smoking, drinking, and/or drugs, the individual risk when a disease runs in the family) that you would like to explore? • What do you fear the most? Would you like to know why you fear it? • The most important thing to remember is to allow a topic to choose you, something you want to know or possess, intensely. Maybe it's a CD player, one that's right for your needs and budget. Maybe it's something else. Maybe it's a place in the U.S. or a foreign country where you would like to work or visit this summer. These are only suggestions, to give you the idea that, for a change, you are being asked to investigate something you are interested in, rather than something the teacher feels would be good for you to pursue.

8. THE I-SEARCH PAPER • Format: The I-Search paper should be written in three sections: • 1. What I Know: Assume or Imagine: this part is written before you start your research, going from what you know (and don't know) about your topic right now. Don't be afraid of being "wrong"-- that will make your discoveries more interesting.

9. Searching 6. Talk to several experts. What if what they say differs from what you have read? What if your experts disagree? • Decide if your expert is a reputable one. 7. Use both first-hand sources (people who talk to you who are doing what you want to do, or your own observations) and second-hand sources (people whose knowledge and observations you have to use because they've been there and you haven't). • Remember that an expert is someone who knows a lot about something. He/she need not hold an official position or be a certain age; your neighbor may be the best authority on skiing in your area. 8. Remember to use parenthetical citations whenever you use words or ideas from your sources. See the model paper for examples.

10. I-Search Paper Format Guide • Text: Double Space, 12 point, Times Roman, 1" Margins All Around • Running Head: Name of Teacher • Name • Class • Date • Title (Topic)—This must be centered

11. Phase 1-A • Why I Chose My Topic (2-3 paragraphs) • Here is where you write two or three paragraphs identifying your topic of interest, tell what you want to learn, and why you chose this topic. • This is due on Friday, October 30th.

12. Phase 1-B • Brainstorm: Complete your KWL Chart to draw upon prior knowledge. The KWL Chart will be collected but should not be included in the completed I-Search paper. • K = What I already KNOW about the topic • W = What I WANT to know (3-4 questions) • L = What I want to LEARN about the topic.

13. THE I-SEARCH PAPER • 2. The Search: in this section you will talk about what you did to learn more about your topic. • You will need to do at least two of the following research activities, and “a” and “d” are especially encouraged. In fact, if you do not interview someone, you will need to establish why that is impossible. • You must also use at least three other sources. Be resourceful! Each time you use information from a source, even if you are paraphrasing, use a parenthetical citation.

14. Phase 1-B Continued • Part 1-B What I Already Know About My Topic (1-3 paragraphs) • (Refer to the KWL Chart) • Here is where you write one to three paragraphs, discussing what knowledge, experience, or background you already have about your topic, BEFORE having done any research on it (the K in the KWL chart).

15. How to come up w/ Interesting Questions • WHAT IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION (IQ)? • AN INTERESTING QUESTION (IQ) IS A QUESTION THAT HELPS YOU WRITE A GOOD RESEARCH PAPER. AN IQ: 1) ASKS YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS INTERESTING TO YOU 2) ASKS YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT TOPIC WOULD BE RICH AND IMPORTANT FOR YOUR RESEARCH PAPER.

16. How to come up w/ Interesting Questions • WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INTERESTING QUESTIONS (IQ's)? • DEFINITION OF AN INTERESTING QUESTION (IQ) : AN IQ IS A QUESTION THAT REQUIRES AT LEAST ONE PARAGRAPH TO ANSWER. --THAT MEANS THAT AN IQ CANNOT BE ANSWERED BY A "YES" OR "NO" ANSWER. • --THAT MEANS THAT AN IQ MUST CANNOT BE ANSWERED WITH ONE OR TWO SENTENCES.

17. How to come up w/ Interesting Questions • FOR EXAMPLE, THESE ARE NOT IQ's: 1) HOW MANY NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS DID THE CHICAGO BULLS WIN WITH MICHAEL JORDAN? 2) DO YOU HAVE TO BE "JUMPED" TO JOIN A GANG? 3) HOW MANY KINDS OF MARIJUANA ARE THERE?

18. How to come up w/ Interesting Questions • AN INTERESTING QUESTION IS A QUESTION THAT REQUIRES AT LEAST ONE PARAGRAPH TO ANSWER. A PARAGRAPH IS DEFINED AS: 1) 1 OPENING SENTENCE (THE TOPIC SENTENCE) 2) 3 SUPPORTING SENTENCES 3) 1 CONCLUDING SENTENCE

19. 2, 4, 6, 8…Come ON Brain, Elaborate!

20. Searching • Once you've decided what you want to know more about, and you've written (at least in rough draft) what you know, assume or imagine about it, you are ready to go after your topic. (Be sure to review “The Search,” above, for the required source materials and research activities). 1. Find other people who are interested in this topic. Ask them where to find the most useful books, magazines, newspapers, films, tapes, or whatever, on this topic, and who in your community knows the most about it. Check for information on the Internet. 2. Look at or listen to this information and these ideas. 3. Visit the local library or the school library to find books on your topic.

21. Searching 4. Then think about interviewing persons who know a lot about the topic. What would be the best way to approach them? • Then would they be most likely to have time and inclination to talk to you? Do you need an introduction of some sort from someone else? If you are largely ignorant about the topic you are asking them about, they may resent your taking up their time, and you won't get much out of talking to them. So, know something about it before you talk to them; that way, you can ask intelligent questions about things that maybe this person knows and you can't find anywhere else. • Don't waste your time and theirs. 5. If you are worried that your expert may not want to give you much time, begin by asking him/her where you might best look for information and advice about your topic. Then if he/she can't talk at length with you, you at least have other sources to turn to.

22. Preliminary Source Outline • For your I-Search Paper, you will prepare your preliminary source outline prior to beginning your research, and it will list the question you are seeking an answer for and the main sources which you hope will provide you with the answers you seek.

23. Sample Source Outline for the I-Search Paper(Basic Format) Question: • I. What I Know, Assume or Imagine • II. Source 1 • III. Source 2 • IV. Source 3 • V. Source 4 • VI. What I Learned

24. Sample Source Outline for the I-Search Paper(Basic Format) Question: Should I have laser surgery to correct my vision? I. What I Know, Assume or Imagine II. Interviews with doctors III. Medical Journal articles IV. Pamphlets V. Advertisements VI. What I Learned

25. Sample Source Outline for the I-Search Paper Question: Should I have laser surgery to correct my vision? I. What I Know, Assume or Imagine II. Interviews wit doctors A. Dr. Jones B. Dr. Smith III. Internet Sources IV. Interviews with patients who have undergone the treatment A. Susan Jones B. John Smith C. Phyllis Lee V. Magazines VI. Articles from “general-audience” magazines VIII. What I Learned

26. THE I-SEARCH PAPER • You Must Have 4 Sources in order to get full credit for this research Project. 1. Interview one or two people about your topic. 2. Magazine, Journal, or Newspaper Article. 3. Website (not Wikipedia) 4. Your Choice: Can be another of one listed, a book, a movie, a pamphlet, etc

27. Phase 2-A • Search Log: Begin a log of your search, including dates, notes and sources (minimum of 10 entries). This search log can help you: describe the sequences of steps you took to complete your research, summarize information you learned from each source, indicate what was or was not useful, and create your “Work Cited” page. The search log, your rough notes, along with any questions you were trying to answer (there is no need to recopy them) should be included in your portfolio). • Date Notes and/or Sources_____ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

28. I-Search Paper Format • WHAT I KNEW / MY RESEARCH QUESTION (1 paragraph) What did you know about this topic before you did any research? End the paragraph with a research question. • MY SEARCH PROCESS (1-2 paragraphs) Use the entries from your search journal to compose this section. List each source, describe very briefly what you found in it, and evaluate the usefulness of the information. At the end of this section write a thesis statement: My main goal is to see why most women choose to stay in Islam and what is really behind the Islamic stereotypes.

29. I-Search Paper Format • WHAT I LEARNED / THE SEARCH RESULTS ( 4-6 paragraphs) Write paragraphs with detail that support your thesis. My paragraphs/sources were on (1 Paragraph) (2 Paragraph) (3 Paragraph) (4 Paragraph) What you find through your research will determine the subtopics of your paragraphs. • Don’t forget to include parenthetical citation. I will show you how to do this!

30. I-Search Paper Format • MY GROWTH AS A RESEARCHER (1 paragraph) What impact has this research had on you? • WORKS CITEDUse a website like Easybib.com to create an MLA formatted Works Cited page.