Friday, October 27, 2017

Due Wednesday, November 1st - Thesis Statement & Works Cited

Please compose a solid thesis statement and complete a Works Cited for your research paper.  Think of it as an "essential question" followed by your evidence.  In other words, a rhetorical question that resonates a universal question to ponder.  Your thesis statement is an attempt to "answer" that question by locating evidence to backup your argument.  While you conduct your research, you should be learning more and refining your argument, not merely fishing for things to back up what you already know to be true.

ASSIGNMENT:  POST YOUR THESIS STATEMENT FOLLOWED BY A COMPLETE "WORKS CITED" ONTO TURNITIN.COM BY WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST.


Here is some helpful information on thesis statements:

Thesis Statements

1.      It is something worth arguing about.  There is no point in basing a paper on a thesis statement that is obvious to everyone or that is not concerned with any significant issue. Read your thesis and ask, so what?

2.      It can be supported.  It is clearly and forcefully supported by the rest of the paper; it isn't just a springboard that allows the writer to jump into topics having little to do with the "thesis."

3.      It is precise.  It is not something that one has trouble understanding until one read the rest of the paper, and it is not something so general or so "safe" that it fails to represent any strong position. "Bad economic policy was one impact of the fall of Rome" is not precise.


Samples

Prompt:  Morally ambiguous characters -- characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good -- are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

The “D - F” ExampleIn Albert Camus' The Stranger, a complex character who, on the basis of his actions alone, might be considered evil or immoral, would be the character of Raymond.

Commentary: Note that this intro just repeats a part of the prompt. It does not indicate the reason for the choice, and this choice of character is weak because the rest of this particular AP prompt indicated that the author managed to develop reader sympathy for the character. In TS, little sympathy for Raymond Sintes develops. The student should probably have chosen Meursault. Although this essay might pick up as it goes along, nothing of significance has been stated yet. This type of beginning could lead to a D or an F.

The “B - C” Example: In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the character of Meursault may be seen as evil by a majority of the members of his society. Through his callousness toward his mother's death, his indifference toward Marie's love, and his wish for the hatred of the crowd, Meursault can be seen in an evil light because these actions go against society's values.

Commentary: This intro is a step up because it makes a better character choice and shows more knowledge of writing in that it contains the typical three-pronged topic sentence leading to a structured five paragraph theme. This type of intro tends to lead to an essay getting a B or C.

The “A” Example: In Albert Camus' The Stranger, the protagonist Meursault is portrayed as a complex character who serves as Camus' spokesman for the philosophy of existentialism. On the basis of actions alone, one might arrive at the conclusion that Meursault is either immoral or evil: Meursault failed to show emotion at his mother's funeral and killed an Arab on the beach. However, by allowing the reader to identify with Meursault, by showing his apathy toward life as a motive for his actions, and by showing his change in character to one that appreciates and misses his old life, Camus allows the reader to sympathize with Meursault more than if these elements had been left out.

Commentary: The student has already completed the double pronged AP task in the first paragraph. The student is at leisure now to develop his points in the time and space remaining. This type of thorough opener usually leads to a high score (7,8). It has the plenitude of detail that reveals intelligence at work. Also there are signs of competence in literary and general vocabulary ("protagonist" and "apathy") as well as excellent use of punctuation (How many students can write a sentence correctly using colons?)  However, what this paragraph needs to move up to a nine is more stylistic pizzazz (notice how all of the above paragraphs began with the same phrase -- multiply that by the number of essays a grader reads in a day, between 100 and 200, and it will become evident why creativity in the first paragraph is water on the desert of dry student writing). If this essay continues to be strong and adds humor or develops a stronger more independent voice, it might move up to an A!


 Here is some thesis statements templantes to help you develop your prose:


Thesis Statement Templates


Prose/Open Response Example #1: 

              (Insert author’s name) presents readers with _________________________ as a means of __________________________.  Through the use of __________________________, ____________________________, and _________________________ he/she demonstrates the necessity for human beings to ________________________.  However, this becomes more complicated because___________________________.  Therefore, (Insert author’s name) uses ________________________ to make his/her point that in order to ____________________ one must ___________________________.


Prose/Open Response Example #2: 

              In the art of fiction, an author may choose to utilize (insert literary device) as a means of ________________________________.  (Insert author’s name) takes this device to another level in _____________________________ by revealing  _____________________________ through the use of _________________________.  Through the course of the novel/play, ____________________________________.  However, by the end of the work ___________________ ________________. Therefore, (insert author’s name) utilizes (insert literary device) to make the point _________________________________________________.


Prose/Open Response Example #3: 

              Often novelists/playwrights _________________________________.  However, (insert author’s name) chooses to ______________________________________ in his her novel/play ____________________________ in order to reveal _________________________________________ about (insert theme).  While on the surface it may appear _________________________, by the end of the work, (insert author’s name) proves __________________
______________________________.  Therefore, ______________________________________________________________________.




Here are exmaples from the MLA Stylebook to help you build your Works Cited:


MLA Format

Overview:  Below are a few key definitions and examples you would commonly use when citing works in MLA format.  For further information, consult the complete MLA Handbook, 8th Ed.

Book (one author)

Author’s last name, Author’s first name. Title. Place: Pub, Year.

Mills, Fred. Cooking for a Fit Life. New York: Dell, 1993.

Book (two or more authors)

Author’s last name, Author’s first name, and Author’s first name Author’s
last name. Title. Place: Pub, Year.

Mills, Fred, and Glenn Davis. Cooking for a Healthy Lifestyle. New York: Dell,
1998.

Book (with editor)

Author’s last name, Author’s first name. Title. Ed. Editor’s first name
Editor’s last name. Place: Pub, Year.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New
York: Washington Square-Pocket, 1992.

Entire Website

Website Title. Ed. Editor of Site. Date Created or Updated. Sponsoring Institution. Access date <URL>.

History Channel.com. 2007. History Channel. 14 May 2007 <http://www.historychannel.com/>.
Virtual Renaissance. Ed. Bonnie Marszalek. 23 Aug. 2004. Indiana U. 28 Apr. 2005
<http://www.district96.k12.il.us/Renaissance.html>.

Website Document

Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Article Title.” Information about print
publication. Information about electronic publication (Sponsoring
Institution). Access information (date accessed, URL).

Class Notes

Lecturer last name, first name. Course. Location. Date of lecture.

Stewart, Ms. Class Notes. English 3 Honors/IB. Trabuco Hills High School, Mission
Viejo. 26 Sept. 2003.
Email

Author last name, Author first name. "Subject of the message" E-mail
to person's name. Date of the message.

Neyhart, David. "Re: Online Tutoring." E-mail to Joe Barbato. 1 Dec. 2000.

Lecture or Speech

Speakers Last Name, Speaker’s First Name. “Title of Presentation.”
Sponsoring Organization. Location. Date.

Harris, Muriel. "Writing Labs: A Short History." 2003 Writing Center
Conference. National Writing Centers Association. La Swank Hotel,
Seattle. 28 Mar. 2003.

Interviews

Personal Interview done by researcher:

Interviewee last name, Interviewee first name. Personal Interview. Date of
interview.

Purdue, Pete. Personal Interview. 1 Dec. 2000.

Interviews on television or radio:

Interviewee last name, Interviewee first name. “Title of Episode.” Title of
Radio or Television show on which the interview appeared. Name of
the Network. City of the station. Broadcast Date.

Clinton, Bill. “An American Legend.” Oprah Winfrey Show. CBS. New York.
3 Mar. 1998.

Advertisement

Name of product or company. Advertisement. Publication information.

Lufthansa. Advertisement. Time. 20 Nov. 2000: 151.

Television or radio program

“Title of episode.” Title of program. Name of network. Call letters of station,
City. Broadcast date.

"The Blessing Way." The X-Files. Fox. WXIA, Atlanta. 19 Jul. 1998.

Video recording or DVD

Title. Director, Producer, and/or Writer. Medium. Distributor, Year.

The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne,
Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro. DVD. Polygram,
1995.

Photograph (personal)

Description of subject, location. Photographer. Date taken.

Saint Paul’s Cathedral, London. Personal photograph by author. 7 Mar. 2003.

Photograph (Internet)

Artist’s name. Title of work. Institution that houses work or owner of collection,
City. Access date <URL>.

Evans, Walker. Penny Picture Display. 1936. Museum of Mod. Art, New York. 30 May
2002 <http://www.moma.org/collection/evans.penny.html>.

Sound recording

Title of performer. Title of recording (or works included). Manufacturer, date of
release.

U2. All That You Can't Leave Behind. Interscope, 2000.

Film

Title. Dir. Director’s name. Perf. Performer’s name(s). Distributor, year of
release.

The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey,
Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and
Benecio del Toro. Polygram, 1995.


This is what your prose will look like:

Sample Text and Works Cited

Culminating in the doctors’ diagnosis, Louise Mallard is the subject of and subject to the masculine discourse of the story. This masculine discourse, which finally pronounces her dead, is fixed at the beginning of the story. She is introduced as “Mrs. Mallard” (Chopin 1). The character is referred to as “she” for most of the narrative, and it is only when Louise has become “free! Body and soul free!” is she addressed directly in the text and by her own name (2). But this denomination, as well as the change it embodies, is short-lived. Louise’s status as “wife” is reestablished at once in the story’s language and in Louise’s life when Brently comes in “view of his wife” (3).
Louise’s medical condition is the narrative construct of a masculine world as well: The male-dominated medical profession identifies, yet is impotent in treating, her heart trouble. It is her perceived frailty that prompts Richards’s chivalric intercession. Critics note that the narrator observes childlike behaviors in the first half of the story, and that a maturation occurs at its midterm, to which Louise can never return. (Jago 23-24).  Likewise, her marriage exemplifies the status of women in the early twentieth century in that the woman is subject to the patriarch’s “powerful will bending hers” (Chopin 2) Although Brently “had never looked save with love upon her,” he disregarded Louise’s happiness: The “lines [of her face] bespoke repression” (2).
However, this idea is amplified decades before when Elizabeth dismisses Lady Catherine’s admission that she would destroying Darcy’s reputation and entering a new sphere of society beyond her own, by stating emphatically, “In marrying your nephew, I should not consider myself as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter; so far we are equal." (Pride 361).  In her novel, Sense and Sensibility, both Dashwood sisters have their entire future happiness staked on marriage, as Eleanor eloquently points out to a helpless Edward Ferrars who implies they are equal, stating, “but you will inherit your fortune, and we cannot even buy ours” (54).


 Here is what your Works Cited Should look like:

Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Leamington Spa: Scholastic, 2007. Print.
Austen, Jane. Sense & Sensibility. Leamington Spa: Scholastic, 2007. Print.
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” The Awakening and Selected Stories, 1899. Print.
Jago, Carol. Classics in the Classroom: Designing Accessible Literature Lessons.
              Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2004. Print.
Lipman, Matthew. Thinking in Education. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1991. Print.
Moreno, Roxana. Educational Psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons,
              Inc., 2010. Print.
Smagorinsky, Peter. Teaching English by Design: How to Create and Carry Out Instructional
              Units. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2008. Print.
Wiggins, Grant P., and Jay McTighe. Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for
              Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1998. Print.

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