Assignment for Monday, October 6

In 50 Essays, read and annotate John Jeremiah Sullivan, "Feet in Smoke" and Jonathan Lethem, "13, 1977, 21." Read the Sullivan essay first (Lethem's essay is . . . stranger, so read it second), and write a one-page rhetorical analysis of each essay. (Yes, that directive is purposely vague.) Email this assignment to me at mrmontasmph@gmail.com.

Model Student Research Papers

Linked below are some model research papers by high school and college students. Not all of them are as long as yours will be, nor do they all touch on the range of topics that you are writing about. Most of these emerged from pure research interests and do not have a project component, as most of yours do. Nevertheless, it will be helpful to look at these papers as the outcomes of the same kinds of research processes you are engaged in.

Effects of Food Deprivation on Concentration and Perseverance (APA; 12 pages)
The Origins of 20th Century Islamic Fundamentalism (Chicago; 30 pages)
Toward a Recovery of Nineteenth Century Farming Handbooks (MLA; 11 pages)
Adaptive Manipulation of Offspring Sex Ratio as a Means of Ameliorating Sexual Conflict in Drosophila Melanogaster (APA; 28 pages)
Developmental Psychology Paper (APA; 19 pages)
Lollard Bible Translation (Chicago; 17 pages)
Promoting Renewable Energy Generation in the United States (23 pages)
Music Education: Its Importance and Place in Today's Education System (APA; 24 pages)
Governance, Club Structure, and Spending Power in the German Bundesliga (Chicago; 24 pages)

For those of you who are going to El Salvador, you might also be interested in the work of these students. You won't be able to see all of these papers, but some are available, and you can see the titles and abstracts.

For more student research papers, visit these sites at Yale, University of Puget Sound, University of Michigan, Virginia Commonwealth University, Columbia (science or sustainable development), The Concord Review, W. W. Norton (publisher), and The Council on Undergraduate Research.

Assignment for Friday, Sept. 26

Finish writing the research prospectus, for which the instructions are posted to the right. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me.

Bring 50 Essays to class. We will finish working on the Audre Lorde essay "Fourth of July." Also, we will look at some model student research essays in class.

Assignment for Tuesday, September 23

Complete the Action Plan you started in class on Friday. (If you weren't in class, the directions are posted to the right.) You should email this to me at mrmontasmph@gmail.com with the subject line "Action Plan," but print out a copy for Mrs. Neuner. (Bring the printed copy to class; I'll give it to her.) Also, bring 50 Essays to class. If you finish the Action Plan early, you might want to start working on the Research Prospectus, which is also posted to the right. That will be due on Friday, September 26 (which is our last class until October 6).

The Mentor Commitment Letter, which is also due Sept. 23, is posted to the right, and it is also available here.

Assignment for Wednesday, Sept. 17

Print out and have a parent sign the permission form posted to the right. I need it by Thursday. Thanks.

Assignment for Monday, Sept. 15

1. Write your senior blurb for the yearbook. Bring a hard copy to class and have an electronic copy available to work on in class.
2. Repair your list of sources. With the Pocket Style Manual by your side, use the formatting style I recommended, and be sure to format the sources correctly and accurately according to that citation style. If you don't have a Pocket Style Manual, use this page to guide your formatting. bring a printed copy to class.
3. Find five more sources for your research paper, and add them to the list of sources you will turn in on Monday.

Do not email any of this work to me. Print it out, and bring an electronic copy of the senior blurb.

Assignment for Thursday, Sept. 11

In The Craft of Research, read and annotate pp. 31-50. Begin the process of answering the questions on pp. 40-45. Keep track of those answers; you'll need them later. Email to me your answer to the "So what?" question (pp. 45-46) for your research paper (mrmontasmph@gmail.com). If you have found your Pocket Style Manual, bring it to class. Also, bring 50 Essays to class.

Assignment for Tuesday, Sept. 9

Prepare for the in-class essay on the book you chose to read this summer. Be mindful of the rhetorical aspects we discussed in class. You may bring the book with you and use it while you write the essay. The question you will have to answer will be something like this: What is your author trying to accomplish in his/her book, and does s/he accomplish it? Support your position with evidence from the text and specific reference to the rhetorical qualities we reviewed in class.

Also, look for your Pocket Style Manual this weekend.

Assignment for Friday, Sept. 5

Read and annotate ch. 2 of The Craft of Research, "Connecting with Your Reader" (handout). In class, you will answer the questions on pp. 26-27, but you will find them helpful for thinking about the following writing assignment: In one page or so, describe the ideal reader for your research paper, describe your role as a researcher (based on pp. 18-20), and describe the reader's role in developing your research (based on pp. 20-24). Even if you send the homework as an attachment, please email it to mrmontasmph@gmail.com, not my MPH email or my other Gmail address.

Assignment for Wednesday, September 3

Read and annotate the handout distributed in class from The Craft of Research. Write at least one well-developed paragraph that describes or explains any concerns you have about conducting research for your senior thesis.Your paragraph may be improved if you reflect on how The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking might help you write the senior thesis. Email this assignment to me as a Word document or share it with me via Google Docs (mrmontasmph@gmail.com).