Week 15 English 10 2011-2012

Week 14	Class work	Homework
Monday (Print out syllabus and turn in by Tuesday at beginning of class for 100 points extra credit). Vocabulary Words: Key Questions	Vocabulary Book E Warm-up Unit 5 Definitions Focus on your Thesis Statement How to write an outline	5 more Index cards with
Tuesday	Vocabulary Book E Unit 5 Synonyms and antonym How to write an outline	1st draft outline
Wednesday	Vocabulary Unit 5 Revise  Outline	Draft Introduction
Thursday	In class write Topic 1 section (the first major point/result of your research).  1 page double space typed	Revise Topic 1 Revise your Topic, run through spell and grammar check, and submit to Turnitin.com Remember to change line spacing to Triple spaced so it is easy for me to edit/correct/make suggestions
Friday	Topic 1 and Introduction Author’s chair celebration Read your sections to your classmates, answer their questions on the topic	Complete your expository unit paper. Submit to turnitin.com by 1/8/12 5 PM.

How to Create a Formal Outline in Microsoft Word

How to Make a Formal Outline in Microsoft Word

One of the difficulties students have with composing a formal outline is a limited understanding of how to either override Microsoft Word’s often helpful automatic features or how to customize these features.  A formal outline has a very prescribed format.

Each major section of your paper should be labeled with a Roman numeral (I, II, III, IV, etc.).  Each subsection should be labeled with a capital letter (A, B, C, D, etc.).  Each sub-subsection should be labeled with an Arabic numeral (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.).  Often papers will divided even further: Arabic numeral sections can be divided into a, b, c, d, etc. and those can be further divided into i, ii, iii, iv, etc.  If you are dividing further than that, your outline is too specific for the purposes of this paper.  Plus you look anal-retentive.

You cannot have a I without a II.  You cannot have an A without a B.  You cannot have a 1 without a 2.  And so on…

Here is a sample of a formal outline, properly formatted.  Notice how the line spacing looks and how the sections are aligned:

I.      Major Section

                  A.            Subsection

                           1.      Sub-subsection

                                    a.            One more level to go!

                                             i.      The end of the line!

                                             ii.      Remember you have to have at least two divisions to justify a division.

                                    b.            One more level b

                           2.      Sub-subsection 2

                  B.            Subsection B

II.      Major Section II

So how to you get Microsoft Word to listen to you while you’re composing this outline—that is, how do you keep the program from changing your font to Arial size 18 for no reason, bolding or italicizing certain levels for no reason, or making odd alignments for no reason?  Well, it isn’t elementary, my dear Watson, but it’s not rocket science either.  Here is what you do:

                           1.      Go to Format.  Click on “Bullets and Numbering.”

                           2.      Click on the tab that says “Outline Numbered.”

                           3.      The outline that looks closest to the one above is the one in the first “square” to the right of the one that says “None.”  Click on that so there is a blue outline around the “square.”  Now look down above the “OK” and “Cancel” buttons.  See the one that says “Customize”?  Click it.

                           4.      The first thing you will see is a screen that says “Customized Outline Numbered List.”  Level 1 should be highlighted. 

                           5.      In the blank where it says “Number format,” clear the current content (it should just be a “I”).  Simply select it all and press “Backspace” or right-click and “Cut.”  However you usually delete text should be fine.  The point is to get rid of it.

                           6.      Now click on the drop-down menu that says “Number style.”  You should be presented with several choices for Level 1.  Choose this one I, II, III, etc.  You should now see “I” in the “Number format” blank.  Put a period after that “I” so your outline will automatically insert periods after each number or letter in the outline.

                           7.      Now do the same thing for each level.  Click on Level 2 in the “Level” area.  Follow the same process for customizing, this time selecting “A, B, C, etc.”  Make sure you have a period after each number or letter.

                           8.      For Level 3, select “1, 2, 3, etc.”

                           9.      For Level 4, select “a, b, c, etc.”

                           10.      For Level 5, select “i, ii, iii, etc.”

                           11.      Complain loudly that the format for all this MLA research paper stuff is too picky and is a pain in the behind to do.  I hear ya, pal.  That’s just the breaks.

You may notice if you look at my outline that I put extra spaces before and after a major section (I, II, III).  I do this to make that pop out.  You don’t have to do that.

Now what?  Is that what I heard you say?  You need to take all those note cards and organize them by topic.  For instance, in my paper, I found I had a lot of cards centered around the section in the story when Louisa Ellis rearranges the books.  I simply put all those cards in a pile.  I sorted all my note cards into piles based on their various subject.  During the course of doing this, I realized I had a whole group of cards that were off-topic and unusable—some notes on how OCD-like behavior has been noticed in animals.  I think I copied them down initially thinking they would be more useful than they were.  For example, canaries are known to engage in the same nest-building behaviors whether in the wild or domesticated.  I thought that was interesting since there was a canary in the story; however, the information, while interesting, really wasn’t on topic.  After you sort your cards according to topic, shuffle the arrangement of the cards in each pile to reflect what you think is a good order of presentation.  You can see how I did this by looking at my outline.  Then, arrange the piles in the order in which you plan to discuss the topics they represent. 

In order to compose your outline, simply copy the information from your note cards into an outline format.  Decide which cards are “general headings” and which cards are “subsections.”  Put the card letter and number designation so you can find the card later.  See my outline for example.  You will notice almost every section has something like A22 after the note.  That is because almost everything a person writes in a research paper is an idea someone else had.  It isn’t plagiarism, because I’m going to show you how to document, or cite, each quote, idea, or bit of evidence you use.

After you rearrange your cards and write your outline, your whole paper is basically written.  Don’t believe me?  Look at my outline.  All I have to do is flesh out the paper, inserting transitions and voilà! 

How to Create Note Cards

How to Create Note Cards

As you consult different sources for your paper, you will want to write down information about sources that look particularly good so that you can easily locate them later if you need to and also so that you can include the source on your Works Cited page in your research paper.  When you are examining your sources, and you find a fact or quotation you might want to use in your paper, you need to write it down on a note card.  You will need to turn in at least 25 note cards along with 5 five source cards.

In order to create a source card, you will need to look up the proper MLA format for the kind of source you are using and write down the information just as it will later appear on your Works Cited page.  Here is a sample card for a book:

When you create a note card, you need to make sure you include the following information in order to make life easier on yourself:

• From which source did you find the information?
• On what page did you find it?
• To what subject does the note pertain?
• What is the fact or quotation? 

Research Paper Schedule

Research Paper

Knowing how to write research papers is one of the most valuable skills you can take with you to college.  No matter what your major, you will undoubtedly be asked to write at least one research paper in most of your classes.  They may not always be quite as involved as this one will be, but this assignment will lay the groundwork for those future papers. 

There are several steps to writing a good research paper.  You must complete each of these steps.  This is a long-term assignment, and further information about each step will be forthcoming.

Assignment	Points Possible	Due Date
Choose a general topic	100	12/2
Create a working thesis	100	12/6
Working outline	200	12/7
Source cards (5)	200	12/8
Note cards (25)	500	By Topic
Final thesis statement	100	12/14
Formal outline	200	12/14
First draft	200	12/15
Final draft/paper package	TBA	TBA

As you can see, this paper is a considerable portion of your grade this semester.  Use this handout to keep track of due dates for each of these assignments.  More handouts will be forthcoming detailing instructions for these assignments as we work on the paper.  Put each of these handouts in your Composition section of your notebook.

It is imperative that you do each assignment for the Research Paper.  Skipping an assignment will leave your paper with gaping holes.  In addition, each assignment is due when noted.  My advice: simply do the work on time, no excuses.

You will need to procure the following items in order to complete this project:

                      •         Lined 3x5 note cards – you need at least 30, but be prepared for “mess ups” and make sure you have more cards; you may also find you need to create more than 30 cards.

                      •         A large envelope, at least 9x12.

                      •         A rubber band for your note cards.

                       

You may find the following websites helpful, too.

                       •         Basic Steps to Creating a Research Project: http://www.crlsresearchguide.org/

                       •         A+ Research Writing for High School and College Students: http://www.ipl.org/div/aplus/

                       •         Writing About Literature: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_lit.html

YOu Tube Video on How do create an outline

How to create an outline for a research paper using Microsoft Word

Revised Week 14 English 10 2011-12

Week 14	Class work	Homework
Monday (Print out syllabus and turn in by Tuesday at beginning of class for 100 points extra credit). Vocabulary Words:  MLA Format Key Questions What is a credible source? How do I cite resources ( experts, books, websites, articles etc)? What is a parenthetical citation?  When do I need to use parenthetical citations?	Vocabulary Book E Warm-up Unit 4 Library Research	Finish Chapter 4 Vocabulary Exercises 5 source cards due ( 5  credible sources/references that your are using ) Wednesday.
Tuesday	Library Research MLA Citations	15 more Note cards with facts due Place all 25 note cards in rubberband and envelope and submit to Inbox with your name, period, and date on envelope.
Wednesday	Create Formal outline using Microsoft Word in class	Revise Outline submit to Turnit in.com
Thursday	In class write the 1st draft of your paper's Introduction	Revise your Introduction, run through spell and grammar check, and submit to Turnitin.com Remember to change line spacing to Triple spaced so it is easy for me to edit/correct/make suggestions
Friday	Library MLA citations Part II	Draft Topic I, ( 1 page double-spaced), run through spell and grammar check, and submit to Turnitin.com Remember to change line spacing to Triple spaced so it is easy for me to edit/correct/make suggestions. Submit to Turnitin.com We will work on Topics 2 and  3 and conclusion/call to action in class next week.  Complete 1st draft project due to Turnitin.com by Friday, the 16th at beginning of class.