Writing Conclusions

Writing your conclusion should be one of the easier parts of this project. This video does a good job giving you three simple tips in an easy to understand way. (As before it is important to take note of what NOT to do!)

Concluding an essay in Four Steps:

Transition

First, you want to start with a transition. Try to use something more creative than, "In conclusion..." or "To sum up..." or "I feel that..." and add a simple statement. For example, 

Consequently, the younger generations will be group to act on climate change.

Re-State Thesis

Next, add your thesis again to drive home your issue. Don't write it again word for word, but alter it so it sounds fresh and important as you close your writing. If my thesis was, "The current administration in the US government does not take climate change seriously and if we don't act to reverse global warming, the planet will become uninhabitable quicker than we realize" I could write:

People of a certain age, who remain in power, cant or won't grasp the significance of climate change. It is up to the youth of this country and the world to make combating global warming a priority.

Summarize Main Points

After you have a re-worded version of the thesis include your three main points. Don't run on and don't undermine your argument. Just bang them out, one, two, three:

The planet is clearly becoming hotter. Whole ecosystems are being wiped out and we must severely regulate pollution and natural resource use sooner rather than later to prevent a disaster. 

End It

Add one smart line to wrap up the whole thing or call to action. Continuing with my example, I could write, "Therefor, young people must take action to protect our future on this planet." And put all together will look like this: 

Consequently, the younger generations will be group to act on climate change. People of a certain age, who remain in power, cant or won't grasp the significance of climate change. It is up to the youth of this country and the world to make combating global warming a priority. The planet is clearly becoming hotter. Whole ecosystems are being wiped out and we must severely regulate pollution and natural resource use sooner rather than later to prevent a disaster. Therefor, young people must take action to protect our future on this planet.

Please so exactly this with your issue and information from your project.

Another good site to check out if you still need help writing your conclusion is: https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/conclusion/

Writing Intros

First step in putting together your Research Project is writing the introduction. This two minute video is a little basic, but very helpful (take note of what it say NOT to do).

Since we're at a distance I want you to focus on including the three main things featured in the video - 1. a Hook, 2. some Background Information, and 3. your Thesis Statement. If you have those and your writing is clear, coherent and reads nicely you'll be in good shape. A good intro will be about 6-8 sentences and you will write it directly on the slide show replacing the directions.

Hook

So, you know how to write a hook. This is the line at the beginning of your introduction that has to introduce your topic and grab the readers attention. It could be an anecdote, a statistic, a question or a quotation. DON'T YOU DARE write, "This essay will be about..." or "I am going to talk about..."

Background Info

Here is where you should write a little more and explain why your topic is important. Give out the main points surrounding your issue and essentially outline what the problem and solution are according to your research question.  

Thesis

You've already done this (if you haven't, read the Thesis Blog or follow the tips from the video) so just naturally work it in to the end of your introduction. Make sure it flows nicely in your writing and puts a strong ending to your intro! Highlight it on the slide within the paragraph, please.  

Thesis Statements

Thesis Statements

Your position. What you will argue (so your position is not a “given” like, “Poverty is bad,” but rather an argument, like, “To start solving the problem of poverty, we must [insert your well-informed opinion here].”

This video does a good job explaining what your thesis statements should look like:

The following link takes you to a Prezi with much of the same information:

Thesis Prezi

Some other rules and samples:

Rules:

1. Declarative sentence. Not a phrase or question.

2. Takes a stand that is arguable.

3. Broad enough to fit the assignment.

4. Narrow enough & unified enough to be manageable.

5. Explained in precise & literal language

(No “something must be done, pretty soon, too!” No clichéd language).

6. Focused on what to do now, not in the future.

7. Framed as a positive step, not a negative step. (What to do, not what not to do).

8. Can be supported with research available to you.

Weak:  Soda is bad for you, and kids in school should not drink it.

Strong: Soda contributes to poor nutrition, undermines attention and motivation, and promotes bad behavior in class; therefore, it should be banned in all public schools.

Please input your Thesis Statement here:

Researching a Single Question

At this point you should have selected a topic, ran it by us for confirmation and began to work on coming up with a research question.

This week's assignment is a graphic organizer/calendar to help you get organized and begin to collect your research and document your work as you go.

Right now, just focus on narrowing down a topic and setting a research goal. You can begin to casually research as sort of a fail safe and to double check your question to ensure it is workable and answerable.

For this assignment you will be asked to use three sources:

1. The VHS Library Database
• EBSCOHost - This will allow you to search for scholarly articles including "Point of View" which is perfect for this project FYI
• Facts on File - This might be better for any science/math related topics or questions
• Other decent databases include JSTOR (journals) and Salem Press (psychology and mental health links)
• Please see the Google Doc in Classroom for links and logins
2. MackinVIA
• Here you can search topics and categories to find resources including ebooks and audiobooks related to your topic
• Browse databases for scholarly articles and related materials
• Please see the Google Doc in Classroom for links and logins
3. Any Source
• Well, not quite... NO FACEBOOK, TWITTER or any other social media. Those are the two that come to mind when I think of misinformation.
• Also, NO WIKIPEDIA

• Google away, but you want to find stuff from a reputable website. Think The New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, even ESPN.
• Netflix - Find a series, movie or documentary on Netflix or Hulu or Disney+ or any streaming service that is related to your topic. 

As you start to look up information, think about your Research Question. Does it need to be adjusted? Is your focus too narrow or too broad? Try to come up with a few different research questions and post on the graphic organizer. Just make sure your question is final by Tuesday!

One Note: While you're beginning your search remember to search for sources effectively. Be specific and Try different words/phrases/synonyms. For example, if you are looking for information on how "social media is bad for relationships", try searching a variety of phrases such as, "negative effects of social media" or "Facebook is making us less connected."

Brainstorming and Research Questions

What is a research question?

First...

BRAINSTORM: Think about a few topics that interest you and develop a list. Your weekly agenda (2/24) is set up to help organize your ideas and provide a broad range of topics.

Think about what's been going on in the world socially and politically over the past few years (immigration/family separations, legalization of marijuana, voting, protests and social issues/civil unrest, covid-19, the economy, the Capital) and see if there are any that struck a chord with you or you feel like diving in to.

Think about pop culture (movies, music, streaming, the entertainment industry), technology (app development, diversity in big tech, censorship), sports (anthem protests, covid concerns, gender equality), religion, current events, climate change.

You can browse the Gallup site to look at polls and data on just about every issue under the sun.

Slowly narrow this down to be more and more specific and once you settle on a topic, narrow it down before. Which brings us to...

QUESTION: A research question is a clear, focused, concise, complex and arguable question around which you center your research. You should ask a question about an issue that you are genuinely curious about.

Research questions help writers focus their research by providing a path through the research and writing process.

THREE THINGS:

1. Topic should strongly interest you

2. Make sure your topic is creative  

3. It is not too broad!

Use this link for help: Research Questions: The Good and the Not so Good

The most important thing is to think about the goal. What do you want to accomplish by answering the question?

Please let us know if you have trouble brainstorming, narrowing down, or developing a clear, focused, concise, complex and arguable question. Use the agenda to stay on task.

Next week we will begin to finalize research questions and develop a thesis!

Personal Narrative

Last week you were asked to write a personal narrative:

What does identity mean? And what give you your identity.

For example, in the 57 Bus: 

Sasha identifies as genderqueer. Sasha wears a skirt everyday. Sasha must remind their friends to use proper pronouns when addressing them. Sasha is a happy and well-adjusted teenager from a good family, and they have good friends. Sasha is going to MIT. They are obsessed with all things Russian and love public transit.

Richard is arrested and charged with two hate-crimes. Richard comes from East Oakland. Richard has served time in a group home, and several of his friends have been sent to prison, or worse, have been killed in the violence that is commonplace in Oakland. Richard formed a bond with Miss Kaprice. Richard wants to graduate and make his mother proud. 

Narrative Writing 

What would you say about yourself? 

Use the Pre-Writing Outline to address some of the same questions/topics/themes that we covered with The 57 Bus and come up/jot down with some thoughts about yourself. 

We're going to focus on writing introductions. Each essay should start with a focus on what identity means. Think about three things when you begin writing:

1. Identify the focus - The reader should be able to recognize what your writing is about. This is where you should introduce the topic, aka, address the prompt. For this assignment, think about your definition of identity. What does it mean? What is it the truly gives a person their identity?
2. Outline the scope - What will you be writing about (think about what you wrote after the article: "I believe hate crimes should be prosecuted because of reason one, reason two and reason three...")? Outline what gives you your identity. 
3. State thesis - We're going to really teach thesis writing later this year. A thesis statement is usually only one sentence long that responds to an assignment topic and appears as the last sentence of the introduction. However, for the purpose of this assignment, think of it as a "purpose statement" or a topic sentence. What is the most important aspect of your identity and what will you be writing about?

After you have your intro written, just write. This isn't going to be the most structured essay you ever write, just convey what identity means to you. 

You can write about anything you feel is important to your own identity. It can be..

• And experience in your life that shaped you (good, bad, other...)
• Something your passionate about (sports, politics, social issues, games, movies, music...)
• How you spend you time and with who (friends, family, teams, hobbies...)
• Beliefs, values, goals, attitudes...

What does identity mean? And what give you your identity.

ARGUMENTATIVE/THESIS WRITING TIPS

Helpful Links to help you remember what an argumentative essay is and how to format it. We pulled a few videos that are short and to the point. If you take the time to watch, we promise they will help. Please comment when you watch and let us know what you think.

ARGUMENTATIVE HOW TO GUIDE 

How to write a THESIS STATEMENT

Argumentative Outline- Using the topic of social media as an example