What is patriotism?

Sometimes one moment, one decision, or one person can exemplify what it means to be patriotic. In this I-Search paper, you will use your curiosity to explore your own interests and connections to one of these people or events and explain how it demonstrates patriotism.

In this process, you will organize your own time, break tasks into small parts, and, in the end, demonstrate all that you have learned. You will devote a great deal of time to creating a paper that communicates your learning.

Two requirements will make the I-Search different from a regular research paper. The first is an introduction written in the personal narrative mode; the second is a reflective first-person conclusion. 

I-Search paper GENERAL GUIDELINES

LENGTH: Your completed paper will be approximately 6-12 pages long, double spaced, word-processed.

DOCUMENTATION: Your I-Search should be formatted using MLA guidelines. The “Works Cited” page will appear at the end of the paper. All information gathered from sources should be cited using MLA internal citations.

SOURCES: You must gather 4-6 sources. These must include three different types of sources (encyclopedia, book, periodical, website, interview, movie, pamphlet, museum, a visit to a relevant place, etc.). See the source card and note card information sheet for details about how to identify what notes go with which sources.

CHALLENGE OPTIONS: If you are interested in diving into your topic a little more deeply, find a way to interact with it beyond the research paper. This may naturally occur if you interview someone, or you may construct your own activity. There are two ways of interacting with your research that might enhance your learning:

The process by which you gather information—Conduct an experiment, take a class, build a model, job shadow, begin a pen pal correspondence, participate in a club that specializes in your area (Audubon Society, Sierra Club), tour a place of business—the possibilities are endless!The product, or how you report your information— In addition to your paper, consider creating a video, performing a skit, writing an article for the local newspaper, cooking, creating artwork, writing a poem or short story that incorporates your learning, or some other interesting way of communicating what you know!

Three Parts to your paper:

1. NARRATIVE INTRODUCTION—(narrative, approx. 2 pages) Tell the reader what you knew about the topic before you conducted your research, what you thought and believed (assumptions), what interested you, why you chose the topic, and what you hoped to learn. Describe the sequence of steps in your research process. Include the places you looked for information, what successes or failures you had as you conducted your search, who helped you locate information, where you ran into roadblocks, and how you redirected your efforts. Also, discuss any changes you made in your questions or in your topic. This is the story of the path you followed during the research weeks.

A list of your final research questions will be listed at the end of this section.

2. THE LEARNING (MAIN PAPER)—(expository, 3-6 pages) The body of the paper—Write about the knowledge you have gained. This section will follow your outline and should be clear, concise and focused on supporting your thesis statement. Present the major findings on your topic and support

those with strong, relevant examples and quotes. Put citations to work as you refer to the material you have used from your sources. Re-state your thesis and carefully conclude this section.

3. REFLECTION—(narrative, ½-1 page) In this section, describe what you have learned about researching a paper as complex as this. Share what worked about the process and what did not. What were your frustrations? What were your successes? What was easy and what was not? What will you do differently the next time you write a research paper?

Guiding your search:Note Cards and Source Cards 

You should complete at least 30 note cards for your paper. These should include information that you will later use as the core material when you draft. The information on the note cards can be phrases or complete sentences, but MUST NOT be copied directly from the source unless it is enclosed in quotation marks. This will help you avoid accidental plagiarism. In addition, you should also have 4-6 source cards. On these, you should have recorded all source information in MLA format. You should have one card for each source. Decide on a number or symbol for each source that you will include on every notecard with information from that source. Each note card should have a number or symbol (like the ones at left) that matches the one on the source card. This symbol will tell you from which source your information has come. For example, if you used National Geographic April 2019, you will have a source card for it. In the corner of the source card, you might have placed a star. All notes you take from that source should also be labeled with a star. That way, when you are ready to use this information in your paper, you will be able to properly cite it. If you cannot identify the source of information, you cannot use it without plagiarizing.

Plagiarizing is not acceptable!

Each note card will also have the corresponding research question at the top, as seen below right. Please keep your note cards together, using an envelope, a ring, or another method that will work for you.  Keep them safe, clean, and dry because they will be the backbone of your paper.

Source Card Note Card

Now you try!

Source card Note card

Q: How private are cell phone conversations? IN YOUR OWN WORDS:Cell phone conversations can be overheard by anyone using simple technology. Any person with a transistor radio and the knowledge could hear conversations within a 3-mile radius. COPYING A DIRECT QUOTE:“If you value your privacy at all, you will want to purchase a cell phone with a security scrambler. Otherwise any of your conversations could be public (Taubes).”

Taubes, Gary. "The Cell-Phone Scare." Technology Review Nov./Dec. 2000: 117-19.

Calendar:21 22 23 24 25

Launch Project Brainstorming

CE DUE28Brainstorming

29Brainstorming

30Web Research

31End of Quarter

1NO SCHOOL

4Topics Due: Progress Check #1

5

6 7 8Progress check #2:

11NO SCHOOL

12 13 14 15Progress check #3 Research complete!

18Thesis statements

19Using an outline to organize paragraphs

20 21 22Progress check #4:

25No School: Conferences

26No School: Conferences

27NO School

28NO School:

29NO School

2Progress Check #5: Peer Editing: Rough Draft

3Review assessment rubric for paper

4 5 6All final copy papers duePresentations

I-Search Progress Checks Progress check #1:

• Topic: _______________________________________________________________________

• Questions (attached)

• Note cards (blank)

Progress check #2:

• Narrative Introduction rough draft (RD) complete

• Some info on note cards; how many? ______

• Source cards for all material

Progress check #3:

• Note cards complete; how many? ______ Estimated percentage of research completed: _____%

How much information? sparse ------ medium ------ loaded

• Research questions are being answered—In other words, research is not random/haphazard

• Source Cards; how many? ______

• Matching symbols on note cards and source cards to identify source of facts

Progress check #4:

• RD Narrative Intro

• 100% research finished on note cards

• Outline

• Thesis statement

Progress Check #5:

• First (rough) draft due; should contain:

o Narrative Introduction with research questions

o Learning

o Works cited list

Final Copy Paper due: December 6, 2019

Research Questions/ Progress Check #1

My topic is ________________________________________________________________ and I think it relates to or

exemplifies patriotism as I’ve defined it because ____________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Devise 6 to 10 questions that will lead you into your research. These should be real questions to which you do not yet have answers. They will most likely CHANGE as you research. If, while you are researching, you answer all of your questions and still have not found enough information for all your cards, you will have to write more questions.

Use what you learned in class to be sure that your questions do not dead-end in short answers. 

For each research session, try to focus on ONE of these questions until all are answered sufficiently.   1. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. _________________________________________________________________________________________________