Description
Writing a research paper can be a daunting task. As students progress through school, this task takes on a new role in their studies, growing from an exercise in research to a persuasive tool.
Moreover, in this electronic world, plagiarism has become as difficult to define as it is to detect. Students need a comprehensive understanding of the root problems involved with plagiarism and how it damages us personally and as a society.
Students will learn to carefully choose a topic, gather information, create a logical structure, present their research with proper attribution, proofread and revise their draft, and properly document their references.
This is a hands-on, working class where students will present and revise their papers at each step with help from fellow classmates and the teacher. Our webinars will follow a three-fold cycle for each step:
- Week A Webinar – Instruction in one step of writing a research paper
- Week B Webinar – Students share their personal progress and turn in their assignment
- Week C Webinar – Each student meets one-on-one with the teacher to discuss their assignment
The information we cover includes:
- Topic
- Organization
- Reference Material
- Incorporating Reference Material
- Cohesion
- Voice
- APA Style
- Prewriting
- Drafting
- Self-Review
- Peer Review
- Final Draft
Note from “Prof.” Deborah:
Writing is a process with several distinct stages, and I believe that much of the confusion and disinterest students (and adults!) feel about writing comes from teachers’ lack of involvement at each of those stages. Writing needs to be a conversation between student and teacher. Like navigating on the open sea, a degree or two change can make a huge difference in the destination. If I can help students make necessary course corrections along the way, they will be so much more confident in both their ability and their final product. So I spend quite a bit of time steering students’ essays from prewriting to drafting to revising/proofreading.
Note to parents:
- Students must have access to electronic (Internet websites, electronic references) and physical (library, reference books, etc.) research tools to fully explore this task.
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Enrollment in this class unlocks Athena’s Academic Writing Resources Room packed full of academic writing resources and information as well as one-on-one help.
- This course is one of Athena’s Upper Level Language Arts courses. Click for more information.
Offered by:
