Transcript Research Paper - Richfield Public Schools

Research Paper
Writing the Introduction and
Conclusion
Introduction
• should be grabbing and impressive
to induce the reader to read further
on
• present your introduction in a clear,
precise and interesting way
• convince your reader that your essay
is worth reading
Attention Getters
• Quotation: One that sums up the essay,
not one that is not connected to content
of your research
• Definition: Use sparingly. Many writers
use this method.
• Question: Ask a question in the
introduction...and answer it in the body.
Question must be RELEVANT AND
THOUGHT PROVOKING!
Attention Getters
• Problem: Pose a problem in the introduction...
and solve it in the body.
• Statistics: Make sure they're actual statistics
and not something you made up.
• Comparison: Take something the reader is
unfamiliar with and relate it to something they
are familiar with.
• Metaphor/Simile: An even more effective
comparison for making the complex seem simple.
Attention Getters
• Shocker: Everybody likes surprises.
Unfortunately, it's getting harder to shock people.
• Summary: A brief summary piques reader
interest.
• Anecdote: A short humorous story relevant to
the topic eases the reader into the material.
• Expert opinion: An expert gives you instant
credibility with the reader. Make sure the expert
is an actual expert and not your Uncle Fred from
Topeka
Background Information
• Sentences 2-3/4: Background
Information
• This is an opportunity to provide
background information about your
issue/topic. Set up the reader for what
he or she is going to learn in the paper.
Thesis Statement
• Sentence 4/5: Thesis Statement
• This thesis statement is an
informational statement that identifies
the direction/argument of your paper.
Thesis Statement
• an explanation of the topic or
purpose of a research paper
• a single, declarative sentence
• states what you want your readers to
know, believe, or understand
Sample Introduction Paragraph
(AG)“And I will do everything that I can as long as I
am President of the United States to remind the
American people that we are one nation…” (BI)Barack
Obama has made it his goal to unite the people of
America under his presidency. Despite facing hardships
in his youth, Obama went on to achieve great things in
his education and political career. He is a family man, a
charismatic leader, and a fascinating personality. (TS)
Barack Obama is quite possibly the most intriguing
man who has ever presided over this country.
Sample Introduction Paragraph
(AG)The sport of ice hockey is one of the most confusing
to understand, hardest to play, and it of the most unknown origins
of any professional sport played in America. (BI) For the
majority of people who gaze upon a hockey game it appears to be
an unorganized mess of skating; however, the sport of hockey is
very intricate. The rules and the skills of skating and puck handling
take kids most of their childhood to develop. The origins of the
sport of ice hockey are also unknown, but can be traced back to
the creation of ice skates, far before the times of Christ in Europe.
The game of Bandy is considered the earliest forefather of modern
ice hockey, and was played in the late 1700’s in Europe and
Russia. (TS) The sport of ice hockey is the most misunderstood
professional sport played in America because of its intricacies and
cost it is often overlooked by the general population.
THE
CONCLUSION
Conclusion Overview
• conveys the overall message
• more than a summary of ideas
• Integrate (combine) the ideas to make
it easier for the reader to see the "big
picture" that reflects the ideas in the
essay
• help the reader to see the true value of
the ideas in the essay
Conclusion
• Although no actual new information is usually
introduced in the concluding paragraphs, the
conclusion is the only "original" contribution
you offer in your paper.
• It manifests the value of your research as
well as your understanding of the material
that you have presented.
• It should be a strong recapitulation of your
major ideas.
Conclusion
• Restate your thesis and show what the
material you have presented adds up
to.
• Analyze and evaluate your main points
for your reader; consider the
consequences and general implications
of them to your conclusion.
Ways to Conclude
• Most Common: refer back to your introduction
• Next Common: summarize your main points
• if you use this method then be sure to make your
summary interesting
• AVOID a simple list of points
• Present a bold statement that takes your topic to a
deeper meaning and state the overall importance of
what you have said in your paper.
• Restate what you have found, acknowledge that
there is more to be explored on the topic and briefly
describe the issues that remain.
Conclusion Example
(Paraphrase/Reminder)Barack
Obama is an incredibly interesting,
intriguing, and well-rounded man.
(Analysis of Ideas) He faced
adversity while trying to achieve his
dream of becoming the president, yet
he persevered to achieve great things.
(Final Impression)Many people
doubted Obama’s vision, but he has
proven many people wrong. Barack
Obama has carved his place in history
as a great leader of this country.
Conclusion Example 2
"Frank Herbert, Mervyn Peake, Tolkien, E. R.
Eddison, Stephen King, Ursula K. Le Guin, and
Evangeline Walton… All of them influenced my
approach to storytelling or my actual prose style"
(Rose). (Rephrase/Reminder)Paolini's above
quote rings true for most fantasy authors today.
(Analysis of Ideas) Story ideas tracing back to
The Odyssey and Beowulf have merely been retold
as the genre has evolved. The recycling process is
highly evident with magic in literature. Authors
tend to derive their magic systems from other
stories, so magic "works" in similar ways in all
fantasy literature. (Final Impression) New
stories will be written, but these old characteristics
will remain present in the genre.
Introduction
When a cell phone goes off in
a classroom or at a concert, we are
irritated, but at least our lives are not
endangered. When we are on the road,
however, irresponsible cell phone users
are more than irritating: They are
putting our lives at risk. Many of us
have witnessed drivers so distracted by
dialing and chatting that they resemble
drunk drivers, weaving between lanes,
for example, or nearly running down
pedestrians in crosswalks. A number of
bills to regulate use of cell phones on
the road have been introduced in state
legislatures, and the time has come to
push for their passage. Regulation is
needed because drivers using phones
are seriously impaired and because
laws on negligent and reckless driving
are not sufficient to punish offenders.
Conclusion
Because of mounting public
awareness of the dangers of drivers
distracted by phones, state legislators
must begin to take the problem
seriously. “It’s definitely an issue that is
gaining steam around the country,”
says Matt Sundeen of the National
Conference of State Legislatures (qtd.
in Layton C9). Lon Anderson of the
American Automobile Association
agrees: “There is momentum building,”
he says, to pass laws (qtd. in Layton
C9). The time has come for states to
adopt legislation restricting the use of
cell phones in moving vehicles.
Introduction
As the Internet has become an
integral tool of businesses, company
policies on Internet usage have become as
common as policies regarding vacation days
or sexual harassment. A 2005 study by the
American Management Association and
ePolicy Institute found that 76% of
companies monitor employees’ use of the
Web, and the number of companies that
block employees’ access to certain Web
sites has increased 27% since 2001 (1).
Unlike other company rules, however,
Internet usage policies often include
language authorizing companies to secretly
monitor their employees, a practice that
raises questions about rights in the
workplace. Although companies often have
legitimate concerns that lead them to
monitor employees’ Internet usage—from
expensive security breaches to reduced
productivity—the benefits of electronic
surveillance are outweighed by its costs to
employees’ privacy and autonomy.
Conclusion
Employees’ right to privacy and
autonomy in the workplace, however, remains a
murky area of the law. Although evaluating where
to draw the line between employee rights and
employer powers is often a duty that falls to the
judicial system, the courts have shown little
willingness to intrude on employers’ exercise of
control over their computer networks. Federal law
provides few guidelines related to online
monitoring of employees, and only Connecticut
and Delaware require companies to disclose this
type of surveillance to employees (Tam et al.). “It
is unlikely that we will see a legally guaranteed
zone of privacy in the American workplace,”
predicts Kesan (293). This reality leaves
employees and employers to sort the potential
risks and benefits of technology in contract
agreements and terms of employment. With
continuing advances in technology, protecting
both employers and employees will require
greater awareness of these programs, better
disclosure to employees, and a more public
discussion about what types of protections are
necessary to guard individual freedoms in the
wired workplace.