Review all of the TED Talks in your group. Leave your comments in your TED Talk group folder in Google Drive. Follow the instructions given in chat.
Task 2: Draft the Research Paper
Using the outline you generated earlier, you will begin drafting your research paper. As a reminder, your final paper will be assessed on this rubric. Remember, the focus of your research paper will probably be different from the TED Talk script. The two pieces have different purposes and thus different writing styles. Do NOT try to repeat your TED Talk here. Certainly, some of the evidence may be the same, but you will write about it differently.
Step 1: Write the introduction.
Just like in other forms of writing, the introduction of the research paper should:
● Engage the reader
● Set the tone, or show the writer’s attitude toward the topic
● Clearly communicate the topic of the paper
● Include specific context and background information relevant for your topic
● Establish an argument through a debatable thesis statement
For additional resources on writing introductions see:
● Strategies from NOVA
● Strategies from George Mason University Writing Center: Writing Your First Sentence and Introductions and Conclusions for Humanities Papers
Please note that you will likely revise your introduction many times throughout the writing process. It is very hard to write a good introduction before knowing what the body of the essay says. Therefore, plan to revisit your introduction after you write the body to ensure that the two align.
Step 2: Write the body of the paper.
The body of a research paper requires the application of several writing skills, most of which we have utilized all year. Remember, the purpose of your body paragraphs is to develop and support the thesis. To do so, each paragraph will contain:
● Assertions/claims: topic sentences should reflect back to your thesis, further proving your central argument
● Evidence/quotations: quotations from the sources you researched support the claims you are making. All evidence including paraphrased, summarized, and quoted material must be properly cited using MLA format.
● Analysis/commentary: your insight, inferences, and conclusions about the topic, and in particular, how your evidence supports your assertions and claims
Each body paragraph will:
● Develop the thesis with sophisticated claims
● Clarify and defend the position with compelling and insightful evidence
● Analyze each main point of the argument
● Sustains focus on the central position (thesis)
