ESSAY AND THESIS WRITING
High School Course
Please note: This course presumes the student has a working knowledge of general essay writing. If the student has not already completed the English 1, 2, & 3 courses or a comparable language arts program, it is advisable to begin with the essay writing portion of those courses before beginning Essay and Thesis Writing.
PRIMARY SOURCES:
Part 1:
Writing a Historical Research Paper - [Patrick Rael, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students (Brunswick, ME: Bowdoin College, 2004).]
How to Devise a Researchable Question - choosing a good topic for your history research paper
Part 2:
Writing a Literary Analysis
Short Stories - a collection of stories that may be used to complete literary analysis paper
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Start Writing Essays - audio files availble on iTunes (free iTunes software required.)
Basic Tips for Writing a Literary Analysis Essay
Essay Info
Basic Guide to Essay Writing
Rhetoric and Composition textbook
A Guide for Writing Research Papers
A+ Research and Writing
How to Write College Research Papers
Writing Research Papers online flashcards - (Scroll down on page.)
Recommended Course of Study:
You will be writing two papers over the length of this course, a historical research paper and a literary analysis. Which order you complete the projects in is up to you. The literary analysis paper should take considerably less time than the historical essay, so plan accordingly.
For the historical research paper, begin with reading the Writing a Historical Research Paper guide. Next, select a topic/thesis and then follow the proper procedure for constructing your paper. (If you need, the additional resources provide extensive information on essay writing.) This paper should be approximately 15 - 20 pages or 4500 - 6000 words, typed, double-spaced, and include at least 10 cited sources. This should be an argumentative paper, as described in the guide. (If you are having trouble determining a topic for your paper, start with a simple web search for ideas.)
For the literary analysis, you will be selecting a short story and then following the assignment instructions from the Writing a Literary Analysis website.
It is critical that you have someone else read/grade/critique your work. If you are a homeschooler, one or both of your parents may fill this role. (Essay Evaluation Form). For adult learners, ask a friend, family, or co-worker. Even if he/she is not a college English professor, your reader can still use a Peer Evaluation Form to critique your writing.
High School Course
Please note: This course presumes the student has a working knowledge of general essay writing. If the student has not already completed the English 1, 2, & 3 courses or a comparable language arts program, it is advisable to begin with the essay writing portion of those courses before beginning Essay and Thesis Writing.
PRIMARY SOURCES:
Part 1:
Writing a Historical Research Paper - [Patrick Rael, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students (Brunswick, ME: Bowdoin College, 2004).]
How to Devise a Researchable Question - choosing a good topic for your history research paper
Part 2:
Writing a Literary Analysis
Short Stories - a collection of stories that may be used to complete literary analysis paper
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Start Writing Essays - audio files availble on iTunes (free iTunes software required.)
Basic Tips for Writing a Literary Analysis Essay
Essay Info
Basic Guide to Essay Writing
Rhetoric and Composition textbook
A Guide for Writing Research Papers
A+ Research and Writing
How to Write College Research Papers
Writing Research Papers online flashcards - (Scroll down on page.)
Recommended Course of Study:
You will be writing two papers over the length of this course, a historical research paper and a literary analysis. Which order you complete the projects in is up to you. The literary analysis paper should take considerably less time than the historical essay, so plan accordingly.
For the historical research paper, begin with reading the Writing a Historical Research Paper guide. Next, select a topic/thesis and then follow the proper procedure for constructing your paper. (If you need, the additional resources provide extensive information on essay writing.) This paper should be approximately 15 - 20 pages or 4500 - 6000 words, typed, double-spaced, and include at least 10 cited sources. This should be an argumentative paper, as described in the guide. (If you are having trouble determining a topic for your paper, start with a simple web search for ideas.)
For the literary analysis, you will be selecting a short story and then following the assignment instructions from the Writing a Literary Analysis website.
It is critical that you have someone else read/grade/critique your work. If you are a homeschooler, one or both of your parents may fill this role. (Essay Evaluation Form). For adult learners, ask a friend, family, or co-worker. Even if he/she is not a college English professor, your reader can still use a Peer Evaluation Form to critique your writing.
