Welcome, students! This site has been created to support your work on the Senior English Research Project.
This project is designed to show you how using a methodical process for finding, organizing and incorporating information can make you more effective researchers. For this project you will do background reading on a social issue and take a position on that issue. You will then complete each step of the research process. Your final product will be an annotated bibliography and a poster that includes an outline, 4 sentences with embedded concrete d
etails, a chart and a photo or illustration.If you need a copy of the assignment, click here: Senior English Research Project.
If you need additional copies of the browsing log, topic proposal, or rubrics, click here: Forms & Rubrics.
Resources
Your research will only be as good as the resources you consult. The following is a list of quality resources:
Digital Resources
On LAUSD Digital Library, use:
Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context
This is a database that focuses on social issues. It provides information on many current topics and includes viewpoint essays, reference sources, statistics and more. This database is good for browsing and research.
EBSCO Student Research Center--High School
This a database that draws from a variety of sources: newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, radio and T.V. news and more. It covers a wide variety of topics, including social issues. This database is good for browsing and research.
EBSCO Magazines & Newspapers
This site allows users to search up to 9 different databases at the same time that include a wide variety of sources: newspapers, magazines, academic journals, public opinion polls, reference materials, and images. It covers a wide variety of topics, including social issues. This service is best once you already have an idea for a topic.
For guide to using these databases, click here: Using Databases for the Senior English Research Project
For a slide show on using the databases effectively, click here: Effective Sources and Searches
For news sources, try:
NPR: National Public Radio
This site provides covers national and world news. NPR frequently offers indepth features on interesting issues that are not covered elsewhere.
PBS NewsHour Extra
This is a news site geared towards students that offers coverage of national and world issues.
CPHS Library News Sources
Here you will find a variety of news sources that cover local, national and world events.
For another informative and interesting website, try:
Pew Internet Research
This site offers information on "the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping America and the world."
Print Resources
Listed below are reference sources that provide brief articles on many social issues. Beyond these resources, you may wish to browse the 300 section of the reference section for additional resources that focus on social issues.
The Psychology of Prejudice and DiscriminationRef 303.3 Psy
This set of books explores the roots and effects of prejudice and discrimination in the United States. It looks at discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion and more.
Social Issues in Science and Technology
Ref 303.48 Ame
This book provides information areas where advances in science and technology have raised new concerns for society.
Encyclopedia of the Environment and Society
Ref 304.2 Enc
This encyclopedia focuses on a wide variety of issues where the environment and human behavior intersect.
Reference Library of Hispanic America
Ref 305 His
This resource provides information on a wide range of aspects of Hispanic life and culture. It includes important events and issues related to law, politics, employment, education, religion, and business.
Women's Almanac
Ref 305.4 Wom
This resource provides information on issues related to women's rights, their role in society, family and religion.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Events
Ref 306.76 Gre
This encyclopedia provides information on important events in the establishment of rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Though its focus is historical, it provides sidebars explaining the significance of events in current contexts.
Gender Issues and Sexuality: Essential Primary Sources
Ref 306.76 Sci
This resource provides primary documents on issues related to women and gay lesbian and transgender people. It includes documents related to civil rights, health care, school, the workplace, the media and more.
Constitutional Rights Sourcebook
Ref 342.73
This book provides an overview of the United States Constitution and important court cases which have influenced how the constitution is interpreted. This resource would be useful for finding evidence to support an argument regarding Constitutional rights. It would also be useful for finding topics.
Human Rights in the United States
R 342.73
This resource provides both a dictionary of terms and a collection of documents related to the establishment of human rights in the United States. This book would be useful for framing arguments that certain groups' rights have been violated, particularly groups that are traditionally discriminated against or have little political power.
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution
R 342.73 Lev
This encyclopedia provides information on Constitutional issues: Supreme Court decisions that impact the interpretation of the Constitution as well a articles that provide overviews on what the Constitution says about particular issues.
Great American Court Cases
Ref 349.73 Gre
Though elected representatives create laws in the United States, it is the courts that interpret the laws and in part determine how laws are enforced. This encyclopedia describes major court cases and their impact on individual rights, criminal law, equal protection, family law, government and business.
Reference Library of Black America
Ref 973 Bla
This resource provides an overview of black culture in the United States and around the world. It covers civil rights, law, politics, employment, population, business, education, the family and more.
What's an Academic Source?
An academic source is an resource that has been evaluated by experts in the field for its accuracy (this is called "peer reviewed"). Typically, an academic source is a study, where the writer proposes a research question, sets up a survey or questionnaire or some other form of measure, conducts the study and reports on the results.
How do I find an Academic Source?Generally, academic sources are found only on databases or print journals. To find them on any of the databases, do an advanced search and select either "peer reviewed" or "scholarly article." Some of what you find may not be an actual study but will be from a peer-reviewed journal. We'll accept such source for this assignment.
If what you find is not a study, we highly recommend that you do find one: data is always persuasive. You may find studies that are not peer reviewed on the databases or do a Google search using Scholar or Wonder Wheel. Unless resources have been peer reviewed, they will NOT count as academic sources but do have value for your project.
How Do I Read an Academic Source?
These papers are typically very long and contain some information that is important only for college students and experts in the field. Instead of reading the whole thing, read selectively. The papers are headed, so scan the headings and be sure to read the following sections:
- Purpose or Introduction (This should be pretty short. You DON'T need to read the Literature Review)
- Research Questions
- Findings (Sometimes these are statistical and hard to follow. If so, just skim them.)
- Discussion
- Conclusion
Annotated BibliographyAn annotated bibliography lists the sources you cited in your project in MLA style, like a works cited page. In addition, after each citation, there is a SHORT description that includes the following in this order:
1. What makes the author authoritative
- Professor at a university
- Widely published expert
- If the author is an organization, the mission of that organization
- On articles, the author information is at the top or bottom
- In books, the information is in the first few pages
3. How it is relevant to your project
In addition, we are including an additional section for discarded sources. These are sources that meet the selection criteria, but in the end, you just didn't need (these are in addition to the 6 sources you cite). For the discarded sources, in your description, include the following:
1. The main idea or finding of the source
2. Why you did not use it
For an example of an annotated bibliography, click here: Annotated Bibliography.
MLA Style
For help with creating parenthetical citations and formating your bibliography, click here: Purdue OWL MLA Formatting and Style.
For the bibibliography, look at the menu on the left for instructions on the Works Cited page.
The Final Product
You will first create an outline with a hook, thesis statement, 3 to 4 topic sentences (one should address a counterclaim), and 6 to 10 concrete details for each topic sentence.
For an example of the outline, click here: Example Outline.
Next, you will create a poster that includes your hook, thesis, topic sentences, embedded concrete details, a chart and an illustration or photo (see your handout for specific details).
For an example of the final poster, click here: Example Poster.
To publish the poster, first arrange all your information on 1 power point slide and save it to a flash drive. Then take your slide to Fed Ex Office (formerly Kinko's) and ask them to create a 24 by 36 inch poster. It will cost $4.50 plus $.45 tax for grand total of $4.95.
The nearest Fed Ex Office is located at 21937 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. The phone number is 818-884-4465. They are open 24 hours a day.
