Thanks so much for all of the people who gave me great input on
research for AP English 12.
Here is my initial target:
> Can you help me? I have a first year AP English teacher in who
> would like to have her AP English students do a research paper. She
> is interested in hearing if other AP English teachers have their
> students do research papers, and if so, what topics or ideas they
> explore?
Responses are below:
How about collaborating with a teacher in another discipline, such as
science or history? Perhaps the paper can do double duty. Having
different classes really doesn't matter. The students who have anatomy
can write something for that class, and those taking physics can write
something for that one. The idea is that the science (or history, or
whatever) teacher will be reviewing the paper for the subject matter,
while the English teacher will be working with the mechanics.
It may be too late in the year to get this to work completely, but
might be something to put into the plans for next year. Also, the
finished product might not be just a research paper.
~~~~~
Yes, our AP teachers do have papers assigned. The juniors explore
American authors and the seniors British authors/Int'l authors. If you
so desire, I will fax you a copy of what they give me and you can pass
it on to your teacher. Papers are such a vital part of college life,
that our students praise the work of these teachers in preparing them.
Just send me your FAX number and I will get them off this morning.
~~~~~
YES!! Our AP students do research papers (and they should)! Our AP
English students choose a work of literature (classic) and explore a
literary aspect (satire, symbolism, irony, etc.).
~~~~~
In another life, I taught AP English. I got students to research
authors (of their choice). They were to read several different genres
written by that author, their lives and historic events during their
lifetimes that might have affected their writings, identify important
themes throughout the writer's ouvre (and provide evidence that these
themes were, in fact, pervasive) as well as analyze writing style, etc.
Since it is now, indeed, "another life" for me, I can't remember all the
specifics. I gave them LOTS of time (like a 9 week grading period or a
semester) but I was specific about the number of works they needed to
read/discuss and gave them lots of specific suggestions about what to
include. I also gave them a specific length for the paper
(Philosophically, I'm opposed to this, but realistically, could only get
really good results when I insisted they produce at least a certain
amount of writing (at least 5 or 7 pages I think).
Then I got them to present an edited version to the class.
Hope this helps!
~~~~~
Our dual enrollment english teacher does a huge research project. She
picks a book with a time period/theme and students pick one aspect to
do a presentation. For example, she did One Flew OVer the Cuckoos
nest whichis set in the 1960s. STduents then did presentations on
art, music, etc.
~~~~~
Our juniors write a career exploration paper, then do job shadowing.
Our senior students write a literary analysis paper including analysis
of the work, how the work was accepted at the time of publication,
more current review of the work, research on the author.
~~~~~
Yes, ours do. They do a wide range of topics depending on what the
class is. We have many that do world religions, a certain time period
in us history, famous world leaders, etc.
~~~~~
Controversial Issues
~~~~~
Our classes have always done English Research Papers.
10th grade does career papers
11th grade does assorted, approved topics
12th grade does Literary Criticism papers
~~~~~
We are working on a similar project in our 8th grade Advanced
Contemporary Literacy classes. The students are going to brainstorm
to select a topic in the following vein -
People or events that affected the world, or "led the way." - i.e.,
Rachel Carson, McCarthyism, Gandhi, U.S. moon landing, Apartheid,
Ansel Adams and his photography, skyscrapers, Industrial Revolution,
Andy Warhol and Pop Art, Dr. Seuss, Beethoven .
We will spend a class period doing what I call pre-search, just
browsing the materials in order to formulate good questions.
They will work through the process of developing 3-4 good questions
prior to beginning the research.
Cornell note taking will be used, a MLA bibliography.
They will define a simple thesis statement, organize an outline, and
develop a presentation.
~~~~~
Cynthia Gulden
Library Media Specialist
Tecumseh High School
New Carlisle, OH 45344
tl_cgulden@k12server.mveca.org
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