Multi-genre Research Project Checklist: ____ Read one novel or non-fiction ____ Research tutorial ____ 3 - 5 research sources

(novels, biographies, news accounts, etc) ____ Bound Project with all appropriate genres/materials (see guidelines below) y Introduction Paragraph y Short Research Question Essay y Print Genre y Visual Genre y Annotate bibliography ____ Presentation Introduction What is a multi-genre research paper? Why should I write one? Tom Romano, a well-respected educator and the founder of the multi-genre research paper says this: Multi-genre papers recognize that there are many ways to see the world, many ways to show others what we see. While the traditional research paper asks you to pick a topic, do some research, and write a report on what you learn, a multi-genre paper asks you to: 1. Select a topic 2. Research your topic 3. Choose which genres you want to use to best show what you have learned Umm can you give me an example? Many of you have probably recognized that The Things They Carried is a fractured narrative. It is a book about Vietnam an about the war, but it is also about love, friendship, revence, cowardice, courage, bravery, mortality, loyalty, fear, and death. This book is about story-telling because, Like OBrien write, The thing about a story is that you dream it as you tell it, hoping that others might dream along with you, and in this way memory and imagination and language combine to make spirits in the head (230). Your multi-genre paper is an opportunity for you to share your research in a way that best communicates the story you are telling. The most important thing about a multi-genre paper is that it establishes a clear thesis. You might start by answering questions like the ones below: ** These questions go with the novel, The Things They Carried, by Tim OBrien. You may choose another novel and come up with your own research question. 1. Why did the United States institude a draft for the Vietnam War? 2. Did the United States have the right to wage war on the Vietnamese? 3. Why did so many people protest the Vietnam War? 4. How has PTSD (post traumatic stress didorder) impacted the lives of Vietnam War vets? 5. How did guerilla warfare impact the Vietnam War? 6. How did the terrain affect the Vietnam War?

7. What idd it mean to be a conscientious objector to the war? 8. What role did women play in the Vietnam War? Step 1: Choose a subject/book that interests you. See the list of books to consider on the following page. As you read, narrow your questions down to one research question. Example: George Orwell, 1984 How did George Orwells experiences influence his writings about government? Tim Obrien, The Things They Carried What were the medical facilities of like for the soldiers in Vietnam?

Step 2: Preparation for Research Okay, so I picked the question I want to write about. Now what? You will soon begin researching your question and will be expected to be familiar with proper research procedures. In order to do this, you must choose reliable sources, and credit those sources appropriately using MLA format for the bibliograpny and parenthetical citations. You will be graded not only on your multi-genre research project, but also on the appropriateness of the sources you choose and your use of these sources. Complete the brief tutorials below BEFORE you start your research: Evalutating websties as reliable sources: http//library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/webevaluation/ Crediting sources properly to avoid plagiarism: http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism

Step 3: Begin your research Locate and evaluate 3 5 sources (electronic AND print) and complete a 100-word annotated bibliography for each source. You can search Newsbank, US News and World Report, Newsweek, Harpers, The New Yorker, Time, or eBooks. You may also consult internet news sources such as National Public Radio (http://www.npr.org) or New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com). Please ask your facilitator if you need help with this step! Annotations for your research sources should include: y Type/Format of soruce (encyclopedia, website, book, etc..) y Scope and/or purpose of the information presented by source y Evaluation of the reliability of the source y Evaluation of the usefulness of the source for your purposes.

Step 4: Write a short (250 Word) essay connecting the book you read with your research question/thesis statement. Your essay should include the following: y 2-3 sentences that summarize the content of the work y 2-3 sentences that discuss the works historical context, setting, author, and style of the work. y 1-2 sentences that discuss the theme and/or purpose of the work. y Textual evidence (quotes) from the book and from your research. Step 5: Genre Study Once you have completed your research, you will decide which genres you will use to communicate what you have learned. One of your pieces must represent either the Visual and Words genre or the Visual Display genre. This could be any one of the following: Visual with Words Poster Advertisement Travel Brochure Cartoon/Comic Film CD Cover Photographic Essay Visual Display Original Picture (drawing, painting, photograph) Metaphorical Map Graph Sculpture

y y y y y y y

y y y y

The other piece must represent the Pring Media Genre, the Informational genre, or the Creative Writing genre. So this could be any of the following: Print Media Newspaper Article Obituary Editorial Letter to the Editor Advice Column Police report Magazine Article Police Report Campaign Speech Monologue Informational Interview Survey Timeline Resume Procedure Creative Writing y One-act play y Screenplay y Song y Poem y Short story y Letter y Diary entry y Fable y Recipe

y y y y y y y y y y

y y y y y

Memoir

Step 6: Write an Introduction. Introduce your project with a short paragraph that explains what your topic is, why you chose it, and why you chose to represent what you learned in these specific genres.

Step 7: What will my project look like? y y y y y Page 1: Introduction to topic Page 2: 250 word essay Page 3: Visual Piece Page 4: Print Media, Informational, or Creative Writing Page 5: Annotated bibliographies (3 sources including citations and 100-word response as well as an annotated bibliography on the novel/book you read).

Step 8: Presentation Give a brief (5-7 minute) presentation on your multi-genre research project to at least three of your peers. Offer your peers the opportunity to ask questions and make comments (Yes, your presentation notes/outline will be turned in for a grade.) Step 9: Turn in everything! Submission Checklist: ___ Bound Multi-Genre Research Project (intro, essay, visual and written genres, annotated bibliography) ___ Presentation Notes Multi-Genre Research Project; Book Options Books for Consideration Fiction Title Author Call Number 1984 George Orwell F ORW Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury F BRA The Martian Chronicles Ray Bradbury F BRA The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini F HOS A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Sijie Dai F DAI The Children of Men P.D. James F JAM The Handmaids Tale Margaret Atwood F ATW The Stranger Albert Camus F Cam The Things they Carried Tim Obrien F OBR Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe F ACH

The Metamorphosis In the Time of the Butterflies Bronx masquerade Farewell to Manzanar The Namesake Midnights Children The Satanic Verses Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Life of Pi The Book Thief Everything is Illuminated The Brief and wonderful life of Oscar Wao Sold The Help Nonfiction Title Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs The Omnivores Dilemma Freakonomics Super Freakonomics Three Cups of Tea Reading Lolita in Tehran Fast Food Nation Nickel and Dimed In Defense of Food Cant Buy My Love Mountains Beyond Mountains A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer The Good Body

Franz Kafka Julia Alvarez Nikki Grimes Jeanne Wakatsuki Houtson Jhumpa Lahiri Salman Rushdie Salman Rushdie Jonathan Safran Foer Yann Martel Markus Zusak Jonathan Safran Foer James Faerron Patricia McCormick Kathryn Stockett Author Chuck Klosterman Michael Pollan Stephen J. Dubner Stephen J. Dubner Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin Azar Nafisi Eric Schlosser Barbara Ehrenreich Michael Pollan Jean Kilbourne Tracy Kidder Eve Ensler Eve Ensler

F KAF F ALV F GRI 940.54 HOU

Call Number

Congratulations! See your facilititator for your final exam! You made it!