Preparing to Turn in the Paper

This is what your heading and header should look like. (2nd and 6th period's date should be "22 April 2009" since that is the day the paper is due. 3rd period's date should be "23 April 2009")

Preparing the Final Draft

1. Give your paper a title that reflects your thesis. (Don’t be too vague)
2. Un-highlight all highlighted sentences if you haven’t done this yet.
3. Double check the following:
   □ 1” margins all around
   □ 12 point Times New Roman, black font (There should be no bolded or underlined text. Make sure the header’s font is correct.)
   □ Double-spacing (no more; no less)
   □ Paragraphs are properly indented
   □ MLA heading (see heading on this handout)
   □ MLA header (see header on this handout)
   □ Correct title, centered, after the heading (see title on this handout)
   □ Parenthetical citations match Works Cited entries
   □ Works Cited entries are in alphabetical order
   □ Website and publication titles are italicized
   □ Webpage and article titles are in quotation marks
   □ Other parts of the works cited entries are formatted correctly (dates, punctuation, etc.)


4. Check the word count, 500-700 words: highlight your introduction through conclusion. Go to the “tools” menu and click “word count.” (Your paper should be between 2 and 3 pages, not including the works cited page. 4 page is too much.)
5. Is your paper 5-7 paragraphs?
6. Direct Quotes: You must have at least 3 short quotes (less than 3 lines) and no more than 5 quotes. There should be no long quotes (more than 3 lines)
7. Thesis statement should be an opinion.
8. Cited information in paragraphs should come from more than one source.
9. All sources must be parenthetically cited in your paper.

Turning in Your Note Cards

Note cards are due with your final draft and folder. Put them in a ziplock or rubber band. (These will not be available to you; you must bring your own.) If your note cards are not held together by ziplock or rubber band, they will not be accepted. Note cards (minimum of 50) are worth a quiz grade.

Preparing the 3-Prong Folder (This folder is worth 1 quiz grade.)

Right Pocket: Put the following in order with (1) on top.
(1) Annotated Bibliography Practice
(2) What I Already Know (Part A), What I Want to Find Out (Part B).
(3) 7 Research Questions (narrowed down from Part B above)
(4) Source card handout (with 6 rectangles)
(5) “How to Create Bibliography / Works Cited Entries”
(6) Annotated Bibliography & corrections
(7) Outline brainstorming
(8) Copies of your 6 sources

Left Pocket: Put revised and edited rough drafts with Rough Draft #1 on top. (These drafts make up one major grade. You should have revision and editing marks on all drafts Rough Draft #4 and any subsequent drafts include a works cited page.)
(1) Rough Draft #1
(2) Rough Draft #2 (If you didn’t need to revise for first/second-person point of view, make a note on Rough Draft 2. You will not lose points for having 3 drafts.)
(3) Rough Draft #3
(4) Rough Draft #4
(5) Any additional drafts.

Prongs: Research paper handouts (14 of them) in the order they were received and any work you did for the paper that is not in the right or left pocket.

(1) The paper assignment (lime green sheet)
(2) Calendar
(3) Source packet (yellow)
(4) Article: “Many Americans Vexed by Spelling”
(5) Article: “Telling Their Stories” (about museum curators)
(6) Annotated Bibliography Instructions (with example)
(7) Note card handout (PowerPoint slide handout)
(8) 3 revision handouts
a. Revision Instructions
b. Highlighting text & finding 1st/2nd person point of view instructions
c. Peer Revision Handout,
(9) 3 editing handouts
a. Editing instructions
b. Transition words
c. Preparing the Works Cited Page
(10) Preparing the Final Draft instructions (this handout)