Fifth Grade Research Report

Guidelines

Topic

It’s time for your fifth grade research paper! The United States is our topic, and each student gets to choose one state. Some of you will share a state and will need to also share books and other resources.

Requirements <— details

1. 1.    Final paper “body” should be 3-5 typed pages long, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 font. You will do your typing at school. The “body” includes a POPULATION PIE GRAPH and PRODUCT MAP inserted electronically within the paper.
   

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2. 2.    Your final paper should include these additional pages, not counted as part of the 3-5 “body” pages.
   

 

1. a. Title Page with PHYSICAL/POLITICAL MAP scanned and electronically inserted
   

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3. b.  Outline (rearranged according to the order you choose for presenting your information)
   

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5. c.  Bibliography (use Citation Machine) (how to use Citation Machine)
   

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3. 3.    You must use at least 3 sources and no more than 6. The three sources should be a BOOK, an ENCYCLOPEDIA (paper or electronic) and a WEBSITE.
   

 

4. 4.    NO plagiarism. When you copy a source and don't summarize in your own words, you are stealing. When you summarize without giving credit to your source, you are stealing. Be sure you give credit to your sources with a complete Bibliography. Plagiarism could result in an automatic zero.
   

 

5. 5.    Turn in everything you use throughout this process — prewriting notes, all drafts, outlines, everything.
   

 

Deadlines

TIP: PUT DUE DATES IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT JOURNAL. DATES WILL BE GIVEN IN CLASS AS WE GO ALONG.

 

Evaluation

Points 

10    In Class Progress (meeting Due dates)

24    Bibliography

24    Notecards

24    Outline

50    Rough Draft with Revising/Proofreading

50    Final Paper

182    points possible = A

 

18    Extra Credit (additional elements that add value to your project)

200     with extra credit = A+

 

What an A+ looks like

 

In Class Progress - You turn in everything on time or early.

  

Bibliography - You properly “give credit where credit is due,” citing your sources. You summarize in your own words and use direct quotes only occasionally to emphasize key points made by your sources.

 

Notecards -  You follow the guidelines given for card format, use own words to summarize information and ideas from three sources. You copy direct quotes when appropriate and use proper “quotation marks” to show that you are quoting your source directly.

 

Outline - Your outline organizes your ideas and information so you can write a rough draft directly from your outline and notecards only.

 

Rough Draft/Revised & Proofread - You write a double-spaced rough draft that follows the organization of your outline. Later, you revise and proofread to improve what you had in your original, and turn in BOTH so we can see your improvements. What counts is the improvement. The idea is to have your ideas clearly outlined and to sit down in one or two sessions to write your complete first draft. Later, you go back to revise and proofread. We will evaluate whether you followed this process. You should keep all drafts, revisions, corrections, etc. to turn in. NOTHING should be thrown out; everything should be turned in.

 

Final Paper - If all the earlier steps were followed carefully, your Final Draft will flow smoothly and you will develop your ideas clearly and convincingly.

 

Extra Credit - Any “extra” items you include should add value to the final paper.

 

 

Good luck! Have fun!

 

Mrs. Rhinehart • Mr. Schwan