“Though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t.” - Polonius in Hamlet This blog is for the reflections, thoughts, rants, and discussions of Mrs. Caldwell’s Senior English classes at Mountain Brook High School. Come and check out the madness. There is method to all of it, I assure you!
You have the preliminary packet with the bones of what is expected on the research paper. Use this post to ask additional questions that may not have been covered in class. These can be related to topics, requirements, deadlines, etc.
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This is going to be ridiculous. I feel like there is absolutely no way that we will be able to write this paper well in the amount of time that has been given. I understand that it’s not going to be easy on your part either but there has to be some way that we can extend the deadline. I think we need to use the library more in class, that way we will all be able to work hard and finish this paper on time.
Are we going to be able to meet with you personally and ask you about our paper? What is our topic outline going to look like? Do we need to put potential quotes on this? Have all of these topics that you gave us been used by students previously? Are we going to be able to talk in class with others that maybe are doing a similar topic?
Jim,
I understand your anxiety. I have done papers with classes in a shorter amount of time. This is your third research paper in high school. If you notice on the calendar, we have 4 work days during class. You can use this time on the laptops or going to the library on an individual basis. I feel that we will be able to complete this paper in the allotted time if we work in a focused manner.
Ginger,
After we finish Macbeth, there will be more time to discuss the paper. I will be available in the library and on the 4 writing days in class. Also, on other days when there is a piece of literature on the calendar, you will have opportunities to ask me questions. Finally, this blog and email are great tools for feedback. Your topic outline should not be any different than other outlines you have done. I do expect some quotes in it, but I don’t anticipate that you will have all of them. The topic choices have been used by students of mine and those of other teachers. You are free to talk with those who have your topic, although I do not want you working together. Feel free to share resources on the wiki so all may benefit.
Hey Mrs. Caldwell,
Is it possible for us to extend the research paper deadlines? I know, not likely. Although we do have 4 workdays it seems like a impossible task to get everything done ontime. Also, how specific does our working thesis thats due on friday need to be? Anyways, I do not think I have anymore questions for now so have a super day.
Deadlines are pretty firm, Frank. It is not impossible. The working thesis due next Friday needs to be a good stab at what you will use in your first draft. Use the format from the handouts I gave you today.
I have some concerns. The topic thing is getting to me; I thought it would be really interesting to do a topic on Macbeth that I saw on the list. However, I have to be honest. As we have been going over Macbeth in class, I do not seem to be following what is going on at all. The only time I know what is happening is after you translate it for us. Should I try to pick a topic in the first lists, or do you think that Macbeth may come a little easier to me as we progress?
I am confused about whether or not it is necessary to have read the entire work before we have a thesis due next week. Is it permissible to use spark notes to create our thesis? Do you think we are going to be able to understand Frankenstein or Macbeth on our own with no in class discussion before the thesis has to be determined?
I am worried about the time that we will have to write this paper. I dont understand how we are supposed to have a thesis by next week when we got the assignment yesterday. Are we supposed to create a thesis after reading only half of a book? I think that this is going to be very difficult to write this paper with such short deadlines.
Are there going to be enough topics to go around? Am i going to be able to finish all this by the deadlines? i am excited to find out..not really but i am excited about it being my last research paper in high school.
I would like to know if we can modify the topics a little bit in order to make the topic more appealing. It would make the paper easier to write if the subject was something that I had some interests in. Plus that makes research easier.
I am somewhat concerned because I think I might want to do a topic related to Macbeth. I plan to read ahead some and do preliminary research, but I’m worried that I will choose a topic that I don’t find suitable once we’ve completely finished reading the story. When do you plan on us having completed the entire story. also is Macbeth like beowulf and sir gawain in that our text book does not include the entire story, if so would i need to purchase an extended version?
Jodi,
Macbeth definitely gets easier as we progress. I encourage you to ask questions, but it may help for you to go online and read a summary of the act as we are covering it. I never read a Shakespeare work without Cliff’s Notes. It is almost impossible to get everything out of it the first time. Hopefully, it will get better.
Brooking,
I think it is perfectly acceptable to pick a topic before you complete the work. Any topic on the list should be workable for a paper. Also, you can go online and do some pre-research on the topic to get a feel for the information. Many times you can get ideas from summaries and commentaries then use the text for the support and analysis. I hope this helps.
Allie,
Many of you will have this experience next year in college. Essentially you are being given a week with your topic to explore and create a working thesis. That is not too much to ask. The pace is not going to kill you, I promise.
Matt,
You can definitely change the topic some. Just stay true to the heading and the idea of a literary analysis (not a biography or historical narrative).
Mary Evelyn,
The entire story of Macbeth is in the textbook. Also, my anticipated in-class completion date is 2/2. This is why you will need to read ahead and do some pre-research in Sparknotes or any other site that would provide and Act-by-Act commentary.
Is it a bad idea to pick a topic about Frankenstein? I don’t know how much I’ll have to work to read the entire book and have a decent thesis by next week. I think this is the most interesting topic so I’m willing to put forth more effort, but is it possible that we could have more classtime to work on this?
I am kind of confused on the whole picking the topic. You say the Frankenstein topics are the easiest, but why are they easiest? I was interested in doing the Biblical allusions in Beowulf. Would that be a hard topic, and if so why? I would rather do something that I have an interest to like the Biblical allusions but I want to make sure you think there is enough information to write a paper on that. If not I will resort to the Frankenstein, although I know it will require much more effort.
I am concerned that my topic is going to be very broad. Are we allowed the flexibility to alter our topics to something more specific? I also do not know what you expect with the outline. How detailed does it need to be? I am glad that we are having writing conferences with you. Is there going to be any time to talk to you before then to make sure we are going in the right direction?
I think that having a topic on something that we are going over in class makes this paper a lot more interesting. I know it will be very stressful trying to get everything done, but I feel like we will have a lot of time for researching our topic and exploring it more. I’m really pumped about not having a required number of notecards and other minor requirements.
I don’t see how we are going to be able to write the first rough draft in the given amount of time. I know we have a lot of work days, but still, it doesn’t seem possible. Every year we have had the majority of the nine weeks just for the first draft. Granted, it has been too long every other year, but it seems like now we are going to the opposite extreme.
Hey. I dont see how it is going to be possible to 1) actually be able to write a paper in this amount of time that is actually quality work and 2) write the page limit on some of the topics given. There are some topics that i would want to do, but I dont think there is anyway that i am going to be able to produce six pages on it. I realize that you will be gone when other classes will be here to work, but I am just worried that we won’t have time to really produce a good paper.
I know it is not fair to compare you to previous teachers, but my teacher last year crammed our research paper in and promised to read our 2nd drafts and give us feedback. She found that she did not have time to read all of them or answer any of our questions. I am wondering if you are going to have time to seriously review our drafts, for last year many of the things she said were okay in my draft she counted off for in the final paper. Just a concern
Stuart,
I hope you won’t need more classtime, but I am willing to answer any questions you have through email or even an online live discussion at night if needed. I would just have to say do some researching on the themes in Frankenstein and go from there.
Chuck,
If you are interested in the idea of the Bible and its influence, look into Biblical allusions and contradictions in Frankenstein. There is also a “playing God” theory to look at. It is up to you. No topic is easy unless you are willing to put in the research.
Natalie,
Your topic should be broad and you can focus it or change it as the process continues. Outline is more for your benefit than mine. I will give you a skeleton structure and you do the rest.
Tyler,
Welcome to college preparation. You have to focus your time and get it done. It should be a shorter time this year. You know how to research and have been through the process at least twice. You can do this!
I am very nervous about this paper. I have chosen a topic but I am still nervous that I am not going to be able to find sufficient information for a 6-9 page paper. I am also nervous about the help that you are going to give us. I know that your help with the last paper we wrote helped alot. The problem is with such a big paper I am really afraid that we are all going to need so much help that you might run out of time. I have had teachers in the past and I am not saying you are just like them at all, but they have said they will be there to help but start to fade out of the picture towards the end. I know I am just stressing really badly right now but I am afraid with the deadline there is not going to be much time. I guess I just would like to know if we are going to be able to talk to you before an official conference to make sure we are on track. I am also nervous becuase my topic is the one about the Seven Deadly Sins and I guess I am not sure what you are asking me to write about!
So, I have always hated research papers, but atleast we will have this completely done before fourth nine weeks. I really only have one question…Is there a minimum amount of internet sources we can have? Do we have to have an internet source, and I know that three is the maximum. Research papers are awful, but whatever….
I don’t know these questions were already asked…but I plan to do my research paper on Macbeth. I am worried that I won’t be able to read the entire play in time and understand it fully. I am also worried that I will not be able to find information on my topic in books and on internet sites. What if we can’t find a lot of information? I am not really worried about time like everyone else is, but it is the research that I am worried about.
I agree with everyone who has said that they think we need more time. I really do not believe that I can write a quality paper in so little time. Also, are you going to meet with us personally and help us? I know that my teacher last year did that during every work day and it helped a lot because she was able to let us know what we needed to work on little by little as we got deeper into the paper instead of giving us everything wrong with it at one time.
I am not exteremly concerned about it if you are able to respond to people like you have in this blog. I dislike when teachers can’t give advise or help when the feeling is that research has been done back and forth, but not there isn’t enough for the topic. You are probably going to have to push me (and everyone else), because we are normal second semester seniors. But I think I will get through this one like I did all the others. Are you going to go over with us citation cards, can we not do those, what is the format?
My main concern is being able to focus during class to work, since I have hardly any time outside of school to work on it. But I still dont think the research paper should be too difficult. Once I get past the procrastination stage it will probably flow pretty well… hopefully. I think I will be able to find enough information on my topic, and I am fairly interested in the topic I chose. However, please dont misunderstand me… I’m not actually excited about the paper. I’m just dealing with it.
Can we choose a topic that is not on the list, or are those our only options? More specifically, can we draw from a couple of different topics on the list to come to a single conclusion and thesis? I know that one of the most important parts of the research paper process is creating a workable thesis. It can not be too broad or too specific. That’s sometimes hard to properly achieve. Can we discuss thesis ideas with you early on, to make sure we are on the right track?
I have a few concerns related to the paper. The first is time. As everyone else has written it feels like we are cramming a lot of work in to a small amount of time…even though I know that we can do it!; I am just nervous that I won’t be able to give you my best work. Second; I am excited about my topic choice, but I was just wondering what is the latest that we can change topics and still pull it off? Just in case.
If we choose something that we haven’t fully covered yet like Macbeth or Frankenstein, is it going to be more difficult to write the paper than if we just chose one of the medieval literature topics? We’ve only just started to cover Macbeth and Frankenstein, so I don’t even know if I will have the right topic chosen. Also, if I choose to do a topic with Frankenstein, am I going to have to read it a lot faster than everyone else in order to write the paper on it?
Rebecca,
I will consider looking at the calendar and finding a couple of days where I can do more “conferencing” or I will set up something live online that will give me the opportunity to provide some feedback times for those interested. There are some great tools where you could send me your paper and we can collaborate online together. We will see how it goes next week with the thesis and go from there.
David,
Minimum amount of internet sources- No. Have none or up to three as long as you evaluate them and submit them and the forms on the 31st.
Meredith,
There have been years where I assigned everyone in all of my classes a topic on Macbeth and they all managed to find enough information even with several people having the same topic. It is a pretty popular and influential work. You should be ok.
i have read over all of the possible topics that we can write our paper on, and i must say that none of the topics are jumping out at me. i am leaning towards writing about the canterbury tales and the prologue of it. I feal that that is one of the pieces that i am the most familiar with. I am slightly concered with the amount of information that i am finding, or not finding, on the internet.
Ian,
I am glad to see a positive comment on the blog and its usefulness. No cards required. I will give you a handout and refresh you on MLA skills. You can make a working bibliography and that should be sufficient for the first draft.
Carol,
The list is not complete. As long as you find something that works within the headings I have provided and get it approved by me, you are good. We will talk more about thesis next week.
I don’t recommend changing topics after your working thesis is in.
Gordon,
That is exactly why I put some restrictions on those topics. You will have to take some initiative and read ahead or do some extra research to understand the basics before creating a thesis. It is not impossible, and not even that difficult. We will finish Act 1 tomorrow and be almost through Act 3 by next Friday. You will have a real understanding of the story. Check online summaries to get the nutshell version and make a thesis. Remember it will evolve and change as you research.
I was considering doing something from Macbeth or Frankenstein, but because we haven’t covered it I am worried I will be at a disadvantage. Is there any way that we could create our own topic that relates to the literature or are we restricted to the ones given to us? I also did not enjoy making hundreds of notecards and source cards. Is there another way that we can do it because I lost points last year forusing and incorrect form on them.
It is hard to pick out a topic from either Frankenstein or MacBeth because we have not gotten that deep yet. I know some other classes had quote quotas for their papers, do we? I know about the block quotes but I was curious about just regular quotes from our sources to help us do our analysis.
How definite is the thesis due on Friday? Can we alter the direction and examples or is it supposed to be a very close copy of the way our final paper will look?
This is going to take so much work! I am doing a topic on Macbeth. I was wondering how fast are we going to read through the ACTs? We just read the first one and still have four left. I guess I will have to read ahead. Its going to be a pain, but it should not be a problem.