Example
Incorporating Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion,
Citations
Research
Writing
The
Research
Question
What is a common theme that I see in ALL the regions that we
studied?
Introduction
Example
Every time my Language Arts class starts studying a new region, I
realized that although there were differences in cultures, there also
seemed to be things I was encountering over and over. I know, of
course, that there are things common to all human experience, like
birth and death. I saw in my literature studies that there was also
conflict and relationships. So I asked myself, what is a common
theme that I see in ALL the regions that we studied? And you know
what? I realized that the struggle for freedom was something that I
saw in all the literature and all the cultures.
Introduction
Example
Every time my Language Arts class starts studying a new region, I
realized that although there were differences in cultures, there also
seemed to be things I was encountering over and over.
I know, of course, that there are things common to all human
experience, like birth and death. I saw in my literature studies that
there was also conflict and relationships.
So I asked myself, what is a common theme that I see in ALL the
regions that we studied?
And you know what? I realized that the struggle for freedom was
something that I saw in all the literature and all the cultures.
Hook!
What I
knew!
Research
Question!
Thesis!
Methods
Example
My Research Question took me back to the literature that we read
over the course of the class. First, I looked through all the pieces
that I had read, then sorted them by relevance to my theme. It was
difficult to have to sift through all of the readings again, and some
of the ones that I had chosen didn’t really help me in my search. I
was, however, able to find clear examples from all regions of study.
It was most effective for me to select pieces by using summaries of
them that I found online, so that I could determine if the theme I
needed was prevalent in it.
Methods
Example
My Research Question took me back to the literature that we read
over the course of the class. First, I looked through all the pieces
that I had read, then sorted them by relevance to my theme.
It was difficult to have to sift through all of the readings again, and
some of the ones that I had chosen didn’t really help me in my
search.
I was, however, able to find clear examples from all regions of study.
It was most effective for me to select pieces by using summaries of
them that I found online, so that I could determine if the theme I
needed was prevalent in it.
Approach!
Roadblocks!
Successes!
Evaluation!
Results
Example
And this is where it gets really good! My search wove me through the literature
with ease. In a lecture by Valladares, I found “One school of thought some years
ago was that a dialogue with Fidel Castro would somehow move the old dictator
and give way to democracy. I believe that any solution that puts in Castro's
hands the illusion of a change toward freedom is just that, an illusion. It would
be like putting in Hitler's hands a solution that would be respectful and
humanitarian for the Jewish people, or putting in the hands of racial extremists
the life of African Americans, or in the hands of Pol Pot and Ian Sari the
democratization of Cambodia.” The people of Cuba along with many, many
other Latin American peoples living under dictatorships or military states were
screaming for freedom from their rooftops. Or what about in Murakami’s After
Dark? Where the main character is stifled by cultural expectations, her future
predetermined by her parents. A different cry for freedom, but no less present
and powerful! Realizing that my idea might be right, I looked into the Russian
literature. I again found political oppression in Everyday Stalinism, “Soviet
citizens attempting to live ordinary lives were continually running up against the
state [1] in one of its multifarious aspects. Their lives were tossed around by
Communist policies; their tempers were tried on a daily basis by incompetent
and arbitrary officials, clerks, and salespeople, all working for the state. This was
the omnipresent context of Soviet everyday life; there was no way to live
without it.” Controlling entire lives? Not just one person’s future, but all people.
Finally, looking into the Middle East and Africa with Nelson Mandela’s Nobel
Speech, I found, “When that moment comes, we shall, together, rejoice in a
common victory over racism, apartheid and white minority rule. That triumph
will finally bring to a close a history of five hundred years of African colonization
that began with the establishment of the Portuguese empire.” Colonialism,
Racism, Segregation… such ugly words, so present in the history and present.
Note that I am being
suuuuper brief here
as it is just an
example! ☺
Results
Example
And this is where it gets really good! My search wove me through the
literature with ease. In a lecture by Valladares, I found “One school of
thought some years ago was that a dialogue with Fidel Castro would
somehow move the old dictator and give way to democracy. I believe
that any solution that puts in Castro's hands the illusion of a change
toward freedom is just that, an illusion. It would be like putting in
Hitler's hands a solution that would be respectful and humanitarian for
the Jewish people, or putting in the hands of racial extremists the life of
African Americans, or in the hands of Pol Pot and Ian Sari the
democratization of Cambodia.” The people of Cuba along with many,
many other Latin American peoples living under dictatorships or
military states were screaming for freedom from their rooftops.
Or what about in Murakami’s After Dark? Where the main character is
stifled by cultural expectations, her future predetermined by her
parents. A different cry for freedom, but no less present and powerful!
Realizing that my idea might be right, I looked into the Russian
literature. I again found political oppression in Everyday Stalinism,
“Soviet citizens attempting to live ordinary lives were continually
running up against the state [1] in one of its multifarious aspects. Their
lives were tossed around by Communist policies; their tempers were
tried on a daily basis by incompetent and arbitrary officials, clerks, and
salespeople, all working for the state. This was the omnipresent context
of Soviet everyday life; there was no way to live without it.” Controlling
entire lives? Not just one person’s future, but all people.
Finally, looking into the Middle East and Africa with Nelson Mandela’s
Nobel Speech, I found, “When that moment comes, we shall, together,
rejoice in a common victory over racism, apartheid and white minority
rule. That triumph will finally bring to a close a history of five hundred
years of African colonization that began with the establishment of the
Portuguese empire.” Colonialism, Racism, Segregation… such ugly
words, so present in the history and present.
Text
Evidence
from Latin
America!
Text
Evidence
from Asia!
Text
Evidence
from Russia!
Text
Evidence
from Africa
& Middle
East!
Discussion
Example
Can you see it? See what I saw? That ALL people struggle for
freedom. That “freedom”, as a concept, takes many forms. Almost
innumerable forms! The text examples that I found were not limited
to what I have given you. They were in ALL the texts that I looked at.
I understand now that it is human to struggle for freedom. Your
freedom will be different from mine. I think I have proved my thesis
that the struggle for freedom is present in all cultures, but I didn’t
realize the scope. That this is a human trait, I had missed. So, now
what? I need to pay attention. The struggles of others are no less
than my own and to see inside their struggle will provide me insight
into them and, well, me. What remains is for me to build my
awareness of the struggles that are in the world. To find my way,
what I believe in, what I can do to support others as I would want
them to support me.
Discussion
Example
Can you see it? See what I saw? That ALL people struggle for
freedom. That “freedom”, as a concept, takes many forms. Almost
innumerable forms! The text examples that I found were not limited
to what I have given you. They were in ALL the texts that I looked at.
I understand now that it is human to struggle for freedom. Your
freedom will be different from mine.
I think I have proved my thesis that the struggle for freedom is
present in all cultures, but I didn’t realize the scope. That this is a
human trait, I had missed.
So, now what? I need to pay attention. The struggles of others are
no less than my own and to see inside their struggle will provide me
insight into them and, well, me.
What remains is for me to build my awareness of the struggles that
are in the world. To find my way, what I believe in, what I can do to
support others as I would want them to support me.
Conclusions!
Applications
!
Analyzing!
Clarify!
Citations
Example
You will need your list of citations
for Ms. A at the end of the unit!
However, you will NOT read them
aloud during your Capstone!
No one wants to listen to that! Haha!
Assess your understanding…
What questions do you have?
Got it?
Carry on and
conquer this
task!
Not sure?
Contact Ms. A
for help!