Cumberland High School

English 4H – World Literature

Anzaldi
Semester 2 Research Project

World Literature Research Project Topics and Guidelines

Choose one topic to research and present to the class. This project will serve as the teacher
chosen portfolio task for Semester 2. Final Report is due April 29, 2011. Presentations will
begin Monday May 2, 2011.

1) Author Study.

Select a world author author that we have not studied in class this year, and
read a representative sampling of the writer’s works. You must read at least 2
but not more than 3 full length works of literary fiction or non-fiction, (not
best-sellers, or popular fiction), by your selected author. If your chosen author
is a poet, you must read at least 15 poems spanning the author’s career. (Each
work you read counts as 1 source in your bibliography). You will keep a
reading log, which will be checked weekly throughout the process.

For this topic, you will complete the following:

A.) A one page summarized biography of your writer.

B.) A one-page summary of the works read.
C.) Read at least two literary criticisms of works read. These can be scholarly
articles in a Literary Journal, essays, or articles from a credible online source.
D.) Write original criticism of 3-5 pages from one critical perspective (e.g.
social, historical, Marxist, Post colonialist, Post modern, psychoanalytical,
reader response etc.)
Cumberland High School
English 4H – World Literature
Anzaldi
Semester 2 Research Project

E.) Present a 5-8 minute presentation with an identified audience to request

inclusion of this writer in the required curriculum.
F.) Complete an annotated bibliography according to MLA guidelines

2.) Post-Colonialism

Choose a cultural group or society subjected to prolonged colonization, and

research the contributions that this group has made to the global literary
canon.

For this topic, you will complete the following:

A) Write a research paper of 5-7 pages on the history and contribution of the
group with an eye to how colonialism affected the group’s literary identity.

B) Read at least 2 but not more than 3 full-length works of literary fiction or
non-fiction, (not best-sellers, or popular fiction), by two major authors within
your chosen group, (that’s at least 1 book for each author/counts as 1 source
in your bibliography). You should read enough to obtain a fair perspective on
the lives of the people in this group. You will keep a reading log, which will be
checked weekly throughout the process. You should be able to identify and
present the major literary contributions of this people to the global literary
canon being cognizant of the inclusion or exclusion of this culture’s literature
in the traditional Western literary canon.

This information will be combined with your research on your group to be

included in your presentation.

C) Prepare a 5 -8 minute multimedia presentation for the class, which will

include information from the above research. At least part of this presentation
should be given on PowerPoint. Presentations should have a focus on the
history of literature written and/or oral, and the effect of
Cumberland High School
English 4H – World Literature
Anzaldi
Semester 2 Research Project

Colonialism upon it. You may include the customs, music, and traditions of the
people.

D) Complete an annotated bibliography according to MLA guidelines

3) Themes and Issues in World Literature

For this topic, you will complete the following:

A) Create a timeline that traces the history and publication of an important

piece of literature relevant to a theme or issue that we have discussed in class
this year, (e.g. injustice, inhumanity, truth, power/powerlessness, oppression –
class, race, gender etc.).
B) Write a position paper of 5-7 pages that identifies the issue as one being
significant to global culture.
C) Include in your paper, an analysis of at least 2 but not more than three
works of literary fiction or non-fiction, (not best-sellers, or popular fiction) that
explore the theme and/or issue. (each work counts as 1 source in your
bibliography). You will keep a reading log, which will be checked weekly
throughout the process. One of these must be the work you have chosen as
your Timeline piece.
D) Graphically display your timeline to the class and explain the context of
your chosen literary work. Include in this presentation how elements from
your timeline impacted the works and themes discussed in your analysis.
E) Complete an annotated bibliography according to MLA guidelines.
Cumberland High School
English 4H – World Literature
Anzaldi
Semester 2 Research Project

Technical Requirements

 Put your name, Teacher’s name, Class Name, and Date

in the upper left corner of the first page. This is followed by the title of the paper,
centered on the page, followed by the paper itself. Do not attach a separate cover
page.

 5 -7 double-spaced pages, (not including bibliography)

 12-pt type, Times New Roman, or Arial font– not bolded, one-inch margins all around.

 Author’s last name and page # in upper right corner

 Parenthetical Notes conform to MLA style guidelines for a Research Paper.

 Annotated Bibliography conforms to MLA style guidelines for a research paper.

 5-7 Sources, both primary, and secondary are required.

 Reading logs (5pts) will contain book title, page number read, and one paragraph
summary of content. Logs will be checked every Friday at the start of class.

 Notes (5 pts) to be arranged and stored as an electronic file. These will be collected
with your drafts:

• Research Notes

• Bibliography Notes

• Outline

• Rough Draft

Mechanics

 Author has completed spell-check and has carefully proofread the paper for spelling and
typing errors, as well as awkward and incorrect sentence structure. There are no errors
in standard English usage, punctuation, or spelling.

 Content of the paper, bibliography, and notes reflect an appropriate use of both primary
Cumberland High School
English 4H – World Literature
Anzaldi
Semester 2 Research Project

and secondary sources to support the author’s thesis and develop his/her main idea.

 Thesis – The paper has a clear, original, and significant thesis statement and
introductory paragraph.

 Introduction – The paper has a clear introduction that puts the topic of the paper in
context and includes the thesis statement.

 Paragraphs are well organized to present evidence and interpretation supporting the
thesis in a logical, coherent fashion.

 Paragraphs are linked with transitions and summary statements.

 Research cited (evidence) is thorough and supports the thesis.

 Anticipated objections to the thesis or argument are addressed.

 Primary and secondary sources are interpreted carefully.

 Quotations are used selectively and appropriately.

 Author uses the active instead of passive voice as much as possible.

 Word choice is careful and appropriate.

 Tone of the paper is appropriate for the subject and the audience.

 Paper will be graded using the CHS Research Report Rubric

Plagiarism and Academic Honesty

The Research Paper/Project should be the student’s own work, written specifically for
an honors level English class. Plagiarism “is simply unacknowledged copying,” from
someone else or even from oneself. All sources used in writing the paper must be
properly cited according to current MLA guidelines. If a student uses words that are
not his or her own, those words must appear in quotation marks. A student who
engages in plagiarism or any other dishonest practice to write his or her paper will be
given an automatic zero for the assignment.

Research Guidelines: Notetaking

Cumberland High School
English 4H – World Literature
Anzaldi
Semester 2 Research Project

DEFINITION

Notetaking is an indispensable part of writing a documented essay or research paper. Your

notes record information from the sources that you will use in writing your paper. Therefore, it
is necessary to critically evaluate the texts or articles you are reading and to make reasonable
choices about what will and will not be useful for your paper. Otherwise, you will overload
yourself with information and spend too much time sifting through notes. If there is an entire
page in a book or article that you really need, it would be better to make a copy of it.

To take effective notes, you must do the following:

1. Understand the information. Before you can use information, you must understand it.
Taking notes is a good way to develop your knowledge and comprehension of a subject;
it is not just a mechanical process of recording data. Reading a source, making decisions
about what is useful for your essay, and keeping an electronic file of well organized notes
will encourage you to think more deeply about what you are reading as well as how it
relates to the subject of your research.
2. Select the information: The information to be used in a paper must be gathered from a
variety of sources, which also, most likely, contain much information not necessarily
relevant to your topic. Therefore, when you take notes, you must sort out the material you
need from other information surrounding it in the text.
3. Record the information: To efficiently use the information in your sources, you must
record it in such a way that it can be easily sorted, reorganized, and incorporated into
your paper. This means that you should choose a style of recording that best suits you and
that lists all necessary information-- title, author, publisher, etc., which you will need
later for your bibliography.

COMMON ERRORS TO AVOID

1. The most common and most serious error students make in taking notes is to copy the
wording of the source directly, either word-for-word or with minor changes. This not
only prevents students failing processing the information fully in their own minds, but
also encourages plagiarism since the notes find their way into the paper. The best way to
avoid this is not to look at your source as you write your notes. That way you will be sure
to use your own words.
Cumberland High School
English 4H – World Literature
Anzaldi
Semester 2 Research Project

2. Including too much detail in notes slows you down. If you are doing this, you are not
distinguishing between significant and insignificant information. Notes are meant to be
concise!
3. Direct quotations should be used only when you have a special purpose. If you use a
direct quotation, copy it accurately!
4. Remember to include page numbers in your notes. Otherwise, you will have to spend
valuable time returning to the sources to find page numbers, and you will leave yourself
open to error.

Deliverables (4pts each)

Month Day Assignment

February Th 10 Topic Choice/Author
Approval
February Th 17 Bibliography Draft Due
(must contain at least
five preliminary
sources)
March Th 3 Thesis Statement and
Title Due
March Th 10 Outline with Supporting
Evidence Topics Due
March T h 24 First 3 pages draft
Due(typed and printed)
March T h 31 Pages 4 -6 due (draft,
typed and printed)
April T 5 Peer Review First
complete draft
Th 6 First draft due Turnit in
April Mon 11 First Draft returned with
comments in pdf format
April Fri 29 FINAL DRAFT DUE,
incl. a file containing all
evidence of research
(Presentations Begin
process. (notes)
May 2)