Alejandra Martinez

ENGL 1302-101

Dr. Sharity Nelson

3 December 2022

Helpful Classroom Activities

BEAM Practice Chart

Article Citation Background Exhibit Argument

De La Piedra and Araujo
What materials / sources
are providing
background in this
article? List those
materials and provide
quoted evidence as
examples next to those
materials:
What materials are
providing specific
examples / data in this
article?
List those materials and
provide quoted evidence
as examples next to those
materials:
What materials / sou
are providing contex
the scholarly
conversation (which
extended argumenta
discussion)?
List those materials
provide quoted evide
as examples next to t
materials:

1302 Research Papers Basic Outlines

Essay 1 Research Paper with a Personal Experiment

I) Title
a. identifies the topic the paper will explore, shaped to fit the genre
II) Introduction
a. reviews the available research on the topic (peer-reviewed articles that have research findings
that support personal experiment findings) in order to place experimental findings in context
with the current research (meaning the introduction connects the research question for the
personal experiment to the findings of others)
b. presents thesis statement that is clear and direct in response to the research question; or a
hypothesis
III) Methods
a. explains the experiment, stating the materials used and the experiment design
IV) Results
a. reports experiment findings and analyzes those findings by describing trends, patterns,
relationships, etc.
V) Discussion
 a. explains why the experiment findings are significant and how they add knowledge to the field,
citing existing research (peer-reviewed articles)
VI) Works Cited
a. lists references for sources cited in the paper

Essay 2 Research Analysis

I. Title
a. identifies the topic the paper will explore, shaped to fit the genre
II. Introduction
a. summarizes the research on the topic (peer-reviewed articles)
b. narrows topic so that it only focuses on the perspectives that will be provided in the essay, that
will be synthesized in the essay
c. presents thesis statement that is clear and direct, a claim that describes the sub-topics of the
chosen topic that will be the focus in the essay
III. Body
a. divided into sub-points, each section focuses on only that sub-point but connects to the other
sub-points as well as the overall thesis statement, with appropriate section headers
IV. Conclusion
a. reviews the essay’s major sub-points and thesis statement, addresses the significance of the
multiple perspectives on the topic, and tells readers what they should do with the knowledge
given to them
V. Works Cited
a. lists references for sources cited in the paper

Essay 3 Researched Position (Argument)

I. Title
a. identifies the topic the paper will explore, shaped to fit the genre
II. Introduction
a. gives background / context on the topic from peer-reviewed articles
b. narrows the topic to focus on your position
c. presents thesis statement that is clear and direct, a claim about the topic that will be the focus in
the essay (e.g. “This paper argues that …”)
d. concludes with a methodology that previews (outlines) how the body of the essay will prove the
thesis statement (e.g. “This paper first examines … to establish …. Next this paper demonstrates
that….”)
III. Body
a. divided into sub-points that are sub-claims of the thesis statement, each section focuses on only
that sub-point but connects to the other sub-points as well as the overall thesis statement, with
appropriate section headers
b. supports sub-claims with evidence & ideas from peer reviewed articles
c. addresses counter-arguments to major sub-claims (from peer reviewed articles)
IV. Conclusion
a. reviews the essay’s major sub-points and thesis statement, addresses the significance of your
position / stance, and tells readers what they should do with the knowledge given to them
V. Works Cited
a. lists references for sources cited in the paper
Paragraph Structure Worksheet

Controlling idea:

Taylor Swift cannot be regarded as a feminist vocal artist because she has cultivated a brand image over
the course of her career that reinforces and promotes sexist stereotypes about women.

Sample Paragraph:

[1] In the song “You Belong with Me,” Swift portrays women as weak and fragile, which reinforces sexist
stereotypes such as those that insist that a woman requires a man’s attentions to be considered a valuable person.
[2] To set the scene, Swift sings from the first-person perspective of a girl who is secretly in love with her male
friend, who is himself dating another girl. [3] The lyrics narrate the singer’s frustration, detailing moments of
intimacy between her and her friend that serve to fuel her love for him and cause her to pine for his love in return.
[4] At one point she laments that while her friend’s stylish and popular girlfriend receives all of his misdirected
affection, she sits at the periphery of his attentions, all but forgotten despite their closeness:
[5] But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts
She’s Cheer Captain and I’m on the bleachers
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time. (ll. 7-10)
[6] These lines emphasize the singer’s vulnerable position on the outskirts of the student community. [7] She is
represented as sitting in the bleachers, which indicates her unimportant status. [8] Her friend, the one who is
supposed to attend to her emotional needs and act as a buffer against the apparent shame of anonymity, neglects
her for his girlfriend. [9] Reference to the girlfriend’s “short skirts” emphasizes her inappropriate and attention-
seeking behavior through sexy dress, which highlights the contrast with the singer’s modest dress (“T-shirts”) and
suggests the singer’s superior morality and, thus, personal value. [10] The lines also reference the singer’s
passivity, her inability to take action to fulfill her desires. [11] The singer can only hope, by “dreaming,” that her
friend will suddenly realize his love for her (“what you’re looking for”). [12] Though it creates frustration for her,
the singer’s passivity is represented as noble. [13] Following the logic of the song, it can be presumed that once the
friend realizes his love for the singer, he will rescue them both from the misery of true love separated and protect
her through the vigilance of his constant loving attention. [14] Ultimately, in representing the girl as admirably
faithful to her secret love (both the state and the boy), the lyrics of this song reproduce and reaffirm notions that a
worthy (i.e. desirable) woman is passive and fragile and in need of the undivided attentions and protection of a
male suitor.

Practice identifying each part of the following paragraph. Give the number of the sentence(s) that matches the
category.

 Topic Sentence
 Conclusion Sentence
 Evidence
 Evidence Analysis
 Evidence Introduction
 Quotation Paraphrase