Pre-Search Paper Guidelines

Pre-search Paper Assignment

The Cañon City High School Capstone Project is designed to validate a graduating student’s ability to show proficiency in English Language Arts and Mathematics, design and complete a project, educate others about the project through a formal presentation, and then reflect and assess their performance and learning. Students are encouraged to mine their interests and passions in order to identify a problem or issue in society they want to thoroughly research. This research will be the foundation for a capstone project that contributes to a solution.

The pre-search stage of the capstone project begins with the student asking an essential question related to a topic of their interest. The thesis of a student’s pre-search paper will be the student’s research-based answer to their essential question. The purpose of the pre-search paper is to allow students to thoroughly explore the essential question they have asked, and to gain essential background knowledge that will inform their capstone project.

The pre-search process will determine if there is a problem with the student’s topic selection and essential question. For instance, this process may help the student discover that they do not have the resources available to solve the problem or they may find the problem has been solved in other areas. If a student’s project or service is not solution-focused, the pre-search paper will generally describe the student’s project, focusing on definition, vocabulary surrounding the project, and how the product or service contributes to society.

The pre-search paper will follow the standards set forth by the CCHS English and Social Studies departments. The requirements, while available to students online, will also be introduced and taught to students during their junior US History Class. This assignment will be completed and graded within the first four weeks of the class.

Requirements:

1. Thesis: The pre-search paper will include an introduction that clearly states an essential question and a thesis statement.

2. Voice: Paper will be written in the third person voice

3. Graphics / Visuals: A minimum of two graphics or visuals, related to topic research must be included, explained, and cited within the paper.

4. Length: 800 words minimum / 1000 words maximum.

5. Font: 12 point Times New Roman.

6. Spacing: Double Space.

7. Headings, Margins, Citations, Pagination, In-text Citation: As per MLA guidelines

8. Sources: Minimum of five sources.

9. Deadline notice: See Timeline on the final page of this handbook.

10. Submission: The paper will be submitted via Turnitin.com.

11. Grading Guidelines: Pre-search papers will count for 10 percent of a student’s United States History Class and will be graded on a four-point rubric.

Formatting Guidelines:

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html

See the following link for a comprehensive research paper outline that follows APA format:

https://awc.ashford.edu/PDFHandouts/A%201_Sample_Outline_final%20%283%29.pdf

Is Your Question An Essential Question?

1. Is the question meaningful and purposeful?

2. Is the question open-ended? Is it one that can be revisited, or has been revisited over time?

3. Does the question require support, rationale, or justification, not just an answer or response?

4. Does the question lead you to ask other questions?

5. Does the question appeal to or trigger emotional responses?

6. Does the question center on a topic that is relevant to you? Is it a major issue, a problem, of particular interest or concern to your generation?

7. Does the question encourage discussion and/or collaboration?

8. Does the question ask you to consider moral or ethical issues?

9. Does the question encourage discourse, discussion, or debate?

10. Does the question ask you to make a decision(s), create a plan of action, or come to a conclusion after examining related facts and issues?

11. Does the question encourage higher levels of cognitive processing – analysis, inference, evaluation, predicting, synthesis or creation?

12. Does the question lead you to important, transferable, applicable ideas that may cross disciplines or subjects, or help unite varied disciplines?

Owen Wilson, L. (2014). What are Essential Questions? Retrieved June 14, 2019, from https://thesecondprinciple.com/teaching-essentials/essential-questions/

Plagiarism Statement

Plagiarism, a derivative of the Latin for kidnapping and piracy, is the act of using another's work and passing it off as one's own. For the purpose of this paper, the student must cite (give credit to) all information, even knowledge gained over the course of this process. The use of two or three of the author's original words in the series is a direct quotation and must be enclosed in quotation marks. Rewording another's idea (paraphrasing) will require citation! To be safe, everything must be cited! Be sure to use proper MLA citations.