1	Persuasive Research Project Sophomore English
2	Sophomore Persuasive Research Project What is research? Finding the answers to your own questions Why practice and learn how to use the research process? Develop life long habit of questioning things and finding answers Become a stronger critical thinker Practice supporting position on anything using intelligent argument Get what you want using data and effective argumentation! Prepare you for junior research and senior project Other uses?
3	CHOOSING A TOPIC Choose something… That interests you That you have a position on, not just an opinion about What’s the difference? That people can disagree with you about. Make sure it is debatable Make sure someone can take a side, either in the affirmative or the negative About which people have done research This is a research paper, not a personal rant So you’ve got a topic, what’s your question?
4	If your topic is… CHILD ABUSE What could your question be?
5	If your topic is… TELEVISION CENSORSHIP What could your question be?
6	If your topic is… ABORTION What could your question be?
7	If your topic is… GUN CONTROL What could your question be?
8	If your topic is… THE ENVIRONMENT What could your question be?
9	The Question? TOPIC QUESTIONS SPECIFIC Can’t be too broad or narrow. DEBATABLE Can be answered “Yes” or “No”. DOES NOT IMPLY A “RIGHT” ANSWER Watch out for “loaded” words. SUB TOPIC QUESTIONS MORE SPECIFIC Answer to the questions “why, when, who, what, how, etc.” Think categorically (P.E.R.S.I.A.?) NOT AS DEBATABLE Cannot be answered with “Yes” or “No”
10	Sub-Topic Questions You need a list of 10 question to help guide you in your research Must be related to the topic in a meaningful way Out of these will come your body argument Don’t need to be particularly “deep” questions Include a variety of different question types Bloom’s Taxonomy or Levels of Questions
11	Sub-Topic Questions Level 1: factual recall: found directly in the text … there is a “right” answer. What were Cinderella's slippers made out of? How did Cinderella get to the ball? Level 2: inference: answer can be inferred from the text with some analysis … still a generally accepted “right” answer. Why does Cinderella's stepmother care whether or not she goes to the ball? Why did everything turn back the way it was except the glass slipper? Level 3 beyond the text: answer based on judgment or evaluation of person interpreting question … no single “right” answer. Does a woman's salvation always lie with a man? What does it mean to live happily ever after?
12	Pro/Con T-Chart One of the most important steps in building a strong persuasive argument is to educate yourself about the views of the opposition then respectfully show how your opposition cannot be correct or is less correct the Pro/Con T-chart is a pre-writing research tool
13	Pro/Con T-Chart Create a t-chart on your paper Label left side “AFFIRMATIVE” Label right side “NEGATIVE” Quickly write out bullet point list of “possible” arguments for and against Anticipating the strongest/weakest points for and against crucial step in developing argument