Becoming+Shakespeare+-+A+Brief+Research+Project

In order to gain a deeper understanding of William Shakespeare's life and times, you will become Shakespeare and then tell us a little about yourself! Follow the procedures below to successfully become William Shakespeare:

1. You will be assigned one of the following aspects of Shakespeare's life and/or times: [|Shakespeare's Biography] (Tell us about your life!) [|Shakespeare's Works] (Tell us about what you wrote, including the histories, tragedies, comedies, and sonnets.) [|Shakespeare's Language] (Tell us about your contribution to the English language. Give some examples.) [|The Globe Theatre] (Tell us about your theatre.) [|Elizabethan England] (Tell us about the times in which you lived.)

2. It is your assignment to research your assigned topic by following the link and reading the material. Once you have mastered the material, you need to find one additional source that gives you more information about your topic. Check out the excellent resources that are listed below your original reading.

3. After you have gathered enough information, you will write a 500 word (approximately) paper on your topic - but from the point-of-view (POV) of William Shakespeare. For example, if you are writing about the Globe Theatre, you might write, "My company, The Lord Chamberlain's Men, and I built the Globe Theatre in 1598."

4. Of course, you will need to cite your sources and proved in-text citations for any information that is not common knowledge, paraphrased, or directly quoted.

Paper Requirements:
 * a focused, 500 word (approximately) paper on your topic
 * 10 note cards (five from each source) (label each note card with a number that corresponds to a source card)
 * 2 source cards
 * 12 pt font, New Times Roman, double spaced, .5 inch margins allowed
 * written in the first person POV of William Shakespeare
 * two sources
 * a 'Works Cited' page (in addition to the paper) using MLA format
 * in-text citations for any direct quotations or information that is paraphrased or not common knowledge
 * do not use a citation machine
 * you will submit your paper to Turnitin.com

Follow these steps: 1. Read your sources,[| taking notes on index cards]. [|The OWL at Purdue on effectively taking notes]. 2. Make sure your source is indicated on each index card, and focus on key information because this is a short paper. 3. Avoid plagiarism by [|paraphrasing], but you must still cite this information. If you use direct quotation, make sure you use quotation marks. 4. Once you have read your sources and taken notes, organize your note cards into a logical sequence (you may decide not to use some of your note cards). 5. Write a rough draft (first person POV), using [|in-text citations] (read this link!) for all paraphrases and direct quotations. 6. Create an MLA 'Works Cited' page. [|Let the OWL show you how...] or use [|Diana Hacker's excellent site]. 7. Revise and edit your draft. [|Revising and Editing using the 6 Traits.doc] 8. Write a final draft, using [|proper MLA format].
 * Here is an excellent introduction to using the note card system for research**: [|How to use note cards for research.pdf]

Look at an example MLA research paper: [|Example MLA Research Paper.pdf]

Assessment:
 * You will receive a number of grades for following the outlined process, participating in class, and completing your work on time.
 * You will also receive a grade for the final paper based on the following traits: ideas and content, organization, sentence fluency, and citing sources.