Mythology Research
9th Grade Language Arts
Step 1: Task Definition
- What is your purpose?
- Research and learn about an assigned character or story in Greek mythology.
- Keep proper and complete works cited information.
- Develop and write an informative research paper that addresses a thesis/primary
claim you develop during your research.
- What has to be done? (November 17-20, 2014)
- OBSERVATION/INQUIRY/RESEARCH
- EVIDENCE
- Consider what you learned during your research. What did you notice?
What connections can you make?
- REASONING
- So what? Why is the evidence significant? What does it point to
and how?
- CLAIMS/TOPIC SENTENCES (See step #4, below.)
- What conclusions (that are supported by your evidence) can you draw
about your topic?
- THESIS (sometimes called a "primary claim")
- When you consider all your claims from the previous step, what overarching
thesis statement can you make about your topic that all of your claims
and evidence will support?
- Develop
your argument: 1 + 2 = 3
- Using your finished outline, write a complete draft that includes all
the elements of an argumentative essay, including parenthetical documentation.
- Review the draft with the help of a trusted editor, who will review
the items on the Revision Checklist with you.
- Final Draft with Works Cited Page and Parenthetical Documentation
- Submit the argument to Utah Compose for scoring. Print the final scored
copy and turn it in with your Works Cited Page.
Media Center & Computer Lab
Steps 2 & 3: Information Seeking Strategies & Location/Access
Step 4: Use of Information
- What did you notice? Now that you know your myth inside and out, consider
some of these questions:
- What values are illustrated by your myth?
- What purpose would your myth have served for the ancient Greeks? (What
serves that purpose for us now?)
- How is your myth similar to other myths or familiar stories (both ancient
and modern)?
- How does your myth illustrate some of the common themes in Greek mythology?
- How does your myth illustrate ancient Greek ideals? How are those ideals
different than ours?
- What did your myth remind you of?
- How do we see the personality/influence of your myth in modern culture/literature/entertainment?
- How does your myth illustrate similarities and/or differences between
classical mythology and modern religion?
- How does your myth illustrate similarities and/or differences of people
in ancient Greece and in modern America?
- Consider these
themes if you need help coming up with an idea.
- Look at the "Author and Me" Questions you wrote on the back of
your Computer
Lab Assignment and use them to generate a THESIS that
you can develop using the EVIDENCE you have gathered to support your CLAIMS.
Thesis, Claims, Topic Sentences, etc., are the logical impressions that you
have arrived at after studying your myth. YOU COME UP WITH THEM! YOU DON'T
FIND THEM IN ONE OF YOUR SOURCES.
- This is NOT a claim statement worthy of an entire paragraph:
Dionysus was the god of wine. (It is just a statement of fact
that would be available in lots of resources. You can't write an entire
research-based informative essay using something like this as one of your
claims.)
- This is a claim statement worth of an entire paragraph:
The myths involving Dionysus illustrate many unhappy themes in Greek
mythology. (This statement must be proved with evidence, explanation,
and reasoning. It is not just a statement of fact that was uncovered during
research. It is a conclusion arrived at after looking at the evidence.)
- Your paper will be an informational expository essay that supports, illustrates,
and proves your claims, which, when considered together, will all develop
your thesis.
Step 5: Synthesis: Develop/Support Your Thesis!
- Research Paper
- Your research paper will have a clear THESIS statement. This is the
logical conclusion you draw when you consider all your CLAIMS together.
The THESIS should be clearly stated at the end of your opening paragraph.
- You will develop your thesis by using the evidence you gathered during
research to support the claims.
- Your evidence should be logically organized in a series of body paragraphs,
each containing a clear claim/topic sentence that states one of the points
you are making.
- Research = Evidence
- Evidence + Explanation/Reasoning = Claim
- Claims = Topic Sentences for the paragraphs in your essay
- Claim #1 + Claim #2 + Claim #3 + Claim #4 = Thesis
- THESIS developed by CLAIMS supported by EVIDENCE, REASONING, and
EXPLANATION = INFORMATIONAL RESEARCH PAPER
- Your research paper will contain proper parenthetical documentation
and a properly formatted works cited page to illustrate that your evidence
is legitimate and that you are giving credit where credit is due.
- Organization
- Your research paper will be organized in the traditional format for
academic writing:
- Introduction: Capture attention, mention main areas of focus, clearly
state THESIS
- Body: Clear CLAIMS (topic sentences) in each paragraph, plenty of
specific support and textual evidence (drawn from research) for topic
sentences, transition/clincher statements
- Conclusion: Restate thesis and main points, close with a powerful
conclusion
Step 6: Evaluation
- How will you know how you did?
- A final grade based on a specific Scoring Rubric (Check rubric BEFORE
completing final draft!)
- Praise and admiration of classmates
- Smiley Face on your final draft from a proud teacher
You will find a lot of information about mythology on the Internet, but be sure
you use information from CRAAP-y sites. Also,
remember that many mythological characters didn't wear much clothing, so as you
review the websites, be tasteful and mature. Here are a few sites that might help
get you started:
Mythweb
Encyclopedia
Mythica
Mythman
Greek
Mythology
More
Greek Mythology
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