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= =  8th Grade Research Paper Topics for research papers will be assigned in social studies class and written in writing class utilizing the McDougal Littell //Writing Research Reports for Social Studies// text. Topics can take the form of: 1. Supporting or arguing against a policy. 2. Proving or disproving one or more statements of fact. 3. Determining the relative value of two or more things. 4. Analyzing something into its parts and showing how the parts relate to one another. 5. Defining something. 6. Explaining causes or effects. 7. Describing the development of something over time. 8. Relating a part to a whole. 9. Comparing or contrasting two things to show how they are similar or different. 10. Explaining a general concept by means of a specific example. 11. Explaining the main idea or message of something A detailed explanation of the different forms that a research paper can follow is presented on pages 53-55 of the //Writing Research Reports// text. Steps: ·  Choosing your subject ·  Doing preliminary research ·  Limiting your subject to a specific topic ·  Writing a statement of controlling purpose which becomes your thesis statement ·  Reading and creating __working bibliography__ · Taking notes  and developing a __working outline__-possible revision of topic · Organizing notes  and making a __final outline__ ·  Writing First Draft · Revising Draft with parenthetical citations and works cited · Submitting  the Final Draft including Thesis Statement, Outline, and Documentation (parenthetical citations and works cited) Rubric: ·  Length: four page minimum plus a cover page ·  Font: 12 point ·  Works Cited Page: includes at least two internet and three print sources with page numbers. The print sources can include no more than one encyclopedia, and as many magazine articles and books as the student desires. ·  Students should have at least __two direct quotations__ in the body of their paper. ·  Students must have successfully completed the above steps and accompanying schedule in order to receive a grade. Each student will receive a writing grade as well as a social studies grade.