Writing papers is an inevitable part of academia, and mastery of the form is critical for success regardless of intended field of study. It is not sufficient to be able to write a thesis statement and have strong topic sentences; students must also be able to use outside sources to develop ideas. Many students cringe when they hear the words “research paper,” but there is no need to fear!

In this introductory course, your student will practice and develop the skills necessary for conducting, managing, and presenting research. This course uses an incremental approach by beginning with guided research and gradually increasing skills and concepts to the final extended research paper. The teacher serves as a writing coach, guiding students every step of the way.

Skills learned in this class include choosing a topic, writing a thesis, conducting research through both primary and secondary sources, evaluating sources, using notecards, editing drafts, and compiling documentation. Students will also gain a solid understanding of plagiarism, including its ramifications and how to avoid it. Finally, they will learn to properly employ the most up-to-date MLA style, will practice APA style, and will have a brief introduction to Chicago style. Over the course of the semester, students will complete three different types of research papers (informative, persuasive, and comparative) and one annotated bibliography.

Please view prerequisites and required supplies below.