Description
Research Paper Prompt and Rubric
Write an informative essay about one of the following options (choose one to research and write):
What’s the job you would eventually like to have?
What college or university would you like to attend?
What’s the trade that you’re interested in pursuing?
Note: An informational research paper should not be written in first person. These questions are just to get you thinking about a topic that interests you. The paper should be written in third person to inform the reader about the topic as a whole.
For this graded project, you have three topic choices. You must choose one of the following prompts:
Researching and writing about a career you want
Researching and writing about the college or university you would like to attend
Researching and writing about a trade you want to pursue
For an assigned prompt, you’ll write your research paper in the form of an informative essay. An informative essay is designed to provide information and educate readers about a topic, rather than to persuade them. Review more about the three prompts:
Prompt 1: Career
Think about your current career interests and goals. What’s the job you would eventually like to have? Research this job and write an informative essay that gives the reader an overview of the position and educates the reader about something important or useful to know about it.
As you research to learn more about the position, here are some questions you might consider investigating:
What education level does the job require?
Do you need special certifications or training? If so, how do you get them?
What’s the competitive level of the position you want to have—is it entry-level or more senior?
What’s the average annual salary?
Why do people choose this position? What do they find fulfilling about it? What are common challenges?
Is there room for growth? What do people typically do after they’ve held this position for a while?
Have there been any important changes recently in the duties or functions of people in this position? Are any expected in the future?
You may have other questions you’d like to explore or that you think would be helpful for a person not familiar with this career. You don’t have to answer all these questions in your final essay, but you should think about how to explain the position in an interesting and informative way to a person who is unfamiliar with it
Prompt 2: College
Think about your post-graduation college plans. Out of the schools you are considering, which one is your top choice? Research the college or university you wish to attend after completing high school. Then, write an informative essay in which you give an overview of the college and educate the reader on something about the institution that makes it an attractive choice for a student like you.
As you research the institution, here are a few questions you may wish to consider:
Where is the college located?
What programs/degrees do they offer? Are they known for any specialties?
What’s the application process?
How competitive is it to get into this college?
What are the prerequisites that must be met to attend?
Is there on-campus housing? Or will you need to find a place to stay off campus?
What’s the cost of living to attend the college?
What’s the cost of tuition?
What are the communities around the campus like? What does it have to offer?
What resources are available to help with placement in careers or further education? How successful is the college in helping graduating students find jobs or get into higher degree programs?
You may have other questions you’d like to explore or that you think would be helpful for a person not familiar with this institution. You don’t have to answer all these questions in your final essay, but you should think about how to discuss your first-choice college in an interesting and informative way to a person who is unfamiliar with it.
Prompt 3: Trades
Think about your current career interests and goals. Is there a trade that you are hoping to enter? What’s the trade that you’re interested in pursuing? Research this field and write an informative essay that gives the reader an overview of the trade and educates the reader about something important or useful to know about working in that field.
As you research the topic to learn more about the trade, here are a few questions you might wish to consider:
What are the steps that need to be taken to enter the trade? What’s the entry-level position? What is the most senior position?
Is there on-the-job training?
Do you need special certifications or licenses?
How competitive is the job market for the position you would like to have?
What’s the average pay? Are positions typically salaried or hourly?
Is there room for growth?
What does the future look like for this trade and the position you’d like to have?
You may have other questions you’d like to explore, or that you think would be helpful for a person not familiar with this trade. You don’t have to answer all these questions in your final essay, but you should think about how to explain the field in an interesting and informative way to a person who is unfamiliar with it.
Construction of Your Research Paper
Recall that outlines help writers organize ideas into a logical flow. Remember that your outline can be as simple or detailed as you want it to be, but it’s usually a good idea to look at your source notes as you fill it in.
Here’s a sample outline for you to refer to:
Sample Outline
As you’re writing, consider the typical elements of an informative essay:
Write a strong thesis statement.
The thesis statement appears in your introduction. Your introduction should do the following:
Catch the reader’s attention.
Give some background information on your topic.
End by letting the reader know exactly where you stand on your topic.
Develop your supporting points and evidence.
The body paragraphs of your essay are where you’ll develop your information and support it with evidence from your sources. Make sure your evidence is logical, relevant, and credible.
Write a Conclusion
The last paragraph of your essay will paraphrase your main claim (thesis statement), briefly summarize your supporting points, and show the significance of your topic. The conclusion is the last paragraph of your essay. It shouldn’t introduce new information different from those presented in the body paragraphs. It should make your reader understand why your argument matters.
Grading Criteria
Consult the rubric provided. This is how your project will be graded. Keep all requirements in mind while you’re writing. Make sure your first draft checks off all the items on your checklist. Compare it to your final project before submitting it as well.
Here are the assignment’s requirements:
You must write five to seven paragraphs
Must include an introduction
Must have a clear thesis that tells the reader the topic of the paper
Must include three to five body paragraphs
Write in the third person
Be sure each body paragraph addresses its own topic relating to the overall thesis
Must include a conclusion
Must conduct your own research and incorporate at least three sources in your essay to support your ideas
In-text citations must be in MLA format
Works-cited page must be in MLA format
Proofread and Revise
Use your work from your first draft to create the final version of your project before submitting it. You can copy and paste your writing into the word processing document of your choice, such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Open Office, or Pages.
Note: Whatever word processor you use, make sure you can save as an .rtf file.
Compare your draft to the rubric provided. When you’re revising, ask yourself these questions:
Does my thesis statement make it clear what the information I’m presenting is about?
Does my essay have at least five to seven paragraphs?
Does my writing include an introduction, three to five body paragraphs, and a conclusion?
Do I have key details that support my prompt and thesis?
Do I include in-text citations and a works-cited page?
Have I added, moved, or deleted any information that’s needed to make my main idea and supporting details clear?
Is my writing structured appropriately?
Have I replaced any weak or incorrect word choices?
Is my writing free of mistakes (such as sentence fragments, incorrect subject/verb agreements, incorrect capitalization, and punctuation errors)?
If you answered no to any of these questions, please go back and make the needed changes before submitting your work. Should you choose to submit without checking the questions, please be aware that your essay may be returned to you for revision.
If you answered yes to all the questions, you’re ready to submit your work for grading!
Be sure to review your writing for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Use the instructions provided to submit your work to the school.
