Howtonotbeachimp

This is a CHIMP.

Chimps can do some of the simple things humans do. This one has been trained to type words into search boxes.

He can FIND stuff.

This is a Parrot.

Parrots can do some simple things humans do, too. They can learn to perfectly repeat things.

Perfectly repeat things! Squawk! Perfectly repeat Things!

That bird sure can COPY…

Working together, with the chimp’s ability to find stuff and the parrot’s ability to copy that stuff, you’d think this pair could almost write a report or research paper.

A really BAD one…

These are MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Most middle school

students are WAY smarter than chimps.

chimp

Modern Human

My Uncle Ron

As you can see, the brain of a middle school student is far more massive and powerful than that of a chimpanzee, and needless to say, it’s enormous compared to a parrot’s brain.

Because middle school kids have such advanced minds, teachers expect them to be able to demonstrate advanced skills, too.

The ability to find and copy stuff--while impressive skills for a parrot or chimp– won’t impress many middle school teachers. So, when a teacher assigns a research paper or report, what skills do they want you to demonstrate?

Here are some of the basic things I want students to demonstrate in their papers and reports:

•Demonstrating understanding of what you’ve read through original writing. Here are three ways to do that:

•First, identify MAIN IDEAS.

•Then, summarize those ideas using paraphrasing.

•Include attributions with any direct quotes so that your readers know where you got your facts and ideas.

Let’s break those expectations down. First : “demonstrating understanding through original writing”

A report represents what you’ve learned, so it should be written in your own words.

•Paraphrasing means putting what you have read into your own words.

•You paraphrase by reading something, thinking about what it means, and then restating in a way that is clear to you.

Paraphrasing

A mapmaker activates a computer video showing the earth's continents coming together into one colossal landmass stretched between the North and South poles. A gigantic ocean surrounding this supercontinent completes the map of Pangaea, a world that existed during the time of the earliest dinosaurs.      Scientists believe a process called plate tectonics separated this prehistoric world into the landmasses that became today's continents. Technology and research help modern scientists project what Pangaea may have looked like, but the idea of a giant landmass splitting apart is hundreds of years old. Mapmakers and geographers began wondering whether a giant landmass was possible almost as soon as they added the continents of the New World to their charts. They noticed how the coastlines of North and South America seemed to fit together with the coastlines of Europe and Africa like the matching pieces of a puzzle.

Paraphrasing Practice

Directions: Take a minute to read the text below. The blue text represents one MAIN IDEA. Read it, then close your eyes and think of how you would paraphrase it. When given the signal, write down your paraphrased version of that idea.

Put the idea into your own words.

Scientists today use modern technology to try and figure out what the earth used to look like, but the idea that there was once a single continent--a Pangaea--isn’t new. As soon as explorers discovered the New World and North and South America were added to world maps, people started noticing how the shapes of the continents fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

Here’s how I chose to paraphrase that idea:

You may have paraphrased the idea lots differently, focusing on different details, and using a different style of writing. Not only is that okay, it’s exactly the way it should be.

The paraphrasing you do should always sound like YOU.

Question: “Can teachers really tell if the words I use in a report are mine or something I copied?”

Answer: Sure they can. It’s pretty obvious. To demonstrate just how obvious it is, take this little test…

Yeah: Copied work is pretty easy to spot too.

Using QUOTES

So now you know that most of what you write in a report or research paper should be your own original paraphrasing—not someone else’s exact words.

And that’s true. Once in a while though, you may want to include someone’s exact words in your paper. That’s okay, as long as it’s done right.

First though…

Reasons to use Quotes1. To provide credible support for claims:

According to the Center for Disease Control, “the H1N1 outbreak, though not as severe as some expected, still poses a major health threat to the United States.”

2. To give examples of different points of view:

Sarah Alverman on the other hand, chairperson of the Scrooge Alliance, an organization opposed to Christmas, disagreed in an interview she did with Time magazine in 2009, calling Santa Claus “just a fat, disgusting old guy in a really tacky suit.”

3. To highlight a particularly striking passage:

Though he’s remembered as a revolutionary, Benjamin Franklin once commented that “there never was a good war or a bad peace.”

Attributions!

An attribution let’s the reader know who said what you’re quoting in your paper, report or project. It “attributes” words to a person or group.

Never use a quote without an attribution.

Q. How do attributions make a report better?

FIND THE ATTRIBUTIONS

1. According to the Center for Disease Control, “the H1N1 outbreak, though not as severe as some expected, still poses a major health threat to the United States.”

2. Sarah Alverman on the other hand, chairperson of the Scrooge Alliance, an organization opposed to Christmas, disagreed in an interview she did with Time magazine in late 2009, calling Santa Claus “just a fat, disgusting old guy in a really tacky suit.”

3. Though he’s remembered as a revolutionary, Benjamin Franklin once commented that “there never was a good war or a bad peace.”

REMEMBER:

Chimps and parrots are definitely cool critters, but you wouldn’t want one to write a report for you; all they can do is find stuff and copy it.You’re human, right? You can do way better. Just remember these skillz:

1.Paraphrase the ideas you get from your research, don’t copy them.2.Use quotes only when they support your paper and make it better.3.When you quote, attribute that quote.

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