Short Research Papers for Middle School Students
Teach the Process by Focusing on the Basic Elements
Jan 7, 2009
Making modifications to help middle school students learn the process of writing a research paper using the proper format is a valuable experience. The key is to review a model paper that includes all of the elements first.
Choose a Research Paper Style or Format
It is important to choose one research format or style, such as the Modern Language Association, MLA, American Psychological Association, APA or Chicago. A tip is to check with the high school English teachers to find out what they use. If students can master one, they can easily pick up another style. For this article, the MLA style is referenced.
Teach Only the Basic Elements
Three key elements for a middle school student's first research paper are as follows:
- Teach students how to organize their ideas and information in an outline
- Teach them not to copy and paste the researched material directly from the Internet into the paper
- Teach them to complete the works cited page correctly
If they can master those three basic elements, they are on their way to being able to master parenthetical notation later. However, if students can complete those items without much effort, they are ready to tackle parenthetical notation.
Tips for Successful Writing
First, help students to have a workable topic. For example, the topic basketball is too big for a short research paper. It is better if students break the topic down to a smaller topic, such as a famous player, basic fundamentals and moves or the history of the game.
When the topic is decided, students need to write one sentence that will tell the reader what is in the paper. This is called the thesis statement, and it focuses the student's research.
Once that is written, students need to complete their research and organize their ideas into an outline. The paper needs to follow the outline. Many students don't like to use the outline and often end up with a disorganized paper.
For note taking, many teachers assign students to use note cards. Middle school students tend to be disorganized and lose them or become overwhelmed. Another method is to ask students to highlight their notes that they printed from the Internet or copied from sources. When students write their first draft, the teacher can look at the highlighted notes to check for plagiarism.
Also, students tend to want to copy and paste information instead of paraphrasing the information. It is really important to review how to paraphrase information and practice writing information in their own words.
In addition, students struggle with the works cited page. They want to list the web address only or the title of a book or a magazine. A great resource is the Son of Citation Machine website. A tip is to spend at least one day or more addressing the works cited page and the proper way to write it.
If the students can format the paper correctly and not copy information directly from the source, then many will have found a great success. Expecting students to master all of the "frilly" details, such as parenthetical notation will many times be lost as students try to grasp the basics of writing a research paper.
