The instructions that she gave us were: (I will attach rubric and examples of the research paper)
MINI RESEARCH PAPER: This assignment is your opportunity to reflect on the books we have read and
the work we have done as a class this semester. How do the books we have read fit together? How do
books within a genre or by an author differ from one another, and why do those differences matter? What
have you learned about historical context, about genre, about childhood, or about yourself as a writer?
What are you especially excited about, interested in, or confused by? Given world enough and time, what
would you want to study further?
OPTION ONE: Mini Research Paper:
For this option, you will choose 1-2 texts from our course, and brainstorm a series of 3-5 questions about
their historical or literary context. Questions that begin “What is the effect of….” or “How does X impact Y”
tend to be especially useful. After discussing your questions with me and your peers, you will choose one to
research further. You will then locate 4-5 peer-reviewed secondary sources that can help answer your
question. You may also choose to use primary sources (such as fiction, poems, education manuals, or other
historical documents) in addition to your secondary sources. Using your research as well as the original
class text, you will write a 5-6 page essay educating your classmates on this aspect of literature, history,
and/or culture. In this essay, you will provide historical and literary context for your question, and then
provide a (partial) answer for that question using evidence from your secondary sources. ADDITIONALLY,
you will include a short reflection on how this information shapes your reading of the book. Your final paper
should cite both the course novel(s) and your secondary sources.
• All written work must be in 12 point, Times New Roman font, with 1” margins
• Schedule of readings and assignment sheet can be modeled on those I have given you, or you may use a
different format (and explain why)
• Mini-Research paper, assignment sheet, and/or reflections should be in clear, professional prose
• Works cited for research paper should be in accurate MLA style
You can pick from this list to do the research project over:
• A Monster Calls. Patrick Ness, 2011. ISBN: 9781406361803
• Brown Girl Dreaming. Jacqueline Woodson. Penguin, 2014. ISBN: 9780399252518
• Carry On. Rainbow Rowell. St. Martin’s Press, 2015. ISBN: 9781250049551
• George. Alex Gino. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN: 9780545812542
• I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Erika Sanchez, 2017. ISBN: 9781524700485
• My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich. Ibi Zoboi, 2019. ISBN: 978-0399187353
• Princess, Princess Ever After. Katie O’Neill. Simon and Schuster, 2016. ISBN: 9781620103401
• The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Kelly Barnhill, 2017. ISBN: 978-1616207465
• The War That Saved My Life. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. . Penguin, 2015. ISBN: 9780147510488