ENGLISH 9: RESEARCH ACTIVITY

UNIT 4 AND 5 PORTFOLIOS

Common Core State Standards Addressed:

Standard - CC.1.4.9-10.S Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research, applying grade level reading standards for literature and literary non-fiction.

Standard - CC.1.4.9-10.V Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question
(including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Standard - CC.1.4.9-10.W Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources,
using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question;
integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation.

Standard - CC.1.4.9-10.X Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes
and audiences.

Assignment Instructions

Unit 4 is entitled Other Worlds, and Unit 5 is entitled Crossing Borders. The readings for both
units focus on environments that are not our own, physical borders, racial borders, emotional
borders, and even cultural borders. For this assignment, you will be continuing to cross borders
through research, which combines the compare and contrast writing assignment with the
informational writing requirement.
You will be conducting research to obtain information about a particular cultural tradition or custom
that you do celebrate and comparing it with a tradition or custom that you do not celebrate within
your immediate family. To complete this assignment, you will be working through the steps in the
writing process as you submit the FOUR total portfolios:
Unit 4, Lesson 4: Prewriting/Proposal
Unit 4, Lesson 9: Research
Unit 5, Lesson 3: Outline
Unit 5, Lesson 8: Final Draft

Part 1 Choosing a topic

Holidays: Easter, Mardi Gras, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, New
Years, St. Lucia Day (Sweden) , Omisoka (Japan), Ta Chiu (Hong Kong), Dia de los Muertos, St.

Stephens Day (Ireland), Sviata Vechera (Ukraine), Las Posadas (Mexico), Diwali (India), Krampus
Night (Austria), Father Frost (Russia)
Life Stage Traditions: Quincinera (Latin), Fulani Sharo (Africa), Bar/Bat Mitzvah (Jewish faith),
Bullet and Ant Initiation (Brazilian Amazon), Rumspringa (Amish), North Baffin Island (Inuit
Indian), Land Divers (Vanuatu), Seijin-no-Hi (Japan)
Culinary Traditions: Thailand says no forks, loudly slurp your noodles in Japan, dont eat with
your left hand in parts of the Middle East and India, dont eat before the oldest at your table in South
Korea, dont mix Parmesan cheese and seafood in Italy, dont set your chopsticks upright in a rice
bowl in China, La Tomatina in Spain, Battle of Oranges festival in Italy, Festival of Onions in Spain
Specifically Served Food Traditions: Latkes (Israel), Mince Pies (England), Fish (Sicily), Bche
de Nol (France), Melomakarona (Greece), Babka (Poland), Saffron Buns (Sweden), Kutya
(Ukraine), Kimchi and Dduk Gook (Korea), Bahn Chung (Vietnam), Hkarl (Iceland and
Greenland)
Wedding Traditions in the Following Countries: India (celebration lasts for days), Jewish faith
(lots of symbolism), Japan (painted face, white hood, dress changes), Jamaica (includes the whole
community), Germany (traditions begin at birth; three part ceremony), Czechoslovakia (emphasis
on child-bearing)
Miscellaneous Traditions: Bayanihan (Filipino), Mudras (India), Tan Feen (Denmark), La Petite
Souris (Paris), Bushido (Japan), Haka (New Zealand), Foot Binding (China)

Your Tradition: __________________________________________________________

Why it is special for you: ____________________________________________________

Part
2 Create your Research Proposal.
________________________________________________________________________

As_ you begin thinking about your project, its important to organize your ideas as you set the
framework for your comparison of your tradition with that of a different culture.
Historical/Cultural significance: ______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_
________________________________________________________________________
_

Other Tradition: __________________________________________________________

What do you know about it: __________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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What you want/hope to learn: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Ideas for sources: __________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_
________________________________________________________________________
_

Main Idea Statement

Explain what your essay would be about in one sentence but give as much information as possible.
DO NOT use 1st or 2nd Person Pronouns (I, You, Us, Me, We)

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Part 3 Research
Now, you must conduct research for your topic. You need to locate at least 3 sources that will
contribute to the information you learn about your particular tradition or event. ONE of these
sources can be a personal interview with someone with a different tradition.

Source Requirements:
Use information from Newspapers (US today, NY Times, CNN, etc) and Education sites
(.edu)
You may not use Wikipedia or similar Wiki pages.
You may not use ask and search sites, such as ask.com or yahooanswers.com
Use Websites that have .gov, .edu, or .org domain names. .com may work depending on your
topic.
REMEMBER: Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. are NOT the websites youve found information
from. They are search engines. If your research is a vacation destination, the search engine is
the transportation that got you there not the final destination itself.

If you struggle with finding information:

Play around with the words you use. Sometimes the first combination of words wont work
to bring up what you need.
Call or email your teacher and share that you are struggling with finding information. Your
teacher can problem solve with you to find the right combination of words to find the
resources you need!
Check out travel websites like Lonely Planet (lonelyplanet.com). You may be able to find
traditional and cultural information here!

Part 4: Research - Note Taking

Source 1:
Article Title: _______________________________________________________________________
Author: ____________________________________________________________________________

Web Address (URL): _________________________________________________________________

Date Accessed: _____________________________________________________________________
Step 1: Write down (list) the important (key) points or phrases from your chosen source. You may use as many boxes
as needed, but are required to fill in at least three for your source.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Step 2: From your notes, create a 4 5 sentence summary that clearly does the following:

Includes the important facts in your own words.

Combines facts where possible.
Does NOT include information that wont help or support your research.

______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
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Source 2:
Article Title: _______________________________________________________________________
Author: ____________________________________________________________________________
Web Address (URL): _________________________________________________________________
Date Accessed: _____________________________________________________________________
Step 1: Write down (list) the important (key) points or phrases from your chosen source. You may use as many boxes
as needed, but are required to fill in at least three for your source.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Step 2: From your notes, create a 4 5 sentence summary that clearly does the following:

Includes the important facts in your own words.

Combines facts where possible.
Does NOT include information that wont help or support your research.

______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________

Source 3:
Article Title: _______________________________________________________________________
Author: ____________________________________________________________________________
Web Address (URL): _________________________________________________________________
Date Accessed: _____________________________________________________________________
Step 1: Write down (list) the important (key) points or phrases from your chosen source. You may use as many boxes
as needed, but are required to fill in at least three for your source.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Step 2: From your notes, create a 4 5 sentence summary that clearly does the following:

Includes the important facts in your own words.

Combines facts where possible.
Does NOT include information that wont help or support your research.

______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
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