"Living the Dream" Research Essay Project
by Ronda Maloley
March 17, 2009
Seventh grade Language Arts students are learning to write a
research essay. Students from Mrs. Maloley’s and Mrs. McKenna’s
classes have joined efforts to research. Each student has a
research partner to aid in exploring the life of a famous Black
American.
The seventh graders are currently working on designing a portfolio
with numerous components. They have learned to correctly cite
resources. They are becoming experts at citing both text and
on-line sources. The project requires at least one book and one
internet source of information.
The students work together to read the information, looking for
three assigned factors. As they read about their well-known Black
American, they are searching for his or her dreams/goals,
challenges, and accomplishments in life. They have learned how to
paraphrase information and are developing information note cards to
assist with the writing of an essay.
Once the research component is finished, the students will be
writing a five-paragraph essay. They will begin with an interesting
hook and create a thesis statement, using the three factors to
support the statement.
To complete the portfolio students will be illustrating their own
dreams and goals. The object of this project is to not only learn
proper research techniques and write a research essay, but to
inspire students to overcome life’s challenges and follow their own
dreams and goals!
