Critique of a Research Paper Exemplar

SAMPLE RESEARCH PAPER

The Resegregation of Jefferson County*

​

What one Alabama town’s attempt to secede from its school district tells us about the fragile progress of racial integration in America.

​

By NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES

​

The New York Times Magazine

​

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/magazine/the-resegregation-of-jefferson-county.html?mtrref=longform.org

​

Sept. 6, 2017

LET’S TALK ORGANIZATION

• Consider how the title and the dek function as part of the organization.

​

• What do we make of the frame story with which the author opens the paper?

​

• What do you notice about the length and structure of the paragraphs?

​

• Which paragraphs seem effectively well-structured?

LET’S TALK TRANSITIONS

• Look at the first phrase of each paragraph on the first two pages. How might these phrases function as sophisticated transitions that effectively link ideas?
• Ex: “To outsiders, these names are meaningless” is the start of the second paragraph. “These names” acts as a transition by referring back to the community names listed on the flier the author introduced in the first paragraph and by introducing the main idea explored in the second paragraph--that the names on the flier are explicitly racially coded for county insiders.

SMALL GROUP CRITIQUE

Divvy up the tasks below so each person is responsible for one task to complete as your group reads the paper.

• Thesis Critic: Guide the group in SKIM READING the excerpted research paper. Stop the group after a paragraph in which you identify a possible key idea or a potential thesis statement.
• Evidence Critic: Get the group’s Chromebooks and lead the group in pulling up the research paper rubric from our website (www.bit.ly/eh9site). Stop the group periodically to discuss effective use of evidence and logos.
• Organization Critic: Form a desk pod for the group. Stop the group periodically to discuss effective transitions or organization.
• Writing Style Critic: Grab four copies of the research paper to read. Stop the group periodically to discuss effective writing techniques, tone, ethos, pathos, etc.

TASKS FOR AFTER YOU READ

• Thesis Critic: Guide the group in discussing the paper’s thesis and in scoring the paper on the section of the rubric titled “W.9-10.1.B: Thesis & Quality of Ideas.”
• Evidence Critic: Guide the group in discussing the paper’s thesis and in scoring the paper on the section of the rubric titled “W.9-10.8: Textual Evidence & Citations.”
• Organization Critic: Guide the group in discussing the paper’s organization and in scoring the paper on the section of the rubric titled “W.9-10.1.C: Transitions & Organization.”
• Writing Style Critic: Guide the group in discussing the paper’s writing style and in scoring the paper on the section of the rubric titled “W.9-10.1.D: Writing Style.”