English 1102

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Help on the I-Search Paper
English 1102 Fall 2007
What is an I-Search Paper?
A person conducts a search to find something he
or she needs to know for his or her own life
and writes the story of his or her
adventure.-Ken Macorie You choose a topic that
interests you! The I-search paper is written in
the form of a narrative so you can use first
person point of view, chronological order, and
descriptive details.
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Step 1 Find a work of literature
English 1102 Fall 2007
I. Brainstorm a list of films you have seen.
Conduct an internet search to see if the film is
based on a novel.II. Brainstorm a list of
literary works you have read. III. Browse through
the book. List catchy titles. Search the internet
for a synopsis of the work of literature.
ExampleHawthornes The BirthmarkHemingways
Farewell to ArmsShakespeares Othello
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Step 2 Select a topic in that work of literature
English 1102 Fall 2007
After reading Hawthornes Birthmark, I became
interested in how the media portrays feminine
beauty in America.Topic Feminine beauty in
American media
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Step 3 Turn the topic into a question
English 1102 Fall 2007
American media and feminine beauty Should we
blame the media for womens obsession with beauty?
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Step 4 Free write on what I already know
English 1102 Fall 2007
What do I already know? I became interested in
this topic after reading Nathaniel Hawthornes
The Birthmark. Nathaniel Hawthornes The
Birthmark was written in the mid 1800s. This
story is about a scientist whose wife is perfect,
but she has only one flaw she has a birthmark on
her cheek. The husband creates a magic potion to
get rid of her birthmark. When she drinks the
potion, her birthmark slowly fades.
Unfortunately, she slowly dies as her birthmark
fades. The medias definition of beauty seems to
influence young women to look, act, or behave in
a certain manner. Should we blame the
media? Celebrity women in the media also seem
dissatisfied with their body image Should we
blame the media?
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Step 5 Free write on what Id like to know
English 1102 Fall 2007
What does it mean to be beautiful? What are the
different images of beauty in the American media
today? Why are American women, especially
celebrities, unhappy with their body image today?
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Step 6 Free write on what I found out
English 1102 Fall 2007
Document the source title, authors name,
etc.Evaluate the source not needed in actual
paperDescribe the source requiredReact to the
source required
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Step 7 Create an outline
English 1102 Fall 2007
Sample Outline