CROSS CURRICULA NOXIOUS WEED RESEARCH PAPER
Suggested for science and English but, can be used with many classes. At Whitehall Middle School (WMS) we (English and science) teach this format to 7th graders. You can of course, use any subject besides noxious weeds (only one of the three 7th grade science papers/yr. are about noxious weeds at WMS) and any grade level you want.
Some of the steps we use:1. Educate the students about noxious weeds:
Bring in a speaker (such as your County Extension Agent or Weed Supervisor, Forest Service or
BLM, and/or a local land owner), show a slide show, use the Internet, or show a video.2. Hand out format, grading criteria, and outline passouts:
See below for these passouts that you can copy (control-c) and paste (control-v) into your
favorite word processing program and edit as you see fit.
1. Noxious Weed Research Paper Format
2. CRITERIA FOR GRADING WEED PAPERS
3. SCIENCE / ENGLISH REPORT. BODY OF REPORT
OUTLINE. WEEDS.
3. Teach students how to write a title:
It must catch the readers attention but be short, to the point, yet must relate to the topic. "Knock Out Knapweed" is a good one :-) as opposed to a boring one like "Knapweed is a Noxious Weed.":-( Have the students come up with a number of these and list them on the board. Try and get them to out do each other on wild titles.
(See example paper1- with labels). (See example paper2- without labels)4. Teach the students how to write an attention getter:
This is a paragraph at the beginning of the paper that really grabs the readers attention!! It should relate to the topic but use descriptive words that cause the reader to read on.... Make up one yourself on the board and then have the students help you write one or two more on the board.
(See example paper). (See example paper2- without labels)5. Teach how to write a topic sentence:
Maneuver a student in the class to make a statement about noxious weeds such as "Noxious weeds are bad" or "Dalmatian toadflax is not native to Montana" that you can say "No, they are not" or "No, it is not" to. Have the student(s) repeat the statement and keep saying "No, they are not" to the students statement "Noxious weeds are bad" until the class is quite frustrated with you. Have fun with it but do not go to far.
Then tell the student that the statement "Noxious weeds are bad" is a perfect topic sentence because you can say "No, they are not" to their statement!! Explain to them how they can then go on in their paper and prove your "No, they are not" statement wrong! with three or four paragraphs of facts about how bad noxious weeds are, backed up by experts (the researchers who wrote the sources they will use)! Students just LOVE to prove us teachers wrong...
Have the students write 4 topic sentences that will guide the body of their paper.
(See example paper). (See example paper2- without labels)6. Teach how to write an introduction:
The introduction is simple. From their 4 topic sentences, they have 4 topics that they can use in their introduction:
In this paper I will tell you about: 1), 2), 3), and 4).
(See example paper). (See example paper2- without labels)7. Teach how to write the body of the paper:
Have the students make 3 sub topics for each of their topic sentences and then list 5 facts from their sources (remind them to document these as they find them!) that support the sub topic statement. This is how the students will prove your "No, they are not" statement wrong! with the help of facts from experts!!
(See example paper). (See example paper2- without labels)8. Teach how to write a conclusion:
The students will simply repeat their introduction and then write at least 4 sentences of their own opinion about their topic.
In this paper I told you about: 1), 2), 3), and 4). Opinion...
(See example paper). (See example paper2- without labels)9. Teach how to write the bibliography:
Teach your own school format or see ours.
Title: catches the readers eye.
Attention getter: gets the readers attention.
Introduction: tells the reader what you (the writer) are going to say.
Body: lists all the facts that support the writers topic statements (sentences).
Conclusion: tells the reader what you just said and allows for the writers opinion.
Bibliography: lists the writers sources so that the reader can easily find them if they are still
skeptical.
-For the 1st paper of the year the English and science teachers both grade them.
-For the 2nd paper, we have the students read their paper out loud in front of a group (their class,
parents, and invited community members) as two teachers use the grading criteria to immediately
grade them as they read. This really puts the pressure on them to perform!! This is a real time
saving option for the teacher(s)!!
-We use this weed paper as the 3rd research paper of the year in science.
(See example paper). (See example paper2- without labels)
Noxious Weed Research Paper Format Name___________________
You must include the following parts to your paper:
1. Title Page. Date Started______________
2. Title.
3. Attention Getter. Due Date________________
4. Introduction. [4 parts]
5. Body.
6. Conclusion.
7. Bibliography.
___________________________________________________
1. Title Page: Will include the title, your name, the due date, the class(s) the paper is for and the teacher(s) the paper is for. For example: "For Mr. Breitenfeldt".
2. Title: Needs to really grab the readers attention. It should be short, to the point, and must in some way relate to the content of the paper.
3. Attention Getter: Needs to REALLY grab the readers attention! It must relate to the content of the paper.
4. Introduction: Will tell the reader exactly what the paper is about. It will include 4 topics. For example:
In this paper I will tell you about: 1) where Dalmatian toadflax came from and how it might have gotten here, 2) the life cycle of this weed, 3) the problems this weed is causing for ranchers, and 4) how Calophasia lunula (a defoliating moth) helps control Dalmatian toadflax.
5. Body: This is the longest part of your paper. Here you include all the supported facts (information) you found in your research.
-Each of the 4 items in your introduction should produce a topic sentence. The paragraph(s) that follow the topic sentence must include documented facts to support the topic sentence. They must say "yes it is!" to the readers response of "no it is not!" to your topic sentence.
-You need 3 pieces of evidence to support each topic sentence.
-You need at least 3 documented facts to support each piece of evidence. You document your facts by placing the number of the source [for example (3).] that the fact came from in your bibliography, at the end of the fact. See example on back...
6. Conclusion: Here, you tell the reader what you just said. In other words, you repeat your introduction, and give a your opinion about the topic in detail. (Minimum 3 sentences).
7. Bibliography: This is a separate page. This page is not double spaced! Label it Bibliography and list your sources either: 1) in alphabetical order by author, or 2) in order as they are used in your paper. Each source has a number, and for each entry every line but the first must be indented 5 spaces (a tab) so as to make that first line with the authors name stand out. See example on back...THE PAPER ITSELF:
-the length does not matter as long as it includes all the proper parts. Turn in two (2) copies, (only one of which need be in color).
-Save a copy to the WEED DISK in the science rm.
-Must include one graphic (picture, table, chart, etc.) from the Internet (cite your source!).
-Typed, double spaced (except the bibliography), one side of the page, neatly done.
-Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
-Check the CRITERIA FOR GRADING WEED PAPERS to see if you have done all that is needed to earn the "A" that you deserve!!
_____________________________________________________
An example of how to document your sources:
Dalmatian toadflax, Linaria genistifolia ssp. Dalmatica (L.) Maire and Petitmengen is a category 1 noxious weed in Montana (2-4). This means that it is wide spread and well established throughout the state (3). It is a native of Europe and Western Asia and was probably introduced to North America as an ornamental (garden) plant (1-2,4). It was first reported in Montana at railroad siding yards in the 1940's and is a problem weed in dry range lands throughout the Western United States (4) and Canada (5).
__________________________________________________Bibliography
(1) Alley, H. P. and G. A. Lee. Weeds of Wyoming, Agricultural Experiment Station University Of
Wyoming - Laramie, Bulletin 498, 1969.(2) Breitenfeldt, Todd A. Age-Specific Life Table Studies of Different Strains of Calophasia
lunula (Hufn.) Reared On Dalmatian Toadflax, Linaria genistifolia ssp. Dalmatica (L.)
Maire and Petitmengen, or Yellow Toadflax, Linaria vulgaris (Mill.)., Master Of Science
Thesis., Montana State University, Bozeman, MT., 1995.(3) Kountz, Pat. "War Against Weeds." Whitehall Ledger., Whitehall, MT., 16 April, 1997.
(4) Lajeuness, Sherry E., et al., Dalmatian and Yellow Toadflax: Weeds of Pasture and Rangeland.
Montana State University, Extension Service., Bozeman, MT., EB 115, Feb. 1993.(5) Weed Control Notes, Saskatchewan Agricultural and Food, [Website]:
http://www.gov.sk.ca/agfood/weeds/toadflax.htm, Oct. 7, 1997.
___________________________________________________________________________Remember, the Bibliography is a separate page at the end of the report. It is not double spaced!
See the additional pass outs about the Bibliography...WRITE WELL!
CRITERIA FOR GRADING WEED PAPERS Name____________________________
1. DEVELOPMENT OF WRITING: A) Title..............................2pts. ______
B) Attention Getter.................................................................2pts. ______
C) Introduction.......................................................................2pts. ______
D) Topic Sentences................................................................4pts. ______
E) Conclusion.........................................................................2pts. ______
F) Bibliography.......................................................................8pts. ______
20pts. Possible Total ______2. SUPPORT OF EVIDENCE FROM RESOURCES:
(Facts used within evidence to support topic sentences)1) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15.....................Total ______
2) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15.....................Total ______
3) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15.....................Total ______
4) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15.....................Total ______
3) GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, TYPOGRAPHIC, AND SPELLING:
(Subtract 1pt. per mistake) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10..........................______
5) SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY AND PROPER DOCUMENTATION OF SOURCES:
Include one graphic from the Web:
(Subtract 1pt. per mistake) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10..........................______
TOTAL POINTS/100...............__________
+EXTRA CREDIT: READING OUT LOUD/5_____..............__________
FINAL SCORE = TOTAL POINTS/2................________/50
......COMMENTS...................................................................................................
SCIENCE / ENGLISH REPORT. BODY OF REPORT OUTLINE. WEEDS. 1. DESCRIBE YOUR TOPIC:
2. DECIDE ON FOUR (4) MAIN IDEAS ABOUT YOUR TOPIC TO REPORT ON. LIST THEM BELOW.
1.
2.
3.
4.3. WRITE A TOPIC SENTENCE FOR EACH MAIN IDEA LISTED ABOVE.
1.
2.
3.
4.
4. LIST THREE SUB TOPICS FOR TOPIC SENTENCE #1.
1.
2.
3.
5. WRITE AT LEAST FIVE (5) FACTS FOR SUP TOPICS # 1.
SUB TOPIC #1 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
SUB TOPIC #2 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
SUB TOPIC #3 FACTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
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6. A. REPEAT STEP # 4 FOR TOPIC SENTENCE # 2.1.
2.
3.7. REPEAT STEP # 5 FOR TOPIC SENTENCE #2.
SUB TOPIC # 1 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
SUB TOPIC #2 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
SUB TOPIC #3 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
--------------------------------------------------------
8. REPEAT STEP # 4 FOR TOPIC SENTENCE # 3.1.
2.
3.
9. REPEAT STEP #5 FOR TOPIC SENTENCE # 3.
SUB TOPIC # 1 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
SUB TOPIC # 2 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
SUB TOPIC # 3 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):10. REPEAT STEP # 4 FOR TOPIC SENTENCE # 4.
1.
2.
3.
11. REPEAT STEP #5 FOR TOPIC SENTENCE # 4.
SUB TOPIC # 1 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
SUB TOPIC # 2 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
SUB TOPIC # 3 FACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DOCUMENTATION (SOURCE WITH #):
Do not forget a conclusion and bibliography!!
GOOD JOB!
(See example paper). (See example paper2- without labels)