Response Paper

A response or reaction paper is a bit of a twist on a formal review of a book, artwork, or article, because response papers are written from the first person point of view, which simply means that you can and should use phrases? like “I thought” and “I believe” when reviewing.?

1. Read and Respond

Copyright Grace Fleming

In a response paper, you do assess the item you’ve been assigned to observe, but you add your personal reaction and impressions to the report.

The steps for completing a reaction or response paper are:

• Observe or read the piece for an initial understanding
• Re-read the piece and stop to reflect often
• Record your thoughts and impressions in notes
• Develop a thesis
• Write an outline
• Construct your essay

2. The First Paragraph

Copyright Grace Fleming

Once you have established an outline for your paper, you'll need to craft an essay using the basic elements of every strong essay, including a strong introductory sentence.

In the case of a reaction paper, the first senetence should contain the title of the object to which you are responding, and the name of the author.

The last sentence of your introductory papragraph should contain a thesis statement.

3. Stating Your Opinion

Copyright Grace Fleming

There's no need to feel shy about expressing your own opinion in a position paper, even though it may seem strange to write "I feel" or "I believe" in an essay. The instructor is actually looking for this.

In the sample here, the writer does a good job of analyzing and comparing the plays, but also manages to express personal reactions.

4. Sample Statements

A response paper could address any type of work, from a piece of art or a film to a book. When writing a response paper, you can include statements like the following:

• I felt that
• In my opinion
• The reader can conclude that
• The author seems to
• I did not like
• The images seemed to
• The author was [was not] successful in making me feel
• I was especially moved by
• I didn't get the connection between
• It was clear that the artist was trying to
• The sound track seemed too
• My favorite part was...because

You can think of a response paper as a review that is part analysis and part opinion.

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How to Study Spanish

Some Spanish words sound just like other words, and they're spelled pretty much the same, too. The only difference is that an accent distinguishes one from the other. The image above shows a list of these words. To memorize them, just print up a list of words without accents.

Then, write in your own accent marks in freehand, as you say the meaning out loud. This is a good combination of visual, auditory, and tactile learning.

More Spanish Homework Tips:

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Why Math Is Difficult

In 2005, Gallup conducted a poll that asked students to name the school subject that they considered to be the most difficult. Not surprisingly, mathematics came out on top of the difficulty chart. So what is it about math that makes it difficult? Have you ever wondered?

Dictionary.com defines the word difficult as “not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully.”

This definition gets to the crux of the problem when it comes to math—specifically the statement that a difficult task is one that is not “readily” done. The thing that makes math difficult for many students is that it takes patience and persistence. For many students, math is not something that comes intuitively or automatically, with little effort. It is a subject that sometimes requires students to devote lots and lots of time and energy. This means, for many, the problem has little to do with brain power; it is mostly a matter of staying power.

And in this world of instant gratification, when we can quickly find answers to our deepest questions and solutions to our most vexing problems with a fast Google search, patience is a big problem.

Math and Brain Types

But there is also an element of brain power in the big picture, according to many scientists. There will always be opposing views on any topic, and the process of human learning is subject to debate, just like any other topic. But many theorists believe that some people are wired with better math skills than other students. According to some brain science scholars, logical, left-brain thinkers tend to have stronger math ability than artistic, intuitive, right-brainers. So left-brain dominant students may grasp concepts quickly while right-brain dominant students don’t.

But in a culture where students are already short on patients and persistence—extra time just isn’t going to happen. So we move on, ready or not.

Math as a Cumulative Discipline

Math know-how is cumulative, which means it works much like a stack of building blocks. You have to gain understanding in one area before you can effectively go on to “build upon” another area. Our first mathematical building blocks are established in primary school, when we learn rules for addition and multiplication, and those first concepts comprise our foundation.

The next building blocks come in middle school, when students first learn about formulas and operations. This information has to sink in and become “firm” before students can move on to enlarge this framework of knowledge.

The big problem starts to appear sometime between middle school and high school, because students very often move on to a new grade or new subject before they’re really ready. Students who earn a “C” in middle school have absorbed and understood about half of what they should, but they move on anyway. They move on or are moved on, because

1. they think a C is good enough;
2. parents don’t realize that moving on without a full understanding poses a big problem for high school and college;
3. teachers don’t have time and energy enough to ensure that every single student understands every single concept.

So students move to the next level with a really shaky foundation. And the outcome of any shaky foundation is that there will be a serious limitation when it comes to building—and real potential for complete failure at some point.

Making Math Less Difficult

We have established a few things when it comes to math and difficulty:

• Math seems difficult because it takes time and energy.
• Many people aren’t patient enough to give math time and energy, and they become satisfied “just getting by.”
• Many move on to study more complex concepts with a shaky foundation.
• We often end up with a weak structure that is doomed to collapse at some point.

Although this may sound like bad news, it is really good news. The fix is pretty easy—if we’re patient enough!

No matter where you are in your math studies, you can excel if you backtrack far enough to reinforce your foundation. You must fill in the holes with a deep understanding of the basic concepts you encountered in middle school math.

• If you’re in middle school right now, do not attempt to move on until you understand pre-algebra concepts fully. Get a tutor if necessary.
• If you’re in high school and struggling with math, download a middle school math syllabus or hire a tutor. Make sure you understand every single concept and activity that is covered in middle grades.
• If you’re in college, backtrack all the way to basic math and work forward. This won’t take as long as it sounds. You can work forward through years of math in a week or two.

No matter where you start and where you struggle, you must make sure you acknowledge any weak spots in your foundation and fill, fill, fill the holes with practice and understanding!

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Nominate Your School for a $50,000 Grant

Would you like to win a $50,000 grant for your school? The Clorox Company is hosting the Power A Bright Future program, which will enable students to do just that.

Students are invited to nominate a school and explain how it could use $50,000 for improvement. You have a few more weeks to nominate before voting begins in October.

This is a great opportunity for you and your school!

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5 Bad Study Habits

Have you ever wondered how you can bomb a test after studying for hours? A poor test result after many hours of faithful studying is a real confidence buster!

If this happens to you, it’s possible that your current study habits are failing you! But you can turn it around.

The process of learning is still a little mysterious, but studies do show that the most effective process for studying involves highly active behavior over a period of time. In other words, to study effectively, you must read, draw, compare, memorize, and test yourself over time.

The following study habits are least helpful when used alone.

1. Taking linear notes

Linear notes are lecture notes that students take when they attempt to write down every word of a lecture. Linear notes occur when a student tries to write every word a lecturer says in sequence, like writing a rambling essay with no paragraphs.

You may be wondering: How can it be bad to capture every word of a lecture?

It’s not bad to capture every word of a lecture, but it is bad to think you’re studying effectively if you don’t mess with your linear notes in some way. You must revisit your linear notes and make relationships from one section to another. You should draw arrows from one related word or concept to another, and make a lot of notes and examples in the margins.

Solution: To reinforce information and to make it sink in, you must also recreate all your class notes in another form. You have to revisit the information and put it all into a chart or shrinking?outline.

Right before every ?new lecture, you should review your notes from days past and predict the next day’s material. You should reflect and make relationships between key concepts before you sit down for? a new lecture.

You should prepare for your exams by creating a fill-in-the-blank test from your notes.?

2. Highlighting the book

Are you guilty of highlighter abuse? Reckless highlighting is the root cause for many bad test grades!

Bright colors on a page make a big visual impact, so it seems like a lot of good studying is going on when you read and highlight.

Highlighting does make important information stand out on a page, but that doesn’t do you? much good if you don’t do something active with that information. Reading highlighted words again and again is not active enough.

Solution: Use the information you highlight to create a practice exam. Put highlighted words onto flashcards and practice until you know every term and concept. Identify key concepts and use them to create practice essay questions.

You should also develop a color-coded highlighting strategy. Highlight new words in one color and new concepts in another, for example. You could also highlight separate topics according to a color code for more impact.

3. Rewriting notes

Students rewrite notes under the assumption that repetition is good for memorization. Repetition is valuable as a first step, but it’s not that effective all alone.

You should rewrite your notes in the shrinking outline method, but follow up with self-testing methods.

Solution: Switch class notes with a classmate and create a practice exam from his/her notes. Exchange practice exams to test each other. Repeat this process a few times until you are comfortable with the material.

4. Rereading the chapter

Students are often encouraged to re-read a chapter on the night before an exam to reinforce what they’ve learned. Rereading is a good tactic as a last step.

Just like the other study habits mentioned above, rereading is only one part of a puzzle.

Solution: Make sure to use active steps like charts, shrinking outlines, and practice tests and follow up with rereading your chapter.

5. Memorizing definitions

Students spend a lot of time using flashcards to memorize definitions. This is a good study method, as long as it’s a first step in the process of learning. As students progress through the grade levels, they are expected to progress in cognitive skills.

Once you've exited middle school, you can't expect to do well on an exam by memorizing the definitions to terms. You must learn to memorize a definition and then define the significance of the new vocabulary terms you encounter. If you're in high school or college, you should be prepared to explain how terms are relevant in the subject, compare them to similar concepts, and explain why they matter at all.

Here's a real life example:

1. In middle school you might learn to memorize the definition of propaganda.
2. In high school you might encounter this as a term, but you'll need to memorize the definition and learn to recognize propaganda materials from World War II and other times.
3. In college you should be able to define propaganda, come up with examples from the past and from today, and explain how propaganda has affected different societies at different times.

Solution: Once you have memorized the definitions of your terms, give yourself a short essay practice test. Make sure you are able to define a term and explain why it is significant. Be able to compare and contrast your term to something or someone of similar significance.

The act of testing and retesting yourself somehow makes the information stick.

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Top Tips for Managing Time

Good time management skills can help students increase their grades and improve their overall school work performance. By learning to complete assignments on time every time, students will have a better classroom experience. Discover which tips are right for you.

1. Use a Task Diary

Do you find yourself rushing to complete your homework assignment at the last moment? Are you always starting your homework when you're supposed to be going to bed? The root of this common problem may be time management. This easy exercise will help you identify the tasks or habits that take time away from your studies and help you develop more healthy homework habits.

2. Use a Day Planner

"The assignment is due when? Tomorrow?"

We've all been there at some point. Somehow, that assignment due date just slipped right up on us without our noticing.

That is why organizational skills are so important to school performance. Who can afford to score a big fat "0" on a paper just because we got lazy and didn't pay attention to the due date? Who wants to get an "F" because we forgot to put our completed project in our book bag the night before it was due?

3. Send Yourself Reminders

If you have a Yahoo! account or another email system, you can use the free calendar feature to organize your homework. You will be able to enter each assignment as you receive it, make notes, and receive reminders as each due date approaches. It's easy to use and it's fun!

4. Understand Procrastination

Procrastination is like a little white lie we tell ourselves. We think we’ll feel better if we do something fun, like watch a TV show, instead of studying or reading. But when we give in to the urge we always feel worse in the long run, not better.

5. Try Backward Planning

If you're like many students, you sometimes have trouble getting started on a project, because the end result seems so far away and impossible to reach. Sometimes when you start out with an idea and a blank sheet of paper and look into the future, all you see is lots and lots of unfinished research, reading, planning, and work. Next time try starting at the end and looking backward!

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10 Great Study Habits

It is never too late to develop great study habits. If you're starting a new school year, or you just want to improve your grades and school performance, take a look at this list of good habits and start making some changes in your routine.

1. Write Down Every Assignment

The most logical place to write down your assignments is in a planner, but you might prefer to keep a to-do list in a simple notebook or in your cell phone note pad. It doesn't really matter what tool you use, but it is absolutely essential to your success to write down every single assignment, due date, test date, and task.

2. Remember to Bring Your Homework to School

It sounds simple enough, but many F's come from students forgetting to bring a perfectly good paper to school with them. Does your homework have a home? Is there a special place where you always put your paperwork each night? To avoid forgetting your homework, you must establish a strong homework routine with a special homework station where you work each night. Then you must get in the habit of putting your homework where it belongs right after you finish it, whether this is in a special folder on your desk or in your backpack.

3. Communicate With Your Teacher

Every successful relationship is built upon clear communication. A student-teacher relationship is no different. Miscommunication is another one of those factors that can cause bad grades, despite good efforts on your part. At the end of the day, make sure you understand every assignment that's expected of you. Imagine getting a bad grade on a 5-page paper because you didn't understand the difference between an expository essay and a personal essay.

Be sure to ask questions and find out what format you should use when you write a paper or what type of questions might appear on your history exam. The more questions you ask, the more prepared you'll be.

4. Organize With Color

Devise your own color-coding system to keep your assignments and your thoughts organized. You may select a single color for each class (like science or history) and use that color for your folder, your highlighters, your sticky notes, and your pens. You'll be surprised to discover how much strong organization skills can change your life!

Color-coding is also a tool to use when conducting research. For example, you should always keep several colors of sticky flags on hand when you're reading a book for school. Assign a specific color the every topic of interest. Place a flag on a page containing information you will need to study or to cite. It works like magic!

5. Establish a Study Zone at Home

Take the time to assess your individual style and your real needs and plan for the perfect study place. After all, if you can’t concentrate, you certainly can’t expect to learn very well. Students are different. Some need a completely quiet room free from interruptions when they study, but others actually study better listening to quiet music in the background or taking several breaks.

Find a place to study that fits your specific personality and learning style. Then stock your study space with school supplies that will help you avoid last-minute emergencies.

6. Prepare Yourself for Test Days

You know that it's important to study for test days, right? But there are other things you should consider in addition to the actual material that the test will cover. What if you show up for test day and the room is freezing cold? For many students, this would cause enough of a distraction to interrupt concentration. That leads to bad choices and bad answers. Plan ahead for heat or cold by layering your clothing.

And what happens when you spend so much time on one essay question that you don't have enough time to finish the exam? Another way to prepare for test day is to take a watch and be mindful of time management.

7. Know Your Dominant Learning Style

Many students will struggle in a subject without understanding why. Sometimes this is because students don't understand how to study in a way that matches their brain style.

Auditory learners are those who learn best through hearing things. Visual learners retain more information when they use visual aids, and tactile learners benefit by doing hands-on projects.

Every student should examine and evaluate their habits and their natural tendencies and decide how they might be able to improve their study habits by tapping into their personal strengths.

8. Take Fabulous Notes

There are a few tricks to taking fabulous notes that really help when it comes to studying. If you’re visual person, you should make as many doodles on your paper as you can. Useful doodles, that is. As soon as you realize that once topic relates to another, comes before another, is the opposite of another, or has any kind of connection to another—draw a picture that makes sense to you. Sometimes the information will not sink in until and unless you see it in an image.

There are also certain code words to look out for in a lecture that can indicate that your teacher is giving you the relevance or the context of an event. Learn to recognize key words and phrases that your teacher deems important.

9. Conquer Procrastination

When you put things off a lot, you end up putting things off until it's too late from time to time. It's that simple. When you procrastinate, you take the chance that nothing will go wrong at the last minute--but in the real world, things do go wrong.

So how can you battle the urge to put things off? Start with trying to recognize that a feisty little voice that lives inside every one of us. It tells us it would be more fun to play a game, eat, or watch TV when we know better. Don’t fall for it!

10. Take Care of Yourself

Some of your personal habits might be affecting your grades. Are you feeling tired, achy, or bored when it comes to homework time? You can change your grades by practicing a few healthy homework habits. Change the way you feel by taking better care of your mind and your body.

For example, between text messaging, Sony PlayStations, Xbox, Internet surfing, and computer writing, students are using their hand muscles in all new ways, and they're growing increasingly susceptible to the hazards of repetitive stress injury. Find out how to avoid pain in your hands and neck by changing the way you sit at your computer.

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Study Skills Assessment

Good study skills can make a big difference in your school performance. Even if you find a particular subject difficult to understand, you will find that being organized and knowing how to tap in to your natural strengths can add valuable points to your scores.

Use the assessment tool below to determine your score. Mark each topic with a score from 1 to 5, with 5 meaning "strongly agree" and 1 meaning "strongly disagree."

1 (low) <-------------> (high) 5

1. I have a specific study space.

Score _____

Students are different. Some need a completely quiet room free from interruptions when they study, but others actually study better listening to quiet music in the background or taking several breaks. Either way, you should establish a regular time and place for studying. Take the time to assess your real needs and establish a clear routine.

2. I know my best learning style.

Score _____

Do you learn better by seeing, hearing, or acting out the information you receive? In other words, are you a mostly visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner? Actually, everybody learns by mixture of methods, but one method or type is usually dominant in each person. By determining your dominant learning style you can improve your memory and your grades.

3. I use a student planner.

Score _____

"The paper was due today?"

We've all been there at some point. Somehow, that assignment due date just slipped right up on us without our noticing. That is why organizational skills are so important to school performance. Who can afford to score a big fat "0" on a paper, just because we got lazy and didn't pay attention to the due date? By using a student planner, you can avoid costly mistakes like this!

4. I maintain healthy sleep habits.

Score _____

According to a study by sleep expert Mary Carskadon, PhD, teens should receive more than nine hours of sleep every night. That's a great thought, but is it possible? Think about it--do you ever sleep that long?

5. I always eat breakfast.

Score _____

If you're facing an important test, this might be a good time to change your eating habits. Studies have shown that eating a good breakfast can actually enhance your performance on a test. One study in particular shows that "Breakfast consumption has a short-term effect in improving selected learning skills, especially work memory."

6. I use color to stay organized.

Score _____

When you organize your homework, you can improve your study habits and your grades. One way to do this is to use color-coded supplies, like folders, highlighters, stickers, and flags of various colors. Simply assign a certain color for each specific class, and stick to the rules you establish!

7. I have a handle on procrastination.

Score _____

Do you procrastinate? Most of us put things off from time to time, like studying for a test or starting on lengthy research papers. But giving in to diversions can really hurt us in the long run. Do you recognize the signs of procrastination?

8. I remember my homework every day.

Score _____

I left my homework at home! How many times have you said this? It's a terrible feeling to know you're going to get a failing grade on homework after you actually did the work. It seems so unfair! There are ways to prevent this dilemma and others, but you must be willing to prepare ahead of time to save yourself from future headaches.

9. I study for every test.

Score _____

Believe it or not, some students never study before a test. Do you study effectively for every test? If you're looking for a good way to study, try this tip: Next time you're facing a big exam, try concentrating on essay topics. Essay questions are based on themes and overall ideas. Teachers like to use essay questions because they give students the opportunity to express everything they've learned over the weeks or months, using their own words. Essay test answers reveal more than the bare facts, though. When submitting essay answers, students are expected to cover lots of information in an organized, sensible manner.

10. I'm always prepared for test days.

Score _____

The key to battling test-day jitters is thorough preparation! But full preparation means more than knowing the test material. It's important to prepare your mind and body for the experience of working under pressure.

Now add up all your scores for a total. How did you do?

A total score of 30-50: You have very strong study skills. Congratulations! You know your strengths and use them! You also have great organization skills.

A total score of 20-29: You use some of your strengths, but you could improve your performance by sharpening some of your skills!

Below 20: You may not be performing up to your true potential! By learning to get organized, or by learning more about your personal learning style, you could improve your grades!

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Back-to-Back Tests!

For some students, the middle of the semester is fast approaching. Are you ready?

One challenge many students discover during midterms is facing two big tests in one day. To perform well on a day like this, you should really start preparing a week ahead of time.

Are you prepared for back-to-back tests?

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Essay Organization

To improve your ability to understand a difficult book or passage, you can start by finding the organization pattern. This may sound more difficult than it really is. There are a few ways that writers can choose to organize their work, and the organization depends very much on the topic.

If you were writing a description of your bedroom, for example, you would most likely use a spatial organization pattern. You would start by describing one "space" and move on to another space.

If you were required to describe the events that led up to a certain event in history, you most likely organization pattern would be chronological. Chronological just refers to the order things happen in time.

So, one of the first things you should do when trying to understand a difficult text is to figure out the organization pattern. This helps you frame the entire work in your brain or on paper, in an outline.

Chronological Organization is used by writers when they want to describe what happened or happens in a particular order.

• History chapters
• Biographies
• Summer vacation essays

Logical Organization may be used in many ways.

• Argument essays
• Comparison essays

Functional Organization system is used to explain how or why things work.

• How-To essays
• Step-by-Step essays

Spatial Organization is used in essays that describe or give direction concerning a physical location.

• Directions
• Descriptions
• Layouts
• Anatomy essay

Once you determine the overall organization of a text, you'll be able to process information as you read.

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Literature Exams

When you study for a big exam in literature class, you'll soon find it's easy to become overwhelmed as you review all the works that you've covered during the semester or the year.

You must come up with a way to remember which authors, characters, and plots go with each piece of work. One good memory tool to consider is a color-coded concept map.

As you create the memory tool, you should keep a few things in mind to assure the best study results:

1). Read the material. Don’t try to rely on study guides such as Cliff’s Notes to prepare for a literature exam. Most literature exams will reflect the specific discussions you had in class about the works that you covered. For instance, a piece of literature may have several themes, but your teacher may not have focused on the themes covered in a study guide.

Use your own notes--not Cliff's Notes--to create a color-coded mind map of each piece of literature you read during your exam period.

2). Connect authors with stories. One of the big mistakes that students make when studying for a literature exam is forgetting which author goes with each piece of work. It’s an easy mistake to make. Use a mind map and be sure to include the author as a major element of your map.

3.) Connect characters with stories. You might think that you’ll remember which character goes with each story, but long lists of characters can be easy to confuse. Your teacher might decide to focus on a minor character.

Again, a color-coded mind map can provide a visual tool to help you memorize characters.

4.) Know antagonists and protagonists. The main character of a story is called the protagonist. This character may be a hero, a person coming of age, a character involved in a journey of some sort, or a person seeking love or fame. Typically, the protagonist will face a challenge in the form of an antagonist.

The antagonist will be the person or thing that acts as a force against the protagonist. The antagonist exists to prevent the main character from achieving his goal or dream. Some stories can have more than one antagonist, and some people disagree on the character who fills the role of antagonist. For example, in Moby Dick, some people view the whale as the non-human antagonist for Ahab, the main character. Others believe that Starbuck is the main antagonist in the story.

5). Know the theme of each book. You probably discussed a major theme in class for each story, so be sure to remember what theme goes with what piece of literature.

6). Know the setting, conflict, and the climax for each work that you have covered. The setting can be a physical location, but it can also include the mood that the location evokes. Make note of a setting that makes the story more foreboding, tense, or cheerful.

Most plots center around a conflict. Keep in mind that a conflict can take place externally (man against man or thing against man) or internally (emotional conflict within one character).

The conflict exists in literature to add excitement to the story. The conflict works like a pressure cooker, building up steam until it results in a big event, like an explosion of emotion. This is the climax of the story.

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Shrinking Outline Method

Students are often encouraged to create outlines in order to study for tests. The problem is that students try to include too much material and the "outline" becomes nothing more than a reproduction of class notes. Outlines that contain too much information don't help!

Students can improve study results using a "shrinking outline" method, a method of creating a series of outlines that contain less and less information.

The shrinking outline method taps into two key elements of truly effective study. Research suggests that a combination of periodic study over time and occasional practice tests will result in better absorption and recall.

The Shrinking Outline Method

• Using a word processor, students should first make an outline to cover all the material they've received in a term. This outline will serve as a study guide for a few days.
• 
  
• After reviewing this guide for a few days, students should delete information to make a more condensed outline. This second outline will contain main ideas from the first outline, but it should not contain the supporting lists and details.
• 
  
• Students use this condensed outline as a practice sheet. With a pencil, students should write in the details that correspond with each main idea. Students should brainstorm to remember all the facts and lists that they can recall from the first sheet. Students can print out as many practice sheets as necessary and use them until they can recall all of the necessary information.
• 
  
• The next step is to make another, more condensed version. This last outline will contain three or four main ideas. Students will use these very broad prompts to recall all the information that was contained on previous versions.

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Identifying Terms

It's pretty common for a test in the sciences or social sciences to contain several new vocabulary terms for you to identify. To get full credit when you answer this type of question, you must do two things. You must define the term, but you must also explain its significance.

Too often I see students leaving out the second step--and that means they end up with half credit on those questions.

When you study terms for the next test in social studies or science class, just remember that it's probably not enough to know the definition of your new vocabulary words. You must also know how each term relates to other new words, or how the term fits into bigger concepts.

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Sloppy Writer&#039;s Guide

You don't have to be ultra-organized to come up with a fabulous and well-organized research paper. As a matter of fact, creativity and organization do not necessarily go hand in hand. Perhaps that is why so many good writers think of themselves as tormented souls!

Creative people are usually global thinkers, which means they take in information in huge chunks instead of taking them into their brains in small, sequential bits.

Because of this, creative and global thinkers can feel overwhelmed by big stacks of research, and they often come across as spacey and disorganized at the onset. The good news is, they usually come out ahead in the end and finish with a great concept or project.

Does this sound like you? If you don't know where to start with research, or if you have piles of research and you don't know what to do with it, you're actually pretty normal.

1. Go ahead and be generous with the research

When we first set off to research a topic we usually don't have a clear idea of what we will discover along the way. It's not uncommon for us to come across an interesting and unexpected tidbit that looks really intriguing, but perhaps a little off-topic. It might threaten to set us off on an unexpected direction.

Go ahead and record it!

Actually, those unexpected directions can be gold nuggets that make your paper. Often, we don't know for sure how information fits into an overall paper until we have collected quite a bit of information. The best advice is to go ahead and gather all the information you can when researching, and then decide later what should stay and what should go.

If you can color-code your research as you go, then your life will be easier when it comes to organizing. If not, you may want to consider color coding once the research is all collected. Any method of organizing is good, however.

2. If you're fretting over categories, use piles.

Don't allow yourself to become overwhelmed by mounds of research. Before you try to create an outline, you might want to consider organizing at the most basic level. Sit at a large table or on the floor with your stack, and begin to sort it into piles.

Create piles as far as your arms can reach. Don't worry about having too many. Piles can represent any sort of category, sub-topic, or idea that is related to your topic—so don't worry about it now.

Once you identify a topic pile, label it with a sticky note.

3. Group your piles.

After you've placed all of your research into a relevant pile, sit back and look at your various stacks. Is there a flow or pattern? Identify a sequence or order to your stacks. You'll be surprised at how natural this comes.

Some piles will seem more important than others. Those piles can represent your main paragraph topics. Other piles will seem like side-stories or offshoots of the main topic paragraphs. Those piles will usually contain the information that serves as evidence for your main ideas. Your paper is taking shape!

4. Write a Messy Outline.

Using freehand, (not a computer) start to draft an outline. Write down your main topics and list subtopics between the headings.

If you truly are a global thinker, your mind will start coming up with creative ideas as you attempt to organize. This is natural, but it may be annoying.

It's tempting to want to squelch these ideas at this time, because your mind is supposed to be working be in the "organizing" stage, not the "creative" stage. Don't do it!

You might lose some of your best ideas forever if you send them to the back of your mind. Jot them down. Go ahead and let your mind brainstorm as you organize your topics. Don't worry about having a messy outline. It's yours—you can scribble all over it.

5. Write a New Outline.

There's no way around it: some of the best writers go through numerous drafts of every stage. This includes the outline.

Using a word processor this time, go ahead and write a new outline, based on your messy first version. This seems like a lot of extra work—but it's not, actually. You will see that your paper is taking shape. This second outline is actually a skeleton of your paper draft.

You have organized your paper and, as you jotted down ideas along the way, you have shaped your argument.

6. Read for content

Your new outline will read just like your first draft, minus all the filler and pretty writing. Read over the outline and determine whether you see holes in your argument or story. If so—don't fret. You will find that it is quite easy to find and add those missing parts.

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Cliffs Notes

What Are Cliffs Notes?

Cliffs Notes or CliffsNotesc are a series of study guides that are designed to help students understand literature and other books. Cliffs Notes can be a useful study tool, but they can also be a danger to students who try to use them in the wrong way. They are not cheat sheets.

Dangers of Using Cliffs Notes

First and foremost, you should know that some teachers do not allow students Cliffs Notes—period. Before you even explore the option, ask your teacher about his or her policy. Teachers who have strong negative feelings about Cliffs Notes consider the use of such tools as cheating.

Never use Cliffs Notes as a replacement for reading the actual work. Why?

First of all, study guides such as these oversimplify texts and often prevent students from gaining value from reading literature, like learning to appreciate the beauty of writing and understanding the important life lessons and messages that come from great literature.

Also, every teacher knows about Cliffs Notes and they are familiar with all the information available in these study tools about a particular book. Any good teacher will know if a student has done this simply by reading the content of the paper.

Some of the information contained in Cliffs Notes and other similar guides is inaccurate or it is based on viewpoint or opinion. By making an assertion that you’ve found in Cliffs Notes (without reading the book), you will be cheating. You’ll also be tipping off your teacher.

Teachers often word their paper assignments in a way that hinders the student from using study tools. For example, teachers may ask students to answer a specific question about the theme of death in The Red Badge of Courage instead of asking students to come up with a theme. The teacher will ask a question that is not addressed in common study guides like Cliffs Notes.

For this reason, you should never take it upon yourself to change the assignment—especially when using a study aid. Your teacher will smell a rat!

Using Cliffs Notes the Right Way

Some teachers allow or even encourage the use of Cliffs Notes as a study aid for difficult readings. Usually, teachers who otherwise wouldn’t allow their use will make exceptions for reading assignments that they know to be particularly difficult, like ancient texts or Shakespeare plays.

Let’s face it. Sometimes you can read a passage and not understand a word of it. Or—you can read a book, set it down, and realize that very little of it sank in.

For this reason, some students use study guides as an introduction to a particular work because they need to get an overview of a story line before diving in to the actual text.

Other times, students will want to read the actual work first and then read the study guide to see how well they understood the text. This is the best idea for serious literature students. By toiling through the difficult passages first, students can develop their reading skills. They’ll need them in college!

At some point you may want to consult Cliffs Notes if you really struggle with finding a theme for a book. This is dangerous, though—it’s much too easy for students to rely heavily on the guide. It is much better to consult a guide like this to eliminate possible themes and brainstorm to come up with original ideas.

Please Note: If you do use a study guide in your research about a particular text, be sure to cite it as a source. Otherwise, you may be charged with committing plagiarism.

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How to Study Spanish

One of the best ways to improve your Spanish is to practice out loud and then listen to yourself.

If you are using a PC with Windows, you probably have a handy built-in recording device to make this easy. All you need is an inexpensive microphone!

Simply click on the START button on your menu and go to:

PROGRAMS - ACCESSORIES - ENTERTAINMENT - and SOUND RECORDER

This recorder is easy to use. Just speak into the microphone and play back your words! It's fun to do and it's a great way to practice and learn.

You can also record brief conversations with a friend. This is a great tool for auditory learners.

More Spanish Homework Tips:

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Supplies for Middle School Students

I know it might sound a little funny, but writing utensils (pens and pencils) become really important when you get to middle school. What's so different about pencils in middle school?

It's simple, really. Students will find themselves writing a lot more when they get into the sixth grade. Book report requirements might be two pages instead of two paragraphs, journal entries will be much more involved, and tests will invlove long essay answers. If you've ever tried to write a long passage with a cheap pencil and a bad eraser, you can image how frustrating middle school could be with a bad set of pencils!

Middle school students face new challenges. It's so important to find the right set of tools for middle school students. After all, you want to give yourself every possible advantage at this special time of your academic career!

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Group Writing Project

Google Docs is an online word processor that is accessible by members of a designated group. With this program, you can set up a project so that each member of a specific group can access a group paper to write and edit from any computer with Internet access.

Google Docs has many of the same features as Microsoft Word. With this program you can do it all: select a font, center your title, create a title page, check your spelling, and write a paper up to around 100 pages of text!

You'll also be able to trace any pages made to your paper. The editing page shows you what changes have been made and it tells you who made the changes. This cuts down on the funny business!

Here's how to get started:

1. Go to Google Docs and set up an account. You can use any email address that you already have; you don't have to set up a Gmail account.
2. When you sign in to Google Docs with your ID, you will arrive at the Welcome Page.
3. Look below the "Google Docs & Spreadsheets" logo to find the New Document link and select it. This link takes you to the word processor. You can either begin writing a paper or you can choose to add group members from here.

Go to Next Page.

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Finding Statistics

Reports are always more interesting and convincing if they contain data or statistics. Some research numbers and results can add a really surprising or interesting twist to your papers. This list provides some good places to start if you want to support your opinions with some research data.

1. Public Agenda

This great site provides insight into what the public really thinks about a wide spectrum of topics. Examples are: what teachers think about teaching; America's views on crime and punishment; how minority populations feel about educational opportunities; what American teenagers really think about their schools; public attitudes about global warming; and much, much more! The site provides free access to press releases on dozens of research studies, so you don't have to browse through dry percentages.

2. National Center for Health Statistics

Statistics on cigarette smoking, birth control use, child care, working parents, marriage probability, insurance, physical activity, causes of injury, and much more!

3. U.S. Census Bureau

You'll find information on income, employment, poverty, relationships, ethnicity, ancestry, population, houses and living conditions.

4. U.S. Government Economic Statistics

Read the White House briefing room statistics on employment, income, money, prices, production, output, and transportation.

5. U.S. Department of Justice

Find crime trends, trends on investigations, gun use, convictions, juvenile justice, inmate violence, and more.

6. National Center for Education Statistics

Find statistics provided by the "federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education." Topics include dropout rates, performance in mathematic, school performances, literacy levels, postsecondary choices, and early childhood education.

7. GeoHive

This site provides "geopolitical data, statistics on the human population, Earth and more." Find interesting facts about the countries of the world, like the largest cities, biggest airports, historical populations, capitals, growth statistics, and natural phenomena.

8. Adherents

Curious about religions of the world? This site has information regarding religious movements and their countries of origin, predominant religions, biggest churches, affiliations of famous people, holy places, movies about religion, religion by location—it's all there.

9. A Nation Online

Internet usage reports from the U.S. government, with information about online behavior, entertainment, age of users, transactions, time online, effect of geography, usage by state, and much more.

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Leadership Styles

There will be many times in your educational career when you will be called upon to lead a discussion group or a project.

There are several different approaches to being an effective boss or project leader. Some people are born with a natural style and some can learn to mold their behavior to fit any situation. Understanding each style is important in order to maximize your leadership skills. Do you know which style you have? Do you know how and when to alter your leadership style?

There are four major types of student leadership roles. You will find that there is an appropriate time and place for each style. As you progress in your studies, you may want to learn skills and techniques from each leadership style.

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Test Taking Strategies

Eat and drink wisely on the morning or day of the test. Make sure you don't go into the test hungry. Hunger can interfere with your concentration, and so can the noise of a rumbling stomach. Don't create an unnecessary and unfortunate distraction!

Along similar lines, feel free to have some caffeine if you like it, but don't drink too much just before the test! Than can cause another sort of distraction.

Don't forget to wear a watch. You'll need to keep an eye on the minute hand while you're testing.

Arrive early to the classroom. Give yourself time to relax and reflect for several minutes before the test begins.

Look over the entire test as soon as you receive it. Take time to evaluate the test, in order to determine how much time you should spend on each section. For instance, if you find a multiple choice section followed by two large essay questions, be sure to give yourself enough time for the essays. Assign a time limit to each section. You can always go back if you finish early.

Pay close attention to directions. Read them twice, if possible. Don't make assumptions.

For multiple choice questions, try to answer the question before looking at your choices. If you're right, one of the choices will match your answer.

Tackle the easy questions first. Skip over any questions you're not sure about. Sometimes answers come clear to you later, after you take a second look at the question. (Sometimes, the answers even appear in the essay question or elsewhere!)

Every time you skip a question, be sure to mark it. How many times have you left an answer blank by accident? Ouch--what a waste. Be sure to make a star beside questions if you skip them. Don't leave any blanks.

For defining terms, concentrate on themes and chapter titles. If you're facing a list of terms to define and you're unsure about a few, think back to major themes (usually found in chapter titles). Ask yourself: where might that term have appeared? Take a guess if you're not sure. You may get partial credit if you're close.

Stay positive! If you start to doubt yourself, you may go blank. Keep concentrating on your strengths.

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Pre-reading and Re-reading

Any time you receive a reading assignment for a difficult textbook or another challenging source, you should follow a method of pre-reading and re-reading.

As you pre-read the source, you will scan the words for a few things: you should get an understanding of the overall message; you should observe the structure of the work (find the intro, summary, thesis); and you should identify and mark any unfamiliar words.

Once you have scanned and identified these elements, take some time to look up the new words and jot down the definitions.

The pre-reading stage will set you up for a deeper understanding of the material as you read and re-read the text.

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Clich&#233;s

A cliche is a phrase or expression that is so overused that it becomes annoying. Most cliches begin life as very clever expressions. The first time around, they convey a distinct message in a very funny way—and that makes them repeatable. After too much use, however, they just become corny.

Cliches should be avoided in your academic writing because they tend to make our work sound amateurish. Why? Cliches are a lazy. They convey a very specific message that everyone understands, but they do so in a very unimaginative way.

For example, the following trite expressions may convey your feelings about a particular subject you’re writing about, but they’re guaranteed to make your reader “roll his eyes.”

• It made my blood boil
• That rubbed me the wrong way
• My eyes were glazing over
• This pushes all my buttons

You may use cliches without realizing it, so it is a good idea to keep an eye out for tired and overused phrases as you proofread.

Examples of cliches

• Don’t get your nose out of shape.
• Don’t get bent out of shape.
• The teacher chewed me out.
• It’s driving me up the wall.
• That burned me up.
• He’s wound up tight.
• He was mad as a wet hen.
• His goose was cooked.
• She was in a fix.
• He was in a pinch.
• She was on the spot.
• She likes to toot her own horn.
• That was easy as pie.
• That was pretty hard to swallow.
• He was grasping at straws.
• She was flying by the seat of her pants.
• It got under my skin.
• My skin was crawling.
• I was pinning all my hopes on a win.
• There was a glimmer of hope in his eye.
• They couldn’t see eye to eye.
• There was a little give and take.

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