Research and the Three-Part Thesis

Today we will continue working on our Russian research projects. Once we are done with our research, you will write a compare/contrast paper using your chosen topic related to Russia (and the United States). You are looking for at least 3 ways in which the two countries are similar and different based on your chosen topic.

Research
Last week, you found a source for Russia. Today, if you haven't already done so, you need to find a source for the United States. If you are comparing Russia's modern with its historic government, you will do something slightly different. Talk to me individually.

At the end of this class period, you should have a Word document containing the following saved in the correct location on the Y: drive:

1. The source you cited and annotated in class last week
2. The notes you took on this source over the weekend (in an outline format)
3. A second source cited and annotated
4. Notes on your second source (in an outline format)

The rubric for this section of the project is accessible here.

Thesis

A thesis statement is an arguable sentence about your topic. Just like any argument you make in real life, the thesis has to be supported with evidence.

Once you have both sources cited and annotated, and you've taken your notes on the sources, you're ready to move on to the next step -- your thesis! For this project, we will use a very basic format: the three part thesis. See the example below:

I can compare ______________ to ______________ by examining ______________, ______________ and ______________.

In the first part of the thesis, you state what you are comparing. In the second part, you state three ways you will support your comparison.

If you finish, start working on an outline for your paper. This worksheet will help you get started.