Name : Sixth Grade Country Report 4 th term you will be starting the process of researching and writing for our 6 th grade country report. As you research and write your report, please pay close attention to deadlines and follow ALL directions carefully. The 5 main categories you will cover in your report are Geography, Government, History, Economy, and People. Other things you must include are an interesting introduction, effective conclusion, a map, a graph, a flag, pictures, and a bibliography page. You may not change countries after the due date without written permission from Miss Smith. Writing strategies will be taught in the classroom to help prepare you to write your research paper. Attached you will find the requirements for each section of the research paper, the points values, and due dates. Paper Due Date : Wednesday, May 15 2013 Presentation Due Dates : Thursday, May 17 th Friday, May 24th Request Form Please choose 3 countries you would like to research. Please put your top choice as #1, second as #2, and last as #3. 1. 2. 3. Country request due date : Tuesday, April 9 th, 2013 Your country as assigned by Miss Smith :
Name Sixth Grade Country Report Checklist As you complete each portion of this project, turn in to have it checked off by Miss Smith by the deadline. The Introduction, Geography, History, Government, Economy, People, and Conclusion parts of your paper are due, proofread by you, 3 others, and a parent by the deadline. Miss Smith will do a final check on the date received. Country Report Item Deadline Date Received Teacher Initials Country Request Form Tuesday, April 9 Outline and Friday, April 19 Notecards Introduction Tuesday, April 23 Geography Friday, April 26 History Friday, April 26 Government Friday, April 26 Economy Friday, May 3 People Friday, May 3 Conclusion Friday, May 3 Map Friday, May 10 Time Line Friday, May 10 Flag Friday, May 10 Graph Friday, May 10 Pictures Friday, May 10 Bibliography Wednesday, May 15 Cover Page Wednesday, May 15 Oral Presentation and Display Thursday, May 17
Name : Sixth Grade Country Report Outline This is a sample outline. Your outline will follow this using the information you put into your report. I. Introduction II. Geography a. Location i. Continent, Hemisphere, Latitude and Longitude, etc. b. Physical Features i. Tropical, mountains, deserts, etc. c. Climate i. Winter, summer, spring, fall, average temperatures, rainfall, etc. d. Vegetation e. Animal Life III. History a. First inhabitants b. Famous leaders c. Major wars or revolutions IV. Government a. Country s official name b. Type of government and a brief description of that government i. Include how leaders are/have been chosen c. Current government leader i. Name, title, residence d. Building where government happens V. Economy a. Major industries b. Major agriculture c. Trade i. Exports ii. Imports d. Currency e. Natural Resources f. Occupations VI. People a. Statistics i. Population ii. Ethnic groups iii. Major religions iv. Life expectancy b. Language i. Official language and others spoken c. Education
i. Literacy rate ii. Length of schooling 1. When do children start? Finish? iii. Funding 1. Public? Private? d. Foods i. Type and example of a typical meal e. Clothing i. Types, traditions, any restrictions? f. Holidays and Customs i. Celebrations ii. Sports and recreations 1. Sports typically played 2. Other activities enjoyed by the locals g. Arts and Sciences i. Famous artists, scientists, architects, etc. from your country and their work VII. Conclusion VIII. Map IX. Time Line X. Flag XI. Graph XII. Pictures XIII. Bibliography
Name : Sixth Grade Country Report Research Process As you research each section, you will find a great deal of information. Your job is to sort out what is good information and what is not and then to organize that information. For example, if you are researching geography and you find some good information on history or another category, be sure to not it and use those facts in the right area of your report. Be familiar with your outline before you being researching so you have an idea of what you are looking for. Note Taking Procedure: Here is an easy way to record the country facts on 3x5 index cards. Follow this procedure: 1. Write the category on the left hand side of the index card and the Roman numeral that corresponds to it on your outline (Ex : II. Geography) 2. On the next available line, write the subcategory and the letter it corresponds with (Ex : a. Location) 3. If the subcategory is further broken down, please write it and the Roman numeral it corresponds with (Ex : i. continent) 4. Then write the information you found in your own words. Use concise adjectives and nouns, but do NOT write in complete sentences. 5. Finally, cite the source in the upper right hand corner. Source : Holt World History p. 84 II. Geography a. Location i. Continent United Stated : found on the continent of North America Great resources to use can be found at : http://www.sldirectory.com/studf/geography.html
Name: General Guidelines: Sixth Grade Country Report General Guidelines Paper must include ALL sections in the outline Paper must be double spaced, size 12 font, Times New Roman Complete sentences must be used at all times. Use accurate capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Paragraphs must be indented. Please label each section (Introduction, Geography Pictures, Bibliography) and make sure it is in bold and is underlined. References must be properly cited using MLA format. Your last name and the page number should appear at the top right corner of each page. Cover Page : This is very simple. You must include a title (name of the country), your name (first and last), your teacher s name, and the date (the date should be the one on which you printed the final draft. Please do not include any artwork. Introduction: This paragraph should be between 3-6 sentences. It should be a short and interesting introduction to your country. It needs a hook, thesis statement, the topics in your paper, and a clincher statement. Conclusion: This paragraph should also be between 3-6 sentences. It should effectively conclude your research report with a restated thesis statement, topics, and a clincher statement. Map: Your map must be hand-drawn. You must label five (5) cities including the capital. You must also label 2-3 bodies of water (rivers, lakes, oceans). Please be sure to add mountain ranges or other geographical features. Time Line : You must include 6 dates or more in chronological order. Please include only MAJOR events in the history of your country. You may type this section or write it by hand. Below and on my website is a timeline generator that is very easy to use. http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/timeline/ Graph : Choose any statistical fact about your country (ethnicities, languages spoken, ages of residents, etc). You decide the best format (bar graph, circle graph, line graph, etc.) to display the information. Look for data that has a wide range of numbers. It will help you create a more interesting graph. Flag: Your flag should be hand drawn. It should be 8 ½ x 11 inches. It should be in color and as accurate as possible. Picture Page: You may find and print pictures from any resource that represents your country. Make sure that you cite your source in your bibliography. Bibliography Page : Please see the Bibliography page for specific instructions. You will need to find at least four (4) different sources on the country you have chosen to research. At least one (1) source needs to be from a book. Additional sources include appropriate internet sources (NOT Wikipedia), magazines, newspapers, journals, etc.
Sixth Grade Country Report- Bibliography Name: What is Plagiarism??? According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own to use (another's production) without crediting the source to commit literary theft to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source. In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward. To avoid plagiarism: take citation notes on every source you use put quotation marks around anything you copy exactly and include the author s name and the title of the publication. Paraphrase, according the Merriam- Webster Student Dictionary, is a way of stating something again by giving the meaning in different words. ALWAYS cite your sources Bibliography A bibliography is a list of the sources you used to get information for your report. It is included at the end of your report, on the last page (or last few pages). This can also be called a Bibliography page. You will find it easier to prepare your final Bibliography page if you keep track of each book, encyclopedia, website, or article you use as you are reading and taking notes. Start a preliminary, or draft, bibliography by listing on a separate sheet of paper all your sources. Note the full title, author, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication for each source. Also, every time a fact gets recorded on a note card, its source should be noted in the top right corner. When you are finished writing your paper, you can use the information on your note cards to doublecheck your bibliography. When assembling a final bibliography, list your sources (texts, articles, interviews, and so on) in alphabetical order by authors' last names. Sources that don't have authors (encyclopedias, movies) should be alphabetized by title. There are different formats for bibliographies/bibliography, we will be using MLA format. A website that is very helpful if you are unsure is: http://sharepoint.snoqualmie.k12.wa.us/instructional_office/librarians/shared%20do cuments/middle%20school%20mls.pdf
Middle School MLA Citation Guide CITING OOKS AND OTHER NON-PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS
Sixth Grade Country Report Presentation For your presentation, * You may use a poster board, keynote, powerpoint, etc to display your country report information in a visual way. *You will be required to give your report in front of the class. You must include information on your country s: Geography History Government Economy People Do not feel limited to just these areas. You can include any other, relevant, interesting information in this presentation. You may bring artifacts from home if you have any from your specific country. *Do NOT include full sentences in your presentation portion of this project. The goal is to make the information easily accessible for your audience don t bore them to death!! Make sure that you include graphics to make things interesting for your audience! *Please practice giving your report at home so you feel comfortable giving them out loud. Do not get up and read the entire report to us. Use a few note cards and TELL us what you learned about your country. *Please inform Miss Smith if you need special equipment for your presentation to the class. (slide projectors, video, etc.)