Students will research historically banned/challenged books. In the process of researching, students will read the selected literary work and to assist in researching the context in which it was banned and/or challenged. Through an analysis of history and social issues, students will make an argument in favor of or against the banning and whether the issue/reason for the ban is likely to go away in the foreseeable future.
Students should visit www.ala.org to find more information on banned books. A specific list of books with explanations for the bannings are listed on the Banned and Challenged Classics Page.
Although you are mostly familiar with MLA style, you may at some point in your college career encounter APA. Although we will be using MLA styling to write our research paper, be sure to review the MLA VS APA Handout and see how the two styles differ.
Thesis
Once you have read a variety of sources and considered your issue from different perspectives, you are ready to form a working thesis: a one-sentence (or occasionally a two-sentence) statement of your central idea. Because it is a working, or tentative, thesis, you can remain flexible and reviese it as your ideas develop.
In a research paper, your thesis will answer the central research question that you posed earlier (should your book be banned by the school board?)
Example Question: Should the school board ban To Kill a Mockingbird?
Working Thesis: The school board should not ban To Kill a Mockingbird because it inhibits free thinking and the freedom of speech.
After you have written a rough draft and perhaps done more reading, you may decide to revise your thesis:
Revised Thesis: Although parents and school boards often have concerns that lead them to believe certain pieces of literature should be banned in schools the implications of making mass rules for all instead of parents restricting their own children far outweighs the benefits.
The thesis almost always is the last part of the introduction.
Body Paragraphs
As you draft your arguments in the body paragraphs, make sure to back up your assertions with facts, examples, and other evidence from your research. Expert opinions can give weight to your argument, but do not rely on experts to make your arguments for you. Construct your argument in your own words.
Do not ignore sources that seem contrary to your position or that offer arguments different from your own. Instead, use them to give voice to opposing points of view and to state potential objections to your argument before you counter them. Readers often have opposing points of view in mind already, whether or not they agree with you.