It’s easier than you think, actually. First, think about the various sub-categories of your topic that you have notes about. It may be that you have chosen elephants as your topic. (Nobody has, but that’s beside the point.) You will probably have notes that concern the physical nature of the animal itself, such as how big they get, how large they normally are at birth, and other physical characteristics. Arrange these notes together. Do this for each sub-category of your topic. For instance behavior would probably be one sub-category, and uses as an animal of burden or as a circus performer another. You might even have another sub-category for care and hygiene. You can even put a number or letter next to notes on similar topics, to help you arrange them categorically.

Next, make sure your notes are in your own words, not just a paraphrasing of another author’s work. This is very important. If you have made copies or copied down this information, look at the information, read it for understanding, place the notes aside, and write what you understand down in your own words. You should then recheck what you wrote against the note(s) to ensure accuracy. If there is some kind of statistical data, put a blank line for numbers, etc., you don’t remember and refer back to your notes later to insert that information.

Once your notes are in your own words and arranged by sub-category, take the notes for each sub-category and arrange them in the order you want to present them in your paper. Numbered note cards are good for this purpose. When you have done this, study the notes and begin writing your paper. Include an introduction paragraph or two for your paper. This introduction should not include any of the information from your research. Consider including sub-categories as headings in your paper. This helps ensure you are staying on topic as well as maintaining good organization.

You should have approximately 3 ½ to 4 ½ pages of typewritten material to turn in, with 3 ½ pages being the minimum. You should use no larger than 12-point type of a standard font, such as Ariel, Times New Roman, or Chicago to name a few. I will stop reading at the end of the sixth page, so nothing will be considered that goes beyond the sixth page. Do not include any pictures or graphics in the first draft. If your printer fails, you may save it on a disk and give it to me. I can open any document that has a .doc or .txt extension. If the paper is in any other format, you must email it to me, with the text of your paper in the email body itself, not as an attachment.

Remember, you are informing the reader about your topic. Your focus should be to inform. You should NOT under any circumstances, lose your notes! You will need them later for the second draft. If you have any questions, you may email me. I have given up on keeping my personal email private, so you can email me at ctabb919@aol.com or ctabb@wsfcs.k12.nc.us if you have any questions. I will do my best to answer you within 24 hours. I will even chat with you about it if you see me online.

I have also changed the due dates to help give you more time to prepare the paper. These dates are after the original due dates. The first draft is due January 23, which is the Friday after the original due date, which gives you another week. Add one week to each of the other due dates, as given to you previously.

Thank you for your best effort on this assignment. It is very important that you provide your best work.

Your friend and bestest buddy,

Mr. Tabb