President Encyclopedia Cumulative Glossary and Index
4 Report Writing Writing a Research Report Writing a research report is easy to do as long as you stay organized follow a writing plan and stay on topic Just follow these simple steps and you will have a winning research report Steps in the Writing Process Prewrite This step is the most important step in the whole process Plan what your topic will be how you will write your report and what resources you will use Choosing a topic Brainstorm a list of topics that are interesting to you or that you want to know more about Make sure your topic is not too narrow or broad For example instead of a report about all presidents choose just one president Use the brainstorming chart below to help you generate ideas Illinois Slavery Abraham Lincoln Tall Gettysburg Address Resources Next do a quick scan online and at your library to make sure you will have enough resources Following is a list of resources you want to look for Encyclopedias Books Atlases Newspapers from the past and present Reliable Internet websites Almanacs
Report Writing 5 Researching and Taking Notes A good way to start researching your report is to create an organizational chart with questions you have about your topic Use one of the graphics below to help you If you prefer you may use note cards instead Write one fact on each card so that you can sort them into categories later Topic Abraham Lincoln What I Know What I Want to Know He was president When did he become president Was he married What I Learned He became president in 1861 He was married to Mary Todd Question Answer When did Lincoln become president He became president in 1861 Why was the Gettysburg Address important It was important because Abe Lincoln became president in 1861
6 Report Writing Organizing Your Notes and Research This is a good time to write your topic sentence so that you can determine the order of your information An easy way to write a topic sentence is to write a question about your topic first For example your question might be Why is Abraham Lincoln considered to be one of the greatest presidents Your topic sentence would be the answer Abraham Lincoln is considered to be one of the greatest presidents because Let the answer guide you in how you will organize your notes Organize your information to make it easier for you to begin writing Sort your note cards by topic and order of importance or create an outline Outlines give you a chance to write down the order in which you want to write your information Use the outline below to get started I Introduction II Important dates facts and general information III Major accomplishments as president IV Conclusion Writing Your Report Finally you can start writing Use your notes or outline and write your first draft Write as much as you can and worry about corrections when you revise While you are writing be sure to remind yourself about your topic sentence Whether you are typing your report or writing it you should double-space so that you have room to make corrections and notes when you are revising
Revising Your Work Report Writing 7 After you have finished writing go back and read it aloud to yourself While you are reading use the revision checklist below for things to look for Do my sentences make sense Am I staying on topic Are there missing details Is there information that does not belong Did I check my spelling Did I use proper punctuation Once you have revised your writing it is a good idea to have someone else read your report Use a trusted classmate parent or even your teacher to read your report and offer suggestions Publishing You are almost done now comes the fun part Follow the next few steps and you will have written your winning research report Rewrite your report using your best handwriting or type it Add in graphics such as illustrations maps or diagrams At the end of the report write a bibliography using a format your teacher provides Create a report cover Make it as attractive as possible by adding illustrations Remember to use a catchy title and include your name on the front too
