Question

Gather information about an American author whose writing you enjoy. When conducting your research, a minimum of three sources must be used, of which only one can be from the Internet. A minimum of one print media source must be used. Only a justifiable reason for variance, approved in advance by the grading teacher, will be allowed for changes in the sources requirement. Use of more than three sources is encouraged.

Take notes that include the location of each source (see MLA guidelines). Source information will be used in the parenthetical (in-text) citation in the text and in the works-cited page.

Develop an outline for the information that you have found. Remember that your outline must be in standard format and must be organized according to the degree of importance that each idea holds. Refer to the lesson material as necessary.

Outline Construction Instructions
Construct your outline for your research project. Be sure to include your thesis statement in the outline. Remember that the more detail you have in your outline, the more direction you will have and the more confident you will be as you write. Proper indentation of the divisions and subpoints is required. Be sure to use parallel construction when writing your subpoints

Answer 1

Author chosen: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Sources:

1. Print source: The Autobiography of Mark Twain edited by Harriet Elinor Smith and published by University of California Press (in-text: (Smith 3)).

2. Print source: Mark Twain by Justin Kaplan published by Atheneum Publishers (in-text: (Kaplan 79)).

3. Biography.com website (in-text: (Biography.com))

Outline:

I. Mark Twain's life

A. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835 in Florida, Missouri

1. Grew up in Hannibal on the Mississippi River

B. Left school at age 12 to become an apprentice printer

1. Began writing for newspapers

C. Started using pseudonym "Mark Twain" in 1861

1. Twain means "two fathoms deep" in river navigation

II. Major works

A. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer published in 1876

1. A fictional account of Twain's childhood in Missouri

2. Became his most popular work

B. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn published in 1884

1. Widely considered "The Great American Novel"

III. Later life

A. Faced financial struggles despite the success of his books

1. Made several speaking tours for additional income

B. Died in 1910 at age 74