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maxx
Jan 28, 2002, 10:45 PM
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I'm doing a research paper for my 11th grade english class. The topic can be anything and since I climb, well, would could you expect. The final paper has to have a minimum of 10 pages. I have a list of topics to talk about with in the paper, was hoping that others could give me some ideas to write about.
Safety
Bouldering
Sport Climbing
Trad Climbing
Top Roping
Training
Gear
Locations
Rating System
Injuries
Techniques
Professionals/Sponsors
any others you might think of?
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xander
Jan 28, 2002, 10:57 PM
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So which one of those topics are you leaning toward writing about?
[ This Message was edited by: xander on 2002-01-28 14:57 ]
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addiroids
Jan 28, 2002, 11:01 PM
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Six-hundred and twelve pages have been written about Aid climbing in Chongo's book about Ground Preparation only! I'm sure you can get 10 pages out of what you have there.
It would be nice to add a little bit about Ethics in climbing as well. I'm sure I could get 10 pages out of that alone.
But what you have there is great. Be sure to emphasize that the guys/gals (Sharma, Huber bros, Tiff Campbell) at the high end of the spectrum (NOT the ones you see on TV) are greater than most Olympic Athletes alive today.
Just do a good introduction, GLOSSARY (actually footnotes at the bottom of each page are better), and try not to dumb it down too much. With a good glossary, you can get away with a little more technical words and make it flow more smoothly (like you were talking to a fellow climber). And remember, this is an ENGLISH paper. All you have to do is rant and you will get an A.
TRADitionally yours,
Addiroids
You could also talk about the "climbing bum" lifestyle that we (me) all aspire to live. But I don't think that would look so good in the eyes of a snooty professor.
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maxx
Jan 28, 2002, 11:06 PM
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xander - I'll be writing about all of the topics listed.
addiroids - hahahahahaha!!!!!! I totally forgot about ethics (thanks!!!), also will be adding the spirituality of climbing. The bum life-stlye of most of us will definitely be in it. Chongo's book is 612 pages??? holy friggen !!!! It shouldn't be hard to make 10 pages out of that. Just want to get the most interesting things into the paper. Also, what's cool, is at the end of the year I get to present my topic. I'm going to be going in fully equipt with all my gear, it's a minium of 20 minutes for the oral report, haha, shouldn't have anyyyy trouble with that. The gear will be immediately taken home afterwards (not risking it being stolen or anything).
Anyone think of anything else?
[ This Message was edited by: maxx on 2002-01-28 15:09 ]
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rck_climber
Jan 28, 2002, 11:34 PM
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I'd say ask PTPP, but I don't know if he could keep an answer to just 10 pages.
I would suggest covering a combination of the above. Including the history of climbing, some of the greats, the styles, where we are now, and what the future may hold for climbing (i.e. access issues, skills, open-ended scale?).
Just a couple thoughts though.
Mick
[ This Message was edited by: rck_climber on 2002-01-28 15:37 ]
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maxx
Jan 28, 2002, 11:43 PM
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Access issues, nice! hahahaha, yea, I'd ask ptpp, but I would probably end up quoting the whole paper from him cause no one can say it better then him.
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xander
Jan 29, 2002, 2:20 AM
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*Sigh*....Now it's time for me to act like an English teacher.
I would suggest, that if you really want to write a knock-out paper, you really need to reduce your scope. If you're going to adaquately discuss teh issues that you presented in a paper, you would be better off writing a series of books....At least a couple of thousand pages worth.
For ten pages....If I were you, I'd pick *one* of those topics, and cover it throughly. It's really not as hard to get ten pages as you think, and I assure you, it'll be *much* easier to get a really good grade, and possibly the *only* way to get a top grade.
Rememer, your teacher is more interested in your ability to write a solid paper, than in your ability to fill ten pages with as many topics as you can fit.
Whatever you decide, that's my two cents, and I wish you the best of luck.
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maxx
Jan 29, 2002, 2:33 AM
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Thanks, it's a minimum of 10 pages. I could write a book and hand it to her. As long as the requirements are met it would be graded like all other papers turned in. I plan on thoroughly discussing most of the topics stated. I will easily surpass 10 pages.
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veilneb
Jan 29, 2002, 2:57 AM
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The topics listed are interesting, but I think a better paper would be written if you just focused on ethics, or maybe what motivates you to climb. I strongly agree with Xander that you really need to narrow your scope.
Good luck.
V
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mountainrat
Jan 29, 2002, 5:07 AM
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I'm an English teacher, and I would be more than happy to give you feedback, peer response, editing help, etc. PM me if you're interested. Good luck.
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darkside
Jan 29, 2002, 6:00 AM
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I would also suggest narrowing your subject matter to better illustrate the topics you choose. You may approach it in a manner such as how you have personally experienced climbing, from beginner to present and where you see the future to be. Just an idea.
Try not to plagiarise other material but where you do use quotes, ideas, etc, then use footnotes to credit the origin. This is an accepted practice.
Use a bibliography to identify your references/sources and to provide further reading material following your report.
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maculated
Jan 29, 2002, 6:19 AM
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As an English major, grader, and writer of many, many ten page papers - try to pick something that is really, really interesting to you. If you just conver all those topics, you'll not be getting anywhere.
I had to do an argumentative paper about any topic I wanted. I'm a member of the Australian shepherd club and I'm on this committee looking at changing the standard, so rather than just writing about the dogs, I wrote about the history of the dogs and why the standard should really not be changed. I did a bunch of examples of this stuff.
It's WAY more interesting to you, and your teacher, if you cover something controversial and new to you both and do your research.
When I did my big paper in high school, I picked Pet PSychics. Beats just the paranormal and it was a really interesting topic, huh? Same deal.
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gumby
Jan 29, 2002, 7:23 AM
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Maxx--A couple of topics that I would think of doing would be a history of climbing say in the valley or a biographical essay on someone like royal robbins, jim bridwell, lynn hill, or john gill to name a few. Oh and this one just popped in my head history of gear like ray jardine creating friends..
Good luck!
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emily
Jan 29, 2002, 11:38 AM
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Another idea is to write about why you climb...i know that i hear a lot of people asking my friends why they climg and maybe that would get it out in the open...you know?
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litedawg
Jan 29, 2002, 4:32 PM
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As a recent college graduate who has spent WAY too much of his life writing papers may I also echo the comments of many others and suggest that you narrow your topic to one or two closely related issues. You will find that the paper will be MUCH easier and the grade much higher, also your oral presentation will be much more focused and entertaining for the rest of the class. Who knows, maybe some hotty will be impressed and ask you to take her bouldering some time!
Stickly my opinion.
Good luck. Maybe think about having a few of us proofread for you when you have a draft put together.
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maxx
Jan 29, 2002, 8:43 PM
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Thanks everyone. I went and talked to my English teacher, she said it didn't matter whether I chose one or two and just wrote about those or I wrote about everything listed. I think I'll probably change and narrow it down and only write about one or two.
litedawg - my oral presentation isn't like reading my paper or anything, I call get up there and do whatever I want as long as it's related to my topic. hahaha, I like the hotty part, but around here, you'd have to worry about liability and getting sued!
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rockjock04
Jan 29, 2002, 10:45 PM
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My freshmen year in highschool (last year), I had to right a 10 page research paper on anything, for biology (yeah biology. This teacher gets orgasms when you see a good slide of oscillatoria under a microscope). I got 10 points for it. Less than a homework assign ment. If I wouldve known that, I wouldn't have done it. I Did it on the physical mechanics of an airplane. I talked about everything from bernoullis principle to flaps. Wait, those are almost the same.
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rigel
Jan 29, 2002, 11:02 PM
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alas, if only i had been climbing in h.s.
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