New Literary Analysis Research Paper (LARP) Changes for Juniors

By Brianna Daybre

Recently, I interviewed English department teachers Gail Duffy, Madeline Chamberlain, and Bonnie Wren-Burgess about the changes to the junior LARP at Medfield High School. The LARP is considered to be an important research paper in which junior students learn to use secondary sources of literary criticism to support their primary sources, ultimately proving a thesis. Typically, the LARP is an eight-paragraph literary analysis research paper; however, this year, the LARP will be done differently. Here’s what Ms. Duffy, Ms. Chamberlain, and Ms. Wren-Burgess had to say about the changes:

What is the new format of the junior LARP?

Ms. Duffy: Junior LARPs have been redesigned, and we're excited (in a teacher-geeky) kind of way to keep some of the great exit skills from the LARP from last years. These "let's-keep-them" skills include an ability to craft an authentic, credible, scholarly thesis statement and the companion ability to create analytical paragraphs to support that thesis; delete some skills we had already taught and would re-teach for other papers like the introduction and conclusion; and add skills we had never taught like an annotated bibliography. Writing an annotated bibliography is a regular requirement of college assignments, and having students learn the skill during their LARP experience will pay big dividends for college writing.

Ms. Chamberlain: I can only speak for the C1 junior LARP, and we’ve decided that instead of it having an intro paragraph and a conclusion, we’d to cut it down to something manageable. So the new format is a thesis and 2-4 body paragraphs. There will be two main ideas, each supported by a primary source and a secondary source. On top of that, we slowed down thesis writing so the students can focus on the published literary criticism. We want to get them used to secondary sources.

Ms. Wren-Burgess: There is a closer focus on research and analysis with writing that the students do, zeroing in on the paragraphs where their skills are developed and extended so that the students craft a thesis and body paragraphs only.

What was the purpose of changing the junior LARP?

Ms. Wren-Burgess: We looked at students’ feedback, as well as teachers’ findings, and focused in on the skill objectives and then reinvented the project in order to give the students more time to research and write. This makes sure that juniors will enter their senior year having successfully learned to conduct general and directed research, so that they can smoothly integrate primary and secondary sources from literary criticism, psychology, and sociology sources into the support of a thesis.

Were most of the other English teachers on board?

Ms. Duffy: I would definitely say "Yes!" to this. Why? The whole process began when Mrs. Farrahar and I took a graduate course called "Taming the Research Process." The course was wonderful, and really helped both of us look at the possibilities we could add to the LARP to make it an even better get-ready-for-college activity. In September, during an all-day professional development day, I was able to hire the instructor for "Taming the Research Process," Diane Cileno, to launch this new initiative. Teachers spent the day brainstorming ways to make the junior and senior LARP experience better, and their ideas became part of this initiative.

How do you, personally, feel about the LARP changes?

Ms. Duffy: Really good! I am especially pleased with the excellent work that came out of the all-day professional development day and the additional day all junior teachers spent working together to create handouts and lesson plans to maximize students' understanding of these important skills.

Ms. Chamberlain: I think it’s going to be a lot more manageable for the juniors. The word “LARP” has taken a spooky line of its own. The paper sounds so much more frightening just because of the word “LARP.” However, we’ve made the LARP into something that is still a major accomplishment but without the scariness of the word.

Ms. Wren-Burgess:  Very positive. Since I, personally, haven’t taught the LARP since 2006, it was particularly helpful for me to go through this process with my colleagues.

What do you think the new changes allow the students to do?

Ms. Duffy: These new changes allow juniors to get more practice at one of the most difficult skills (ever!), and that's writing quality thesis statements, and these new changes also allow students to learn a brand new skill. Both skills should go packed in students' college "suitcases" as they head to the high-stakes world of college writing.

Ms. Chamberlain: Give them healthy research skills for the university setting.

Ms. Wren-Burgess: To me, it gives the students more opportunities to thoughtfully consider what they want to say about the text and then to research a variety of sources from different disciplines to support their assertions in the thesis. The LARP is kind of like a scavenger hunt, where you’re looking in a variety of rich resources in order to obtain your goal. These are the kinds of skills that will be crucial, not only in high school or college, but in the students’ professional lives as well.

How does this new LARP compare to the original?

Ms. Wren-Burgess: Students are no longer writing intro and conclusion paragraphs for the reason stated previously. There was more author choice about how the students put together their body paragraphs as it worked best for their subjects and writing styles.

Do you think this new process will be used next year?

Ms. Duffy: Yes, I do! Like everything we do in education, we'll poke at it some more, trying to improve our improvements, but I think the changes are substantive and good. I hope students think so too!

This article was written by Brianna Daybre, a Medfield High School student and member of the student newspaper, The Kingsbury Chronicle. The piece is part of Medfield Patch's weekly series, "Warrior Weekly," helping provide information about MHS to the local community.