Road Trip Mr. Sheehy’s analogy to the research paper

How can a road trip be like a research paper ?

Isn’t that an insult to the coolest American experience, the road trip ?

Listen, it makes sense.

Both involve a process . Both involve sharing your discoveries.

Need more?

Okay, let’s take a look.

Step One

Decision time.

Where are you going?

It’s like choosing a topic ,

Or creating a thesis .

Step Two

Prepare.

Plan.

Collect info on what you want to see.

Sound like research ? It should.

Step Three

Start packing.

You’re doing more than packing, though.

You’re organizing,

Making sure nothing ends up in the wrong place.

So when it’s time to go, you’re ready.

For this, teachers use words like

categorize ,

and organize ,

and tools like

note cards

and outlines .

Step Four

Hit the road,

See everything,

send a postcard,

& take pictures.

It’s like a report .

But if anyone is to follow you

It has to make sense.

That’s why there is

Step Five

Leave a trail

that can be followed.

So if your friends want,

They can eat where you ate,

or not,

and do what you did,

or not.

Teachers call this

Writing citations

And making a works cited .

So let’s be honest , then.

It’s hard work.

It would be easier to hand your friends a pile of brochures and a map,

Or to hand in to your teachers a list of url’s. www.flickr.com/photos/33264067@N00/243089839 www.flickr.com/photos/64264362@N00/13227861 http://find.galegroup.com/menu/commonmenu.do?userGroupName=sdln_sds&action=updateCspList&searchTerm=maple&DB=GVRL-0_SPJ.SP00_JRC_DC_GVRL.sdbc_GVRL.sdec_GVRL.sdlnhtc_GVRL.sdlnlgc_GVRL.sdlnmc_GVRL.sdlnsc_STOJ_STOM_ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple www.flickr.com/photos/62528187@N00/302328043 www.flickr.com/photos/46555636@N00/455282196 www.flickr.com/photos/12754005@N00/399020839 www.flickr.com/photos/82777265@N00/113488168 www.flickr.com/photos/68799045@N00/57290754 www.flickr.com/photos/15261067@N00/208322666

But your friends want to hear what YOU thought about your trip,

And your readers want to hear what you think about your topic.

And in the end,

it’s worth it.

Just think of it

as a road trip.

Image Attribution Original image: ' Have a great day! ' www.flickr.com/photos/33264067@N00/243089839 by: Original image: ' NYC Flavors ' www.flickr.com/photos/64264362@N00/13227861 by: Knot Original image: ' inviting... ' www.flickr.com/photos/41894156240@N01/258018457 by: Original image: ' suitcases.jpg ' www.flickr.com/photos/57128245@N00/160858168 by: Harry Original image: ' Packing for a trip ' www.flickr.com/photos/62528187@N00/302328043 by: Dwight Original image: ' DSC_2029 ' www.flickr.com/photos/46555636@N00/455282196 by: Eric Harvey Brown Original image: ' This is what it takes to leave for 1+ month ' www.flickr.com/photos/12754005@N00/399020839 by: olivier Peyre Original image: ' No practical jokes.jpg ' www.flickr.com/photos/82777265@N00/113488168 by: Charlie Solomon Original image: ' Cinquecento ' www.flickr.com/photos/68799045@N00/57290754 by: Pierangelo Rosati Original image: ' Brochure collection ' www.flickr.com/photos/15261067@N00/208322666 by: Erik Mallinson Original image: ' I am just ' www.flickr.com/photos/78364316@N00/459002147 by: Zara Original image: ' Afghanistan ' www.flickr.com/photos/64749744@N00/222649402 by: Steve Evans Original image: ' Tooled Flatty ' www.flickr.com/photos/46861107@N00/1085739925 by: Original image: ' kim cathers ' www.flickr.com/photos/49503002894@N01/397834706 by: kris krüg Original image: ' postcard 1907 back ' www.flickr.com/photos/76283671@N00/171868340 by: Lainey Powell Original image: ' DuckFamily01 ' www.flickr.com/photos/39308428@N00/4776761 by: Adam Smith Original image: ' Bread Crumbs ' www.flickr.com/photos/51035566106@N01/4755832 by: Chris Campbell Original image: ' the real wrigley field. ' www.flickr.com/photos/49503210657@N01/92188147 by: matthew logelin Original image: ' oops ' www.flickr.com/photos/78364563@N00/24513484 by: Esther Simpson Original image: ' Teaching ' www.flickr.com/photos/39367033@N00/240559458 by: Steffen Sameiske Original image: ' tilling the earth ' www.flickr.com/photos/19907278@N00/3575615 by: Ard Hesselink Original image: ' The Open Road ' www.flickr.com/photos/95572727@N00/2049233526 by: Trey Ratcliff Original image: ' Just hanging around ' www.flickr.com/photos/78849170@N00/160305794 by: Gianluca Ruggiero

Original image: ' Have a great day! ' www.flickr.com/photos/33264067@N00/243089839 by:

Original image: ' NYC Flavors ' www.flickr.com/photos/64264362@N00/13227861 by: Knot

Original image: ' inviting... ' www.flickr.com/photos/41894156240@N01/258018457 by:

Original image: ' suitcases.jpg ' www.flickr.com/photos/57128245@N00/160858168 by: Harry

Original image: ' Packing for a trip ' www.flickr.com/photos/62528187@N00/302328043 by: Dwight

Original image: ' DSC_2029 ' www.flickr.com/photos/46555636@N00/455282196 by: Eric Harvey Brown

Original image: ' This is what it takes to leave for 1+ month ' www.flickr.com/photos/12754005@N00/399020839 by: olivier Peyre

Original image: ' No practical jokes.jpg ' www.flickr.com/photos/82777265@N00/113488168 by: Charlie Solomon

Original image: ' Cinquecento ' www.flickr.com/photos/68799045@N00/57290754 by: Pierangelo Rosati

Original image: ' Brochure collection ' www.flickr.com/photos/15261067@N00/208322666 by: Erik Mallinson

Original image: ' I am just ' www.flickr.com/photos/78364316@N00/459002147 by: Zara

Original image: ' Afghanistan ' www.flickr.com/photos/64749744@N00/222649402 by: Steve Evans

Original image: ' Tooled Flatty ' www.flickr.com/photos/46861107@N00/1085739925 by:

Original image: ' kim cathers ' www.flickr.com/photos/49503002894@N01/397834706 by: kris krüg

Original image: ' postcard 1907 back ' www.flickr.com/photos/76283671@N00/171868340 by: Lainey Powell

Original image: ' DuckFamily01 ' www.flickr.com/photos/39308428@N00/4776761 by: Adam Smith

Original image: ' Bread Crumbs ' www.flickr.com/photos/51035566106@N01/4755832 by: Chris Campbell

Original image: ' the real wrigley field. ' www.flickr.com/photos/49503210657@N01/92188147 by: matthew logelin

Original image: ' oops ' www.flickr.com/photos/78364563@N00/24513484 by: Esther Simpson

Original image: ' Teaching ' www.flickr.com/photos/39367033@N00/240559458 by: Steffen Sameiske

Original image: ' tilling the earth ' www.flickr.com/photos/19907278@N00/3575615 by: Ard Hesselink

Original image: ' The Open Road ' www.flickr.com/photos/95572727@N00/2049233526 by: Trey Ratcliff

Original image: ' Just hanging around ' www.flickr.com/photos/78849170@N00/160305794 by: Gianluca Ruggiero