• The student will gather information about the Arizona State Government by conducting research and applying it to an informative essay.
  • The student will analyze the structure, power, and organization of the Arizona State Government as expressed in the Arizona Constitution by synthesizing multiple sources and demonstrating an understanding of the subject under investigation.

ERIO – ESSAY:
For the Arizona State Government ERIO – 5 Paragraph Informative Essay, you will be required to conduct research on the Arizona State Government and the Arizona Constitution

For this essay, you will need to gather information from both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are personal items and writings connected with individuals during a specific period. Examples of primary sources include personal records, letters, paintings, and artifacts. More often, we turn to secondary sources when we have research projects. Encyclopedias, textbooks, newspaper articles, and magazine articles are considered secondary sources.

For more information on the differences between primary and secondary sources, you can visit this website: https://libraries.indiana.edu/identifying-primary-and-secondary-sources

ERIO? What is an ERIO?

ERIO is short for Enhanced ROSE Idea Organizer. ERIOs are like any other graphic organizer you have used in the past, only they are better! What is different about the ERIO? Most graphic organizers give you places to put information to organize your topic, whereas, an ERIO helps you see a topic in a new way. It offers you fresh perspectives. ERIOS give you direction to discovering not only what a topic is, but also, how you can think about a topic, and why that topic is relevant.

Therefore, ERIOs not only help you organize your thoughts while conducting research; they also help you organize your research when you are ready to write your essay.Here are some steps to help you navigate the ERIO and develop you essay.

Steps to Using an ERIO:

Step 1:  Read over the ERIO’s questions. These questions guide you. ERIO questions are intended to get you thinking about the topic. In this case, you are thinking about the Arizona State Government and the Arizona Constitution.

Step 2:  Begin your research. A well-written ERIO should guide you to the resources you need. Look at the first Why? Question in the ERIO below. The first question mentions a primary source you need to research:  The Arizona Constitution.

Step 3:  Take notes based on research. The questions in the ERIO are designed to help you take notes by pointing out details you should be investigating.

Step 4:  Plan out what you are going to write. The first cell is to help you write your thesis statement, the second, third, and fourth cells are where you support the thesis using evidence, and the fifth cell is your conclusion.

Step 5:  Draft your five-paragraph essay with a beginning, middle, and an end.

Step 6:  Cite your sources on a reference page using APA formatting.

Step 7:  Proofread and revise your draft. Read it over to check if the sentences make sense. Make sure you run spell and grammar check.

Step 8:  Turn in the final product by uploading your final draft in Odysseyware.

By following these steps, you can develop a solid routine to complete your ERIO writing assignments.