Papers that are single species oriented, purely descriptive, or on the life history of a species are not acceptable. Papers should be an integration of information, not merely factual reporting of research results. Figures and tables are a good way to illustrate difficult points and to compare information from several sources. Student prepared figures and tables are preferred to those copied from published sources. If you do use someone else's tables or figures, be sure to credit the source.
Textbooks are secondary literature, but they are a good place to get background information.
And good textbooks cite the original sources of their information. Papers are worth 50 points. If you are unsatisfied with a grade on a paper, you may rewrite it and resubmit it. On re-submission, include the original and the rewrite. Only one rewrite per paper is allowed.