English 10 Research Project Assignment: Controversial Educational Issues
Choose from the topics listed below and take a stance on your chosen topic as it is used in schools today (decide whether you are for that topic or against that topic). Sign up for your chosen topic on the sheet assigned to your class period (these sheets will be posted on the cabinet doors in the classroom). No more than two students may choose any topic for each class period. You may come up with a new topic that is not listed, but you must get my approval for it first. The following topics have already been approved:
Homework (amount and time spent)
Separate Gender Classes
Standardized Testing (OGT / OAT / ACT / SAT / etc.)
Zero Tolerance
No Pass, No Play
Year Round School
Community Service (required to graduate)
School Uniforms
Smaller Classes
Drop Out Prevention
After School Jobs
Pay to Play
Preventing / Punishing Plagiarism
Virtual (Online) Schools
School Vouchers
NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
Mandatory Drug Testing
Post-Secondary Enrollment (attending college while in high school)
This research project will be completed in a number of steps:
1. Choose your topic, and decide which side of that topic you support.
2. Research your chosen topic, and find a minimum of three (3) reliable, valid
sources of information on your topic. Such sources can be found using
INFOhio Research Databases, the media center or public library (books, magazines, and newspapers), and sometimes the Internet.
3. Using 3”x5” note cards, record works cited information for each source
using correct MLA style citation format guidelines.
4. Using a 3”x5” note card, write a thesis statement for your report.
5. Using 3”x5” note cards, record facts, statistics, examples, details,
testimonies, quotes, and other supporting information from your sources.
On each note card, cite your source (using correct MLA style parenthetical
citations). Each note card should focus on only one aspect of your topic and
should contain information from only one source. Also, information on note
cards should be paraphrased or summarized from the original source. A
maximum of two (2) short quotes (no longer than one sentence long) may be
included from each source. A minimum of five (5) note cards containing
information from each source is required, meaning that students will be
expected to have used a minimum of 15 note cards to finish this step of the
project (3 sources X 5 note cards each = 15 note cards minimum).
Remember that to paraphrase means to put into your own words, and
anytime you use three or more words in a row from a source, it is considered
a quote and must be treated as one.
6. Organize your note cards by main idea, and decide in what order they should
be when you begin typing your report.
7. Using 3”x5” note cards, create an introduction card including your thesis
statement, create topic sentence cards for each body paragraph / main idea,
create transition cards to be included between main supporting ideas, and
create a conclusion card.
8. Using your note cards, type your final report in Times New Roman size 12
font, double-spaced, with one-inch (standard) margins. (There is no need for
a written rough draft as students should already have it on their note cards.)
Remember to include MLA style parenthetical citations and a Works Cited
page. Attach all sources to the final paper. Also, turn in all note cards used
in the preparation process with the final paper.
9. Then, using your same note cards, construct a PowerPoint presentation of
your topic to be presented to your class. Remember to include MLA style
parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page.
10. Present your PowerPoint presentation to your classmates.
11. Students must take thorough notes over all presentations as they are
presented to the class.
12. Once all presentations are completed, students will write an opinion essay
focusing on three of the topics presented to the class. Students will need to
use information they wrote in their notes during presentations in order to
construct this essay and support their opinions on the topics presented.
Project Deadlines:
1. Topic choices are due on:
______
2. Research sources are due on:
______
3. Source cards in MLA Works Cited format are due on:
______
4. Thesis statements are due on:
______
5. Note cards (including citations) are due on:
______
6. Introduction, topic sentence, transition, and conclusion cards are due on:
______
7. Final drafts of research reports are due on:
______
8. Final drafts of PowerPoint presentations are due on:
______
9. Presentations will begin on (Be ready to present starting on this day.):
______
10. Opinion essays are due on:
______
Topics:
Choose from the following 18 topics. Sign up on a line beneath the topic of your choice. First come, first served. When the blanks are full under one topic, you have to choose another one! ! ! You may come up with a new topic to research, but you must get my approval first.
HomeworkSeparate Gender Classes Standardized Testing
(amount and time spent)(OGT / OAT / ACT / SAT, etc.)
______
______
Zero ToleranceNo Pass, No PlayYear Round School
______
______
Community ServiceSchool Uniforms Smaller Classes
(required to graduate)
______
______
Drop Out PreventionAfter School Jobs Pay to Play
______
______
Preventing/Punishing PlagiarismVirtual (Online) SchoolsSchool Vouchers
______
______
NCLBMandatory Drug TestingPost-Secondary Enrollment
(No Child Left Behind)(attending college while in HS)
______
______