Sophomore Research - Making the World a Better Place

Selecting a Topic: Making the World a Better Place

What can “world” mean?

No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. ~ John Donne

Ways to change the world can range from changing global events such climate changes to smaller events that just affect an individual such as the removal of peanuts from the lunch menu for those students who have a peanut allergy. If a change affects even one person, like a pebble thrown in a lake, you could argue that the ripple effects of that change affect the lives of many others.

For example, the Brown vs. The Board of Education of decision was initially a ruling ending racial segregation in a very small group of individuals: those under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education in Montgomery Alabama. These school students, in one county, in one state, in one country, in the world became a symbol for equality everywhere

Look at the list below to see the possible affected areas that can change the world.

• World
• Continent
• Country
• State
• Town
• School
• Team (Sports, activity)
• Social Group (Race, clique, friends, age)
• Social Class (lower class, upper-class, poverty-stricken)
• Family
• Church
• Self

Hopefully you now have an understanding of which area your problem affects. Now, identify a problem in society, speculate upon possible consequences if this problem is not solved, and propose possible solutions. Use the following example as a template:

Problem: A lack of entertainment for the youth of Ridgefield.

Statement: There must be a way for young adults to channel their energy or there will be an increase in misconduct and a decrease in academic productivity.

Solution: The funding of outlets for entertainment such as sports parks, movie theaters, and fast-food restaurants give young adults the opportunity to mature and explore the world.

Problem:

Statement:

Solution:

Sophomore Research - Making the World a Better Place

If you haven’t noticed, most of the novels that we have read so far this year point out specific flaws in human nature or society and try to show us how the world might be if we do not change. For example, Fahrenheit 451 is a not-so-subtle warning against censorship, while Lord of the Flies asks us to reflect upon our destructive nature. Your job in this project is to identify a problem in society, speculate upon possible consequences if this problem is not solved, and propose possible solutions.

EXAMPLE: Problem: A lack of entertainment for the youth of Ridgefield.

Statement: There must be a way for young adults to channel their energy or there will be an increase in misconduct and a decrease in academic productivity.

Solution: The funding of outlets for entertainment such as sports parks, movie theaters, and fast-food restaurants give young adults the opportunity to mature and explore the world.

Your goal in writing this research paper is to focus on an aspect of society that you think should be changed. You should become extremely knowledgeable about your issue. For example, if you chose the issue described above, you should count on becoming somewhat of an expert on the psychology of adolescents and be able to cite plenty of interesting statistics that support your argument. This issue is something that you should feel passionate about and be able to gain a sense of ownership with by the end of the project.

The paper must be five to seven pages (double-spaced, 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, standard margins) using proper MLA citations and a works cited page. The paper should also be free of all spelling, grammatical, and citation errors. You need a minimum of eight sources (3+ Internet sources, 2+ books, 3+ hard copy articles, periodicals, etc.).

Step 1 – Find an issue – Due 3.23.07.

Brainstorm a list of the things about our society/world that bother you. List at least five things in life that you would like to see changed. Explain your reasoning for the change and some possible solutions you have in mind. Recognize the need for reason – while you may like to see a world where no one goes to school, you’re not going to find much in the way of useful resources and chances are no one is going to listen to you anyway. Instead, you might want to research ways to improve schooling. For example, there has been a lot of research done on how students learn, the times of day that learning is most productive, etc. You might want to investigate this.

Every year some students just choose any old issue because they don’t want to think about it or haven’t thought seriously about the world in which they live. Because they choose the topic out of indifference or laziness, they lose interest and want to change topics half way through and often end up not finishing or doing a poor job. The topic is your responsibility – choose wisely.

Step 2- Research – 3.26.07 – 3.30.07.

For the first day of research, pick three issues from your brainstorming list and try to find what information there is available for each topic. Read some of the information. Does it still interest you? Too boring? Too broad? This is the day where you will pick your topic, so be sure to use this time wisely. If you find the topic you want and still have time left, begin to research it in depth. Try the library’s catalog. Definitely use the LMC’s Electronic Resources for magazine and newspaper articles (this will probably be your best resource!). Use the Internet (be careful here – there are many unreliable websites – you may only use cites that can be officially and correctly cited.)

Step 3 – Hand in some note cards – Due 3.29.07.

Hand in at least ten note cards from at least two sources.

Step 4 – Write a thesis statement – Due 3.30.07.

Gather the information that you have gained about your topic and write a concise sentence explaining the problem and the need for the problem to be solved.

Step 5 – Write what you know – Due 4.2.07.

Write an editorial of about 250 words exploring your feelings and knowledge on the topic of your choosing. Be sure to include: why it’s important to you, why it should be important to others, reasons for the current situation, reasons it should be changed, and ways this might be accomplished.

Step 6 – Ask questions – Due 4.4.07.

Brainstorm a list of questions about your topic. These will serve as a starting point for your research. What do you need to be more informed? What kind of support (Facts or statistics) would you need to help make your case? Think of those who hold the opposite point of view. What are their arguments? What can you gather to counter or challenge their arguments?

Step 7 – Ad Campaign – Due 4.5.07.

This is your chance to be creative and artistic. You are going to create a piece of art that serves as an advertisement or endorsement for your cause. This can take the form of a poster, a Powerpoint presentation, a short film, a painting, a web site, or virtually anything else that you can think of. You will be given more information when the time comes.

Step 8 – Research More.

This is the time to research in depth about your topic. It is NOT the time to pick a new topic! Use this time wisely.

Step 9 – More note cards – Due 4.6.07.

Now that you have material, read it and take notes on the good information you intend to use to help explain and support your point of view and to explain and challenge the opposing view. You need at least 30 note cards.

Step 10 – Outlining – Due 4.9.07.

Write an outline according to the guidelines given to you in class. Be sure to bring it to class so that you can revise it in class.

Step 11 Works Cited – Due 4.11.07.

Create a works cited page using Noodletools. Hand it in typed at the end of class.

Step 12 – Drafting and peer editing – Due 4.13.07.

Write a first draft and bring it to class in order to have it edited by a peer. Hand in your peer edit sheet at the end of class.

Step 13 – Rough Draft – Due 4.23.07.

Improve upon your first draft and hand it in with all of your prewriting, at least 40 note cards, your peer-edited draft and a works-cited page. Hand in all materials in a pocketed folder.

Step 14 – Writing Conference – Due 5.10.07.

Schedule and attend a writing conference with me. This accounts for 3% of your quarter grade.

Step 15 – Final Draft – Due 5.11.07.

Revise your drafts and hand in a completed final draft. Hand in all materials in a pocketed folder.

Sophomore Research Project Timeline & Checklist
Step		Description	Due Date	Grade %
1		Brainstormed questions.	3.23.07	2.5% (Q3)
2		Research and selection of topic.	3.28.07	2.5% (Q3)
3		First ten note cards.	3.29.07	2.5% (Q3)
4		Thesis statement.	3.30.07	2.5% (Q3)
5		Editorial.	4.2.07	2% (Q4)
6		Questions about your topic that you need to answer.	4.4.07	2% (Q4)
7		Ad Campaign	4.5.07	10% (Q4)
8		More research.
9		20 more note cards. 30 total.	4.6.07	2% (Q4)
10		Outline.	4.9.07	2% (Q4)
11		Works cited list.	4.11.07	2% (Q4)
12		First draft and peer edit.	4.13.07	2% (Q4)
13		Rough draft.	4.23.07	10% (Q4)
14		Writing conference	5.10.07	3% (Q4)
15		Final draft	5.11.07	25% (Q4)
		Total (Q4)		out of 60%
* Please note that some changes and additions have been made to the quarter 3 calendar.