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Independent Research

What to include

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Your project will include:

  • Report on a topic of your choice
    • Title page
    • 9 paragraphs
      • intro, 7 body, conclusion
  • 4 resources
  • Slides
  • Product

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Select a Topic

Select a topic that interests you and that you may not already know about–you should learn something new during the course of your research.

The topic must be significant and you must give a reason that you picked it–not just that you think it is interesting or important–why.

Make a list of SEVEN (7) questions that you will answer during your research. Each question will be its own paragraph.

Topics can include: People, places, inventions, concepts, or events of importance

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Interview a parent/ guardian

Create a list of at least 5 questions about your topic to ask your parent/ guardian. Use the information from your interview as one of your resources.

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Find 4 resources

  • Two (2) can be on the internet.
    • Use the research materials posted to Google Classroom.
    • Copy and paste the resource link into your Google document for your paper.
  • One (1) needs to be a book–check the library or online eBooks with Epic.
    • You can use a quote, picture, or fact from the book.
    • Write down the name of the book, the author, and page number you found the information/picture.
  • One (1) needs to be information from your parent/ guardian interview.

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Organize

  • Organize your questions and research by how they need to be written.
  • For example, if you are writing about Benjamin Franklin and wanted to include:
    • When he died
    • When he was born
    • Flying a kite
    • Family/ children
    • Political accomplishments

What order do you think they should be placed in?

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Write your report–Introduction

Begin by writing an introduction to your topic. Your intro should have a minimum of 4 sentences.

The goal of your intro is to let your reader/ audience know what to expect in your research paper.

You can include humor, facts, and questions. However, do not give all the facts that you are going to be writing about in the body of your paper. The introduction is more of a taste of the paper–not the full meal.

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Body Paragraphs 2-9

Each of the seven (7) questions should be answered in their own paragraph and in your own words. However, should your questions naturally combine and make sense with another question, it can be combined. You must have at least 3 body paragraphs, though.

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  • For example, with Benjamin Franklin, you can organize your paper with “the year he was born” with “location of his birth/ hometown.”

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Conclusion

Conclude the findings of your research.

What are your final thoughts–not just you found it interesting or important–tell me why.

Possibly restate some of the high points of your paper. You can even include some humor, questions to the audience, or previously stated facts. The conclusion is not a place to introduce new information about your topic.

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Once your research paper is complete

  • Create a product related to your topic that can be used during your presentation.
    • When you get to this step, I have a sheet that you can look at for examples and ideas.

Create a slideshow using the template provided on Google classroom. The information from your slides should come from your research paper and will not require any further research.

Slides must include pictures!