Core Democratic Value Research Project YAY!!! RESEARCH!!! MAISA

So…Why do we have to do this? Why does research matter? It makes you individually a more informed person. In college, you will be asked to research A LOT of topics/ideas/theories in college and then showcase that information in some way. I’m not going to college…so can I skip this? NO – when you are working, your boss will ask you to find out what would be the best way to display their product or how to organize their finances in a more effective way…that will all require RESEARCH!

You just learned research will make you a critical thinker?! WHAT IS RESEARCH? Research is just gathering credible information that will inform an audience about a specific topic.

Step One: Who or what do I research?! This is the easy part! Find a person who has made social change that affects our core democratic values or an event that spurred social change. The person does not have to be famous. You should find your subject interesting! It should not just be interesting but something that pulls at your heart strings, makes you angry, fascinates you, you have always wanted to learn about, something you feel has meaning to it! Find something that you believe citizens can help fix! What social change would you like to see? Social Change: refers to any significant change over time in behavior patterns and cultural values and norms. Do you remember when people got fed up with the banks and their greed and began occupying local parks all over the country! It was called Occupy Wall Street.

Project Essential Questions: How is social change perceived by others? What do these perceptions tell me about the event or individuals that caused the change?

Step Two Write a question about your topic or person. We call this a research question. Think about it as a way to focus your audience on what you will be talking about and analyzing. If you are struggling to do this, just try picking another topic or person; you may be struggling to write a research question because you aren’t interested in your topic! Once you have a question, set about answering it. Here is an example: How did the collapse of the housing bubble lead to occupy Wall Street?

Once you have a research question… You want to provide information to your audience Remember – YOU ARE NOT CHOOSING A SIDE; this is not necessarily argumentative, rather informative. You are researching to give information about a person or topic.

What will your project look like? Your project will be partially a RESEARCH PAPER. You will also have a project that will be presented to the class. This may take any form you choose. The oral presentation portion will probably be 5-7 minutes. You will also be making some sort of program/charity/idea to help your social problem/issue out.

What will be in your project… Your paper and project will be divided into three areas. Historical Background: How did this problem or issue start? Current Situation: What is the current status with this person or issue? Discuss both sides of the issue. Are there any new laws/problems, etc. Social Relevance: Basically, why should we care? What should/could we do about it? Who is currently helping? How does our CDV tie into this topic? The Social Relevance section will also be where you pitch your idea of how to help a social change with this issue.

Now, begin your search and remember to enjoy it. This should be interesting ! Start here if you want to explore topics: – click on databases – Scroll down to “opposing viewpoints in context” GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA, BING, YAHOO, and other search engines are OFF LIMITS!!! Focus on using the databases available to you.

Check out some cool stuff people are doing around the world… Check out a few minutes of this video about a 14 year old who wanted to make a difference. This is not about a topic you could research…but just to get your mind thinking about ways people are helping out!

THIS WEEK – March 31 to April 4 At the end of this week, – you will have a topic. – you will have written an approved research question. – you will have five credible sources. – you will have two ideas about how you will go about presenting your information to the class.