1. Social Studies Fair Information
(Click on these hyperlinks for TONS of great information, ideas, photos, etc.!)
Maryland History Day , Project-based learning (GREAT resource from NYC Dept. of Education) , online primary source database , and more suggestions here!

2. There are many different Social Studies disciplines
There are many different Social Studies disciplines. Choose a topic from one you enjoy!
Anthropology – People are survivors; what can we learn from the evolution of mankind? What do our earliest ancestors teach us even today?
Economics – People are consumers and producers; different economies can impact people’s lives; how do the products and natural resources of an area affect its inhabitants?
Geography – People are earth dwellers; sometimes they shape the land, and sometimes the land influences how/where they live.
History – People are descendants; how have people been changed by events in time? How have people played a role in shaping the world?
Political Science – People are citizens; look at politics, elections, voting rights, Constitution history, etc.
Sociology/Social Psychology – People are members of groups as well as individuals. What shapes people? What challenges do groups of people face?

3. (Some) Social Studies Topics
Crime and Law
Discrimination
Drugs and Drug Abuse
Education
Environment
Health
History
Media and Communications
Political Issues
Popular Culture
Psychology
Religion
Social Issues
Technology
Women's Issues

4. More Social Studies Info
Choose an issue or problem that you have an interest in.
Narrow your focus to one aspect of the issue or problem that you would like to investigate or solve.
As much as possible, conduct your research from unbiased sources or at least include both sides of an argument in your research.
When choosing an opinion-based topic, be sure your research leads you to an opinion which you can easily and clearly express.

5. Research is the process of collecting information from:
Research (Pick a topic and do some research on it to learn about it, then decide on a problem to solve.)
Research is the process of collecting information from:
your own experiences,
knowledgeable sources, and
data from experiments and historical records.
Your first research is used to select a project topic. This is called topic research.
example: the Underground Railroad

6. Finally, choose a topic for your project!
Research, continued
Once you have a broad topic in mind, narrow it down to several smaller topics which interest you:
How did slaves use the Underground Railroad to escape the south?
How did abolitionists play a role in the success of the Underground Railroad?
What was life like for slaves who escaped slavery using the Underground Railroad?
Finally, choose a topic for your project!
How did abolitionists play a role in the success of the Underground Railroad?

7. What to include in your Social Studies Fair Project Tri-Fold display:
Title (Research question)
Introduction (paragraph form) Should be a clear thesis or purpose statement of the questions being studied; it sets a purpose for your entire project.
Research Findings (paragraph form) Should be your results or research findings that helped you answer your question.
Conclusion (paragraph form) Should tie together your research and bring your project to a logical end. It will be based on analysis and interpretation of data that directly answer the question being studied.
Works cited (MLA bibliography)
Pictures and charts Remember captions!

8. Title Introduction Research Conclusion * Written in question form
* Clear and easily visible
Introduction
* Written in paragraph form
* Sets a purpose for your project
* Gives a glimpse of what you hoped to learn when you started
Research
* Written in paragraph form
* The “meat and potatoes” of your project
* Clearly presents what you learned
Conclusion
* Written in paragraph form
* “Ties it all together”
*Opinion may be expressed here

9. Title
Introduction
Research
Conclusion

10. What else needs to be on the tri-fold board?
Lots of pictures and charts (don’t forget captions!)
MLA bibliography (works cited page)
**We will learn more about this in
a future lesson!  Here is a cute
video you may want to watch now,
however: Bibliography how to for students
Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president
Spain’s energy production between

11. Ways to conduct research to better understand your topic:
Do use many references from printed sources—books, journals, magazines, and newspapers—as well as electronic sources—computer software and online services.
Do gather information from professionals— instructors, librarians, historians, veterans, etc. and conduct interviews.
Do plan visits to museums, historical sites, etc. to help you gather more information.

12. While you are researching:
Keep a notebook handy (or have a document open on your computer, tablet, etc.) to jot down notes. Write down facts you learn, information that supports your topic, and take careful notes of things that are new and surprising!
Remember to write down works cited information for EVERY source you use…every book, every website, every article, etc. You will need this information for when you prepare your bibliography! (For your websites, make a note of the URL and include the day you visited the site.)

13. What questions do you have for me?