NBPS 8th Grade Research Paper

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NBPS8th Grade Research Paper

• Guide to Topic Exploration

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Why Examine the First 100 Days?

• Making informed decisions about complicated
  issues is a critical life skill.
• This skill must be guided and practiced.
• Today, given the ease of access to information as
  well as the great number of unreliable sources
  available, making informed decisions is even more
  challenging.

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Why Examine the First 100 Days?

• Students must master
• defining a need for information
• locating appropriate information
• evaluating the reliability of that information
• using that information to make informed decisions
  regarding complex issues that affect their lives.

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Using First 100 Days Why?

• President Obama was elected on a platform of
  change. In his inaugural speech, he set specific
  goals for his administration to achieve this
  change. Through his first 100 days, the
  President has attempted to use the power of his
  office to move the country toward achieving these
  goals. Whether or not his efforts have been
  effective is a matter of argument.

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Using First 100 Days Why?

• Students must decide for him or herself if the
  President is succeeding in achieving the vision
  outlined in his inauguration. This can only be
  done by examining the specific actions he has
  taken during the first 100 days.

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Task

• Students are going to write a research paper that
  states your opinion on whether President Obama
  has moved toward achieving his vision for
  America. This vision was broken into three
  separate themes The Price and Promise of
  Citizenship The Economy and Science, Technology
  and the Environment.

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Task continued

• Select one theme to investigate. Research the
  Presidents actions within this theme and focus
  on one specific topic he has attempted to
  influence. Research this specific topic further
  and then determine whether or not you feel he has
  moved the country toward his vision. You will
  support your position with information on this
  specific topic that you have found through
  research.

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Requirements

• Students must
• provide information that explains your
  understanding of your chosen theme
• detail the actions President Obama has taken to
  this point
• declare whether or not you believe these actions
  have moved the country toward his vision.
• Research paper must
• be at least three typed pages, double-spaced,
  using 12-point font.
• reference information from the NBPS RESOURCE PAGE
  FOR OBAMA'S FIRST 100 DAYS.
• cite at least three different sources of varying
  type (online periodical book etc.).
• follow MLA format for a research paper (including
  Works Cited page).

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Extensions

• Students may also
• cite and analyze expert evaluations of President
  Obamas actions
• compare President Obamas actions to the actions
  of past presidents.

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Themes

• In President Obamas Own Words
• Price Promise of Citizenship
• Those values upon which our success depends
  hard work and honesty, courage and fair play,
  tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism.
• The Economy
• The state of the economy calls for action, bold
  and swift, and we will act not only to create
  new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for
  growth.
• Science, Technology The Environment
• We will restore science to its rightful place,
  and wield technology's wonders to raise health
  care's quality and lower its cost. We will
  harness the sun and the winds and the soil to
  fuel our cars and run our factories.

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Science/Tech Article Energy Climate Bill
Advances (Day 85)
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Highlight Possible Research Ideas From Article
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Potential Topics from Article

• Highlighted

• Additional (Not Highlighted)

• Energy Efficiency
• Climate Change
• Renewable Energy
• Carbon Dioxide Emissions
• American Clean Energy Security Act of 2009
• EPA
• Solar Energy
• Wind Energy

• Cap Trade System
• New Electrical Grid
• Air Pollution/Greenhouse Gases
• Indias Energy Plan
• Chinas Energy Plan

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Additional List of Possible Topics

• Stem Cells
• Electric Cars
• Hybrid Cars
• Alternative Fuels
• Solar Energy
• Wind Energy
• Nuclear Waste
• Hurricane Preparation
• FEMA
• Green Energy
• Air Pollution
• EPA
• Organic Food

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Research Activity for Choosing a Topic

• Teacher will read an article with their
  students and model how specific topics can be
  synthesized from it (for example, after reading
  Energy and Climate Bill Advances from day 85
  the teacher could write renewable energy,
  Solar power, or even Global warming as
  potential topics that could be derived from the
  article.

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Research Activity for Choosing a Topic continued

• Students will have the remaining class
  period to read articles from the page. Students
  who are using computers to access the 100 Days
  page will read the articles online. Students
  working without a computer will read printed out
  articles that they will exchange with other
  students when they are finished.

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Research Activity for Choosing a Topic continued

• Students will be responsible to fill out a
  President Obamas First 100 Days Research Topic
  Article Guide for three (3) articles that they
  read.

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Research Activity for Choosing a Topic

• After they finish their three Article Guides,
  students will choose one article to act as the
  focal point for their research topic, and
  synthesize their topic.

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President Obamas First 100 Days Research Topic
Article Guide

• About the Article/Source
• Article/Source Name      
• Website Address      
• Theme (Please select, can fall into multiple
  categories)
• Specific Issue
• In the Article/Source
• Summary of Article/Source
• Information About Issue
• What Has President Obama Done?
• Why This Issue Interests Me?
• Beyond The Article/Source
• What Else Do I Need To Know About My Topic?
• What Else Do I Need To Know About What President
  Obama Has Done?