Choosing a topic is the most difficult piece of research. Choosing a bad topic makes them frustrated and resentful of the research process. You'll find that students often choose topics that are:
It's not a good idea to choose a topic 'out of the blue' - teach your students to start broad in research inquiries and learn about what people are arguing about. Encourage them to read encyclopedia or news articles and to ask themselves:
As they delve deeper into their topics, encourage students to use background information to identify:
Encourage them to start a Research Log - this could be a Word doc you or the student creates or this worksheet that walks them through gathering the important information they will need to develop an effective research strategy. Students often don't keep track of their searching and reading, so they get frustrated in their disorganization.
When choosing a topic with a local viewpoint, you need to have students familiarize themselves with local issues and conversations.
Train students to immerse themselves in local issues before choosing a topic.
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