We the People – Opening
Statements and Research
Opening Statements Must:
• Be no more or less than 4 minutes long
– Less than 3:50 is too short
– More than 4:10 is too long
• Answer all parts of the question directly
• Contain specific research
• Include contributions from all group members
The Best Opening Statements:
• Start and End with a Quote that represents
the ideas presented in the rest of the
statement
• Clearly answers the question
• Does not waste time with statements that do
not say anything
• Has multiple sources referenced and lots of
specific examples
Each Opening Statement Should Have
the Following Types of Research:
• Quotes relative to question topic (Power
Quotes, Internet)
• Constitutional Connections
• Scholarly Journal Articles
• Current Events Examples
• Case Law
• Historical Examples
• Federalist/Anti-Federalist Papers
When Conducting Research:
• Do not expect to find the answer explicitly stated on
the internet
• Break the question into smaller parts and use each part
as a search topic
• Google and Google Scholar are the best search engines
• Use Google Books
• Wikipedia is not acceptable unless you use it for the
sources listed at the bottom of the page
• Remember – not everything on the internet is true –
verify your sources!
Research Logs
• Each Day you are in the lab, you must
complete a research log (on website)
• DUE AT THE END OF EACH CLASS
• Must be typed – must include the topics
researched, name of source (full MLA citation)
• Key information with connections to question
– Summarize – can be in bullet points or sentences
– Purpose: Help you organize research and create
OS and annotated bibliographies in future
Library Resources
• Electronic Encyclopedia of American
Government
• Opposing Viewpoints
• SIRS Researcher
• All can be accessed through Library’s website
• See BH or Mrs. Jackson for log-in information