Research Project
1) What is your topic? What will your research project be about? Australian Red-chested
Woodpeckers? The famous American athlete Jackson Williams? The European nation of
Negotia? The famous Lassinger process for distilling hydrogen into helium?
2) List ten things you want to learn about your topic. Here is an example. Let’s say you’re
researching about the famous British author Roland Dalyrumple:
a) When and where was he born?
b) Which schools did he attend and when did he graduate from each one?
c) How did he get the idea for his first book, “Dungarees in Tasmania”?
d) Where and how did he meet his wife, Gertha?
e) Where and when was their first child, Samar born, and how did they choose his name?
f) How did he end up in debtor’s prison, and how long did he stay there?
g) What inspired him to write his famous poem, “Arbuckle in the Autumn”?
h) When was he put on trial for the poisoning of his uncle-in-law, and what evidence was
presented against him?
i) What did he mean when he claimed (in his third novel, “Wondering about Wondering”) that he
was metaphorically his own grandfather?
j) What were the circumstances of his mysterious death in the streets of Baltimore Maryland, and
what was the meaning of his last words “Tapioca is irrelevant…”?
3) Find at least six sources for your research project. You have to list three books and three
websites. They have to be specialized websites, Wikipedia and other online encyclopedias don’t
count.
4) Find (and write down) the answers to all ten of your questions, as well as any other interesting
information that you happen to run across in the course of your research.
5) Make a Powerpoint for your presentation. It needs to have the following:
a) a title slide with your name, the name of your topic, and one or more interesting pictures of or
about your topic
aa) Make a pretty slide with a famous quote that applies to your subject. The quote should be
from a real person who is famous in the subject you are researching. If you are doing science
research, the quote should be from a famous scientist. If you are doing research on a famous
person in history, the quote should be from a famous historian. You get the idea. And you also
have to include a picture of that person (or someone who could be them) and a fact that shows
that this person really is/was an expert. Here are a couple of examples:
Gio does a research paper on bean plants. She decides that she’ll start her presentation with a
quote from famous bean bioligist Grego Mendel. Since her fictional bean plants produce beans
which are (supposedly) easier to digest, she wants to invent a quote that would seem to apply to
her imaginary plants. Maybe it could be some kind of metaphor. She also wants to include what
makes him a bean biology expert:
“The fruits of a clever mind can stop the wind of ignorance”
Gregor Mendel, scientist and author of “Experiments in Plant Hybridization”
On her slide Gio will have the quote, the “proof of expertise” and a picture of Gregor Mendel.
“The fruits of a clever mind can block the wind of ignorance.”
Gregor Mendel, scientist and author of the ground-breaking “Experiments in Plant
Hybridization”
Carson does a research paper on Babe Ruth (the famous baseball player). He could include a
quote from a famous sports historian, or maybe a currently famous sports commentator, or
maybe someone who knew Ruth, like his manager or something. Carson might have something
like this:
“Babe didn’t care who you were or which team you played for, he would still knock your pitches
out of the park and then try to kiss your wife after the game.”
Harry Frazee, manager of the Boston Red Sox from 1916-1923
“Babe didn’t care who you were or which team you played for, he would
still knock your pitches out of the park and then try to kiss your wife after
the game.”
Harry Frazee, manager of the Boston Red Sox from 1916-1923
b) at least ten slides, with each one based on an important aspect of your topic (these will
probably be your ten original questions)
c) The facts on your slides should include some numbers. Statistics are very impressive. So are
dates, percentages, mathematical formulas, etc. At least five or your slides must include
impressive numbers of some sort. It would be even better if more than five of them did.
d) Each slide must have at least one picture. Your slides need to be interesting and impressive.
When you present it, everyone in the audience should be impressed by the excellent pictures you
found, your well-researched facts, and the stylish (not childish!) way that they are presented.
Your Powerpoint should look very professional, like something that a college professor might
present to his or her colleagues.
e) Sounds and/or music should be on at least three of your slides. The music/sounds need to fit
well with your topic and be impressive.
e) You need to have a final slide that includes your name, the name of your topic, and a list of
your sources. It should also have a final impressive picture relating to your topic.