HSP3U Culminating Activity: Social Science Experiment – Fall 2015
The following project is to be done independently and will count for 10% of your final grade. This project is designed to give you
an opportunity to investigate an area of concern in the social sciences that is of particular interest to you. You should pick a
phenomenon/trend/concept that you notice happening today (perhaps making you wonder: “why does that happen or why does
this matter?”) that you can relate to concepts learned in class. Basically you will attempt to explain why this trend occurs from a
social science perspective.
Some possible topics follow. You may choose from this list OR create your own.
 Teen Smoking
 Cults & Conformity
 Teen Obesity
 Violence & Dehumanization
 Youth Crime
 Teen Mental Illness
 Teen Sexuality
 Extra-Curricular Activities & Student Success
 Music & Learning
 Teen Stress
 Uniforms & Self-Image
 Nutrition & Academics
 Media & Bullying
 Underage Drinking
 Media & Violence
 Addictions
 Teen Drug Use
 Self-Esteem
 Abortion & Socialization
 Relationship Abuse
 Incarceration & Gender
 Teen Pregnancy
 Teen Suicide
 Gender Stereotypes
 Subliminal Advertising & The Unconscious Mind
This project will be broken down into 4 parts to be completed between now and the end of the semester. Each of these steps
and how they will be evaluated is described in detail on the following pages.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Research Proposal – Due: Wednesday December 16, 2015 – 10 %
Annotated Bibliography – Due: Wednesday January 6, 2016 – 15%
Primary Research Design – Due: Wednesday January 13, 2016 – 25%
Final Report – Due: Wednesday January 20, 2016 – 50%
Step One: Research Proposal | 10%
Curriculum Expectation(s):
 Formulate appropriate questions for research and inquiry relating to one or more of the main areas of concern in the social
sciences.
Description:
The possible topics (or ones you have come up with on your own) are quite general. In order to be successful at focusing your
project, you need to formulate research questions. It is important to create these questions before you do any research on your
topic. Start with a general question based on your topic, and then create a few (3-5) other questions that focus on specific
aspects of your topic. Create questions based on what you are curious about.
You will submit a short research proposal that is approximately ¾ page – 1 page long that details the topic you would like to
study, your specific research questions, and your rationale for wanting to study the topic. For example:
The topic I would like to study is “Chocolate & Concentration.” The main question I hope to answer in my research is: “Does
chocolate help people concentrate?” In order to answer this question, I will be exploring other questions such as:





Does consuming chocolate before an exam improve performance on that exam?
Does the type of chocolate consumed matter?
How long do the effects of chocolate last?
What happens physiologically after we consume chocolate?
What are the negative side effects of consuming chocolate?
I am interested in researching this topic because…
In your proposal you should also include your hypothesis and at least one reason why you assume that will be the outcome.
Criteria
Application
Formulate appropriate
questions for research and
inquiry relating to one or
more of the main areas of
concern in the social
sciences.
Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Remedial
Questions
Questions
Questions
Questions
Insufficient
demonstrate
demonstrate
demonstrate
demonstrate limited evidence
excellent
considerable
satisfactory
understanding of the
understanding of understanding of the understanding of the inquiry process. The
the inquiry process. inquiry process. The inquiry process. The link between the
The link between link between the
link between the
overall research topic
the overall research overall research topicoverall research topicand the questions is
topic and the
and the questions is and the questions is not clear.
questions is very
clear.
somewhat clear.
clear.
Communication
Excellent written Good written
Satisfactory written Written
Insufficient
Effectively communicates communication withcommunication with communication with communication is
evidence
ideas (i.e. spelling,
no errors in spelling,few errors in spelling,some errors in
limited with many
grammar, punctuation,
grammar, etc.
grammar, etc.
spelling, grammar, errors in spelling,
sentence structure, etc.)
et.
grammar, etc.
Level: __________
Comments:
Step Two: Annotated Reference List | 15%
Curriculum Expectation(s):
 Demonstrate an ability to locate and select relevant information from a variety of print and electronic resources (e.g., books,
periodicals, television, Internet sites, CD-ROMs);
 Evaluate the relevance and validity of information gathered through research;
 Record information and key ideas from their research, and document sources accurately, using correct forms of citation.
Description:
The next step in your project will be to do your initial research. Conduct your research with the goal of answering the questions
you asked in Step One. You need to gather at least 5 high-quality, valid sources (no, Wikipedia is not a high-quality source!). Do
not simply settle for the first 5 sources you find. Read as much as possible and select the best 5.
You will then submit an annotated reference list. You will provide citations (APA) for your sources. Underneath each citation, in
point form, you will summarize the key points found in that source. How does each source help answer your research
questions? What key quotes from this source do you want to use in your final paper? What specific facts does this source
present? Use quotation marks if you are directly quoting; otherwise it is usually a better idea to paraphrase. The idea is that you
can come back to this part of the assignment when writing your final report and have all your facts organized and ready to go.
So what is an Annotated Reference List? In this case, it is a list of five sources (completed in proper APA format) in which the
source is listed and followed by a point form summary of the key points that the source covers including; How the source helps
to answers one or more of the key questions you created in part one; Any key quotes from the source you might use in your final
paper; Specific facts the source presents. The idea is that this sheet organizes your factual information and quotes in order for
you to plug them into your final paper.
Example:
References
Colston, Daniel, J.R. Kant. (2007). Chocoholic success: a study of chocolate and successful people. Food and Health, 45(7), 176184.
- According to the authors study of Albert Einstein they cited a journal entry of his in which he stated that he ate several pieces
of dark Swiss chocolate before his relativity theory breakthrough
- Colston wrote, “Many of the world’s greatest success have been influenced by chocolate and its ability to improve an
individual’s concentration level” (p. 177)
- etc...
Criteria
Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Thinking & Inquiry
Evaluation of
Evaluation of
Evaluation of
Evaluation of
Evaluate the relevance
information is
information is
information is
information is
and validity of informationcompleted to a high completed to a
completed
limited.
gathered through
degree.
considerable degree. satisfactorily.
research.
Application
Excellent variety in Good variety in the Some variety in the Limited to no variety
Demonstrate an ability to the types of
types of resources types of resources in the types of
locate and select relevant resources used.
used. Information is used. Information is resources used. The
information from a variety Information is clearly relevant to the
somewhat relevant information is not
of print and electronic
relevant to the
research topic.
to the research topic. clearly linked to the
resources.
research topic.
research topic.
Communication
Uses proper citation Uses proper citation Uses proper citation Uses proper citation
Record information and format (APA) with a format (APA) with format (APA)
format (APA) with
key ideas from their
high degree of
considerable
satisfactorily (i.e.
limited effectiveness
research, and document effectiveness (i.e.
effectiveness (i.e. fewsome errors).
(i.e. many errors).
sources accurately, using little to no errors). errors).
correct forms of citation.
Written
Effectively communicates Excellent written
Good written
Satisfactory written communication is
ideas (i.e. spelling,
communication with communication with communication with limited with many
grammar, punctuation, no errors in spelling, few errors in spelling, some errors in
errors in spelling,
sentence structure, etc.) grammar, etc.
grammar, etc.
spelling, grammar, et.grammar, etc.
Level: __________
Remedial
Insufficient
evidence
Insufficient
evidence
Insufficient
evidence
Comments:
Step Three: Designing Your Own Research | 25%
Curriculum Expectation(s):
 Demonstrate an understanding of various research methodologies for conducting primary research (e.g., interviews, surveys
and questionnaires, observations);
 Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical guidelines of social science research.
Description:
Based on the results of your research to this point, you may recognize the need for further research or information. If you think
the topic is already well researched, you may wish to try to confirm certain findings. Either way, you will be designing a survey to
gather more information about your topic. If your topic applies to people directly, you may be asking questions about your
subjects’ own behaviour (e.g. “Do you eat chocolate?”). If your topic does not directly relate to the people you are questioning,
you may be seeking their opinions on the topic (e.g. “Do you think that the death penalty should exist in Canada?”).
You will need to practice ethical research, including: informed consent, ensuring your questions are relevant to your topic, not
asking anything inappropriate or too personal, academic honesty, etc.
To earn this 25% for your project, you will hand in the blank template that you will use for your survey. It should include a
paragraph explaining your study, its goals, how the information will be used and that participation is voluntary (a.k.a. informed
consent). It should also include a variety of questions in a variety of formats (i.e. multiple choice, rating scale, yes/no, short
answer, open-ended, etc.). You must hand this in and have it approved before you actually conduct any of your research.
Once it is approved, you must collect data from a sample of at least 20 people at ROCH. Pay attention that you are either using a
random sample (e.g. the owner of every 3rd locker), or a very specific sample (e.g. every grade 9 at Roch). The results of your
survey must be included in your final report.
Criteria
Application
Demonstrate an
understanding of various
research methodologies
for conducting primary
research.
Level 4
Survey asks highly
effective questions
related to the topic.
Questions are asked
in many formats.
Level 3
Survey asks effective
questions related to
the topic. Questions
vary in their format.
Level 2
Survey questions are
satisfactory.
Questions provided
in a couple of
different formats.
Level 1
Remedial
Survey questions are Insufficient
limited in
evidence
effectiveness and
variety.
Survey demonstrates
Demonstrate an
Survey demonstrates good understanding Survey demonstrates Survey demonstrates
understanding of the
excellent
of ethical research. satisfactory
limited
ethical guidelines of social understanding of
understanding of
understanding of
science research.
ethical research.
ethical research.
ethical research.
Level: __________
Comments:
Step Four: Final Report | 50%
Curriculum Expectation(s):
 Correctly use the terminology of anthropology, psychology, and sociology (e.g. functionalism, behaviourism, feminism);
 Define the concepts that are central to anthropology (e.g., evolution, diffusion, culture), psychology (e.g., perception,
cognition, personality), and sociology (e.g., role, gender, institution);
 Demonstrate an understanding of the factors that explain human behavior from the perspective of anthropology (e.g., myth,
kinship), psychology (e.g., conditioning, subconscious), and sociology (e.g., socialization, social interaction);
 Demonstrate an ability to organize, interpret, and analyze information gathered from a variety of sources;
 Effectively communicate the results of their inquiries, using a variety of methods and forms (e.g., graphs, charts, diagrams,
lab reports, oral presentations, written reports, essays, newspaper-style articles, video presentations).
Description:
The goal of the final report is to communicate the results of all of your hard work and research. If you have completed all the
steps well, you should have some interesting information to share!
You will write a formal report that should include both the information learned from your research of previous studies (Step
Two) as well as the results of your own research (Step Three). How did the two compare? Were you able to answer all of your
research questions? What are the answers to those questions?
Your report should include the following sections:
 Title page with a relevant title.
 Abstract – You write this last, but it should be the second page of your report. It should be 4-5 sentences and summarize
your question, method, findings, and conclusion.
 Introduction – Explain and outline your topic and question… Why is this an important question to answer? Which field(s) of
social science is the topic relevant to? Why/how?
 Hypothesis
 Research Method – Describe what you did and why this method is effective for this project.
 Presentation of Data – Clearly identify all data.
Combine your primary &
Data tables, flow charts and/or graphs (pie, bar, line) will be used here.
secondary research to clearly
Be sure to use the most effective means of representing your findings.
present and analyze your
 Analysis of Data – Explain your findings. What do the numbers and research mean?
findings.
 Conclusions – What did you learn and why is it important?
 Problems – Identify areas of difficulty, problems with accuracy, bias, etc. that might
have impacted your results.
 New Directions – What could other studies look at to further your research?
 Appendix – This is where you will have the original copies of survey results, research findings, etc.
Your report should follow proper APA format:
(A formal style guide will be provided)
 Double-spaced
 11-pt font (Calibri) and standard 1” margins
 Ideas/words that are not your own are properly quoted or paraphrased & cited using APA format
 Graphs and/or charts that communicate your survey results are included to support your text (these do NOT count in your 57 pages)
 Use proper terminology, formal language, proper grammar and spelling
 Reference page included
Tips for Success!
 Do NOT procrastinate!
 Read the directions carefully. I have given you a lot of detail for a reason.
 Ask for help. I am available before, after, and during school or @Primi_APS
 Each step builds on the one before it. Doing well early will help you in the later stages.
Criteria
Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Remedial
Knowledge &
Demonstrates
Demonstrates good Demonstrates
Demonstrates limited Insufficient
Understanding
excellent
understanding of the satisfactory
understanding of the evidence
Correctly defines & uses understanding of the foundations of social understanding of the foundations of social
the terminology &
foundations of social science.
foundations of social science.
concepts of anthropology, science.
science.
psychology, and sociology.
Thinking & Inquiry
Provides excellent Provides good
Provides satisfactory Provides limited
Insufficient
Demonstrate an
explanation of, and explanation of, and explanation of, and explanation of, and evidence
understanding of the
insight into, the
insight into, the
insight into, the
insight into, the
factors that explain humanfactors that influence factors that influence factors that influence factors that influence
behavior from the
human behaviour
human behaviour
human behaviour
human behaviour
perspective of
based on primary and based on primary and based on primary and based on primary and
anthropology, psychology, secondary research. secondary research. secondary research. secondary research.
and sociology.
Application
Information is
Information is
Information is
Information is
Insufficient
Demonstrate an ability to organized and
organized and
organized and
organized and
evidence
organize, interpret, and analyzed to a high
analyzed to a
analyzed somewhat analyzed to a limited
analyze information
degree.
considerable degree. effectively.
degree.
gathered from a variety of
sources.
Communication
Excellent written
Good written
Satisfactory written Written
Insufficient
Effectively communicate communication with communication with communication with communication is
evidence
the results of their
no errors in spelling, few errors in spelling, some errors in
limited with many
inquiries, using a variety of grammar, etc.
grammar, etc.
spelling, grammar, errors in spelling,
methods and forms.
etc.
grammar, etc.
Uses proper citation Uses proper citation
Documents sources
format (APA) with a format (APA) with
Uses proper citation Uses proper citation
accurately, using correct high degree of
considerable
format (APA)
format (APA) with
forms of citation.
effectiveness (i.e.
effectiveness (i.e. few satisfactorily (i.e.
limited effectiveness
little to no errors). errors).
some errors).
(i.e. many errors).
Level: __________
Comments: