Purpose
The research
project is intended to showcase your critical thinking, analytical thinking, and
research skills.
Grading Criteria
Research projects will be graded
on:
-
originality
-
style
-
relevance
-
ability to
follow instructions
-
proof of
academic research
-
integration of
academic research
-
good use of
Standard American English
Research
- All projects will require you
to do some research. You will, therefore, have to attach "works cited" and
"works consulted" pages to your project with footnotes or endnotes where
appropriate. These should be in MLA format. The web has several good (and
free) references for MLA format.
- Good research places:
- The SGSC Library
(You can go
here for Library
resources online; or you can actually walk into the real world version
of the library on campus; it's very nice and has books.)
- Websites ending in .edu
- Bad research places:
- Anywhere other than the
Library, its online resources, and websites ending in .edu.
- Websites ending in .com,
.org, or .net
- A note on Wikipedia:
Wikipedia is a good place for pointing you in the right directions for more
appropriate academic sources. Wikipedia should NEVER be used as a source in
an academic paper and should certainly not be quoted. If, however, you
consult Wikipedia at any point in your research you MUST cite it on a "works
consulted" page, and you must be very careful not to use any of the
information you found in Wikipedia in your project.
Formats
You may submit your project in any
of the following formats:
- Cracked.com-style Article
(5-10 pages)
- Personal Website (Free web site
maker)
- Facebook or other social
media project
- Blog Post (free
blog site)
- Art (art projects must
include an explanatory paper of 3-5 pages and a works cited/consulted
page)
- Traditional Research Paper (5-10 pages)
- Other -- see me for approval
Topics
*All projects must pertain to the
time periods we studied in class.*
You may choose from any of the
following topics:
- Fine Arts (sculpture,
painting, illuminating, map making, etc.)
- Suggested focus:
- art movements or
styles
- a famous artist and
his contribution to his art
- one particular art
object
- The performing arts (theatre,
music, dance)
- Suggested focus:
- choose dance, music
or theatre and explore its evolution over time
- the social impact of
the performing arts
- the impact of
religion or politics on the performing arts
- Fashion
- Suggested focus:
- fashion evolution
- social-economic
aspects of fashion
- Drugs (Medicinal and/or
Recreational)
- Suggested focus:
- attitudes toward
recreational drugs (including alcohol)
- in one time or
place or comparing times and/or places
- types of drugs
available in a certain time or in a certain place over time
- differences and
similarities to modern drug use
- The supernatural....ghosts,
angels, demons, monsters, etc.
- Suggested focus:
- types of monsters,
specific monsters in a certain place or time
- catalog of monsters
from a culture or country or time period
- attitudes toward the
supernatural
- Military
- Suggested focus:
- great battles
- arms and armaments
- epic wars
- the kickassery of
specific people or countries
- Censorship ... banned books
- Suggested focus:
- what books, when, and
why
- specific types of
books or a particular book
- Famous philosophers or
theologians
- Suggested focus:
- choose 1 philosopher
and discuss in general his impact on philosophy
- History of ideas
- choose an idea or concept
and trace it through time or across cultures
- suggested ideas/concepts:
- the soul,
- treatment of children
- women in society or
religion or politics
- crime
- revenge
- happiness
- love
- good and evil
- politic
Samples