Research Project Ideas for Middle School
Middle school research projects do not need to be as in-depth as high school, but they should be challenging enough to begin the process of preparing expanding minds for the rigors that await them. Classes in history and language arts are prime disciplines for introducing the concept of a research project. Some middle schools even recognize the value by offering classes dedicated to the process of learning how to research.
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Thomas Jefferson's Education Plan
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Among his other accomplishments, Thomas Jefferson outlined a plan for popular education of the new country's youngest citizens. His plan is outlined in his Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge. Jefferson's educational plan required tuition payment for most students and offered a six-year curriculum of study that included studying Greek and navigation. The plan also excluded women and African-Americans. A research project on this topic could focus on such topics as suitability to contemporary education or whether this plan contradicts what Jefferson called for in the Declaration of Independence.
Radical Life of Helen Keller
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By the time they reach middle school, many kids have already been exposed to Helen Keller through the play or movie version of The Miracle Worker. No movie has yet been made to expose adults to the more controversial adult life of Helen Keller. A research paper topic could be developed around the adult Keller's embrace of socialism, very controversial support of the NAACP and the fact that she was a founding member of the ACLU. Helen Keller was even the subject of a lengthy surveillance project by the FBI.
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Dog Shows
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The popularity of dog shows has exploded in the recent years due to televised coverage of these events. Many middle school students have dogs as pets or want a dog as a pet, so this topic has a built-in appeal for some. What is shown on television only touches the surface, so a research project into dog shows can be very educational. Among the issues that can be covered in this project are the reasons that a dog or handler could be disqualified, the intricacies of the points system, what the different colored ribbons mean, what it takes to be a dog show handler and an explanation of the extensive jargon used in these shows.
The Beatles
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The Beatles Rock Band games have introduced the Fab Four to a whole new generation of fans. It may have been a decade or two since the Beatles were the subject of a research paper by middle school students, and today this project is ripe for a multimedia approach. A research paper on the Beatles could be part of a larger perspective of the 1960s revolution, the development of rock and roll, the influence of celebrities or retro merchandising strategies.
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References
- Photo Credit Labradoodle image by Leticia Wilson from Fotolia.com
