In preparation for the Research Paper Project in Quarter 2, you will need to start thinking of possible topics (search the internet, library, magazines, etc.) that pose some kind of an argument. In this blog, you should list two argumentative topics (underline each of the two topics) that you would like to explore for your paper. In thinking about a topic, make sure you are passionate about the topic because you will be with it the entire 2nd quarter. Some of last year's topics dealt with the following: Marcellus Shale - good or bad for the area? Do sports programs in high schools enhance or detract from the academic agenda? Are schools, universities, and professional sports programs dealing with the seriousness of concussions? Is attending university, with its extreme financial burden, really relevant today or would attending a trade school be more lucrative in the end? Should the current political system be revamped to eliminate political parties? Should politicians be restricted from accepting gifts from lobbyists? Does music therapy benefit stroke victims?
After deciding on two potential topics, write a paragraph on each, explaining why you are particularly interested in these topics.
One topic that I came up with was the pros and cons of going to school all year along. Many other countries are now doing it. Some of the countries are Australia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, France, and Mexico. These are just a select few. There are over 190 nations that participate in going to school all year around. There has been talk of doing this in the United States. Some people think it is a good idea and some people do not like the idea. President Obama are among these peoples that think going to school full year around is a good idea. There have been many studies done. Some of the studies showed that its not the amount of time spent in the class room but the quality of work that is being done. Another thing was that some people thought that giving students 13 weeks off for the summer sets them back in their studies. They say that teachers spend the first month or so reviewing material that students forgot over the summer. By going to school all year around students wouldn't have time to lose all the materials they covered so it would be easier on the teachers. Also with going all year around some teens that need to get jobs to help support themselves would have it hard because of always having school. Other problems include with the money and funding the school gets. These are just some of the pros and cons of going to school all year around.
ReplyDeleteAnother topic of interest for a research paper is the pros and cons of space exploration. We are finding out a lot more about space each year. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. Some of the pros of exploring space are finding out what else is out there. Also we are finding new materials that may be very useful in the future. Soon enough the exploration of space might lead to the finding of a new human civilization. The cons consist mostly of money problems. With all the cost and expensive it is of major concern. Also things are not certain up in space. It is a very dangerous place. This means that sending astronauts into space is very dangerous and are putting their lives at risk. This is a serious concern of the government. these are just some of the pros and cons on space exploration.
Hayley I think that your two research subjects are great ideas to do for our quarter two project. I think that the space exploration topic is going to be very interesting when you talk about it. I also think that many people are going to have great argument points when you talk about people going to school all year round. Like me for instance. I do not think that going to school all year is a very necessary thing to do becasue I think people will stop doing well in school because they have no breaks.
DeleteHayley, these are two arguments that people will go into great detail about. There are pros and cons for both. Your space exploration topic should be very interesting and I cant wait to read it. All the new discoveries are leading to more and more people going to space to find out what they look like and whats on them. Your topic about going to school all year round should also be very interesting. If you would ask any kid this question they would say that it is fine just the way it is and some might even say to lower it. It is true that students are losing some knowledge during the summer when their knowledge could be increasing.
DeleteHayley, I like that you want to cover the school issue, it's my favorite of your two topics. It's a good idea because it's an issue that's present in our society today and favored by our president. As a student I don't want to go to school all year, and I believe many other students probably have that view too! I didn't see what your view is and I'm interested to find out just because you didn't say.
DeleteHayley
DeleteI like your first topic as a possibility. So many countries are experimenting with the length of the school year. Perhaps that is why some countries excel more than American schools in science and math. You might discover this in your research. The 2nd topic is way too broad. Space exploration is extremely broad - you'd have to narrow that way down to one small piece of the topic to research.
Two major topics that I can use for my research paper are, “Should cigarette smoking be banned in the United States?”, and “Should the drinking age be lowered or highered?” These two subjects both have many pros and cons that deal with why or why not these two things should have a change done to them. They also have very many different argument points.
ReplyDeleteAnother research topic that I think would be good is that should cigarette smoking be banned in the United States. I think that cigarettes should be banned. It causes many different stages of lung cancer. It makes many people have bad breath and yellow teeth. Their clothes have a distinct odor to it. I think the most important point of no smoking is that banning it may cause so many more people to live without having to deal with lung cancer and second hand smoke. I also believe that many people who do smoke would argue with me because they are addicted due to the nicotine in the object. Therefore I think that cigarettes should be banned, but many others might just want to crack down on how much you smoke, which would also be alright with me, but it needs to be reduced.
I feel that the drinking age of 21 is a good age for adults to be legal, but I feel that many times people who have just turned that age abuse the use of alcohol by drinking and driving. So many deaths occur every year due to drunk drivers. I also think that the law of being 21 and older to drink isn’t followed. Many teenagers drink all the time without being told otherwise. Also I think that drinking at too young of an age may cause an earlier stage of alcoholism. People start to drink and then they get hooked. Many people may think otherwise, however. They may argue that the age should be highered or even lowered. As a result if feel that the drinking age of people should be kept at 21, but that they should respect the law of no drinking and driving.
In conclusion, my two research points that I thought about both should be good subjects for me to think about. Drinking under the age of 21 may cause many teens to get hurt in the long run for drinking and driving. Also cigarette smoking has gotten out of hand is becoming an epidemic in the world from people dying each day from lung cancer.
Emma, I think that these are two very serious topics that need to be discussed in some fashion. Cigarette smoking should definitely be illegal. Why would something that can easily kill you be legal in the United States? Statistics on smoking show that the smoking rate has gone way up over the years and even teens are starting to smoke more. The younger you start, the less chance you have of living a normal healthy lifestyle. I also agree that 21 is a responsible age to hold the drinking age at. When you turn 21 you are three years into adulthood. You are responsible for your own actions and you should stay safe as a result of your actions to keep others safe as well.
DeleteEmma, I personally believe that smoking should be make illegal. It is actually worse for you than many drugs that have been made illegal, so I don't understand how it is still legal. It doen't make sense to me. Also, I think that the drinking age should be brought higher. Some people make the argument that if people are old enough to die for their country, then they should be old enough to drink alcohol in their country. I think that if these people would look at the statistics, they would see that it is people in their teens and twenties that are dying from drunk driving and alcohol poisoning.
DeleteEmma
DeleteEither topic (smoking or drinking) has many parameters you can consider for research. Try to decide which you prefer but more importantly, decide on which angle you want to take it. You need to be able to find research too. Keep your topic narrowed - not too broad.
One thing that I enjoy the most out of my day is eating. I decided to base my two research paper topic possibilities on food. Today our society is facing an obesity “epidemic”. Obesity overall is an upcoming problem. Although there are many diet plans out there, for many they do not work or people choose not to use them. Instead parents and adults are putting all the blame on fast food restaurants. It is a well known fact that fast food restaurants do not have the healthiest of items on their menu, but believe it or not the fast food companies have taken into consideration of the obesity problem. Within the last couple years fast food industries have added healthy food items to their menus. This gives the costumer the choice to eat healthy. Parents and adults still are blaming the fast food industry for the continuously growing obesity problem; Why? Is it the restaurants’ fault or is it the consumers’?
ReplyDeleteAlong with my food theme, my second research paper topic has to deal with school lunches. School lunches across the United States are now being regulated as to the foods given out at lunch. One of the main reasons for doing so is to decrease child obesity. These programs not only limit the type of food served, but also the amount. Food portions are being cut in all schools. Sure this a good thing for elementary students who do not have a big appetite or play sports, but what about high school students? High school students are growing young adults and most of the students are involved with sport or exercising activities. Still these growing young adults are being served small lunch portions. High school students often times are still hungry after lunch and therefore have to retreat to having to pay for another food item. The school lunch regulations are working for some schools, but is it really working for everyone?
Marla, towards the growing obesity problem, I believe that the issue is both the fault of the restraunt and the consumer. While it is the restraunt that is sell this food, the people buying the food know how unhealthy it is and still continue to eat it. I believe that while the restraunts are putting out a bad product, it is mostly the consumers' faults for not caring enough to stop it. If everyone stopped buying food from a restraunt because it was unhealthy, then the restraunt would be forced to change. Because that hasn't happened yet, it is the consumers' issue.
DeleteMarla, I think your points about the obesity epidemic were really thought provoking. They made me think more about whose fault it really is. Companies sell extremely large and unhealthy portions of food. Consumer know that it is unhealthy, yet they don't stop the unhealthy eating habits they have. Another thing I thought of with this topic is food like Doritos or other junk foods. They put chemicals in them that are addictive. Once you eat one it is hard to stop eating them, even though you shouldn't be. I think this is a huge problem especially because junk foods like this are an easy thing to just grab and go. I think your second topic about portion sizes was also a good idea. Students have activities after school and they need something more to keep them from being hungry until their after school activity. I am a huge believer that children aren't getting obese in school, the problem is in the home. Another thing about portion sizes would be that some children don't have enough food at their houses and the only large meal they receive is from school. I think that nutritionists need to reevaluate how their choices may effect the students of today.
DeleteMarla, I agree with you one hundred percent, from experience, you like food! I really like your second topic because it is something that we, as students, face every day, and can relate to from experience. It does seem at times a little ridiculous with the food portions and different explanations for why the same food with fewer portion sizes can get more expensive year after year.I feel that one meal a day is not what causes childhood obesity; that is caused from unhealthy diets outside of school. It is a good topic, especially for a student audience.
DeleteMarla
DeleteBoth of your topics sound interesting. Someone else might also be working with the topic of school lunches (go through the blogs to see exactly what the topic is). Perhaps the topic of obesity is a good one to consider since so many Americans deal with this problem. Good Luck.
Marla, I feel the same about food. I love eating and I think obesity should be a choice and other people like Michelle Obama shouldn't have a say in what we consume. She isn't too small herself, actually. If I am correct I am pretty sure she is the one who made our school lunches healthier this year with her whole obesity program. If you wanna eat fatty foods, then go ahead. This just gets me so fired up every time someone talks about the Michelle Obama thing.
DeleteMarla, These two topics are great ideas for your research topic. Well done! I think that many parents do blame their kids for being obese on the fast food restaurants, but they are the ones that keep taking their kids there to eat. So this makes it their fault. I also feel that school lunches are now more healthier, but their is less porportions of food. If kids are growing they need to get a full and healthy meal. We are getting the healthy part done but not the full part. Also I think that the amount of money that some objects in the lunch lines at school are ridiculously high.
ReplyDeleteThe first topic I will discuss is “Are school sports programs and professional sports programs dealing with the seriousness of concussions.” Every day in sports, someone in the world will take a menacing blow to the head. The result of that will be a concussion and the person will not be able to do certain things correctly. A concussion is when the brain moves slightly inside of your skull resulting in head pain. The main sports that concussions can and will occur in are football, rugby, basketball, and boxing. Boxing is the most susceptible to concussions because people in that sport are constantly receiving punches to their heads without any protection. This will definitely cause a concussion or even brain damage in some point of their lives. In basketball, a player could get knocked to the floor and hit his or her head very hard on the floor. The person may lie down and not move and may even be unconscious. A player could also get elbowed in the face or head resulting in a concussion. In rugby, players are constantly getting stepped on with no protection at all. Rugby is sort of like a mixture of football and soccer together. The players wear metal cleats and are very susceptible to concussions. Football is definitely susceptible to concussions. Even though players have helmets, the opposing player could hit the player in the head with their helmet very hard, resulting in a concussion. All these different professional sports programs are trying to find out ways to protect people from concussions as they could be the most serious injury to your body because your brain will not function properly.
ReplyDeleteMy second topic I will discuss is “Are professional athletes able to perform to the expectations of their fans without using steroids and are steroids really as bad as people say they are.” The answer to both questions is yes. Players just have to work hard and build natural muscle rather than using performance enhancing drugs. The main sport that this happens in is baseball. Many baseball players have been accused of steroid usage over the years and have faced serious penalties like being thrown out of the league and even going to court. Athletes are humans, just like us and they need to succeed in the leagues that they are in. That doesn’t mean to cheat and use steroids just like they are an everyday vitamin. They can kill you. Steroid usage is a very serious problem in sports programs around the world and we need to find a way to stop this. If you work hard at your sport instead of cheating then you will meet the expectations of many, including yourself, in the long run. Perfect practice makes perfect.
Andrew, first of all your two topics have deal with sports, which definitely suits your personality. I agree with your statements about concussions. From experience, getting knocked out by another player in basketball and hitting the hard floor is extremely painful. Many athletes and coaches should be taking hard hits more seriously because one major injury can lead to a life-long problem. (I also am living through the last statement as well.) I as a player know how hard it is to say what my limitations are and most of the time I ignore them. Therefore I believe that coaches need to step up their role as a responsible adult and take injuries of their players more responsibly. Great job.
DeleteAndrew
DeleteI like both of your topics. We had a paper last year dealing with concussions and it was quite good. Steroid usage is also a good topic. Lance Armstrong has recently lost his credibility as a competitor because of his steroid use. I think you should be able to find some good research on either topic.
I think your first topic is a really good interesting topic. Concussions are very serious and I also feel like they are not taken as serious as they should be in the sports world. Thee these can lead to lifelong injuries for the person. You need your brain to function normally to live normally. People who get concussions 3 to 4 concussions in their lifetime are probably very aggressive and the chances are increased of them having permanent brain damage.
DeleteConcussions are a very serious threat to human livelihood. Sometimes a school program would be more willing to get their star player out than worry about any health concerns. If they are being treated with utmost care or not is a interesting topic. Use of performance enhancing drugs is also something that also comes up many times. they probably are only using them to keep up with other players that are using them, an essential domino effect. It would make an interesting topic to write about.
DeleteMy first topic is the relevance of colleges and univesities in today's society. I feel as though we are in more need of people that are electricians and plumbers, that know how to fix than people who major in 12th century English. I feel that one of the reasons that so many college degrees are wasted is because people do majors that won't contribute to our society. I believe that people who go to college that won't use their education are not very bright. It would be better to go to a trade school and learn something useful than to go to college and learn things that won't affect our world in any way. Some people look down on others for not having a college education, but isn't it better to have an education that will help you instead of one that will just leave you with tons of loans and a dead end job?
ReplyDeleteMy second topic is limits in teenage driving. I don't know the statistics, but I can assume that the curfew and the one passenger rule aren't always followed. What I want to know is, do breaking these laws really affect anything? Are the punishments for breaking these laws too harsh for the seiousness of the crime committed? I think that the curfew should be pushed back an hour on weekends. Now, with the laws as they are, people have to leave where they are at 10:30 just to make it home in time for curfew. I understand why these laws are used, but are they really affecting anything all that much?
Tori, I really like your first topic on trade schools against colleges. If someone is going to go to college but not learn anything from it, why waste so much money. I think that colleges are good for people going into the medical field or lawyers. If someone is going to be an electrician, a trade school might be more beneficial in the long run. They would make the same amount of money by getting a trade school degree rather than an associates or bacholars degree. I don't think that would make them any less intelligent than someone that went to college though. Some people just want that college experience and will go just for that.
DeleteI also like your topic about teenage driving and the laws that deal with it. I agree with you saying that people out there break the curfew and are out driving after eleven. As a teenager, I would want to be out later on the weekends and not have to be home at a certain time but I know that is just for our own safety. What is just one more hour and having the curfew be midnight? If we have the responsiblity to be driving by ourselves, then we should be trusted to drive a little later at night. I really think that this would make a great research paper.
I like your second argument. I can see why they made the law of only having one other person in your car when you first get your license. Having other teenagers in the car can distract an inexperienced driver. I also feel like these rules do get broken a lot. I also agree with what you said about curfew. I definitely think it should be pushed back on weekends. Some people don't even get out of work until late. I'm just not sure i see the point in some of these laws.
DeleteTori, I really really like your second arguement! This is something that really bugs me. As soon as these rules were brought to law practically everyone I knew said they weren't going to listen to it. I didn't want to listen to it, but my parents would have never let me get away with it. What is brought to light with this law is that parents don't seem to be involved in their children anymore. Many people I know tell me that they drove five people here then here then here and everything was fine, but aren't parents concerned that their children are breaking the law and putting themselves at risk? Obviously the punishments aren't strict enough or law enforcement just doesn't pay close attention to this. The curfew rule is understandable and I'm willing to be home by eleven because I know how dangerous it is driving at night, but I do think that it should be increased to midnight. Good job Tori, you got me to rant.
DeleteVictoria
DeleteI like both of your topics very well. I think you have good potential research either way. So good luck!
Tori, i love both of your ideas for your research paper. I agree htat people do not use their college degrees for something useful and they don't obtain useful college degrees. As for the rules on driving, i think they are a little strict and I do not see how it affects someone to have more than one person in their car. We should be trusted and treated like adults if we were able to be old enough to have control of a vehicle that weighs 2000 pounds. I also do not believe that people follow the rules on the driving and don't see how they are bad. I would very much like to read your research paper!
DeleteOne of the topics that I am thinking about doing for my research paper is "School Lunches Throughout Our Country." I think that this topic would be a good subject for a research paper because there are many different arguments that go into it. The price of lunches is on the rise, but are the students really getting more food? If the price is going up so high, more food should be distributed. One downside to that would be that more food could be wasted. I think that schools shouldn’t be forced to hand out food if the student isn’t going to eat it. If that were to happen, then they shouldn’t be charged for the full meal. I think that more food is wasted if it is given to you and then thrown away. There should be prices for everything that is handed out and only get charged for what the student bought. That way less food is getting wasted and families aren’t wasting money on uneaten food. An argument against this would be the nutritional value. Kids need to eat every food group everyday in order to grow up strong and healthy. If the students got to chose what they wanted for lunch, then I think that would contribute to the obesity problem in America. I would want to look up how different schools across the country handle their lunches. I also think that this is something that the presidential candidates should think about. The First Lady Michelle Obama has had a big part in trying to fix the school lunch program but I would like to research if Mitt Romney has done anything about it. These are just some of the many things that could be discussed in my paper.
ReplyDeleteThe other topic that I am thinking about doing is "Confirmation: The purpose and What it Means to Catholics." I am a junior in high school and that is when our diocese says we should receive the sacrament. Is this really when we should receive it though? Some countries or even states have the child receive the sacrament when they are in the third grade. Some get Confirmed when they have their First Holy Communion. Maybe this would help more people come closer to God at a young age and help they the rest of their life. I have noticed that some Catholics don’t want to receive the sacrament because they feel like they are being forced into a relationship that they don’t want to have. They have every right to say no if that is how they feel but, as a Catholic, they may also need the sacrament in order to call themselves one. Religion is a very emotional subject for some people and nobody should be judged on it. Confirmation should be something that you chose to do because you want to become closer to God. You want Him to know that you will obey him and spread his Good Word. When I go to my sessions every week, there are a lot of people there that act like they don’t want to be Confirmed. I think that they should be allowed to leave if they aren’t going to get anything out of it. I would want to research if the age would have an effect on people or if it is required by the Church. I think that is would make people think twice about their relationship with God.
Camille, I like your first discussion topic. The price of lunches keep increasing. I think that many people are upset by this. I agree that they have to take the nutritional value into consideration, but kids are being forced to take and pay for certain food and then they don't even eat it. We keep wasting money on food the we don't even eat.
DeleteCamille, I like your first topic because it is the same as mine!!! (I love food!!) What I found most interesting was your second topic about Confirmation. I understand the statement about others not wanting to attend the weekly sessions, but I do not fully agree. I feel as though it’s not that they don’t want to receive the sacrament, but the sessions are not at ideal times. As juniors our lives are hectic and busy, but I have an alternative option to this problem. I believe that Confirmation classes should be held in school as our theology requirement, and for those in public schools have two options: 1. Have a class available for them as an elective. 2. They can still have scheduled classes on the weekends. Your point about receiving the sacrament at the same time as Holy Communion, I also disagree with. I believe that the age should be a junior in high school because as we age we come to understand our responsibility to God and the Church. This subject has many controversial arguments. I believe that if you write about Confirmation you will be able to express not only your opinions, but also those of your classmates.
DeleteCamille
DeleteI think your first topic is by far, the best. You will need to get scholarly research from various sources so it is best to choose a non-religion topic. As far as Confirmation, receiving it when too young to not understand what you are actually doing (confirming you want to follow the Catholic tradition) is accepted by most Catholics today - that being of sound mind and being able to make that decision is paramount. I just don't think this would be the best topic to go with.
Your first idea is perfect, Camille. I used to get chips at lunch every day last year, but they increased by forty cents! They are the same size, so why did they go up so much? I would really like to read your paper if you pick that topic, because it is something I would really be intersted in.
DeleteI feel as though the Confirmation topic is a good one, but may offend some people.
Good job!
School lunches... always getting picked on, now with the Mrs. Obama health campaign i think schools are suffering. There are many great topics to go into with this subject, and i think it is a great idea to use, just because it deals with every single one of us students doing these blogs, and every single other student across the country.
DeleteOne topic that i came up with is capital punishment. Many people disagree with the death penalty. There are pros and cons to this. Some cons are that the crime rate could increase because the criminals are still around. Another con is that all life is sacred and everyone should get a chance to live. If they accused the wrong person, and later find out that they were innocent, it can not be taken back. On the contrary, many people support the death penalty because the guilty person must have done something so bad that they shouldn't get to live. In 2011, 43 people were executed in the United States. I personally disagree with the death penalty. The criminal should have to live with the remorse and deal with the results of just sitting in jail all their life.
ReplyDeleteAnother topic is lowering the legal drinking age to 18. Many people think this should happen because at 18 you get many rights and responsibilities of adulthood. Also, many young people will not be breaking the law. Some cons are that states that have lowered the drinking age have experienced an increase in alcohol related crashes. It also can affect performance in school. I do not think the age should be lowered. The earlier you start drinking in life, the more prone you are to becoming in alcoholic in later years. I also think that teenagers can not handle the responsibility of drinking and make mistakes that they will regret.
Larissa, I think that both of your topics can be related to us as teenagers. The death penalty is something that is more a personal opinion and I also disagree with it. I think that everyone has the right to live and God is the one who decides when it is our time to go. There have also been stories where someone has been executed but it is later determined that they didn't do the crime. Maybe there shouldn't be execution and then everyone has the chance to be proven wrong until they do finally die.
DeleteWhen you talked about lower the drinking age to from 21 to 18, I don't really know where I stand on that topic. There would be less people taken to jail for underage drinking, but I think that more deaths would occur. I think that it true in saying that at that age, we have every other right of adulthood except the option to drink. I feel that as our class approaches the age of 18, we have to grow up a little bit and learn to make the right decisions.
Larissa, I think that both of your topics that you picked are very good. Capital punishment is something that has been being talked about for a long time. They have been doing some of these punishments for many years now. Changing them would be very hard and some people might not agree. I can see why this would be a good topic. Also your other one that you picked about the drinking age is good because of the way society is changing. Many kids are starting to drink earlier and some of them get caught and some don’t. Some people think that most when you turn 18 you are an adult and should be able to do things like drink. Others think that responsibilities should be given to people slowly so it is not too much for them. These are also very good topics that have been major topic lately.
DeleteLarissa I think both of your topics are excellent points. Capital punishment is widely controversial especially from a religious standpoint. Capital punishment is used when people have done extremely terrible crimes. I feel like even though they did something so terrible, the people punishing them are just as inhumane as they are. We are sinking to their level by killing them for their crimes. I really enjoy your topic of the drinking law from 21 to 18. When you are 18 you are an adult, and as an adult you have tons more responsibilities than as a child. You are expected to make wiser decisions. When you are 18 you can buy cigarettes, lottery tickets, and drive. One of the only things you can't do is drink legally. I think that because kids are starting to drink more at such a young age, this problem in society has risen more than before. I think that if the drinking age was lowered to 18, more high school students would have better access to it. I have 18 year old friends, and I think that if I went somewhere and they were drinking because they could, it would be easier for me to drink as well. I also feel like if the age got lower, people would start drinking at younger ages than before.
DeleteLarissa, both of your topics have good, debatable topics that are great for a research paper. For your first topic, I feel on the fence, along with so many others. Life is sacred, and if the wrong person is executed, he himself then becomes the murderer. It is a decision that the government cannot take back. For lowering the drinking age, I agree that it should not be lowered. At 18, you think that you are on top of the world, and can do anything because you are now an adult; legalized drinking would lead to more tragedies. Just because you feel grown up doesn't make you a grown-up, it still shows you are not ready for the responsibility.
DeleteLarissa
DeleteThe topic of capital punishment is one that comes up almost every year. Speaking to a lawyer or a judge might give you some insights too.
As for the lowering of the drinking age, you might be able to investigate even another subtopic from that. I doubt that many would agree with lowering the drinking age except those who are 18 or younger. If you were against lowering the age, then most would agree with you which does not give you much of an argument. So think about that. What about more severe penalties for those who help underage kids from acquiring alcohol? Think about some different perspectives.
Capital punishment is a great idea for a research paper, it brings theology and the law/state into the same picture. That means that it should be an interesting topic to read about and there should be plenty of information on both sides of the - do or do not- of the capital punishment problem.
DeleteI agree with you on your view of the drinking age dilemma, but i think that the capital punishment idea for the research paper would be better. It (capital punishment) has so much that can be gone into, i think it is the better choice.
I really liked the idea for the capital punishment paper.
Today, there are tons of different controversial topics that are in the center of today’s modern society. As a junior in high school, I have begun to explore my options of different schools and types of education to follow my high school career. No one can be a kid forever, but still there are so many people that do not take advantage of the opportunities available for them. College can be a hard step for young adults; they go out into the world alone, without their parents constantly by their side to advise them. There can be so many excuses for not leaving home, but they come down to fear. Can fears of the future be preventing students from furthering their education? One major fear that haunts people from when they begin college and for so many countless years to come is debt. Could fears of living a life of debt from student loans be contributing fewer amounts of people enrolling in university? College is expensive, and as time goes on, universities make it almost impossible for any student to graduate debt free. Has university turn into a money making business, or is it still focused on its students gaining an education? As I begin my college search, a lot of things go into consideration, and tuition is a major factor.
ReplyDeleteTechnology today is center of society. We use it every day for a variety of tasks. Whether it’s throwing laundry into the dryer or watching TV, countless people all over the globe use and relies on technology. We see today even in schools, as they encourage the progress of technology, and helping students make it part of their everyday life. Technologies such as television, cell phones, iPods, tablets, and e-readers have made everyday tasks easier than ever before. It can be hard to picture life without it. Technology has led to the advancement of medicine, social networking, and has made life easier for so many people. There are so many advantages of technology that were not available to past generations, and there is still more to come. Even with all of this, is there such thing as too much progress? Have all of the advancements and future advancements of technology made life too easy? I find this very interesting because I use technology every day. I really never step back and look at the idea I may not be as independent and resourceful as those in the past. Including myself, many people today probably could not survive without using technology. With all of this, I feel that there must be some negative downside to all of this technology.
Maria, I could see how some kids are afraid of going off the school by themselves. For almost 18 years or so they have been guided by their parents. By going off to college they don’t have this anymore. A lot of choices and decisions have to be made somewhat on their own. I never thought about how many kids are really that nervous about going off to school. I think it would be interesting to research that. Technology is very important to our society today. Many things we use today are a form of technology like you said. I think it would be very interesting just how much technology has changed society. Also if this is going to hurt us in the long run. I think these are both good ideas
DeleteMaria
DeleteI think a topic of university - whether to go or not to be interesting. How would you phrase your argument? Would you be for it or against it?
A paper on some aspect of technology has many possibilities. You will need to be careful to find an argument and your position on it. Keep reading and researching.
One topic I would like to write about is the world overpopulation and its effects. The biggest environmental problem in today’s society I think is the overpopulation. People are being born much more quickly than people dying. This is a major problem because the Earth is unable to sustain the amount of people that we already have. This is getting increasingly worse because of the recent rises in technology. People in today’s society really aren’t concerned about what they are doing. They don’t care if they are hurting the environment because they think that the time that the effects take place, they won’t be around so they don’t care. This is entirely untrue. We need to start to be more concerned about what we are doing and how it is affecting the environment not only now, but for generations to come. This situation could be used to compare what happened to Easter Island so long ago. The people that lived used up all of the resources and damaged the environment to the point where life couldn’t be sustained there any longer. A reason why this topic is extremely controversial at the moment is because of the recent law in China where a family can only have one child. Some people look at this and think how someone could limit how many children are allowed to be born into families. They think that the decision should be made by the families having the children. This is a valid point; however people need to start thinking about others, and what could possibly happen if too many people are born. I really am passionate about this because not only does it have to do with the environment, something I am extremely passionate about, but it also has to do with ethics because of the problems happening in China.
ReplyDeleteAnother topic I would be interested in doing is the controversy over the Marcellus Shale. I realize that someone already did this topic last year, but I really believe in what they are doing, unlike some people. The Marcellus Shale drilling is a major deal around the area we live in because a lot of this shale is found in our areas. I think that finding alternative sources of fuel is very important because with how many people there are on Earth today, and how much fuel is being used, eventually we may run out. This goes back to my previous topic. If we have a larger number of people, we have more cars. More cars mean more fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable and once we use them up they are going to be gone forever. Without alternate fuel sources, what will we turn to. People wonder about the negative effects on the environment because of the drilling, but what they don’t understand is that the land is returned back to the way they found it. I’m not saying that there aren’t any negative affects to this drilling because there are some things that are affected by this, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives in so many ways. I am very passionate about this again for my love of the environment and my future career of an environmental engineer.
Rachel - the idea for Marcellus Shale may be your best bet of the two choices. Overpopulation is way too broad of a topic so it would have to be narrowed down drastically to a subtopic of some kind. Keep checking out other ideas too since we still have time to get a topic.
ReplyDeleteOne topic that I was considering is the testing of products and medicine on innocent animals. I think it is truly wrong to test on animals and not knowing what the outcome could be, or if the animal could die. I feel that an animal is equal to a human being. People down look animals as something that can be abused and taken advantage of just because they can't talk and some can't defend themselves very well. Did people ever consider that animals can handle some different medications and products that humans cannot, and humans can handle some that animals can't? For example most animals eat their feces, but if humans ate their feces they would get poisoned. Another example is it animals would eat human food too much then they could die. I am just wondering if they ever considered that and if its even worth it to test products and medications on animals.
ReplyDeleteAnother topic I am considering is the controversy over whether global warming is real or not. Global warming is an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns. A lot of people over the years have believed that global warming is real. A couple years ago people thought that Al Gore, the man who discovered global warming, was lying just to get attention and money. After some tests though, people are coming up with some results that global warming might actually be real. Others, however, believe it is just an idea and is not true.
I love your topic about testing products on animals. It is a ridiculous problem, and is so unfair to those poor animals. Your final two statements about the animal testing are really good, I had never thought of that! Leah, good job.
DeleteLeah, your thoughts on animal testing might be one of my favorite topics posted on the blog this time. We hear about people trying to stop animal testing, but what has changed? It is still happening all over with new products being created! I think the examples and questions that you have will ring bells inside peoples' minds. This is the exact viewpoint that people should always be thinking in when discussing this topic. I think it is a great idea and I really hope that you continue on with this.
DeleteOne topic I think would be interesting to look into is on high school students taking a year off before going to college. This is something that some students do, but not everyone does. The actual benefit of the year off depends entirely on how well it is used. If nothing is really accomplished, then all the time was wasted. If time is used properly, a huge amount of things can be accomplished in a year; whether it is studying on one’s own time or getting used to the area of the desired college. Even getting a job for a year can be beneficial for the future. Some people may need the year to simply grow up. A year can show so much about a person. The person that can just wastes the year and think nothing of it may not be a person that is fit for college. Someone that can properly use their time and gain from the time used is very well suited for college. This would be an interesting thing to look into because college is simply getting closer. College is a huge thing since it completely changes life. Learning to rely exclusively on yourself is a rather hard thing to do. Researching into something like this would be rather helpful for the future. Not everyone goes to college, but a large number of people do. Most of them are likely to have thought of taking a year off before attending college. Actually looking into it can make it easier to make the decision myself.
ReplyDeleteThe other topic I find to be very interesting is people becoming overly dependent on technology. This is something that is really true for most people, always looking for a labor saving device in one form or another. This is a very two way subject as sometimes technology makes things much more convenient, but sometimes it gets to be a little much. The case of this blog makes a good point on making things much easier, everyone‘s comments all in one place. On the other side does not have to be something simply dumb, but designed as an addictive thing. Facebook makes an excellent example of something that can be good, but also a little ridiculous. Some people have their lives completely taken over by the site. It really does not help that almost everything on there is designed to be addictive. It has been proven that someone is more likely to go back to something if they think they are going to miss something if they do not. Considering the fact that Facebook runs off of that is enough proof. This would be a very good topic to look into, but one that would be hard to pick a side on.
Tyler, your topics are very thought provoking. I can agree with how taking a year off after high school can be very beneficial. I feel like it gives us a chance to grow up and to really go out into the world and look for something that we want to do and that we are passionate about. I, however, am not sure about your view on technology running our lives. I think that technology is a wonderful thing and that it helps to bring people together as well as helping us explore different possibilities. Technology is a great way to help everyone and I think that it is entirely useful to society and that we should continue upon developing new and exciting ideas for it.
DeleteI always think of the obesity epidemic among America lately. Working at a restaurant, I see the ridiculous portion sizes that are given to people, and they always end up eating all of it. I feel as though if portion sizes are lowered along with prices, the epidemic would not be so crazy. Most people probably just eat it all so they don't waste it and get they're money's worth. Obesity is a very dangerous situation, and it should be taken into consideration by many people.
ReplyDeleteGas that is imported from other countries increases the price of a gallon of gas drastically. If we could use the gas that is here in America, the prices would be able to drop a nice amount. Hopefully this whole oil drilling situation will allow us to see that is is actually beneficial as long as it is not a danger to our health. I think in the long run, it would be better to just use our own supply of gas.
Nicole, I completely agree with your opinions about using our own gas from America. Prices are increasing every day, making people change their plans and schedules because they cannot afford to make their trips anymore. To me, this is a very unfair situation. I like your idea very much. I think with enough research, you could find the ideas needed to change the economy and help peoples' lives.
DeleteWhile pondering my possibilities of a research paper, I kept thinking in many different directions. I also thought about my life and how I would like to improve certain things, and possibly finding new ways to fix any problems. With new phenomenon starting in today’s culture, new studies should also be done to find the truth about what is popular in today’s day and age.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that popped into my head was teenage stress. With stress, there are many levels that can be taken in. I realized that with the start of my junior year of high school, my stress level has reached a new height that was almost virtually unknown before it began. The transition from being a sophomore to junior is very large with more preparations for college and future plans being added in to curriculum. When I thought about the stress level I was facing with school work, I also took into account the balance that I needed to handle between sports, extracurricular activities, friend time, family time, and other events. When I think of my schedule, it makes me wonder about the schedules that other people have to deal with. Is it almost to much to deal with? Are some people being pushed almost too hard? With suicide rates rising, is the stress level of high school too much for some people that schedules should be repeatedly checked? Any type of situation could arise from stress. Some people may think that kids are just overreacting, but it is truly the opinions of the students. Personally, stress from the first few weeks of school is already changing my lifestyle so much. Should the workload and other factors be taken into more account for the sake of the children?
Another thing I think about is teenage pregnancy. It seems to me that the rate is increasing very rapidly lately! The main problem may be the new television shows, magazines, and other types of media that recognize and partly glorify the situation. Even though most of these show how teen moms are making it in the world, these still show that it can be okay to have sex before marriage because “some” people can make it on their own. This type of lifestyle is not for everyone and can end up in some of the most difficult situations later in their lives. Should shows and media like these be banned or let them continue on with unknown effects?
The two ideas that I think will work the best are: 1) _The elimination of political parties_ and 2) _The treatment and dealing with of the concussions in professional sports_. Both of these ideas have lots of possibilities that i can explore and write about.
ReplyDeleteI think that _the elimination of political parties_ is one of my better choices to write about. I think that a good argument could be made to support the idea of getting rid of the political parties. George Washington warned against them, so it could be a good idea ti research into why he thought this way, and why it may work. I would also try to argue the idea that it would or would not work, depending on what information I find. Political parties are a huge part of the U.S.A. This leaves lots of room to gather information about how they work and what effects they have on us today, and in the past. I could research into the history of each of the political parties, and what the political parties are, as there are many parties, some of which we do not hear much about on a day to day basis. This topic seems like a good idea so far, because of the effect it has on our country today, and how some problems could be fixed.
The second topic _deqling with concussions in professional sports_, is another great thing to write about. In the sports world, this is probably one of the biggest issues, aside from officials and any cheating, that needs to be dealt with. I would like to argue that not enough is being done to protect the players. I think that more could be done with protecting the players through better equipment and medicine, rather than changing parts of games that have been around for a very long time. This topic can be expanded on what is being done in the way of treating players who get concussions and deciding when they can come back in to play their sport. Concussions can be extremely harmful depending on what the severity is and the person suffering from the concussion. I think that because concussions are such a large problem in the sports world, that it is a viable topic for my research paper.
The political parties constant disagreeing and trying to make themselves look better than the other in voting season would make something good to write about. It would make something good to look up details on and to see the background of. The political parties have been around for as long as the USA and might not be going anywhere though.
DeleteThe two topics I came up with are: “Are organic foods really better for us?” and “Do pesticides cause depression?” I chose these two topics because I feel that they relate well to each other and are two things that have an impact in my daily life.
ReplyDeleteOrganic foods have been investigated since they were first claimed to be better for us. Some people spend a lot of money to buy organic under the pretense that they are raising a healthier family. Organic foods often cost more than normal food so this takes a toll on a family’s money. Scientific studies have shown different results as into whether these foods are actually healthier for you. The reason that I want to research this topic is because of the amount of pressure society has put people under to go green and buy organic foods.
My other topic ties directly in with the organic foods and that is wheter pesticides cause depression. Recently there has been a study on women and depression in connection with pesticides. The study found that women in contact with pesticides were more at risk to develop depression then those who were not. With our state and city being rural there are many farms that use pesticides on their crops, specially corn. This ties in with the organic foods because organic foods do not use or use less pesticides then normal farming.
My first and most important thought for the research paper immediately had me thinking about the topic of abortion. I feel that abortion should be illegal. I do not understand how or why anyone should feel the need to get rid of something that they were responsible for creating. People these days need to learn to take action for their problems. I think that abortion is no different than killing, because you are killing someone that had no chance. The baby inside had no right and it is still a person. I believe that abortion is killing and it should not be legal.
ReplyDeleteAnother topic I thought of was how easy it is to be able to obtain a divorce. I feel like law should make it much harder. People often rush into things that they don't really want and they make rash decisions with no time to really think anything over. If we make a law about making divorces harder to obtain, more people would be willing to really think about how they want to spend the rest of their life and who they want to spend it with. I think that someday this could change the view of the world and its different people.