Let's get an early start. Your research question will be due shortly. How many topics have you researched or considered? Your task here is to provide at least three topics for consideration (be sure you love the topics and are passionate about them). Explain what you would like to learn about each topic. Then write at least one (maybe two) possible research questions about each of the three topics. Be sure to use proper grammar and punctuation.
Finally, respond to two of your peers. Choose a peer who has not already had two responses from someone. This will ensure that each of you will get advice, comments, suggestions from two of your peers. Post early enough that you do indeed get responses early. If you wait until the last minute to post, you may not get any suggestions. Good Luck
The first topic that I think would make a great research paper is the National School Lunch Program. First Lady Michelle Obama has been very strict on what is served to public and private school lunches. This is a good thing because America does have an obesity problem and this will help kids to eat healthy. There are some problems with it though. The schools make the students take the food even if they know they aren’t going to eat it. This is wasting food that could go to a country that needs it. Another issue would be the cost of food. The price of a meal has gone up quite a lot and it is hard for families to pay that. Money is getting thrown away every time the student doesn’t eat something that they don’t want and know they won’t eat. My research question would be: Are school districts and students really benefitting from the National School Lunch Program or do the cons outweigh the good? I think that the Program has the right intentions, but I think that revisions need to me made in order for it to have a positive effect on everyone.
ReplyDeleteThe next topic that I think would make a good paper is America’s preparedness for hurricanes. Technology has leaded us to know when the hurricane is going to hit and we usually have a pretty good idea how much damage can be expected. If we know all of this information then why are so many people still dying from hurricanes? I feel that something else has to be done to help save people. Hurricane Sandy was very devastating to the east coast. I feel like there is a better way of saving people and not having any deaths. I know that evacuations are done and most people move out of the way of the storm, but maybe the east coast needs to be more prepared. The southern states along the Gulf of Mexico seem to have a better idea of what to do. My research question would be: Does America need to rethink hurricane preparedness to try and save more lives?
My third topic that I thought about is hunting on Sundays. Elk County is knowing for its great hunting, but it is also known for it’s religious views. Most states say that it is legal to hunt on Sundays, so why would Pennsylvania be any different? I can see why some people think of Sunday as the holy day and not hunt, but hunting is not all year round. If it was, then I think that I would be a good idea to not hunt on Sundays. Since hunting is only for a couple months, hunting should be allowed on Sundays. Some people have to work all week and might only be able to go out and hunt on Saturdays and Sundays. My research question would be: Should hunting on Sundays be legal even if our state recognizes it as a holy day?
Camille, I really like the first topic you picked. School lunches are a big deal not just at our school but everywhere. I feel like with this program they have gotten worse. I also see more wasting going on because of the rule that you have to take the food. I feel like there is a way to still make the school lunches healthy and good! Also with your second topic I feel like since Hurricane Sandy hit that the Eastern Coast realized that they were not as prepared as they thought. I feel like we were not that prepared because we think that things like this won’t happen to use because we are not down south were most of these natural disasters take place. I feel like with every storm we have and all the new technology that keeps coming out with help us be more prepared. Your third topic is very relevant to the people around this area. Many people and students that live around here are hunters. I agree with you on how some people work all day and then the only days they have off is on the weekends and that only leaves one day to hunt. I think that you picked some good topes that were very well thought out
DeleteCamille, I agree with your first topic about the school lunches when you say they are making kids healthier. I also agree that it is very wasteful to make kids take the food when they aren't going to eat it. However, I believe that even if they didn't make the kids take the foods they didn't want they would still be wasted. I think that the cafeteria staff can't save the leftover food, so what they didn't give to us would be wasted anyway. I also believe that the prices of the meals had to go up because they have to pay for the extra fruits and fresh salads that we are provided with everyday. I also feel like you are biased against the meals because you yourself don't like them. I think that you have to look at the problem more and look at it from other peoples points of view. I think your second topic was a good idea. I think that the east coast definitely needs to be more prepared for hurricanes than we are right now. I also think that even with this technology there will still be deaths. I think in the case of a natural disaster some people don't think that it will be as bad as they make it out to be and don't take the necessary precautions to save themselves. Camille I agree with your topic of hunting on Sundays. I come from a family that loves to hunt and usually for them to get extra days in they have to take off work or school. I think that if you can do other activities on Sundays why is it wrong to hunt on those days?
DeleteCamille, I like your first topic, but I think your second one would be an iteresting one considering all that has happened with Hurricane Sandy. I think that the east coast handled evacuations well, but there is room for improvement. Before Hurricane Sandy and the Hurricane that hit New York before I didn't even know hurricanes could touch the east coast that far north. I think that many people have this misconception and that changes the way people look at things like that. But I do think that this helps a little because people get scared and leave even if it's not going to be as bad as predicted. I hope this helps you out!
DeleteA topic that I think would be worthy of writing about is participating in high school sports. High school sports have been around for many years. There are many positive affects that come along with high school sports. This is something that will keep the students involved. It is good that students participate in some kind of sport it. Physical activity also plays a big role in sports. This means that they will be getting exercise and staying in shape. Another positive side is that this gives the students a chance to make new friends and have a social life. Although these are all good things some people might disagree. With sports you are always running to practice and games and if not planned out well some people may fall behind in school work. This makes it very difficult to balance school and sports. Also when you play a sport you are at risk for an injury. There are some good ideas that would make for a good research paper about this topic.
ReplyDeleteAnother topic that I thought of was how certain states are starting to legalize drugs for the use of medicine. There are a lot of positive affects that can come out of doing this. Marijuana is one of the drugs that is being legalized in states like California. The drugs are being used to treat cancer patients. This helps take away the pain that comes with all the chemotherapy. However, it could get out of hand and just cause the increase of drug use. By letting people use it for medical purpose mean letting it be out with the people and some people in the world could find a way to misuse and ruin it for everyone. This is a topic that has been discussed for many years and would be very good for discussion.
The last topic that I have thought of was the affect of social networking on our society today. Social media in this day in age is very common. Almost every student has Facebook and Twitter and other sites that are along the same lines. Not only is it just the students, many adults have these social networking as well. The good things that come out of these are that friends can stay connected even when they are far away. Pictures videos and status can be updated from all over the world. Also this is a good way for businesses to reach out to the people for advertisement. Also these sites allow adults connect with friends that have not talked to in many years. Although these are all good reasons some people abuse these sites. When you post something on these sites it can never really be erased from the internet. This means that once it is out there is no turing back. Many colleges and businesses look for a Facebook and twitter page before accepting or hiring people. There have been many times when people have been turned down because of the pictures or other things on their pages. This is a serious problem that is becoming more common. There are also many other reasons as well. These are just a few that I thought of that would make a good research paper.
I forgot to add what my research question would be at the end of each topic! My first one would be Does high school sports have a negative affect on students school work? My second one, Is it really worth legalizing drugs for medical use? My third one would be, IS social networking having a negative effect on our society?
DeleteHayley, I think that all three of your ideas are good. I am in a sport and it does really take up a lot of time. I don't think that sports really have a negative effect on school work because while you do have to try to manage your time well, I know that I would not sit at home and do my homework anyway. I think that people sometimes just try to use sports as an excuse.
DeleteThe other topic I liked of yours was the last one. I know that I actually have both twitter and Facebook and there were many times that I had to refrain myself from posting things that seemed inappropriate. I do not think that a lot of people realize how these social networking sites can determine your future. While these sites are good for many things, they can really damage the plans and goals that you have set for yourself for the future.
Hayley,
DeleteI love the idea of how social networking has an affect on our society today. I have twitter and facebook, and I see some things on there that are definatley not appropriate for the web. It is wrong and very upsetting to watch. If people post things on there that isnt appropriate many schools and buisness that people want to attend will not hire them because of it. Also these networking sites can have cyberbullying going on when we don't even know, that is what im going to atempt to do my research on, but it can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, the social networkig idea is probably my favorite out of your choices because I think you could recieve a lot of information on this idea and it interests people.
For my research topic I have picked three good ideas that I have researched. The first one I would consider to write about is about bullying in school systems. This is very important to me because I would want to try and learn about how to enforce better laws dealing with preventing bullying. My next choice would be about how every child that attends a school should learn how to play a musical instrument. Many people think that playing an instrument is a great way to teach kids things because they have to use their brains at a more advanced level. My last topic is about how smoking in the United States should be illegalized. Therefore, my three topics that I want to consider have to do with three different things that are important to me and I want to learn more about them.
ReplyDeleteBullying in the United States is a huge problem. It results in depression and even death due to harsh bullying. This is a very important thing in my eyes to try and prevent from happening. The United States has already made laws against it, but I think that they aren’t enforced well enough to stop anything. I also feel that the laws need to be put into action before something terrible happens, not after something bad happens because there would be no point. I know for a fact that the laws aren’t enforced well enough because I see people bullying others everyday in my life and nothing is done to stop them. I would also like to learn how I can make a difference in stopping bullying. I want to learn about different types of bullying because I want to know what to do when I see the signs of bullying in my life. Three possible question that I could ask about this topic would be,” Should more strict and enforcing no bullying policies be put into effect in every school?” Another question that I could ask would also be, “Should bullying be put into the law book of being a federal assault towards others?”, and my last question I could consider would be, “Is bullying happening just in schools or does it occur around every corner of the world, from work to our own homes?” Therefore, bullying is a major problem that affects thousands of people in the United States every day, and should be enforced in a harsher manner.
My next choice in a topic would be about how musical instruments can affect the way people learn in school and in everyday life. I play a musical instrument, so I would definitely want to learn about how and why researchers say that it allows us to learn better because it would make me try and see if it helped me in anyway by playing the piano. As a result the two questions that I want to consider asking about would be, “Does playing a musical instrument allow people to learn better in their school work and everyday lives?”And, “Should every child in school play a musical instrument to allow them to do better in school?”
The last topic that I would want to research would be about smoking in the United States. I have experienced smoking in my life because I have had a few relatives die of emphysema and lung cancer. For that reason it gives me the will to ask questions and learn how it effects the lungs and how it causes cancer. I also want to try and learn more about the laws of smoking in public areas. Therefore, a research question that I would ask would be, “How many Americans in the United States are affected by smoking?” Another question would also be, “Should smoking be illegalized in the United States because of the amount of deaths caused every year from smoking?”
Emma, I think your first topic on bullying was a great idea. A lot of people don't realize that the things that people say really do hurt. This problem has become more known because of the recent suicides that have been shown on the news. I think a lot of the time by nature girls are more prone to bullying than guys are. The things that people say (not even to their faces, but by social networking) are really affecting the ways people see themselves.
DeleteI disagree with your next topic of making every student play a musical instrument. This would be like telling every student that they had to play a sport because of the recent obesity rise. I think that if a student doesn't want to play an instrument that is up to them, and they shouldn't have to if they don't want to.
I think that the topic of smoking was a very good idea. More people are dying from lung cancer and some people don't realize the harmful affects that smoking has on people.
Emma, I really like your first topic the best. I think that more bullying goes on than we know about and it needs to be stopped. I hate reading stories about teenagers killing themselves and feeling like they had no one to turn to. This really makes me think about how I treat others. I think everyone in the world has made fun of someone else, but we never stop to think if we have hurt them in a really bad way. I would really want to read your paper if you did this topic. I think that you topic on playing an instrument is a good idea because my entire family is in the band. I do not play an instrument, but I have had an urge to learn how to play something. I like how you pointed out in your question about the ability to learn and playing an instrument are linked together. This sounds like a good paper too.
DeleteThe topic of making smoking illegal is something that would affect a lot of people in the U.S. I think it would be really hard for the police to stop it because so many people do it. When I read this, I wandered if the death rate would go up because more people would go through depression and wouldn't be able to cope with the withdrawl. I think that you have really good topics and anyone of them would make a good research paper.
The topic that I am most interested in is the controversy over the Marcellus Shale. 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. Because of the amount of people on Earth now, more fossil fuels are being used up. As we know, fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources. Without alternate fuel sources, what will we have left? 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. There are negative affects to the drilling sometimes, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives. I am very passionate about the environment and I believe that Marcellus Shale drilling is extremely important to the future of our world. My research question would be are the environmental hazards of the Marcellus Shale really worth the risk of obtaining the shale from the earth?
ReplyDeleteThe next topic I thought of was the introduction of invasive species onto our land. Recently there has been a major concern about our trees and land because of invasive insect and plant species invading our land. They are coming in and killing the environment. The species are called invasive because they aren’t from the area and were brought in usually from other countries. Some people when they go to different countries think that it is alright to bring back interesting plant and insect species. I however don’t think this is alright to do. There are reasons why these species are not in our environment. Bringing them in is causing harm rather than good. A main reason why I thought of this was because the invasive species have been a huge problem in Elk County. The Gypsy Moth and Emerald Ash Borer for example have destroyed trees all across Pennsylvania. The research question I would use would be is it alright for people to bring species of plants and insects into a new country, or should there be more precautions taken to prevent this?
The last topic I thought of is the use of pesticides. Although pesticides protect our fruits and vegetables from the insects that feed on them, they still pose other harm to the environment. If pesticides are consumed by animals and humans, they could have dangerous effects on them. An example would be the Bald Eagle. The reason why its population started to decline and it was placed on the endangered species list was because of pesticide use. The birds consumed other animals that ate foods sprayed by pesticides an when the Eagle at them it affected them as well. When they laid eggs the shells were too thin and were crushed during the incubation period. Sometimes the pesticides even made them infertile. This was just one harmful effect of pesticides on the environment. My research question would be do the positive uses of pesticides outweigh the negatives, or should pesticide use be more limited across the globe?
Rachel, I really like how your topics relate to the environment. The environment needs to last if we are going to have life on earth. The Marcellus Shale is really important to the energy of America and it is really beneficital to the economy of Pennsylvania. I think that this would be a good paper especially for our class to learn about because some of us may want to work with the Marcellus Shale when we get older.
DeleteI like your next topic the best, about the invasive species coming to America. My mom works for the Experimental Forest and learns about all the different types of invasive species. They can be very dangerous to the native species and they tend to do more harm than good. I think that it should be illegal to bring invasive species into the United States or from state to state.
I don't really know that much about pesticides, so I would really want to read that paper. I think that it is really sad to think of Bald Eagles dying because the bugs they eat were sprayed with pesticides. I really like the fact that all of your topics deal with helping the environment and making the world a better place to live.
Rachel, with all three of your research topic ideas, I can see that you are not only concerned with how we humans treat nature, but you are concerned about how issues affect us locally. Usually, all we hear about on the news are broad, worldwide topics that everyone knows about, so it is a refreshing change to hear about local concerns. In my opinion, I like your second topic the best. We do hear about people bringing invasive species of plants and animals, but are not responsible about it. I feel you should do some research on how the government handles people bringing in plants and insects into the country, and analyze whether or not the law should be stricter.
DeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteI definatley think that your Marcellus Shale topic is by far the best out of your choices. I feel that we all will be able to learn something from it because we already don't know the hard core facts about what really happens during the fracking. It is a very important thing that is happening around our area also like you said so it would affect everyone around us. I also feel that you will get a lot of facts out of this and you will definatley enjoy learning more about it! Great Job!
The research paper topics are endless, but a few topics out there really connect with my life and leave me with unanswered questions that I want to discover. One material thing that i am connected to is my cell phone, and I would like to look at the changes that they made in the lives of Americans. Another topic could be the usefulness of exams in schools and other areas. Are they really necessary or just stressful? Something else that has always interested me were the learning institutions that were designed exclusively for either males or females alone.
ReplyDeleteWith my first idea, I would like to find out how cell phones have changed the lives of people everywhere. If we would think about all of the uses we have in our cell phones today to what they used to be meant for, the list of uses would be endless. Today, the cell phones can carry enough equipment and technology that would have needed a cart to all be carried 20 years ago. I would try to trace when they first came out to the present day. I would discover the advancements made and also trace user consumption. I would also like to find out how they have changed our everyday lives in both good ways and bad. My research question would be: How have cell phones changed our lives from their invention date to the present day?
My second idea sounds a little crazy, but exams have posed several questions in my mind throughout the past few years. Exams are meant to be a test of comprehension of a subject. However, are they testing your comprehension or your ability to take an exam? Some of the tests out there today are meant to examine a student's test taking abilities. Could this be the case with all of the exams or just certain ones? It makes me wonder if there are better ways to take an assessment and comprehension study. My research question would pose: Are exams the best way to test comprehension, or would a different type of assessment be more useful?
My third idea is about the though of attending same sex schools. In our area, we do not have any of these schools. However, the ones we hear about always hold some sort of prestige whenever they are spoken of. Whether it be school or sports, these types of schools always hold attention in the minds of people who are not familiar with the subject. Therefore, I would like to find out if these schools are really as great as they play out to be. I would like to know if they are more beneficial in the learning aspect of schooling. Are they more advanced by being around only the same gender all day or does it have a negative impact? My research question would say: Do children learn and benefit more by going to a boys-only or girls-only school?
Carli, I think that my cell phone has changed my life completely. It is easier for people to contact others with them and they are easy for businesses. They are also a great technology to have for the possibility of getting abducted, or stranded in a strange place. Years ago, without cell phones, people would have been afraid where as now these people at least have a little bit of a chance.
DeleteI agree with your idea of how tests are quite stressful. I often find myself trying to study for something and becoming so frustrated with the information that may be on the test and the wide array of everything I have to remember and look over.
I find your last topic to be very interesting. I agree with what you said about the all girls or all boys schools having great sports teams and almost all of the time we hear that the students in these schools are incredibly smart. In my mind, I do think that I would better be able to focus if there were not boys in my school but I also feel that it may be worse because I think more drama would take place.
I look forward to reading your research paper on any of these ideas! I think you did a fantastic job on finding topics.
Carli, I am very interested in your thoughts about the evolution of technology. That is not something we think about unless our parents or elders bring it up. In today’s society I would go as far to say that our generation abuses technology and takes it for granted. It would be interesting to hear how advancements have changed and also how we still are creating new advancements today. Another thing I would recommend about this topic is that have these and future technology advancements been useful and is technology advancements making our earth environmentally safer. Also has our society pushed technology to its limit? Is too much technology a bad thing? Your topic about exams also is different. My only question or concern is what other type of exam or evolution would be suitable? Will people take the education less serious?
DeleteWhile thinking about the research paper, I went through many different ideas and none of them really stuck with me. There were only a few that I found that had actually been interesting to me. The topic of most interest to me is actually the idea of modeling. The modeling industry is such a negative industry to society. Whenever you think about it, the industry cuts down people who are not stick thin and super tall. I don't understand why we rarely see a model who is normal sized and not 5'8" or taller. Normal people are not that tall or thin and I do not understand why a model cannot be what is considered to be normal in our world. What kind of an effect does the modeling industry have on people of society?
ReplyDeleteAnother topic I have been looking into is adoption. The adoption agencies say that they look for the best choices for the children and that they want to have the children in the best home possible. I'm sure that the child being adopted is happy, and while agencies try to find people fit for parenting, what effects does adoption really have on children? I wonder if it is hard for the child and parents both, because they both know that they are not really each other's. The child is not really their adoptive parents’ son or daughter just as the parents are not really the child's real mother or father. What effects does adoption have on the adopting parents? Should it matter if the adoptive parent is heterosexual or homosexual? Should the parents tell the child they are adopted right away, or let the child come to find out on their own?
A third topic I would like to research is people that are addicted to abusive substances. These are the type of things that ruin people's lives so I don't understand how one can come to use such and abusive substance. An incredible amount of people in the U.S. are addicted to alcohol and substances like marijuana or cocaine as well as what we all have come to now know of as bath salts, among many others. Drug and alcohol abuse destroy your body and make it hard to function as you should. What is the main reason people become addicted? Is drug and alcohol abuse hereditary? Why is it so hard for people to quit?
Morgan, I like all of the ideas that you had for your research paper. I think that your insight on the world of adoption would help so many people and make new discoveries for everyone to learn. I also think that your ideas on substance abuse was very original to consider. It is a hard subject for some people to talk and write about, especially if they are the addicts themselves. However, my favorite topic of yours was probably the modeling idea. It is my favorite because I myself was also considering this for my research. I think that the modeling stereotype takes a hard toll on people all over the world, especially teenage girls. Some girls think that this is the only way they are allowed to look, which is never the true case. I think the ideas of modeling have truly changed some of the outlooks our society has, and I would love to see any more discoveries you make.
DeleteMorgan, in regards to your first idea I think its a good idea because it has both positive and negative affects. When we watch movies the models are always these beautiful and perfect woman, but even the modeling industry isn't safe from Hollywood's lies! If you watch shows like America's Next Top Model you'll see many models who aren't considered the generic beautiful. Many models are models because of their unique looks. In many ways I think that encourages young girls that society cannot define what is beautiful. Also on those shows are plus size models. I think those type of shows introduce us to the real modeling industry and show that all people are beautiful. Of course there are also the models like the ones for Victora's Secret who are the generic stick thin and six foot tall models. I think it's a good research topic.
DeleteIf you remember back to our other blog about possible research topics, I am most passionate about food. Food is what gives me comfort on bad or stressful days. Along with eating comes responsibility and willpower. My first topic to consider for my research paper relates to the obesity epidemic in America. Many people today are blaming fast food restaurants for obesity in America, but is it totally their fault? Recently the obesity issue was recognized and many if not all fast food chain restaurants took action. Fast food restaurants have put healthy meal options on their menus. However many people are still blaming the fast food restaurants for the obesity epidemic. Is it the fast food restaurants fault? Or Is it the consumers fault (lack of willpower)?
ReplyDeleteAlso along with my passion for food my second topic has to deal school lunch programs. School lunch programs are now nation-wide, including our school! Too many these programs are said to help children eat healthier and to stop the obesity problem. These lunches consist of the proper food group elements and serving sizes for children. These food programs run from elementary to the high school level. My thoughts are: is the food proportions of these programs correct for older students? These food programs limit the amount of food served to children therefore schools do not waste as much food. This is a great program for elementary and middle school students, but what about those students that attend high school. High school students’ bodies and appetites are growing along with their maturity. Along with growing many high school students are athletes and need more carbohydrates than the average. How is it fair that an elementary student eats the same food servings as a high school student? Are these food programs appropriate serving sizes for all ages? Should these food programs be revised?
Lastly I also love to look up at the stars at night. The night sky scene always makes my thoughts turn. My last option for my research paper deals with space. In America we have one major space exploration center NASA, actually two. In the USA we have to NASA centers one in Florida and one in Texas. This program created originally by Pres. JFK to race the Russians to the moon. Over the years this program has had many success stories. Thanks to these scientists we now have an idea what is in space. NASA has explored many things such as the moon and Mars. Scientists trying to discover what is up in space like: is there life, was there life, and is in inhabitable. Although we have discovered many things over the years, this program is also costly. Are the findings scientists have found worth the cost? We the people should be able to know what is out there. And sadly our government is no longer contributing. Are the findings contributing to society or are they just explorations to figure out the unknown? Why has the government decided to stop NASA as a government owned business? Has the program suffered because it is now governmentally owned anymore?
Marla, we are so similar with an interest in food! I like these topics very much. Your thoughts on obesity are very interesting and thought provoking. When the fast food industries started to provide their healthy meal options, it seems to me that they did their jobs on trying to improve their business. I personally think that the obesity epidemic is the cause of the Americans, referring back to how the fast food chains changed. Since healthy meals are an option, Americans should be the ones to choose these meals and stop blaming restaurants for their bad choices and eating habits. I also like your input about the school lunch amount. I knew that the lunches at our school were not always enough for most people, but I never thought to compare the meals to that of what an elementary or middle schooler was eating. I also like this topic because it is very relatable to our school and town. I think you did a great job with your topic choices.
DeleteMarla, I really like your third topic the best. NASA was a big part in our government, and the programs could go downhill with it being privately owned. In my opinion, if it is privately owned, then the research is no longer what is best for our country, and I think it is a shame on JFK's memory that the government sold it. When NASA started, our country gained a sense of pride and nationalism, and now NASA is just in it for a profit. As a government program, the research was pure science, and now it is a new story. Before, NASA looked to the sky as new frontier for us to explore and learn more about. In my opinion, a privately owned NASA looks to the sky as the next Disney World!
DeleteFor my first idea of a research topic, I would ask whether or not college has turned into a money making business, or are universities still in it for the value of giving young adults an education. Too often today, we hear about students taking years longer than expected to get their college degrees, and there are many reasons for that. Different majors and programs are taking longer and longer for students to complete, and very few students come out of college in four years. Even just ask you parents; unless they became doctors or lawyers, most of them were probably out of college in four years or less! Sometimes just thinking about how long it will actually take me to go to college and further my education into graduate school, I ask myself, is it worth it? Tuition isn’t cheap, and it seems if you want a good paying job these days, that you need to spend six to eight years of your life growing in tremendous debt, and then spend the rest of it trying to pay it off! It is not a surprise why fewer and fewer people are applying to college each year; they fear a future of paying off loans. Just think of how expensive it will be when we’re adults; as we finish paying off our loans, we will have to help our children through theirs! I feel like this a strong topic, and it will be interesting to see what research comes with it.
ReplyDeleteMy next idea also revolves around college life, but this time I am questioning why it takes students so long to graduate. Who is responsible for kids taking so long to go to school? One answer to this could be the students; so many go into school and change their majors too much. There is nothing worse than an indecisive college student these days, and parents and students truly need to do some serious research of degrees. The more a student changes his or her major, the longer it will take them to graduate. Honestly, students should probably know what they want to do before going to college. Picking a major is important, and it needs to be one that you can actually come out of school with that can get one a good paying job. Just because a major is available at a university, doesn’t make it a good major. Kids need to look into majors, and not only see how it affects you in college, but what kind of jobs you can get from it. Also, people feel like campus activities is another reason for late graduation. So many kids feel independent the minute they go to college, so all they do is party. A lot of different research ideas could go into this topic.
I am very passionate about animals, so my third idea could do with pet owners having the wrong pets. I could ask if people have the right to have a pet, even if the animal is not indigenous to the area, and could not properly live in its environment. For instance, in the bigger cities, there are building codes so that people do not bring in pets that should not live in the city, but it still happens. On the news you often hear of people who are killed by their pets; one time I saw that a man kept a Boa Constrictor in his apartment that nearly squeezed him to death! Sometimes I just wonder where peoples’ heads are. Some animals do not make nice pets! Another one you hear all the time, crocodiles. So many people think they are cute as babies and buy them, but never think of what they are going to do with them when they grow into seven foot adults; how cute are they now! On television, you see shows where people get arrested for illegally releasing their pet crocodiles into the wild; whether or not they realize it, its animal abuse. I feel like it is a topic that truly need addressed for the sake of those animals that cannot speak for themselves.
Maria, your opinion about businesses today is absolutely correct. Money is the main concern for all businesses today. It seems that quality and quantity don’t even matter anymore. I never thought of comparing it to colleges. If you decide to use this topic I am interested to hear what you find out. This also could help shape one’s future college decisions. Your last topic is also intriguing. This topic reminds me of people who have pets such as pigs, snakes, and crocodiles. These pets are not suitable to live in an indoor environment, but yet there is no law restricting it. These animals are dangerous and my question is why people would want those types of animals in their houses?
DeleteMaria, I agree that a lot of people get themselves pets that they think might be a good idea, but they aren't. A lot of times this is illegal! Remember that story on the news a couple years ago with the woman who owned a monkey that ripped her friends face off because she got a new haircut? The monkey was so sweet always to the owners friends that it's known since it was young, but then she goes and gets a haircut and them BAM! Her face gets ripped off. Monkeys and alligators are NOT ousehold pets. I almost think it's cruel to take them away from their origional environment.
DeleteOne of the research topics I would like to do is children who have cell phones. Something I would to learn about this topic is the side effects of children having a cell phone. This topic interests me because I don’t believe that ten year old children should have cell phones with all the responsibilities that come with having a phone. There are also many cell phone issues that have arisen such as cyber bullying and sexting. Many parents who give their young children cell phones have a legitimate reason and monitor their child’s activities, but just as many parents give their children free run of their cell phones. Many kids end up in dangerous situations such as having unknown people texting them and saying inappropriate things. This topic is something I’m passionate about because many bad things have happened to young children I know who have cell phones. Two research questions I could ask are how young is too young to own a cell phone and is owning a cell phone dangerous for young children.
ReplyDeleteAnother one of the topics that I would like to research is school uniforms. I have a personal connection to this topic because our school requires uniforms and I am a strong believer in that they make for a better school environment. One of the research questions for this topic would be, do school uniforms make school easier on kids? I believe that school mornings are less hectic and easier when you don’t have to find and plan outfits. For kids whose families cannot afford to buy them clothes for school it makes school less embarrassing because everyone wears the same thing every day. The other question for this topic is, should public schools implement school uniforms? Public schools have the most occurrences of families who cannot afford to buy their children the newest or most expensive clothes. Uniforms are expensive, but they last longer and you don’t need to buy twelve pairs of something. Uniforms are easily tailored so young children won’t grow out of them as easy. Public schools could benefit from uniforms because of the way some of their students dress. This topic is something I’m passionate about because my sister attends a public school and is constantly complaining about their dress codes.
The last topic I want to research is how fast teens are growing up. Teens these days, and for all of history in fact, have been forced to grow up too quickly. Teachers and parents put a lot of pressure on their children to succeed and sometimes forget that they are kids and that we just want to have fun. A question for this topic is, are schools putting too much pressure on teens to grow up? A schools job is to prepare teenagers for college and the world beyond, but sometimes they put too much pressure on students. With schools encouraging their students to be involved students are spreading themselves too thin and being punished for listening to their elders. Another question for this topic is are teens under too much stress? More people than ever are diagnosed with depression and anxiety, especially teens. All around them are people who are demanding excellence and punishing for failure. Not only are teens under pressure from their parents and schools but from their peers too. Peer pressure has involved with technology and more and more teens are committing suicide because of the things they encounter in their daily lives such as bullying. A student who is under stress from adults and securitization from their peers cannot be a contributing member of society when their days are miserable.
Maddie, children with cell phones really bugs me also. They use them for everything but communication with their parents, which is probably the reason their parents gave them a cell phone. Sexting is a major problem, and cyberbullying. I also noticed from working at bilo, that childrens parents who are on wellfare and use foodstamps get their children expensive smart phones. Don't they wanna save their money since they can't even afford housing and food? No, they just go buy their 10 year old kids smart phones. Money managmet is also a problem with this.
DeleteMaddie, I think that I am very fortunate that my parents did not allow to have a cell phone at such a young age. There are many problems that can and have happened before because children that young do not know the affects of sexting and cyber bullying. I also have a problem with what public school students wear to school. Some of them even think that its a fashion show and they don't concentrate on their school work. they should enforce school uniforms. I also think teens are suffering from stress anxiety. Teens have a lot stuff to think about at a young age. Sometimes they just need to calm down and have fun with life. You can only live once.
DeleteMy first and favorite of my topics is the wrongness of the testing of products and medicine on animals. The is unfair for the animals because sometimes the outcomes are not good. I like this topic because I feel like I can talk about it forever. I just don't understand how somebody could have the heart to be cruel to animals. We hear all the time that these types of testing will be stopped, bu have they been stopped? Because I still hear a lot about this going on. In my last blog when I considered this idea I made the two comparisons that made animal tesing almost seem poitnless. Animals eat their feces but if humans ate their feces they would get poisoned. Also the other way around, if animals eat too much human food then they can get sick and die. Why do we feel that the tesing of products on animals is necessary?
ReplyDeleteWhile writing about my recent topic on animal product testing cruelty, it made me start thinking about just regular animal cruelty and abuse and how wrong it is. Animal abuse is immoral and inhumane. A lot of peopls consider their pets to be part of their family. If you don't want your animal then why abuse it? Why not give it to an animal shelter where they can take care of it and find a home that it deserves? People who have the heart to abuse animals shouldn't have the right to own a pet. Animal abuse isn't just hitting, kicking, or any other kinds of physical abuse. It is also about just not taking care of your animal. That is animal abuse believe it or not. Animals need love and attention.
My last topic is about something that bothers me so much, teen pregnancy. People don't take children as seriously as they should in their teens. Do they understand how important human life is? I absolutly hate when a teen thinks that they are ready to have a child. Like, no, you aren't ready at all untill you're married. You aren't matue enough. I won't mention any names, but I know a girl that I used to be pretty close with that got prognant when she was fifteen. She was only a Sophomore in High School. She won't be able to accomplish a lot of the things that her other peers do. I just feel bad for her. Pregnant teens rely on their parents for help and support a lot of times. Teens are not mature enought and the baby isn't raised right. The baby doesn't get the attention it needs and a lot of times babies are in bad environments. The other day I was driving to school and I drove by a car with about five teens smoking who knows what, with a new born baby is a car seat squeezed between them in the back. That made me so disgusted that people can just go around treating babies in that manner. If you can't take care of your baby adoption is always an option. Abortion is also a problem in teen pregnacy. Is teen pregnancy taken as seriously as it should be? If it becoming more common? Are people taking life seriously anymore?
Leah, your first two topics are very interesting. A lot of people don’t realize how some animals are treated. Many companies do use animals for testing and a lot of people don’t know about it. Just t just imagines all the costumers they would lose if people would find out. No just testing products on animals is unfair. There are a ton of animal cruelty cases a year. Many people have seen these commercials on TV that show how animals are abused. Some people think that these are all fake. That is not true. Things like that happen to animals all the time. Animals are just as important as people so if you wouldn’t do it to a person why would you do it to an animal! Teen pregnancy is starting to become more and more of a problem. You hear of more girls becoming pregnant at younger and younger ages. This is a horrible thing. Most kids that have babies at young ages usually have to but their education on hold and a lot of other life goals. Also many don’t have the money to give their child a good life. I think that all of these would be good discussion topics for research projects.
DeleteLeah, your first two topics are right on target with what they should be. Scientists testing medicine are probably thinking of another to fix the problem of testing medicine on animals, but then what would they test the medicine on. I highly doubt that they would want to test it on humans and there really isn't any other choice. It is a problem though. Animal abuse should also be taken very seriously. Yes pets do get a little on the bad side but that doesn't mean you abuse them. The consequences should be more severe on animal cruelty. I also believe that I know who you are talking about when discussing teen pregnancy. It is just not right to be having a kid at the age of 16. First of all, you are not mature enough, second of all you are disobeying all that they teach you in the catholic church. People who don't know how to take care of children properly should consider adoption.
DeleteI believe I have picked three very good research topics that I can find a lot of information about. My first topic is about concussions in all levels of sports. Many of the different sports like football, rugby, and boxing, have moderate or severe concussion problems. This occurs because the participant is constantly taking moderate or severe hits to the head, which can cause the brain to move slightly. Symptoms of concussions include dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. I would like to learn if there is any way that this problem can be stopped in any way, shape, or form. Are high schools, collegiate and professional sports programs dealing with the seriousness of concussions and are they making the right steps to prevent them from happening? This is a serious problem that can cause death if not treated properly so people should not take it lightly at all.
ReplyDeleteMy second topic is another serious problem. The topic is about steroids in high school, collegiate, and professional sports programs. The main sport that people use steroids in is baseball. Many of the baseball players around the world think they need to use some sort of performing enhancing drug to hit the ball very hard all around the park. They may be successful with this, but the muscles in their body are slowly deteriorating. Steroids destroy athletes, they don’t make them better. There are other sports that steroids can occur in, but baseball would make the most sense. Can athletes perform to the expectations of their fans without the usage of steroids and are steroids really as bad as people say. The answer to both questions is yes. You will just have to work really hard and build natural muscle. Steroid usage is just for lazy people that don’t want to do any work. Don’t be these people.
My last topic is about obesity in school age children. As we all know, America is the most obese nation in the world. This is definitely not something we should be proud of. Adults aren’t the only people that suffer from this problem, school age children do as well. I would like to learn the percentages of obese children in America. Children with obesity will probably grow up and be very unhealthy and are most susceptible to different diseases like diabetes. Is the obesity problem in America affecting the life span of children? I think this problem could indeed affect it. We need to protect Americas future and keep them healthy.
All three of your topics are good topics that can give more than enough information for what is needed. Concussions are a very serious thing that can hinder someone for their entire life. Whether or not the proper measures are being taken to prevent this should be researched. Steroids have been an issue in sports for many years and looking into such a major thing would be a good topic for a research paper. Your third topic is one that I am honestly more interested in than the other two. Obesity is a major problem in America and children are the future so helping them with this problem would also help future generations.
DeleteAndrew, I really enjoy the topic of concussions. I would be very interested in reading your paper if you wrote about that topic. I like your idea of writing about steroids, because they have come into play in a very negative way lately. You have some fresh information on such a topic due to what has recently happened to Lance Armstrong. Good blog!
DeleteOf the three topics I have thought of, my first one is one that I am more interested in. The topic is on whether or not people are becoming over dependent on technology. People are always looking for labor saving devices, but sometimes they get a little out of hand. When something is practical, it can at least be justified, but some things that have come out in the recent years prove to be pointless. An example of something more practical would be this blog, everyone posting and having the ability to reply to each other all in the same spot. There are many examples of something completely pointless that I could bring up, but I will bring up one that has always stuck out to me. The hands free soap dispenser, you are getting the soap to wash your hands who cares what is on the soap pump. One of the worst things for technological addiction is Facebook. Some people only use it to connect to people they have not seen in years and that is it. Other people have their lives completely controlled by the site. The site is actually designed to be psychologically addictive which does not help at all. People are more likely to go back to something if they feel that they will miss something if they do not return to it. What question could be asked about this topic, one good one would be: Are people becoming overly dependent on modern technology?
ReplyDeleteA second topic I thought of was about fast food. Fast food is something that really everyone knows about. Fast food is a much bigger problem in America than it is in any other country. It is actually a big cause of the obesity problem that America is facing. The issue is that it is simply too convenient. Sometimes a person’s day it to busy to actually get a chance to cook a better meal so they just get fast food instead either for themselves or their whole family. Considering how easy it is to get makes it much easier for people to decide to eat it. All that along with the fact that most of the ingredients are far from healthy and have names that I can not even start to pronounce. Of course most processed foods actually have the same issue. A good question regarding this topic would be: Should fast food companies be forced to put healthier foods on their menus in place of the unhealthy foods?
The third topic I thought of was about American companies moving factories to lesser developed countries for cheap labor. Unemployed people in America are willing to take any job yet many companies just want to maximize their profit. They pay the people in foreign companies next to nothing for their work. However, the people they are paying probably would have nothing if it was not for this. Even with that in mind, companies that do this still do it purely out of greed and not for any other reason. The question I thought of for this is: Is a company’s use of cheap, foreign labor ethical?
Tyler, I really like your first topic, and I think it could be something that would interest just about all of the people who read it. It would be something that relates very well to us teenagers! Your third option is also very interesting, but I feel as though it wouldn't interest as many people as your first topic would. Good blog!
DeleteWow,I liked your first topic a lot. I think it would be a good choice for you to write about. It pertains so much to our world today, that it is not even funny, in fact, it is probably one of the largest issues that many people never think about. I think it would be good for all of us to think about things we might "overuse" wether it is facebook, our ipads, or something else, that can be perfectly useless to us and just addictive. Nice choice Tyler.
DeleteI think I have three good ideas for a research/persuasive paper. My favorite one is the first one I will mention, as it seems to be extreamly important in todays world, here in the U.S.A.
ReplyDeleteMy first and favorite idea is something that George Washington brought up during the founding of The United States of America. It is the issue of political parties. George washington warned against them, he said it would divide the US, and it seems that it is coming true. I think a good question for this topic is: Why did GW say this, and how can this problem be fixed in the society of today? I will be trying to persuade the reader that GW was right, and that there is a good way to fix this problem.
My second idea is about more severe punishments for drunk driving. Drunk driving kills many people every year, and despite precautions and punishments, it still continues. I think the laws and punishments for drunk driving should be raised way up. A question for this topic could be: How does drunk driving affect the lives of people in the US, and what punishments would make people think twice about driving after drinking? I would try to convince the reader that the punishments need raised up and that the people who get caught driving drunk do not get a warning, just a punishment right away.
My third idea is about a "Stand Your Ground Law." This is a law protecting homeowners and other people from legal lawsuits when they were acting in self defense. Although this is a good idea, there are many problems with people trying to exploit the law, and many states do not have a law that protects people who need to act in self defense. I think a good question would be: What are the loopholes in some "Stand Your Ground Laws," and should the U.S make a national law protecting people who need to defend themselves? I would be attempting to convince the reader that the U.S should adopt a national law, and explore possibilities in the laws that would make them better and non-exploitable. I think that these ideas are good, but I prefer the first one about George Washington as it pertains highly to our country today.
Your first topic is actually something that could be interesting. It may be a topic as old as the nation, but it still has an effect today. Your other two topics are not as interesting as the first one. The second one could give a sufficient supply of information and could make for a decent topic. You third topic is not really interesting and probably would not make too good of a paper.
DeleteJess, I like your second idea. Drunk driving is such a big issue now. Today's society doesn't seem to really think much about it. Drunken drivers kill so many innocent people every day. Maybe if the punishments were more serious, people would not feel the need to drink and drive.
DeleteThe topic I would really like to write about is America’s epidemic of obesity. I believe we are taking our “land of the free” way too far, because we are very unhealthy. When we turn a food box around and look at the ingredients, it’s a mile long! How many ingredients does it really take to make Lucky Charms? It is found that food dye is very unhealthy and we are only to have a very minimal amount of it. Our cereals contain that amount of every single color! That is not the message; they are trying to say that is how much total we are to have in one day. I really wish that we would take the obesity issue more seriously because this is literally killing us. Obesity isn’t a joke. I would love to compare the different countries and their diet restrictions to our diets. My research question would be, “How can we as Americans become healthier?”
ReplyDeleteAnother topic I find interesting is the fact that we use other countries as our suppliers for many things that we have right here in the states. We could easily drop gas prices by using our own oil instead of bringing it in from the Middle East. We could also see a huge improvement in job count if we do so, because we would need people to do the drilling and converting to gasoline. It would really be beneficial to our economy, and I really don’t understand why we aren’t taking advantage of our resources. My research question would be, “Why are we not using our own resources if we have them?”
The final topic I thought about was the fact that drugs are illegal, yet it seems that there are so many drug deals going on. If it is so illegal, why are the cops sitting around worried about people going two miles over the speed limit when we have people doing hard drugs just down the street in their house? Drugs are not just illegal, they are dangerous. They aren’t just dangerous for health, they are dangerous because they mess with the brain and don’t allow the user to think properly, which causes them to do things they would probably never do had they been in their right mind, I believe the crime rate would drastically drop if the drug problem would be taken care of better. I really do not understand why it is as bad as it is. The question I would propose for this topic would be, “Why are we not getting the drug problem under control?”
Nicole, I like your first idea. I could probably go on forever about that. America is having such a problem with obesity now. Many other countries don't have this issue so we must change something. Most people do not want to eat healthy foods because they don't taste as good as junk food. I think we need more companies that made good tasting food, but don't add all the bad dye and extra stuff in it.
DeleteNicole, your first idea is very good. As Americans, we really don't watch what we eat. In other countries, the government makes stricter laws about what is allowed to be put into food. I feel as though there should be a certain limit to the amount of chemicals and dyes that are put in out food. I personally don't understand the point of dyes. What are they used for? Just so that it looks better? I can eat something that has a somewhat different color as long as it tastes good! There is really no point to half of the ingredients of foods these days.
DeleteYour third idea is great, if we think about it, which one of us goes less than 2 mph over the speed limit all the time? If police worked as hard at rooting up drugs as they do speeders on the road, the safety of everyone would be much improved. Exploring the reasons why we, as a whole, just seem to "ignore" the fact that drugs are everywhere and very dangerous to the general health of the population, could help us find new ways of convincing people to never even try drugs in the first place. One time is one time too much, and this is a very important topic. Nice choice for a topic, this one seems great.
ReplyDeleteOne topic that i came up with to discuss for our paper is school lunches. What i don't understand is why the prices keep going up, but we are not getting more food. We are being forced to take certain foods that a majority of students do not even eat. It all just gets wasted. We are being made to pay for this food that we don't even eat. I honestly think that is just a waste of money. The question would be how do we fix this problem and make everyone happy?
ReplyDeleteAnother topic is about fracking for marcellus shale. This effects our area a lot. My step dad is in this business and a lot of people have mixed feeling about it. Many companies from the south are moving here to do this. There can be environmental problems to drilling for these resources. I support the idea. If the workers are careful, they return the land back to the way it was before they started. It is important to get this natural gas now while we can. Do the benefits outweigh the environmental hazards?
My third topic is about capital punishment. Should it be legal or not? There are many controversies over this. God made all life sacred. I feel that the death penalty is wrong. Many people agree with capital punishment. I have looked up arguments about this. Many people feel that if the guilty person has done something that bad, then they do not deserve to live. I think they should have to live with the regret and have to be locked up for the rest of their life.
Larissa, I think that the answer to the prices going up in your first topic has nothing to do with the lunches themselves, but the price of basic things like bread, vegetables, and meat going up makes it almost impossible for the school to not increase the prices of lunches. However, I do agree that there should be more choice when buying lunch so that waste related to student lunches could be avoided. Also, I do agree with your opinion of capital punishment, but I do see where the other side of the argument is coming from. I feel as though I wouldn't want to have someone as evil as Adolf Hitler still living even though killing people is wrong. I understand where both sides are coming from in this view point.
DeleteOne of the topics that I came up with was the pros and cons of trade schools against those of Universities. There has been some research done that says, statistacally, there will be a very large shortage of skilled workers in just a few years. People are automatically going to College because that is the only way to have a good life, while many people who went to trade schools have more interesting and well payed jobs than those who did attend college. People are assuming that going to college will garuntee safety in a struggling economy, while it would be smarter to get a trade school education and get a job that they would actually enjoy. My question would be this: Are colleges really better than trade schools?
ReplyDeleteOne of my other topics was teenage driving laws. I personally have had many experiences where having the ability to be out later or have more people in your car would actually be a great convenience or would save gas through carpooling. If there was less strict laws, people would be able to stay out later without making their parents come pick them up late at night, or instead of taking three cars for many people to go to the exact same place, there could be one person driving, which would save a lot of gas. I would have to research more, but I would like to know if all of these laws are actually lowering the amount of teenage accidents and deaths related to vehicular crashes, or if its just a precaution. My question would be this: Are strict teenage driving laws really affecting the death rate with vehicle crashes?
Another topic I was thinking about is a universal language. If everyone in the world spoke the same language, communications between countries would become much, much easier. However, would a universal language take away part of the culture of the other countries? I feel as if the war between practicallity and creativity would be very ingrained into this topic. It would be practical for everyone to speak the same language, but it would also take away the individuality of the country. My question would be this: Would a universal language help the world, or take away from it?