Research+Questions

The first step of our research process is to brainstorm a list of research topics for you to work on together. Each class will try to generate several topics that meet the criteria listed below. We'd like to have the brainstorming completed by Monday March 12.

**Criteria for Excellent Research Topics**
 * **Significant and relevant to students at both Chavez and Wootton**
 * **Provocative and debatable (multiple perspectives can be considered)**
 * **Current and timely (related to an issue that Americans are currently debating)**

The next step will be deciding which topic you will want to do your research on. You will get to choose 1-2 other students from your school that you will be working with, and you will be paired with 2-3 students from your partner school. You will be asked to select the top three topics that you are interested in researching. See the home page for a link to a detailed description of the assignment.

__Potential Research Topics__
State your possible topic for research and justify why you think it meets the criteria above. You can include links to video or articles related to your topic.

1. Are charter schools an effective response to the problems with public education?

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Charter schools have become increasingly popular in the last ten years as parents and students have become frustrated with the low-performing public schools to which they have been assigned. Some charter schools have achieved extraordinary academic gains with their students, but critics wonder if these results are able to be achieved on a larger scale in a sustainable way. Students at Wootton and Chavez have experienced both public and charter schools and would be able to draw on their own experiences and perspectives.

2. How is the life of the American teenager affected by the explosion of "online" spaces?

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Pretty much every American teenager participates in some sort of social media, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or the host of other "spaces" that groups of people meet and share on the internet. Technology enthusiasts celebrate how the internet can bring people with similar interests and perspectives together, while critics argue that these online spaces distract teens from more constructive activities, inhibit their social development, and introduce potential dangerous risks. It would be interesting to see if Wootton and Chavez students use social media in similar ways and to similar degrees and what their perspective are.

3. What factors should be considered when making policy decisions about genetic engineering?

4. Is the use of celebrities and social media to generate interest in charities actually beneficial to those in need?

5. Who is the increased visibility and popularity of social causes like KONY beneficial for and why?

6. What should a country's policy on stem cell research be and why?

7. In tough economic times, should school systems cut funding for arts, music, and theatre programs?

8. Should any college athletes receive financial compensation for their athletic performance? Why or why not?

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/8643/ --an amazing article in Atlantic Monthly by Taylor Branch, a civil rights historian

9. What factors should be considered as students with disabilities are integrated into mainstream classes?

10. Should the drinking age in the United States be lowered to 19, like in Canada, or even lower, like in European countries?

11. What role should the SAT play in the college admissions process?

12. Should race and/or social class be considered for acceptance to universities?


 * 13. we hear about healthy school lunches, but are they good in terms of look most will not look at healthy lunches that are no and bring junk food but the government are trying to put healthy vending machines in the schools and this eliminates funding like for fund raisers and the government cuts back on so is healthy eating a priority for schools or is funding more important?**

===**14. Academic qualifications are commonly felt to give a person the best chance of success in life. How far is this true? meaning how meaningful is education in life will it give you everything you desire**===


 * 15. How do you define citizenship in the United States? Should the US continue the policy of birthright citizenship?**