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Senior project narrow topic
- 1. Senior Project 2011 Awesome
- 3. How to narrow your topic
- 4. Narrowing your topic Develop a Central Question
- 6. What are the parts of your topic, and how do they relate to one another? Topic
- 7. What are the parts of your topic, and how do they relate to one another? Food People Vegan Politics Health
- 8. Topic: Vegans Are there different kinds of vegans? How much variety is in the vegan diet? What clothing restrictions do vegans have? Are animal products used in other things besides food and clothing? How political is the vegan movement? Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health? Do vegans own pets? Are vegans happier? healthier?
- 9. Now, your turn... What are the parts of your topic, and how do they relate to one another? Topic Write 10 questions on the sub parts of your topic
- 10. How is your topic part of a larger system? Topic
- 11. How is your topic part of a larger system? Vegan Health Animal Rights Food Production Vegetarianism
- 12. Topic: Vegans What contributes to people living longer: better health or better medicine? Are humans meant to be carnivores? Do animals have personalities? Do animals have a soul? What influences our food choices? Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population? Is it better to be vegetarian or vegan? Are cows treated better in India than in the U.S.?
- 13. Now, your turn... How is your topic part of a larger system? Topic Write 10 questions on the larger systems your topic is a part of.
- 14. Categories How can your topic be grouped into kinds?
- 15. Topic: Vegans Vegans by choice Vegans by necessity Child-Teen vegans Vegan athletes Indian vegans Celebrity vegans Political vegans Vegan ranchers Vegan chefs
- 16. How does your topic compare to and contrast with others like it?
- 17. Topic: Vegans Are vegan diets more popular than vegan lifestyles? How do Indian vegans compare to vegans in the U.S.? How are the reasons people choose veganism similar or different? Are all animal rights activists vegan? Do teen vegans do better in school? Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children? How do vegan athletes compare with non-vegan athletes? Are you considered vegan if your food allergies force you to eat a vegan diet?
- 18. Now, your turn... How can your topic be grouped into kinds? Topic Type 1:____________ Type 2:____________ Type 3:____________ Type 4:____________ Type 5:____________ Type 6:____________ Write 10 questions comparing and contrasting these different types
- 19. How and why has your topic changed through time, as something with its own history? Topic before Topic before Topic now 1983 1988 1990 1994 1998
- 20. Topic: Vegans How has the number of vegans changed over time? Is veganism a trend that will disappear soon? Have vegans become more or less political over time? Have the reasons people choose to become vegan changed? What historical figures made people aware of veganism? Were vegans always linked to the animal rights movement?
- 21. Now, your turn... How and why has your topic changed through time, as something with its own history? Topic before Topic before Topic now Write 10 questions on how your topic has changed over time
- 22. How and why is your topic an episode in a larger history? Feminism or Pop Music or Fashion 1920 1940 1960 1980 2008
- 23. Topic: Vegans How has our food supply changed over time? Has the change in food production affected our diet choices? Has the rise of factory farming turned more people into vegans? Have we become kinder or crueler to animals over time? How have restaurants or cafeterias changed as a result of the vegan movement?
- 24. Now, your turn... How and why is your topic an episode in a larger history? 1920 1940 1960 1980 2008 Topic Write 10 questions on the larger history your topic is connected to
- 25. How good or bad is your topic? Is it useful? Bad Good
- 26. How good or bad is your topic? Is it useful? Bad Good
- 27. Topic: Vegans Is a vegan diet safe for kids? Are vegans more ethical than carnivores? Do vegans deny their own animal instincts? If animals kill and eat each other, why shouldn’t we? Is there a way to eat an animal and feel good about it? Are vegans forcing their lifestyle on others? Is it possible to live without consuming animal products? Don’t we need to control the animal population?
- 28. Now, your turn... Evaluate your topic: What do you like and not like about it? Bad Good Don’t like about topic Like about topic Write 10 questions evaluating the pros and cons of your topic
- 29. Ask What if? and other speculative questions
- 30. Topic: Vegans What if McDonalds only sold vegan food? What if every school had a working farm? If everyone had to slaughter their own animals, would more people be vegan? Would cows overpopulate the earth if everyone were vegan? Would animals eat us if we didn’t eat them? What if fruits and vegetables were subsidized by the government?
- 31. Now, your turn... Write 10 What if? and other speculative questions about your topic
- 33. A question is good if: You don’t already know the answer There are multiple legitimate answers The answer feels relevant and important
- 34. Most Interesting Questions Are humans meant to be carnivores? Are vegan diets more popular than vegan lifestyles? Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population? Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health? Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children? Have vegans become more or less political over time? Has the rise of factory farming turned more people into vegans? Do vegans deny their own animal instincts? Don’t we need to control the animal population? What if every school had a working farm?
- 35. Most Interesting Questions Are humans meant to be carnivores? Are vegan diets more popular than vegan lifestyles? Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population? Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health? Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children? Have vegans become more or less political over time? Has the rise of factory farming turned more people into vegans? Do vegans deny their own animal instincts? Don’t we need to control the animal population? What if every school had a working farm?
- 36. Key Words Will Help Your Research! Are humans meant to be carnivores? Are vegan diets more popular than vegan lifestyles? Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population? Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health? Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children? Have vegans become more or less political over time? Has the rise of factory farming turned more people into vegans? Do vegans deny their own animal instincts? Don’t we need to control the animal population? What if every school had a working farm?
- 37. Key Words Will Help Your Research! Broad! Are humans meant to be carnivores? Are vegan diets more lots of hits than vegan lifestyles? popular Is our food production helping or hurting the world’s population? Does a vegan diet help or hurt your overall health? Narrow! Are child vegans healthier than non-vegan children? Fewer hits Have vegans become more or less political over time? Has the rise of factory farming turned more people into vegans? Do vegans deny their own animal instincts? Don’t we need to control the animal population? What if every school had a working farm?
- 38. Your group task: Select THE question that feels most important to answer Use the They Say, I Say sentence stems to explain why the answer is important to know
- 39. Although X may seem trivial, it is in fact crucial in terms of today’s concern over______ Ultimately, what is at stake here is_____ These findings have important implications for the broader domain of______ If we are right about_____, then major consequences follow for______ These conclusions/This discovery will have significant applications in _____ as well as in _____ Although X may seem of concern to only a small group of ____, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about ____
- 40. Narrowing your topic Read! Read! Read!