The goal of this lesson is to give students ownership over classroom policies by asking them to research and support a cell phone policy that they believe should be used in our classroom. Students will discuss and debate the policy after researching and then they will create the policy that we will follow for the first quarter. After the first quarter, we will reevaluate the policy for effectiveness. Students will use research and speaking and listening standards to complete this PBL for an authentic purpose. It is important to actually implement the policy for that particular class, or students will not feel the 

An in-depth and exhaustive reference from Colorado State, detailing every possible issue within the context of topic selection and refinement in writing. Includes multiple nodes and bullets under each section (links on the right). W.11-12.7 Research

This resource offers a few suggestions to get you started with the research process.

Site provides information on the National Climatic Data Center's Regional Climate Centers Program. Click a region on the map of the United States and find information about that region's climate!

This article profiles Linda Deegan, scientist with the Arctic Long-Term Ecological Research site in the Kuparuk River region of Alaska, as she counts and tags Arctic grayling as they migrate from streams to lakes in the fall.

Learn to make good financial decisions by researching and comparing costs and spending in a spreadsheet. Time to complete: 7-9 hours

Customize a map that highlights locations important to your community and culture with Google My Maps. Time to complete: 45-90 minutes

This lesson is designed for 9th grade Life Skills classes. The students use INFOhio resources to research credit. They write a three page paper that outlines their findings.

Critical reading is an essential skill to analyze research papers. This pathway dissects each section of an article to help the learner understand its logic and structure.

Students conduct Internet research to investigate the purpose and current functioning status of some of the largest dams throughout the world. They investigate the success or failure of eight dams and complete a worksheet. While researching the dams, they also gain an understanding of the scale of these structures by recording and comparing their reservoir capacities. Students come to understand that dams, like all engineered structures, have a finite lifespan and require ongoing maintenance and evaluation for their usefulness.

This is the website of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at University of Michigan. There a links to academics, research, degree programs, etc.

Through Internet research, patent research, standards and codes research, user interviews (if possible) and other techniques (idea web, reverse engineering), students further develop the context for their design challenge. In subsequent activities, the design teams use this body of knowledge about the problem to generate product design ideas. (Note: Conduct this activity in the context of a design project that students are working on, which could be a challenge determined by the teacher, brainstormed with the class, or the example project challenge provided [to design a prosthetic arm that can perform a mechanical function]. This activity is Step 2 in a series of six that guide students through the engineering design loop.)

Summarize and communicate information visually by creating an infographic in Google Drawings. Time to complete: 45-90 minutes

The library is a mess. Someone knocked over a book cart and all the books are mixed up.  Students will have to solve a series clues to create order out of chaos.  Unlock the code to move on to the next clue until you find the treasure chest that holds all the answers.   Use ISearch to help you find the answers to the clues.  After you type in your search term, the My Library tab will give you some suggestions that will help you answer the question.

This video segment adapted from A Science Odyssey tells the story of researcher Sir Alexander Fleming, whose luck and scientific reasoning led to the groundbreaking discovery of penicillin.

Finding primary sources can be difficult and confusing at times. This site provides a list of history databases, rare books and manuscripts, and research guides for those looking for primary resources such as diaries, letters, interviews, and memoirs.

This lesson plan requires the students to examine past maps from various cultures in order to learn how the people from that time period interacted and understood their world.

Delve into this wonderfully illustrated and comprehensive picture dictionary. Research up to 1,905 illustrated entries. Each word is used in a meaningful sentence.

In 1865, Dodge was scouting an area in the Laramie Mountains and discovered a pass where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains. This flat stretch permitted a turntable to be built.

Students are introduced to polymer science and take on the role of chemical engineers to create and test a plastic made from starch. After testing their potato-based plastic, students design a product that takes advantage of the polymer’s unique properties. At the end of the engineering design process, students present their product in a development “pitch” that communicates their idea to potential investors.