One of the more common research reports in elementary schools is the biography. Students are assigned a famous historical figure to research and share with the class. Biographies should include vital statistics such as date of birth and death if applicable, marital and family status, occupation and life-changing events. Students should be encouraged to find anecdotal stories that paint the historical figure in a new light as well. For example, when researching Bill Gates, students may be amazed to learn that he dropped out of college to start what became Microsoft. Students can organize their data on a people poster that can be displayed around the room.
In younger grades, like first or second and maybe even kindergarten, you can have your students do a research report on their favorite animal. Your students can find out interesting facts, such as where the animal lives and what the animal likes to eat, as well as where it likes to sleep and how the animal communicates. Your students can find pictures of their animal to share and include a piece in their report about why they like the animal.
Students in upper elementary grades, such as fourth and fifth, can make state and country report booklets. Information students can research for their report can include population, gross domestic products, government structure, tourist activities, weather and climate information and leading employment opportunities. For country reports, students can compare and contrast the country of their report to the United States. For state reports, students can include information such as when the state joined the Union and key moments in state history, as well as any historical figures who resided in the state. Each page of the booklet would contain a different piece of information about the state or country.
Students at all ages can research and report on how to complete a process. How-to research reports can be as simple as researching a recipe for your favorite meal, or they can be as complex as how to construct a birdhouse. For how-to research reports, students find background information on their topic before presenting it to the class. For example, younger students may want to do a report on how to take care of a family dog. The student would need to research the proper care of dogs and include that information in their report. In the older grades, students can actually demonstrate their how-to for their peers, whereas in younger grades students may wish to just read about how to complete a process.