Suggest that students research a local issue. For example, if your school is located in a state that borders Mexico, a student could research the effect of increasingly stringent immigration laws on schools or students. Similarly if your school is located in a farming community that has been suffering from an unusually long drought, a student could research the impact of the drought on local morale and economy by talking to farmers, making inquiries of local news sources and comparing the situation to historical examples. A local research topic familiarizes students with issues affecting their community while teaching them the important academic skill of research.
Recommend that a student research the energy crisis and narrow her focus to analyze alternative forms of energy. For example, a student could research the decreasing availability of fossil fuels and project the trajectory of increasing gas prices. She could also investigate clean energy alternatives or compromises such as solar, hydroelectric and wind power, as well as hybrid or electric cars. A research project on alternative energy teaches students the skill of attacking a broad and important issue by choosing a narrow focus through which to explore the situation.
Ask students to conduct a political analysis of a contemporary or historical situation they find intriguing. For example, a student might conduct a historical political analysis on the Bush administration and the early years of the war with Iraq. The student might examine the way Bush made the decision to go to war in comparison with the way Abraham Lincoln handled executive decisions regarding conflict, extrapolating what Lincoln may have decided to do if he were president during the burgeoning conflict with Iraq. A research paper on a topic that requires political analysis introduces students to political science and history while developing research skills and the ability to craft persuasive arguments.
Suggest that students conduct a research project on a certain aspect of middle school psychology they find intriguing. For example, students might study the likelihood of middle schoolers who are dating in relation to their likelihood to play sports. Ask students to collect data on their subject and read some research that has already been conducted in the area. Ask them to present a summary of other research, data from their observations and a conclusion in their research paper. If students go on to major in psychology or other social sciences in college, they will already be familiar with rudimentary concepts within the field and will have learned the structure of literature review, analysis of data and presentation of results.