Research Presentation Topics (Investigative Reporting)



Research Presentation Topics (Investigative Reporting)

Please peruse this list of options. Choose a topic that you find interesting. I will not allow more than one person in each class to research the same issue.

Political/Social

1. Is the American middle class shrinking? If so, what are the causes? What defines the middle class?

2. Working teens in America—what are the pros and cons?

3. What is the relationship between education and poverty in America?

4. Investigate the number of homeless children in America and the burdens they endure.

5. The constitutionality of mandating healthcare?

6. What are slums? Define their characteristics. What countries around the world have large tracts of slums? Are these countries doing anything to “fix” these slums? Did this type of housing/lifestyle exist in the United States? Does it still?

Psychological

7. What is Stockholm Syndrome?

8. How does growing up without a mother put children at risk?

9. How does growing up without a father put children at risk?

10. If a parent suffers from drug /alcohol or other addiction, what is the likelihood that their child will?

Environment

11. How could the Keystone pipeline negatively impact people and the environment?

12. How do invasive plants & species, such as kudzu, threaten the environment?

13. What is causing the intensification and frequency of severe weather? Focus on either hurricanes or earth quakes.

14. Examine the truth of recycling plastics, electronics, etc. Is this done in the U.S., or do the majority of these companies outsource to other countries? Are there laws that prevent this type of “pollution”?

15. What are the risks associated with offshore drilling?

16. What are the major issues people have with “fracking” for natural gas? Is it safe? Does the benefit outweigh the risk?

17. What is the Kyoto protocol, and what is its purpose? Who is involved? What countries did/did not sign the agreement? What were the reasons to those countries did not sign the agreement?

18. Discuss the environmental impact of our current shipping methods. Which is the most “green” way to transport goods? Which is the worst? Is there anything that can be done to lessen the carbon footprint?

Historical

19. What is the function of FEMA? Do they really do enough to help out?

20. Examine the effects of Hurricane Katrina or Superstorm Sandy in relation to four other hurricanes that have affected U.S. coastlines in the last 125 years.

Technology

21. General Electric – What are they doing to combat climate change?

22. Examine the pros & cons of biodiesel in the U.S., the world?

23. What are other countries’ stances on alternative energy? What incentives do they offer their residents? How does that compare to the U.S? Does subsidizing these technologies actually work in these other countries?

Medical /Ethics

24. Illegal organ harvesting in America? What about Brazil?

25. Why is asthma on the rise?

26. Is living by a power plant safe? Discuss the pros and cons of the various types of plants and come to an overall conclusion.

27. What are some health hazards associated with ship breaking?

28. What are the risks of genetic engineering in humans?(Don’t just think augments like Tool… what about what we eat?) (Does the debate on stem cells fit into this category?)

29. What are the risks associated with overuse of antibiotics?

Requirements

1. Research must come from at least six valid sources.

2. Information from those sources must be documented on each slide with proper MLA citation methods.

3. Core of the presentation must be at least thirteen slides in length (not including a title and a Works Cited slide).(Fifteen total)

4. Presentation must have at least five pictures or graphics (charts, documents, etc).

a. You can get 5 points extra credit for including an additional video or movie clip that is EXTREMELY RELEVANT to your topic. The clip should not be more than four minutes in length and be embedded in your presentation (not a fiasco to get to).

5. You will be presenting these in class. Your presentations should be between 5-10 minutes in length.

6. Your presentations themselves should not include large tracts of text (What is the point of us listening to you when we could just read what you are saying verbatim on the screen!!). Instead, your main points should be on the screen and you should be able to further explain them.

7. Finally, at least two slides (three slides maximum) of your presentation should discuss how this topic connects to Ship Breaker in depth with the characters, plot, setting, etc and include two to three quotes for support.

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