Research Topic Ideas

1. A Midsummer Night's Dream
    
   1. Love & Marriage:
      • Marriage customs in other times and places
      • Evolution of American marriage or marriage in your culture/religion
      • Legal rights afforded by & laws pertaining to marriage in this country/state
      • "Civil unions" vs. marriage
      • Portrayals/beliefs about love in other times/places
      • Popular culture depictions of love
      
       
   2. Mythical Creatures

      Cultural or religious beliefs about or depictions of: mermaids, gnomes, leprechauns, golems, genies, or others. Find texts and artwork from a particular culture or religion on one type of mythical creature. What did/does that culture or religion believe about the creature? What does that show about the culture, time period, circumstance, or religious beliefs?

2. From your Independent Reading
   • What questions did your reading raise about a historical person or event?
   • What is the "real story" behind a fictionalized story?
   • What are you curious to know about the author?
   • What would you like to know about the time period or place your novel/memoir was set in? (History, culture, etc.)
   • What art, music, sports, food, or popular culture references were you interested in finding out more about?
   
    
3. Other ideas
   1. The Environment
      • What's the issue with MTBE? (A gasoline additive)
      • Does recycling really save the environment?
      • Paper or plastic?
      • Hybrid or other fuel saving vehicles-how they work, how they help the environment, drawbacks
      • Other personal environmental choices-for instance post-consumer recycled products, going vegetarian, driving less, driving a more fuel efficient car-how much difference does it make?
      • New environmental regulations from the Bush administration
      • Local debates-logging in the Adirondack park, PCB clean-up, "forever wild," other Adirondack park issues including land use, endangered species, acid rain
      • Urban/Suburban sprawl-in Saratoga?
   2. Social Issues
      • "The working poor" Why are some families living in poverty even though they have jobs?
      • Homelessness-rates, how does it happen, who is most likely to become homeless
   3. Health
      • What is the effect of alcohol or drug use on teens?
      • What are some of the contributing factors to obesity in this country/ how can the epidemic be stopped?
      • Supplements-what's the harm? What's the evidence?
      • Is our beef or fish safe to eat?
      • What's organic? Is it really healthier?
   4. Something you're just curious about