Term Paper Topics

1. Term Paper Topics 2009-2010

2. Roller Coasters • History • Design • Safety Concerns • Did you know? • The longest roller coaster is the Steel Dragon 2000, located at Nagashima Spa Land in Japan. • -RCDB.com

3. The Social Networking Phenomenon • Sudden rise in popularity • Time waster, or untapped potential? • Marketing • Did you know? • There are 94,748,820 people with Facebook accounts in the U.S. • -Checkfacebook.com

4. Nikola Tesla • Supposedly invented the light bulb before Edison • Died penniless, gaining credit for his groundbreaking work in science, mathematics and the study of electricity and radio waves only years after his death • Did you know? • Nikola Tesla ‘s mother was also an inventor. • - TeslaSociety.com

5. Art/Music Therapy • Scientific Research • Effectiveness • Methods • Did you know? • Art therapy programs have been used to treat veterans suffering from PTSD. • -ArtTherapy.org

6. Universal Healthcare • Opposing views • Possible Solutions • Implications • Where does it leave the middle class? • Research tip: • If you pick this topic, you should be ready to scour the news weekly to stay current. Beware of bias!

7. Airline Safety • Pilot training • Aging aircraft • Work conditions • Anti-terrorist measures • Did you know? • More than 50% of all plane crashes are caused by pilot error. • -PlaneCrashInfo.com

8. Military Suicides • Causes • Are they on the rise? • What is the American military doing about it? • Did you know? • Nearly 130 confirmed suicides occurred in the U. S. Army alone last year? • -NYTimes.com

9. Pablo Picasso • Life • Cubism • Value of his artwork • Did you know? • Pablo Picasso’s father was an art teacher. • -Artchive.com

10. Recovered vs. False Memory • Brain research and evidence • Case studies • Also known as Confabulatory Hypermnesia • Research tip: • Science journals from a database are the best place to get reliable case study reports.

11. “Living off the Grid” • Environmental and agricultural effects • Lifestyle • Expenses and other costs • Did you know? • As of 2006, Home Power estimated that over 180,000 American homes provided their own power. • -HowStuffWorks.com

12. Cinema • History • Alternatives: Video Streaming, Netflix, etc. • Future? • Did you know? • The film Don Juan (Warner Bros., 1926) was the first movie with sound. • -FilmSite.org

13. What’s in your Makeup Bag? • Questionable ingredients • Federal Regulation • Health risks • Hey guys, it may be time to axe your Axe: Your cologne, body wash, and shaving cream aren’t regulated, either! • Did you know? • The average adult uses 9 personal hygiene products daily, with 126 separate chemical ingredients. • -CosmeticsDatabase.com

14. H. L. Hunley • Confederate submarine was the first sub to sink an enemy ship in battle • Lessons learned? • Scientific or historical approach • Did you know? • The Hunley sank and was raised and rebuilt 3 times! • -Hunley.org

15. Women in the Military • History • Impact on the military and society • Roles and Struggles • Did you know? • Mr. Knoetgen’s great Aunt Mary Laux was in the first battalion of Women Marines to graduate from boot camp at Parris Island, S. C. in 1949.

16. The Future of Print Resources • Information Age • Kindles, audiobooks, e-zines, e-books, databases, and e-journals • Is print media obsolete? • Value of physical text • Research Tip: • Librarians make great primary sources, hint, hint.

17. Modern Technology • Health Risks • Impact on Society • Are these communication devices actually impairing our communication skills? • Q: Can you tell which one doesn’t belong? • A: Nintendo GameBoy, circa 1989. Tetris, anyone?

18. Pythagoras • Ancient Greek Mathematician • The man who brought you pi and a² + b² = c² • Did you know? • Pythagoras had a cult following that worshipped his knowledge of numbers. • -http://Phoenicia.org/Pythagoras.html

19. Bubblegum Music • 60s and 70s • The Hollies, the Monkees, the BeeGees and the Jackson 5 • Origins in/Impact on Pop and Rock music • Research tip: • Bubblegum music doesn’t have a very strong web presence. You’ll have to go old school for this topic and hit the books! Also try music mags on databases. The good news? You don’t have to struggle to get current sources.

20. Gymnastics • Long-term impact on the body • Traditions and history • Did you know? • Men have been competing in Olympic gymnastics since 1906, and women have been competing since 1928. • -HickokSports.com

21. Are We Over-medicated? • Pain management • Over the counter vs. prescription • Alternative remedies • Did you know? • Workers miss approximately 3.8 billion hours of work each year due to pain. • -PainMed.org

22. The Homeless • Innovative solutions • Living on the edges of society • Growing up homeless • Research tip: • Keeping track of the homeless is difficult. Statistics may be outdated or incomplete. Make the most of your resources by focusing on the human side of homelessness.

23. Energy Independence vs. Environmental Preservation • American oil reserves • Dependence on foreign oil • Environmental Costs • Alternative energy sources • Research Tip: • Avoid bias by including sources from both sides of the debate and keeping an objective view while researching.

24. Nanotechnology • Microscopic robotics • Implications for medical and scientific fields • Research Tip: • Technology-related topics call for up-to-date resources. Use science journals from databases and reputable online sources.

25. Censorship in the Digital Age • Is censorship ever appropriate? • Examples • Does technology make it easier or harder to enforce censorship? • Did you know? • Digital censorship goes on in these very walls. Can you think of an example?

26. Designer Dogs • Ethical issues • Benefits (low shedding, hypoallergenic, etc.) • Cloning concerns • Did you know? • This Yorkie/Poodle mix is referred to as a Yorkie-Poo or YorkieDoodle. • -Longislandpuppies.com

27. Adolph Hitler: Before the War • Hitler’s childhood • Early warning signs • Rise to Power – how did it happen, and could it happen again? • How did Hitler’s early experiences shape his strategies later in life? • Research Tip: • Hitler is one of the most infamous men in history. Try to bring something new to the discussion by narrowing your topic to a specific aspect of his life.

28. Selecting your Topic • Take time to do some preliminary research. • Go ahead and use WikiPedia to help you get a feel for your topic (just don’t use it for actual research). • Consider all aspects of the topic. • Pick something that interests you, but that you don’t know much about. It’s easier to avoid personal bias that way.