Research Project

Research Projects must be rooted in Civic Readiness including civics skills and actions, civic experiences, civic mindsets and especially civic knowledge. 

Civic Knowledge: Demonstrate a fundamental and functional knowledge of government, law, history, geography, culture, economics, and current events. These may include inequities within our democratic system at the federal, state and local level. Students should know how to apply this knowledge to different circumstances and settings. 

Fundamental civic knowledge in grade level appropriate forms includes:

•  The structure and functioning of government, law, and democracy at the federal, state, local, and school levels, and how to participate therein

• Civil and educational rights and responsibilities guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, the Constitution of the State of New York, and federal, state and local statutes and regulations

•  History, geography, economics, and current events within our country and in our global society

• The impact of individual and collective histories in shaping contemporary issues

• View and analyze history and current issues from multiple perspectives

• The importance of civic rights and responsibilities, such as voting, volunteering, serving on a jury, and the importance of ensuring a free press

How are these projects graded? 

● Evaluation criteria will be locally determined 

● Recommend evaluation based on performance indicators included in Social Studies Practice A: Gathering, interpreting and using evidence. 

When can students complete the Research Project? 

Any 9-12 Social Studies Course OR any other creative options that your SCR agrees on (during an elective, or as part of an intensive extra-curricular, etc…)  

Examine Community

Demonstrate an understanding of the structure and function of government and democracy at the appropriate level, and how to participate therein.

Identify, describe, and evaluate the relationships between people, places, regions, and environments by using geographic tools to place them in a spatial context.

• For example, students can conduct community walks/drives and asset map their community.

Define and frame questions about events and the world in which we live, form hypotheses as potential answers to these questions, use evidence to answer these questions, and consider and analyze counter-hypotheses.

Identify opportunities for and the role of the individual in social and political participation in the school, local, and/or state community. 

Identify Issues

Integrate alternate, divergent, or contradictory perspectives or ideas.

Describe the impact of individual and collective histories in shaping contemporary issues. 

Analyze a civic issue (problem) in the community

• For example, include data to describe the number of people affected by the issue, the age/gender/socio-economic status of the people affected by the issue, the geographic impact of the issue, the environmental impact of the issue, etc.

Integrate evidence from multiple disciplines into Capstone Project.

Reflect on how different cultures have values, norms and beliefs that shape how they understand their communities and the problems they face.

Conduct Research

Describe how the issue affects the daily lives and shapes the perspectives of similar and different stakeholder groups. 

• For example, conducting interviews and administering surveys will help students understand the issue from different perspectives, including diverse cultural groups.

Analyze and evaluate news, media, social media and other sources of information for accuracy, bias, reliability, and credibility.  

Analysis

Analyze a civic issue (problem) in the community, describe past attempts to address the issue, generate and evaluate alternative solutions to a civic problem.

Weigh appropriate evidence from multiple disciplines to support claims, which may include political science, history, natural sciences, economics, geography, and sociology.

Reflect on how personal attitudes and beliefs are different and the same from those of other cultures and communities.

Integrate what can be learned through engagement with diversity into the Capstone Project.

Develop Strategies and Solutions

Design and/or execute a solution for this problem.

Evaluate the feasibility of proposed actions to address the community or civic issue.  

• For example, determine an appropriate course of action; deconstruct and construct plausible and persuasive arguments using evidence.

Analyze factors that influenced the perspectives of stakeholders involved in the civic issue central to the Capstone Project.

Integrate alternate, divergent, or contradictory perspectives or ideas.

Take Informed Action

Design and implement a Capstone Project that engages the school and/or out-of-school community.

• For example, determine an appropriate course of action; work to influence those in positions of power to strive for extensions of freedom, social justice, and human rights; develop an awareness of and/or engage in the political process. 

Communicate 

Communicate in a civic context, showing the ability to express ideas, discuss, persuade, debate, negotiate, build consensus and compromise to organize and conduct civic action.

Strategically use different forms of communication to persuade/advocate and express ideas.

Demonstrate respect for the rights of others in discussions and debates; respectfully disagree with other viewpoints. 

Reflection  

Analyze Capstone Project experience, reflecting on the process that was implemented, challenges faced, project limitations, successes, future civic actions and transferable skills. 

Demonstrate and reflect on a sense of self as an active participant in society, willing to contribute to solving local and/or national problems.

Ex: Income Inequality with research based extension activity  (https://www.econedlink.org/resources/collection/election-economics/ )

Ex: Opposing Viewpoints- Big Tech Monopolies, Police Reform  (https://novelnewyork.org/databases.php)

Ex: Social Change Inquiry: Latinos in New York (http://www.archives.nysed.gov/education/primary-source-sets-social-change) 

A Political Science Guide: What is a Policy Paper? (2017)  (https://politicalscienceguide.com/home/policy-paper/) 

COMING SOON!! This section is under construction.