Seniors #4 Journal--Research Paper Warmup Lap
Tell us at Schoolsville what your research topic is and why you chose it.Think of this journal entry as a practice lap before you tackle the Monster Mile of the entire research paper project.
To elaborate on this entry some more, tell us about some interesting research that you've already discovered.
Or maybe tell us how your topic has gone in a different direction since you've begun your research.
Or if you understand car racing lingo, tell us how you've been metaphorically spun out, broken down in pit road, drafting along, or gotten loose a bit. Maybe you've changed your setup or put on some new stickers to get a better hold of the track.
For this entry, write in a minimum of 250 words.
Can you tell I've been watching too much NASCAR lately? (Let's go Junior!)
posted by JTF @ 9:10 PM
18 comments
18 Comments:
For my research, I decided to write about the New York Yankees. I chose this baseball team because it has always been one of my favorite teams. On beginning the paper, I was not sure if I would have enough information on the team to write an entire paper about them. After doing some research however, I discovered that there is a lot of truly interesting facts about this team. I have learned about the collection of retired numbers the team has because of the great players who once wore them. The New York Yankees had some of the best baseball players of all time including Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra. Along with these talented athletes, they had players who were inspiring as well. Lou Gehrig suffered from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Lou Gehrig was able to say that although he was dealing with this terrible disease, he still considered himself, “...the luckiest man on the face of the earth." Along with great players, the team has also had many great managers and coaches. The New York Yankees, established in 1903, have been the World Series champions over twenty-five times. The have also won the East Division Title countless times. It is safe to say that talent is one thing this team certainly does not lack. The Yankees official theme song is called, “Here Come the Yankees.” “New York, New York,” performed by Frank Sinatra is another common song played at Yankee home games. Both of the songs work to keep the fans excited and cheering for their favorite team.
I had given Fio three topics that I would like to write about and my last choice was chosen, which was shopaholics. I do not know how or why I came up with this topic but I did. I did not want to choose something boring or common. I wanted to write about something I would find interesting so that the next month I spend writing this research paper I am not bored out of my mind. During research I have found that this is no joke. It is a serious problem that can ruin more than your bank account. It can ruin your marriage and possibly legal problems too! this is the most interesting this I came across:
"It is best explained as we would explain the process of any addiction. People who give in to compulsive shopping or spending get a feeling of being "high" from the experience. This translates into endorphins and dopamine, natural receptor sites in the brain, getting turned on, creating a "good feeling" and reinforcing the desire to shop or spend. This is the cycle of addiction that must be broken in order to recover and manage spending."
There is a science behind these so called shopaholics and I can not wait to research more. although I must say there is not that much information on the topic I have to search harder and longer, and defiantly get to the library. If this continues though I will have to change my topic which would be unfortunate!!
It has been brought to many American’s attention that underage drinking has increase and become a serious problem in today’s society. Whether parents admit it or not many their teens are drinking. Some parents even choose to “turn the other way” when teens our in their household and somehow seem to obtain alcohol. As a result of this, a discussion of changing the law has begun to take action. “Opponents of the idea point to a reported rise in binge drinking as teenagers increasingly turn to hard liquor as proof that minors should not be allowed to drink, but proponents look at the same data and draw the opposite conclusion.” “Raising the drinking age to 21 was passed with the very best of intentions, but it’s had the very worst of outcomes,” said David J. Hanson, an alcohol policy expert at the State University of New York-Potsdam. “Just like during national Prohibition, the law has pushed and forced underage drinking and youthful drinking underground, where we have no control over it.” Many agree with David’s view. Why should parents not be able to control their children from underage drinking and keeping them safe from dangerous situations. One study showed that 85% of 20 year olds said that they had used alcohol. Maybe lowering the age would cause drinking to lose its appeal to teens. They might drink one or two beers instead of choosing to get completely drunk. European cultures allow their children to drink at very young ages yet they don’t seem to have the same problems as Americans. The teens in Europe do drink but seem to do it in moderation. American’s on the other hand seem to taking drinking to an extreme which results in teen car accident’s, alcohol poisoning etc… Should this law be changed will it in fact improve teen drinking issues or will it worsen it. With my recent research it seems that changing this law may be a positive thing.
Before I decided on my topic, I was between two topics in particular: curfew and singlism. I feel very strongly about the regulations regarding curfew for young kids like myself. I thought this was going to be an easy topic to write about, but then I couldn't figure my argument. I was uncertain about my opinion so I decided to change my topic to singlism. Singlism is considered to be a new word added to our society today. It is a big discrimination problem that falls in the same category as racism. Singlism is a term used to describe stereptyping of those who are single, and believe it or not, it happens more often then you'd think. People tend to act as if it were a crime for someone to be single over a certain age. If you are society immediately labels you as "unacceptable". People begin to assume that something must be "wrong" with you. People who are victims of singlism have been called names. For example, "selfish", "immature", "emotionally unstable" or "too picky", but what these accusers don't realize is that maybe it's a choice. Maybe these alleged "singles" enjoy their independence. As silly and childish as it sounds, maybe they're waiting for "Mr. or Mrs. Right" who hasn't come along yet despite their age. If I were subjected to this category I would tell society, "Why should I have to settle in order to fit your social standings? Maybe I think I deserve the best. Should I be ridiculed for thinking that? No." I would rather be happy and single searching for the right man than be stuck in a loveless marriage because I felt pressured to do so.
Initially when I first was trying to decide on what to write about for my research topic I chose how today’s media badly effects teens today. When I presented this topic, it turned out a little to general and not something I truly want to research. When I later thought about it, I wanted to do something that I had an interest in. I know that when I go onto college I want to study rehabilitation, physical therapy. Finally I chose to research the dispute about people with prosthetic limbs and if they should be allowed to play in major league sports. People with artificial body parts are disabled and can be discriminated against. Many people complain that people with these artificial limbs, such as legs or arms, gives the athletes an advantage than those who do not. I do not see this as an advantage. These athletes do not suddenly loose a limb, get a metal one, and become a pro athlete. It takes many months, even years, to go through therapy trying to learn how to use this new technology. One argument is that the athlete has an advantage because there is less oxygen running through their body giving them an extra boost. This may be true but on the other hand they also have to endure the pain that it put on them through the extra part. For example a runner with an artificial leg must learn to adapt the pain that all of his/her body weight is putting onto that artificial leg. There is no way in stopping this growth of technology. Wooden legs are a thing in the past.
I decided to write about the negative effects of indoor tanning beds for my research paper. This topic is one that many girls, and even guys, can relate to. I chose this topic for a personal reason. I have asked my mom a number of times if I can go tanning for prom or an upcoming wedding and the answer is always, “No.” I do not think this is fair because she let my two other sisters go tanning, but once she learned more about indoor tanning she decided that it is not a healthy practice and will not let me go. And ironically, after doing some research about this subject, I am not too sure I would even want to go tanning indoors anymore. Tanning beds emit UVA and UVB rays, both of which are harmful to the skin and eyes. These rays are also ten times stronger than the natural rays of the sun and one minute in a tanning bed is the equivalent to three minutes in the sun. If the proper eye protection is not used, the UVA and UVB rays can permanently damage the cornea or retina of the eye and cause a development of cataracts, which causes clouded vision or in blindness in extreme cases. The rays can also burn the skin and cause various types of skin cancer, one of them being potentially fatal melanoma. It has been studied that skin cancer is becoming one of the most diagnosed types of cancer in the United States with its rate continuing to grow. Even though many people enjoy being suntanned, it is a very dangerous practice. I am interested to learn more about this topic as I continue my research, and am starting to rethink my thoughts on indoor tanning.
For my senior research paper, I chose to write about the benefits of barefoot running. Yes, it is an obscure topic but also a heavily debated issue amongst avid runners and podiatrists. I chose to write about shoeless running because it is interesting, current, and my research would help me, as a runner, broaden my horizons in the realm of the running world. Another reason for my interest is because I was recently diagnosed with tendonitis in my plantar, followed by an overuse injury in my hip flexor. Would running barefoot cure all problems brought on by the modern running shoes? For these reasons I am deeply committed to discovering the truth. From my research, I have been able to identify many theories explaining a correlation between barefoot running and less overuse injuries. However, since there are only a handful people who run barefoot, disregarding Kenyans, it is challenging for scientist to conduct a controlled, accurate experiment to prove the theories. From what experts know thus far, I have learned that you are actually 4 % more efficient and use less energy when running without shoes. Running shoes today make it more comfortable for us to “heel strike” rather than naturally landing on the mid or forefoot, resulting in 2-3 times more impact! Believe it or not, we are built for endurance like our ancestors 2 million years ago who didn’t have the convenience of a local running store. Therefore I am truly convinced that barefoot is the way to go for runners of all ages, ethnicities, and biomechanics.
For my topic I chose Modeling and its link to eating disorders. This topic was my first choice. I guess the main reason why I chose this topic was because the number of models with an eating disorder has increased and even the number of models deaths related to an eating disorder has increased quite a bit. What I hope to find out and prove through my research is: The negative affects of modeling, why many models lead to developing an eating disorder, How to prevent an eating disorder from happening, and how accepting all body types is really the best thing to do. While researching i have found many interesting facts that I never knew about. For instance "the average women wears a size of 14, now considered plus sized, use to be really attractive." Another source stated that, "Modeling agencies have been reported to actively pursue anorexic models. " Honestly I have nothing against modeling. That is not why i chose this topic, I chose this topic because I believe it is interesting, I want people to appreciate their own size, and really to just figure out the question why do they let themselves get this way?. So far I'm really interested in this topic even though when i fist did research I was really apprehensive because I started finding more information about eating disorders then modeling and eating disorders. But once i did further research I discovered a plethora of information.
I am writing about raising the age of recieving a driving license to eighteen. I chose this topic because I think that it is very relevant to kids my age. Personally, I am undecided whether or not the driving age should be raised, but I thought that this would be an interesting topic to find research on. I know many people my age who have gotten in car accidents because they were probably not acting mature and paying attention, or were texting while driving. Statistics have shown that there have been many more accidents among sixteen year old drivers compared to seventeen year old drivers. Since graduated driver’s licensing, which is a licensing with restrictions such as only driving with adult supervision or restrictions on night time driving, has been used, the number of accidents has been greatly reduced. This is a way that has risen the age that kids can drive without supervision and it has decreased the number of accidents, so raising the driving age would most likely also reduce the number of crashes. In my research, I have had difficulty finding books on my topic, but I found some on related topics with parts about raising the driving age. I also found many articles on line with statistics on car accidents. Hopefully I will be able to find much more on this topic.
For our research topics this year, we have to write something that was argumentative and controversial. The topic could be big, but it also had to be a more narrowed topic on a general subject. At first, I was deciding between eating disorders and animals rights. Ultimately, I wanted animal rights because I am very passionate about animals and I think it would be an interesting topic to write about. It is also a topic that is plentiful in facts and information. However, I narrowed this broad topic into specifically, animal testing and experiments for cosmetics. This is something I don’t agree should take place. Animal testing for cosmetics should definitely be banned. So far in my research I have learned what types of animals do cosmetic companies use and also their regulations and guidelines that they must follow to ensure the safety of their product. A huge focal point of my paper that I hadn’t really thought of was the alternatives to animal testing. I plan to make this a bigger part of my paper than I had originally planned. Something that I found out that I hadn’t known was that the UK has already banned animal testing for cosmetics and that they are trying to get it banned in all of Europe. Also I learned that within animal testing, testing for cosmetics is probably the most controversial one because it is not using the sacrifices of harming another animal for scientific research like curing a fatal disease or other medical purposes.
For my research paper, I came up with a few ideas that I would of liked to pursue. I then narrowed my ideas down to about how the media and celebrities affect people, and then narrowed that down to one topic: If the media helps cause eating disorders. I started researching this right away because I found it very interesting. I think I was so drawn to this topic because this is something that many girls go through; even if they don't have a designated "eating disorder" almost all girls think about their weight or diet etc. After starting my research I have found out many interesting things. There are actual statistics proving that the media has a negative effect on girls and their body perceptions. When we constantly see stick thin models, tv stars, and singers, we get the idea that we have to be that way. That is the ideal image of a woman and some girls will do anything to achieve this looks. I have also discovered that it's not just women who struggle with eating disorders, many men go through this battle too. They see the strong, muscular, celebrity and will think that they need to be like that too. I have also discovered that there are over ten types of eating disorders, not just the common anorexia and bulimia. So just because someone does not necessarily starve themselves or make themselves sick, doesn't mean they don't struggle from an eating disorder. This topic has already taught me so much about the media's effects and the statistics of eating disorders, and I know I will keep finding out new things.
For my research paper I picked a topic that is widely debated all over the U.S., which is Dress Codes in Schools. I chose this topic because it currently affects me and is an interesting topic that shows just how “free” students are. I’m not discussing arguments between students and teachers over a uniform; I’m talking about the dress codes that schools enforce that over-step their boundaries and intrude on the rights of its students. When I first started research I expected to find that there were laws about dress codes and set restricts, but to my surprise the limitations on dress codes have not been defined. Courts across America dispute over the subject and even the Supreme Court has not had a consistent method for dealing with these cases. Instead of being able to read just one case file and getting the idea of how the law works in dress code situations, I’ve had to read numerous documents of court cases. The reason being is that each case is unique and requires a thorough investigation of purpose, fairness, and constitutional legality. Another interesting fact I discovered in my research is that not just students are challenging dress codes, but parents and teachers of those schools challenge the school or the district on the base that their dress code is unconstitutional. In these case, the limit of interpretation and power of the First Amendment is tested. This topic has proven more interesting than I had first believed it to be when I chose it for my research paper topic.
Being a huge music fan, I wanted to write something that related to the musical discipline. Where else to begin but by writing about The Beatles? At first, I wanted to write about the Rolling Stones, but every search that came up was more or less more focused on the Beatles. I want to write about how they influenced American pop culture by their hair and their dress, but they couldn’t influence American pop culture without affecting the rest of the world in the same ways. As I began my research, and now in the middle of it, I am still having a bit of trouble finding exactly what I’m looking for. Every source that different information, yet it’s all the same. They all talk about how they got started and their manager and their singles, and only have about a sentence or two about what teenagers model from them, and it’s the same sentence: long hair and crazy clothes. Nothing even talks about how their music was different. They only mention how popular they’ve become. One interesting thing I did learn, though, and even though some people may already know this, is that they are the only band in American history who held all top 5 spots on the top 100 charts, regardless that they’re a British band. I might have to alter my approach to my paper just a little, but I want to keep the same idea in mind. I believe my argumentative point will be that many modern bands get their inspiration from the Beatles, and so the music world today, or any world today, would not be the same if John, Paul, George, and Ringo haven’t decided to form their band 50 years ago.
For my research paper this year, I am writing about a disorder known as anti-social personality disorder. Some people diagnosed with this are often referred to as sociopaths and usually lead into psychopaths. Anti-social personality disorder is typically developed by abuse, typically from a family member, but can also be caused by constant bullying. When a person is physically, mentally, and emotionally abused, it is bound to take a toll on their lifestyle. They develop habits that aren’t normal and can lead to that person becoming the bully. The bad part about it is that they do not know any better and they do not feel any remorse for their actions. Psychologists today are going back and forth, trying to decide whether or not this can be used as a defense in a criminal case, and whether or not it can be cured. Look at Ken Bianchi, for example. As a child, his mother abused him. Whenever he would do something ‘bad’, she would burn his hand on the stove until he screamed. Later on in his life, he beat, raped, and killed many girls often doing things his mother would do to him, such as burning girls. The mind has a crazy pattern in the way we develop social skills, and I find those of a psychopath the most interesting. Although this will take a lot of time and research, it is worth it when learning about something completely out of the ordinary.
At first, I decided to write about how smoking companies are advertising to target younger audiences. I thought this would be a good topic because it is very controversial, but I decided to tweak it a little bit. After doing some research, I realized that this topic was very much talked about in the 70s, but not nearly as much now due to restrictions and laws directed at smoking. I decided to change my topic what makes kids want to smoke and what results from their decision to pick up smoking. I found this to be much more interesting because I can almost put myself into the paper because I am a teenager. I know first hand what would drive me to try smoking, but more importantly, I know what things drive me not to smoke. I've witnessed what smoking does because people in my family smoke. This has motivated me to really take an interest in this topic so I can learn even more about smoking. Some other reasons why I chose this topic are because it is a very controversial matter, it is neither too specific nor too broad, and as previously stated, it has had a huge impact on my personal life. Since I have tweaked my topic, I have not hit many speed bumps or potholes (lol), but I hope that within the next weeks I will spend sufficient time on this paper and be satisfied with my work and with the new knowledge I have gained when I hand the paper in.
For my research paper I decided that I would write on the idea that dreams have a meaning. It took me awhile to find a topic the I actually like. I picked it because it has always been something I thought about. It interested me in learning if dreams really do mean something in your life. I thought that writing a research paper should be something that you look forward to learning about and this subject is quite interesting. Through my research I have gathered alot of information about dreams. I read that dreams allow us to make connections more broadly and more inclusively then when we're awake, because dreaming avoids the "tightly woven" or "overheard" regions. The the connecting process is not random. It is guided by the emotions and emotional concerns of the dreamer. Sometimes a dream gives a warning of danger, but if you pay attention to the dream and change your ways the danger won’t necessarily happen. Dreams are remembered only if you wake up during, or just at the end of, a dream. The topic of dreams is very interesting to me and I am looking forward to learning more.
The research topic I chose is divorce, and it's impact on not only the couple going through the divorce, but their children, immediate family and even society. I chose this topic because I thought it would be interesting to see all of the statistics for divorce and it's different impact on people. I know a lot of people who have suffered from their parents divorcing, and I know it can very well possibly tear a family apart. I believe that I am one of the few statistics who have never experienced my parents getting divorced. Another reason I chose this topic is because I know there is a lot of information out there about divorce and the different side effects.
My research paper topic started out originally as being how video game violence affects children but my searching has been far from great success. This led me to my new topic which I can still use what research I have done just add different information and that is, entertainment violence affect on children. This entertainment, consists of, video games, TV, computer and other sources that children can obtain violent images and see violent acts occuring. As of now im trying to focus my research paper on this topic but this could change if information doesn't provide itself as more helpful and plentiful.
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