What's my assignment? What's my topic?

After you're sure that you understand your assignment, it's a good idea to understand the subject or topic for your research. If you're assigned a topic, begin by reviewing your textbook's table of contents and index. It is also a very good idea to browse your school library catalog to determine what other resources are available for you to work with. If you need additional assistance, ask your teacher or school library media specialist. Feel free to talk about your subject with your parents or friends.

When you're allowed to select the subject or topic for your research, prepare a list of ideas with questions related to the individual topics. Relate these possible topics to what you already know or that you have an interest in learning more about. After you have a list of possible topics and essential questions, give some thought as to how much time you have and the range of resources available for you to work with. Discuss the list with friends, your teacher, or your parents to narrow down the possible choices and make a final selection.