Research Questions & Investigation Guide

Your Research Task for Lesson 2:

Choose your research question. Write it at the top of a new page in your notebook.

Then write answers to the following three planning questions:

1. Why did you choose this question? What genuinely interests you about it?
2. What do you already know about this topic from Weeks 1-5 of this curriculum? What are the most important gaps in your knowledge that your research needs to fill?
3. Where will you look for sources? Name at least three specific places you plan to search — databases, archives, publications, or other resources.

These planning notes are not assessed — they are for your own use as you begin your research. But students who skip the planning phase typically produce weaker research. The time you spend here will pay off in the quality of your presentation.

Parent-Teacher Note:

The eight research questions are designed to cover a wide range of interest types — analytical, historical, architectural, economic, biographical, and cross-cultural. If your student is drawn to a question not on this list that connects meaningfully to the Stage 3 curriculum, allow it. The list is a menu of options, not a constraint. What matters is that the question is substantive, requires genuine research beyond the curriculum, and produces an argument rather than just a summary.