Adaptability

This project is adaptable in many different ways.

Adapting for elementary grades- For elementary grades, the topic can be chosen for the students, or the teacher can walk through the narrowing a topic process with the students. That way the class as a whole would decide on the topic. Elementary students would work toward a topic sentence rather than a thesis as well. Again, this could be done as a whole class, with each student using the same topic sentence. Elementary students can begin working toward bibliographies by filling in a worksheet that requires them to find the parts of a bibliography and understand how to use a title and copyright page. While doing individual notecards is too advanced, and unnecessary, for elementary students, they could use a worksheet type format for gathering information. Students can begin to understand how to avoid plagiarism. For a final project, students could do a simpler project on prezi, with a flip camera, power point, etc. This could also be adapted to be an English, social studies, science, or even a math research project.

Adapting for middle grades- For middle school/jr. high students, the broad topic can be chosen for the students and they can be walked through narrowing their topic. They should begin moving toward understanding how to write a thesis so that by their 8th grade year they are able to do that with support. Similarly, they should begin moving toward writing full MLA format bibliographies so that they are able to do that with support by 8th grade. Notecards or a worksheet format could be used in gathering information, and the types of sources required could broaden. Students in middle grades should begin to understand both the ways to avoid plagiarism, as well as the consequences of violating copyright and fair use laws. Students could begin to write a topic outline with support and move toward a supported sentence outline by 8th grade. Their final project could be a more complex project in a technologically simple platform. Again, this could be adapted to be an English, social studies, science or math research project.

Adapting for higher grades- For higher grades, students would have some supports removed as they move to their senior year. The difference between primary and secondary sources should be taught, and source requirements changed to reflect the student's knowledge of the different types of sources. Also, along with or instead of a project, students should be expected to write an MLA format research paper with parenthetical citations. By a student's senior year, he or she should be able to research a narrowed topic, formulate a thesis, compile notecards, create an abstract, and write a paper including a works cited with only some guidance and support from his or her teacher. This prepares students for the expectations of their Composition 1 class in college.

Other adaptations- Students can be placed in groups in order to use peer support for this project. Students may be given support in writing a thesis, deciding and narrowing a topic, creating bibliographies, etc. as needed based on their individual needs, accommodations or modifications.