Boring Topic Makeover
Purpose: This exercise will show students how to choose a strong thesis for the research paper assignment by teaching them to avoid tired, shallow ideas and instead find more original, critical topics to research.
Description: Using “What Makes a Question ‘Researchable’?” in The Curious Researcher, the instructor will explain the value of finding a research topic that is researchable and original. Students will be divided into 5 groups; each group will be provided a note card with a “boring topic” written on it. The students will work on analyzing why the topic is boring and revising the topic to make it more compelling.
Suggested Time: 25 min
Procedure:
1. Review “What Makes a Question ‘Researchable’?” on pg. 37 of The Curious Researcher on the doc cam. Explain that a good research topic is not only researchable, but original.
2. Tell students that every semester composition instructors receive a handful of research papers on the same, tired topics. These topics are boring!—for the students who write them and the teachers who read them. Today the class will work on analyzing why these topics are boring and then work on making them more original and researchable—by making the topic more complex, by narrowing its scope, by tweaking its focus, by making it more relevant, etc.
3. Divide the class into 5 groups of 5. Hand each group a note card with a boring topic written on it. (The topics can be fashioned as research questions or argumentative theses, depending on what your research assignment requires.)
Boring Topic #1: Sororities and fraternities are about so much more than drinking alcohol and partying.
Boring Topic #2: Women are objectified in the media, and this is why so many girls have eating disorders.
Boring Topic #3: Marijuana should be legalized.
Boring Topic #4: People say video games are too violent, but playing video games is actually beneficial.
Boring Topic #5: Steroid use is a common problem in many sports and it has a negative effect on the athletes.
4. Give students 10 min to analyze their topics and find ways to make them more original. Walk around to check on each group and answer any questions students have.
5. Call the class to order. Ask each group to share 1) what its boring topic was, 2) why the topic was boring, and 3) how the topic improved.
6. After each group has presented, reiterate the importance of choosing a topic that is original and interesting to the student. Tell students to avoid these topics in their research papers (though if a student feels really inspired to say something new about the topic and gets it approved by the instructor, this rule can be bent).
7. Tell students that you’re looking forward to being dazzled by their creativity!