I-Search is a project that we present in early November and the students work on until mid-December.  Our goal is to teach students to use research tools to find answers to questions.  Each student comes up with a question and hypothesis and works to find the answer, if there is one.  We find that by having students work on a topic of interest, they learn the tools of research more easily.

Here are some ideas to think about:

Ideas for I-Search topics

How do humans’ ability to smell differ from dogs? / Why are dogs senses more acute than human    

          senses?

    How and why do optical illusions work?

How does flavor affect our eating habits?

    What is colon cancer?  What are colon cancer’s cure possibilities?

How do GPS systems work?

    Do helmets protect your brain sufficiently while playing contact sports?/ How can football   

          equipment prevent concussions?

What are deep sea animals adaptions to an underwater environment?

    How do computer viruses spread and in what ways do they affect computers?

How does pressure and lack of light affect deep sea creatures senses?

    How do our eyes and brain turn pictures into movies?

Why do people get freckles?

    How are gems classified?

Why and how has Batman changed over the decades and how?

    Why and how was Stonehenge built?

What are black holes?

    How are cheeses from the milk of a cow made to taste, look and feel differently?

What would be the effect of krill extinction on the ocean ecosystem?

    How does smell affect people? / How do advertisers use smell?

How did Cleopatra come to power in Egypt and what did she do during her reign?

    What causes dreaming? / What influences dreams and can they be controlled?

What is life like in a beehive? / What is causing beehive collapse? / Why are bees important?

    Why did Qin Shi Huang Di build such a large tomb?

What do people do when they get scared both inside and outwardly?

    How does the shape of a boat’s hull affect how much weight it can hold?

What is the life like of a minor league baseball player?

    How did James Cameron create the set for the movie, “Titanic?”

How are ads constructed to appeal to people?

    How do jellyfish survive in open waters?

How does caffeine affect the brain?

    How have the uses and preparation of coffee changed throughout time?

Is nuclear power safe for the environment?

    What are the benefits and drawbacks of wind power?

What influences dreams and can they be controlled?

    How does how you throw a baseball affect its speed?

How does the flex of a hockey stick affect ones shot?

    How does texting affect literacy?

How did sailors in ancient times navigate?

    What are the major theories explaining the disappearance of dinosaurs?

How do advertisers use music to affect sales?

    When does synesthesia develop and how long does it last?

How are energy drinks supposed to work?  Are there problems with energy drinks?

    Why do people get a brain freeze and what causes it?

What causes one to yawn and why are yawns contagious?

    How does color affect mood?

How do dogs communicate with each other and with humans?

    How do vaccinations work and what are the benefits and risks?

How are video games beneficial to children? / What effects do video games have on your brain         and body?

How does the brain remember information?

    What technologies are there for people to save energy in their homes?

How have penguins adapted to survive in various environments?

    Are there Earth-like planets and how do we find them?

Do lie detectors accurately determine truthful statements?

    How does color affect consumer decisions?

How does a hybrid car save energy?

    How do orcas act in captivity?

How does video game music affect the game?

    How is ultrasound used?

How effectively does the baseball statistic WAR (Wins Above Replacement) assess a ballplayer’s     overall performance?

How does chocolate affect mood? / How does chocolate affect your brain and body?

    How did the I-phone change the world?

What are some common sleep disorders, why do they happen, and how are they treated?

    How does dance affect your mind?

What are the theories and truths about crop circles?

    How does movement affect learning?

Why do humans need sleep?

    What places in a batting order are given to the best batters and why?

How does the spin on  a baseball effect the trajectory? / How does holding a baseball effect how it  

          curves?

How does hypnosis work?

    How do octopi defend themselves?

Why do birds sing? / How do birds adapt to their environments?

    How are coral reefs formed and what harms them?

Have have concussion tests and treatments changed?

    How does exposure to sun effect the skin?

How do gravity and magnetism relate to each other?

    How does stealth technology shield aircraft from radar?

How does climbing Mt. Everest affect your body?

    When were traffic lights invented and how have they helped and hindered drivers in society?

What causes tornados and water spouts?

    What are our physical reactions to emotions and why do we have them?

Does listening to a specific type of music affect intelligence?

    Why do we like sweets?

How does night vision work?

    How do tablets (and or handheld devices) affect children’s learning?

How does pressure affect how rocks form and erode?

    How do planes fly?

What animals have pass the mirror test and why does it show self-awareness?

    What are the good components of a good baseball swing. 

How does playing with Legos affect the brain?

    How do ant’s colonies work so well even though ants are so small?

What are the causes of sleep walking?  Is it curable?

    How can bio-mimicry effect our lives? / What are the uses of bio-mimicry for people?

How do dolphins communicate?

    What are different coding languages and how are they used?

How does proximity to light speed affect you?

    How do amusement park lines affect customer enjoyment?

What is a peanut allergy?  Can it be cured?

    How do babies learn really quickly?

Why do we sleep?

    How can computers be used to help people with....(any of various disabilities)?

How does having a pet affect your mood and life span? Do different types of pets affect life     differently?

How do estuaries and wetlands affect the environment?

    How has Apple changed the world?

How does music affect Alzheimer’s disease?

    What are the risks of climate change and global warming on ......?

How does music affect the human brain?

    What are sinkholes and how are they formed?

Can dogs catch sicknesses and diseases from humans?

    Why are insects attracted to light?

What are the theories behind the Bermuda Triangle?

    How are jaguars (or any other animal) adapted to their environment?

How does drinking soda affect a person’s health?

    How has ballet hanged since it started?

What causes stress and how do we resolve it?

    How does a search engine work?

Why is laughing contagious and how does laughing affect your mood?

    How do people use sign language?  What are its origins?

Does the celebration of holidays effect people”s behavior, mood and beiefs.

    How and why did the Van Sweringen brothers establish Shaker Heights?

What causes fear and what are the body’s reaction?

    Why and how do touch screens react to certain surfaces?

What causes bioluminescence and how does it help the creatures who exhibit it?

    How will aquaponics affect the future of farming?

What is the relationship of major league baseball teams and farm league teams?

    How have swimsuits changed over time and how does that effect how fast people swim?

What are allergies and how do they differ in various parts of the world?

    What are the effects of steroids on the human body?

How are vitamins made and how do we digest them?

    What is the “cloud” and how are things stored there?

How are marine animals affected by water pollution?

    How is snow formed?

How do injuries affect a player’s performance in baseball?

    Why does the Earth move and we don’t feel it?  How do we perceive motion?

How do cats communicate with each other and humans?  What body parts to they use?

    Does smiling affect life span?

How do vocal cords work and how can one’s pitch go higher and lower?

    How has angling changed over the years and what is the effect of equipment?

What are phobias and how does the body react to them?

    How do elephants mourn their dead?

How do mood rings/necklaces change color and do they really tell how you are feeling?

    How does birth order affect the personalities of children?

How does the ear work and why can some people hear better than others?

    How does Lake Erie water pollution hurt northeastern Ohio?

How does sugar affect the body?

    What factors affect good sleep?

How do different seahorses adapt to their surroundings?

    How was the skateboard invented and how has it changed over the years?

Are redheads going extinct?

    What does fear do to the body?

What is military surveillance like today?

    How do arthropods sense the world?

How does coffee get from the plant to the beans we buy?

    How does leukemia affect your body?

How does being bilingual affect the brain?