Module 3: Activity2
Activity 1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3 | Activity 4 | Activity 5
Activity 2: TaskStream and Notebook Entry
Go to TaskStream and read the description of Task One. In a notebook or on your computer, begin recording your thoughts about what topic interests you. Use whatever strategy appeals to you to get your first thoughts on paper. You might try making a list, freewriting, or clustering. You might also want to discuss these initial thoughts with someone who can help you identify a topic that really matters to you, and one that you will have the tenacity to research well.
Think about recent events, subjects, or thoughts that have intrigued you. These might be related to something that has happened to you or to someone close to you. These topics might come from the focus of your discipline or degree program. Or your topic might be described as a problem you face, but which is also an issue for others. Whatever you decide, the topic should be something which truly interests you.
- Your topic may be something you have always wondered about, but never had time to investigate. Consider using the “reporter’s questions” of WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and HOW with the phrase “I wonder…” For example, “I wonder how using energy efficient light bulbs would affect my electric bill?”
- Remember that your initial research “question” will later be “answered” in your thesis statement, so make sure you select a topic for which there can be some sort of answer, whether philosophical or concrete.
As you finalize your topic choice, read through all the tasks that you will be doing for LCTA. This will also give you a better perspective of whether your topic will work for the eventual research paper and presentation.
