topics for 3rd graders to research

Elementary Assessments

11 Interesting 3rd-Grade Research Topics

You’re ready for your third graders to conduct research of some kind, so you’re seeking interesting 3rd grade research topics.

You’ve landed in the right place!

As a teacher, you have so much on your to-do list, and trying to figure out research topics for third graders is just one more thing to do.

I’ve saved you the time of brainstorming topics.

Here you will find a collection of 3rd grade research topics that engage students meaningfully.

Whether you want students to research about animals, people, objects, or history, there is a topic here to fit your needs.

Your third graders will enjoy discovering new information and sharing their discoveries with classmates. 

3rd Grade Research Topics

The following topics may be turned into independent research projects for elementary students. 

1. Natural Resources

Natural resources are things found in nature and used by humans to make their lives easier.

Examples of natural resources include light, air, water, trees, rocks, and animals.

Natural resources are vital to our existence and the way we live our lives.

Have third graders research the natural resources used every day and trace the sources.

Ask them to come up with a plan to utilize the resources but also ensure renewal of them for future use. 

Furthermore, there are various forms of energy that we derive from natural resources.

After students select a specific type of energy, they can describe what it is, where it comes from, and speculate as to what the world would look like without it.

Specific research topics include…

• Renewable vs. nonrenewable resources (pros/cons/examples)
• How natural resources make a country rich
• Conservation efforts
• Fossil fuels
• Minerals and their uses
• Natural resources and energy

2. States of Matter

Matter is everything that forms our universe and what’s in it.

That’s why the study of solids, liquids, and gases is the perfect entrance into the world of chemistry. 

Noting the characteristics of solids, liquids, and gases along with examples is a great task for third graders to perform.

A demonstration showing all three states is also a powerful activity.

Specific 3rd grade research topics include…

• Characteristics of solids, liquids, and gases 
• Examples and non-examples of solids, liquids, and gases
• How temperature affects matter
• Boiling, melting, and freezing points

3. Technology Over the Decades

Ever since the Industrial Revolution, technology has been rapidly developing with each passing decade.

Have third graders report on what they think is the most important technological advancement of each decade over the past one hundred years.

Ask them to speculate on what the world would look like without these technological achievements. 

• Transportation advances
• Electricity
• Medical advancements
• Communication

4. Extreme Weather and Natural Disasters

Though they wreak havoc on humans and their living environments, natural disasters are of high interest to third graders.

This research topic is sure to engage even the most reluctant learners.

Kids Discover is a good place for students to begin their research.

• How to predict natural disasters
• Minimize the damage from natural disasters
• Volcanic eruptions
• Tsunamis/Earthquakes
• Hurricanes/Tornados

Related Content:

List of Research Topics for Elementary Kids You Haven’t Considered

Gravity is a force we all feel on a daily basis but may forget that it’s there.

Encourage your third graders to research Sir Isaac Newton’s famous discovery of gravity and report on how Earth’s gravitational field differs from that of other planets.

Ask them to speculate on how different life on Earth would be with more or less gravity. 

• Mass vs. weight
• Black holes
• Floating in space (helium balloons, hot air balloons, flight – things that “defy” gravity)

6. Simple Machines

Simple machines are fun to build, and they help us every day to complete tasks easily plus efficiently.

Request that your third graders research and report on the different types of simple machines. They should also give real-world examples of each one.

Also, ask them to construct and demonstrate their own simple machine. 

• Wheel and axle
• Inclined plane
• Force and motion

7. The Water Cycle

Evaporation, condensation, and precipitation make the world go round.

Have third graders research and report on the water cycle. They will then create a poster board that illustrates the different stages of the water cycle.

Ask them to think about the conditions necessary in order for each stage to occur. 

Add fun water cycle writing prompts as an extension to this research topic.

• Evaporation
• Condensation
• Precipitation
• Sublimation
• Types of clouds

8. Force and Motion

The laws of physics are important to understand, and a great basis for third graders is having them research Sir Isaac Newton’s three laws of motion.

Ask them to write a report on the discovery of the laws and what the world would look like without them.

As an extension, you could have them give a demonstration reflective of one of the laws. 

• Laws of Motion
• Simple machines

There are so many topics to tackle about space – from black holes to asteroids to planets to stars.

Third graders enjoy researching and reporting on a wide variety of space topics.

• Phases of the moon
• Inner and outer planets
• Weight, mass, and gravity
• Characteristics of the sun
• Advances and discoveries in space travel

10. Magnets

Magnets are always a fascinating research topic for third graders. Be sure to include fun experiments and demonstrations.

Have students research how a magnet works plus how the Earth’s magnetic field affects biology, geology, and other sciences.

Ask them to make their own magnets.

Then they can test different objects to determine which can be attracted to magnets and which cannot. 

• Natural forces
• Magnetic field and magnetic poles
• Types of magnets plus their uses

11. Holidays Around the World

Encourage third graders to explore different holidays around the world.

They will learn about unique festivals and celebrations that take place in different countries.

They’ll be able to compare and contrast these holidays to those that occur in their own country.

• Día de Los Muertos
• Carnival of Brazil

Final Thoughts On 3rd Grade Research Topics

Save yourself the headache of searching for good 3rd grade research topics by keeping this list handy as you plan your lessons. 

Not only do you save yourself time planning, but you can also feel confident that your third graders will be excited about these interesting research topics. 

Good Topics for Research Papers for Third-Graders

Research papers are an excellent method for third-grade students to work on writing and researching skills. It gives them the opportunity to learn how to find information on topics and evaluate the credibility of sources. It also teaches them how to organize information and manage their time as most research papers are long range assignments. However, the topic of the research paper is a key to capturing a student's attention with the assignment.

Explore this article

• Science Topics
• Social Studies
• Current Events or Controveries

1 Science Topics

Science provides a wide variety of possibilities for research papers, from the larger content areas of plants, animals, weather, astronomy, human body and ecology/conservation. Specific topics could include types of carnivorous plants, solar system, the five senses, hurricanes, endangered species, ways to save the rain forest, and how to conserve water. Other topics include how to save energy at home, bats, butterflies, human nervous system, and health topics such as how to prevent obesity, exercise programs for children, and nutrition.

2 Social Studies

Many topics can be found under the category of social studies for third-grade research papers such as studying past cultures such as the Roman Empire, the legend of Atlantis, the Mayans, or the Iroquois. Historical time periods and events such as the Renaissance, Dark Ages, Gold Rush, Great Depression or Dust Bowl all make for interesting possibilities. Wars or military events are also good potential paper topics. Understand human migrations or genocides make for compelling subjects as well.

The arts encompasses a large area of potential research paper topics for third-graders. Papers could be written on individual artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Monet, or Da Vinci. Other possible subjects include composers or musicians such as Beethoven, Mozart, or more modern musicians such as Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters, or Bob Marley. Famous dance troupes, artistic periods, or types of literature or specific books, plays or films are other topics for papers.

4 Current Events or Controveries

Third-graders could also try to tackle subjects such as recent wars, deforestation, laws regarding texting in cars, animal research or food safety. Homeschooling, violent video games, improving education, ending childhood obesity, whether soda or junk food should be banned from schools, kids and smoking, and dangers of drugs are also topics. While some of these may seem a bit beyond the scope of an 8- or 9-year-old child chances are they already have some knowledge and some opinions on the subjects. Allowing them to read on the topics at their grade level will likely engage them further in learning about the issues.

• 1 Reading Rockets: Guiding Independence: Developing a Research Tool

About the Author

Katlyn Joy has been a freelance writer since 1982. She graduated from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville with a master's degree in writing. While in school she served as graduate assistant editor of "Drumvoices Revue" magazine.

Related Articles

Zoologist Schools

Ethics of Having Animals in Aquariums

Working Conditions for a Police Officer

5th Grade Solar System Project Ideas

Colleges in Michigan That Offer Animal Science Majors

The Impact of Human Population Growth on the Worlds...

What Are the Sciences Taught in Middle School?

Remedies for Removing Ink From Skin

Topics for Geography Projects

Topics for a Research Paper for Physical Education

10 Facts About Chinese Dragons

How Good of a Friend is Your BFF?

Health-Related Persuasive Speech Topics

What Is the Difference Between Aquatic Biology & Marine...

Speech Topics Based on Outer Space

Good Research Essay Topics for American History Before...

Unique Informative Speech Topics

Science Research Topics for College Students

Eighth Grade Research Paper Ideas

General Biology vs. Microbiology

Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. Whether you’re studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers.

• Accessibility
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Copyright Policy
• Manage Preferences

© 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Based on the Word Net lexical database for the English Language. See disclaimer .

17 Fun Research Projects for Elementary Students

by Studentreasures | Feb. 26, 2021 | Classroom Activities

Learning proper research skills is very important, and elementary school is a fantastic time to learn the fundamentals of research!

Getting a head start on skills like evaluating information for trustworthiness, finding credible sources online, taking useful notes and citing sources is an invaluable use of class time that will benefit your students for the rest of their lives.

Get them started with any of these fun research projects and we promise that in just a few short years, their middle school teachers will be thanking you!

Whether your students are in kindergarten, 2nd grade , 3rd grade or 5th grade , kids from any grade level are sure to find these research projects fun and exciting to share with their peers.

Quick Tips to Help Your Students Conduct Research and Present Their Projects

Tips to help conduct research.

• Be specific when searching on Google. Asking specific questions about a topic can lead to finding the answers much more quickly.
• Keep a record of every resource used. Have your students copy the URL whenever they pull information from a website. This way they can credit the original source and avoid plagiarism.
• Make use of reputable sources. Provide your students with a list of reputable websites where they can easily find accurate information. Have them stay away from websites like Wikipedia that may provide inaccurate information.
• Go to the library! Nonfiction books are still an excellent way to find information about specific topics. Encourage them to check out books from the library that are related to their topic.

Recommended Read 3 Writing Projects for Elementary Students That Develop Research Skills

Tips to Help Present Projects

• Take deep breaths. If some of your kiddos are nervous about presenting, instruct them to take deep breaths and present slowly. If they try to rush, they are more likely to make mistakes.
• Practice, practice, practice! The best way to get better at presenting is to practice presenting! Make sure your students practice presenting their projects every night leading up to the big day.
• Make presentations as engaging as possible. Making use of humor, technology, colorful images, and body language can help make students’ presentations more engaging for their peers.
• Be respectful to the student who is presenting. For the students in the audience, make sure that they are quiet and attentive while someone else is presenting. Remind them to treat others the way they want to be treated.

English & Language Arts Research Projects

Autobiography.

During this project, students will research where they came from by talking to one or more family members about their family history.

Remind them to take notes or record their interviews, paying special attention to topics like their family tree, important historical figures in their family, where their family has lived and which states and countries their family has visited.

Students will make a poster or write a report covering the topics they learned by talking with their family members. They will also write about what their biggest accomplishments are and what they hope to do with their lives.

Have your students choose or assign them a significant author from history or contemporary times. They will research the author by reading about them. Then, they will present what they’ve found to the rest of the class.

Student presentations can either be in the form of a poster or as a written report. This should cover where their author was born, where they grew up, what they’re known for writing and anything else that’s interesting about them.

If the author is still living and has a website, encourage your students to see whether there’s a contact form. Many authors are willing to answer questions from fans and students.

Recommended Read Writing and Editing Checklists for Elementary Schoolers

Are you Enjoying this Content?

Science research projects.

Use this project to help your students learn about different types of bugs, such as arachnids and insects. This is a very good research lesson to start with because most kids are fascinated and excited by bugs, and there are literally millions of them to go around!

Assign each student a different bug to research and write about. Then, provide simple questions to spark their writing, like Where do they live? How big are they? What do they eat? and How many legs do they have? 

Once every student has written about their bug, you can have them draw a picture to go along with it and publish their work into a classbook !

Assign students or have them choose a dinosaur to learn about. Be sure their research includes information like when it lived, where it lived, what it ate and what type of dinosaur it was. Then, they’ll present their findings to the rest of the class.

If more than one student researches the same dinosaur, make sure both students are reminded to look for unique facts that the other one may not find. Encourage your students to collaborate with each other to make sure their presentations are unique and interesting.

Solar System

As students are learning about the solar system, teach them the planets’ relative positions, how days and years are calculated, as well as other information.

Have your students make a poster of the eight planets. The poster should include the approximate size and distance of the planets, but it can also show other facts of comparison, such as colors, chemical makeup, length of the planets’ years, etc.

Recommended Read Classbook Project Ideas About Science and Space

For this project, students will choose a planet or have one assigned to them. They will research their planet, taking note of information like how long a year and a day are on their planet, what the temperature is, what the surface of the planet is like and any other facts and points of interest they discover.

Have your students create a poster or brochure pretending to sell a house on their planet. They should include as many of the facts that they learned to make the house on that planet seem like a good deal.

Animals and Habitats

For this animal research project , your students will start with studying a habitat. Then, they’ll learn about the animals that live in the habitat. They should take notes and pay special attention to which animals live in the habitat and how they interact with other animals there.

Students will show what they’ve learned by drawing a poster of the habitat and giving a sample of the different animals that live there.

Encourage your students to show a complete food chain, starting with plants and moving all the way up to the predators that live within the habitat. You can assign a set number of facts for each plant and animal that need to be listed on the poster or see what they come up with.

Plant Life Cycles

This is a great time to help your students understand how agriculture and farming work and make the connection that all of the plants they eat once started out as tiny seeds like the ones you’ll be growing in your classroom.

Students will learn about how plants grow from seeds to sprouts to plants and get ready to repeat the cycle all over again.

Plant bean plants, grass seeds or anything else that’s easy to grow very quickly. Make sure to plant the seeds in a clear glass jar using a paper towel instead of dirt so the roots will be visible.

As the plants grow, have your students keep a small notebook with them to take notes about their plant, make guesses about what will happen next and draw illustrations of their plant’s progress.

This project is a perfect opportunity to create a classbook ! You can compile your students’ notes and drawings into a single book and publish it.

Have your students begin by learning about different types of weather, such as rain systems and desert heat. Then, have them split into groups, so they can research assigned weather types in smaller groups.

Students will decide as a group how to present their type of weather to the rest of the class. They can do this as a typical presentation or they can be a little more creative and present the weather type in a song or dance.

As long as everyone has fun and learns something new about the different weather systems, it’ll be a success!

Natural Disasters

Students can build on what they’ve already learned about weather and use it as a jumping-off point for researching natural disasters.

They’ll learn how the weather types that they’re now familiar with can become triggers for more extreme weather events like tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes.

Students can make posters showing how typical weather phenomena can turn into more dangerous weather systems and natural disasters.

Environmental Impacts of Pollution

Teach your students about different types of pollution, both in the water and the air. Help them learn the difference and understand what polluted water and air look like.

Ask them questions like How does pollution affect animals? What happens when pollution decreases? and What happens if pollution increases again?

Fill a jar with water and tell students to imagine it’s the ocean. Drip some different colors of food dye into the jar and tell the students to imagine it’s pollution.

Let them see how the dye spreads out from where it was dripped and how it will spread even further due to the ocean’s currents (stir the water with a popsicle stick). Ask the students if they think air pollution is the same or different.

Let your students choose or assign them a significant inventor from history. They will research the inventor by visiting the school library and learn about basic information from the inventor’s life. 

This includes facts like when the inventor was born, where they lived during their important inventions and/or discoveries, what made them famous and why they’re still remembered today.

Students will write a research paper and/or present what they have learned to the class. Alternatively, students can go around the room introducing themselves as the inventor they researched and trading facts with classmates.

Once this activity is complete, you can compile all your students’ research papers into a classbook !

Social Studies Research Projects

Share with your students about different types of landforms (caves, rivers, cliffs, beaches, valleys, mesas, etc). Then, they’ll spend some time researching anywhere from one to three of these landforms in more detail.

Landforms and environmental features provide great subjects for a diorama. Whether you have your students create their diorama at home or in class, this provides a great opportunity for visual and interactive learning.

Once everybody’s diorama is finished, your students can walk around the classroom and take a look at their peers’ projects. You can even have them answer specific questions about each one.

Holidays Around the World

Students will start by learning about different holidays around the world. Then, they’ll choose a holiday they hadn’t heard of before and research it more deeply on their own.

While researching, students will take notes about their holiday with the goal of creating a holiday decoration to share with the class. They can use this as an opportunity to teach their peers about another culture from a different part of the world.

Recommended Read Funny National Holidays to Celebrate in the Classroom This Year

History Research Projects

Ancient civilizations.

Let your students choose or assign them an ancient civilization to research. They will research their civilization’s society, leadership structure, art and notable structures. They will use this research to create a presentation to share with the class.

This subject matter is perfect for a group project, but it can also be done individually by assigning different aspects of the civilization to different students (i.e., one student is assigned “Society in Ancient Egypt” and another student is assigned “Leadership in Ancient Egypt,” etc).

United States

Students will begin by learning about the history of the United States . Then, they will each choose or be assigned a different state and break off to individually research their state.

Each student will be responsible for presenting a short report paper to the rest of the class explaining everything they learned about their state. Some interesting things to include are when did their state become a state, official state animal, state mottos, etc. 

US Presidents

Have your students choose a United States president and give a presentation about that president to the rest of the class. This will involve independent research, taking notes and writing a report (or filling in the answers to a set of prewritten questions). 

Then, they can give their presentation while showing off a drawing they’ve made of their president or even dressing as their president!

Encourage your students to go beyond the usual facts and try to find at least one unique or scarcely-known piece of information for each president.

Take a look at these examples of history-related classbooks!

Publish Your Students’ Research Projects as a Classbook!

Studentreasures makes publishing your students’ work into a book easy! Simply collect the reports your students have written for any of the research project ideas listed above and get started with one of our FREE classbook publishing kits !

You’ll be on your way to teaching your students about the writing process while making a keepsake of your year together that they can look back on when they’re older.

Visit our website to learn more about how the process works and see how easily your students can become published authors! You can also check out our Teachers Lounge for helpful lesson plans and class resources.

See All Blogs

• By Studentreasures

We provide teachers and schools with a FREE hands-on writing activity that motivates students to write and inspires students to learn by turning their stories into professionally bound books. Learn More

Resource Center

• Teacher Guides & Storyboards
• Replacement Kit Materials
• Share the Fun
• Writing Tips for the Perfect Book
• Lesson Plans & Writing Worksheets

Recent Posts

• Make Learning Fun with Interactive Writing Games for Elementary Students
• Poetry Scavenger Hunt: A Unique Writing Activity for Kids
• 5 St. Patrick’s Day Creative Writing Prompts
• Fun Friday Ideas For Elementary School Teachers
• The Best Teacher Discounts in 2024

ORDER YOUR FREE PUBLISHING KIT

Order Your Free Publishing Kit

Engaging Writing Prompts for 3rd Graders

Students in 3rd grade should be writing regularly in a variety of styles and for a variety of audiences. Useful writing projects for 3rd graders include  opinion , informative, and narrative essays, as well as short research projects.

For many students, the most difficult part of writing is facing the blank page. The following grade-level appropriate writing prompts provide plenty of inspiration to help your students get started on a number of different writing assignments.

Narrative Essay Writing Prompts

Narrative essays tell a story based on real or imagined events. Students should use descriptive writing and dialogue to tell their tale.

• Scary Stuff. Think of something that scares you and explain what makes it so frightening.
• Grouchy Pants. Describe a day when you were grouchy. What made you so grumpy and how did you get in a better mood?
• School Rules. If you could make a new school rule, what would it be? How would your rule change an average day at school?
• Snappy Travel. Imagine you could snap your fingers and be anywhere else in the world. Write about where you’d go.
• Family Tales. What is the most interesting story that a family member has ever told you about their life?
• Food Forever. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
• Book Bound. If you could be the main character from your favorite book, who would you be? Write about an adventure you might have.
• Seeing Double. Imagine that you have an identical twin who is a different class than you. What pranks would you play on your teachers and classmates?
• Nessy's Life. Have you heard of the Loch Ness Monster ? Imagine you’re the monster. Describe your life under the sea.
• Lost. Have you ever been lost? Write about your experience.
• Perfect Party. Describe what the ultimate birthday party would look like if you could do anything you wanted.
• Kindness Counts. You’re given $100 to do random acts of kindness for others. What do you do?
• Memory Eraser . Describe something that happened to you that you wish you could forget. Explain why.

Opinion Essay Writing Prompts

When writing an opinion essay , students should clearly state their opinion, then back it up with sound reasons and facts. Opinion essays should close the essay with a concluding paragraph and a summary of the argument. 

• Be a Friend. What does it mean to be a good friend?
• Growing Up or Down. Would you rather be older than you are right now or younger? Why?
• Hello? Some kids in 3rd grade have cell phones. Do you? Do you think that’s good or bad?
• Best Pets. Which animal makes the best pet? Give at least three reasons for your opinion.
• Tattletale. If you saw one of your friends doing something that you knew was wrong, should you tell on them? Why or why not?
• School Favorites . What do you think is the best subject in school? What makes it the best?
• Off Limits . Is there a TV show that you’re not allowed to watch or a video game that you’re not allowed to play? Explain why your parents should allow it.
• Summer School. Should your school be in session year ‘round with more breaks throughout the year or continue to give students the summer off? Why?
• Junk Food Fans. Should candy and soda machines be available to students on school property? Why or why not?
• School Supplies. What is the most important tool in your classroom? What makes it so useful?
• School Pride . What is the best thing about being a student at your school?
• What’s in a Name? If you could change your name, what would you choose and why?

Informative Essay Writing Prompts

Informative essays introduce a topic, explain a process, or describe an idea, then provide facts, definitions, and details. Students should organize related information into paragraphs in order to write the most logical essay possible. Remember that they should also include introductory and concluding paragraphs.

• Real Superheroes. Superheroes in movies and comics can do some pretty amazing things, but think of someone you consider to be a real-life hero. What do (or did) they do that makes them a hero? 
• Liar, Liar. Someone told your best friend a lie about you and your friend believed them. Explain how you’d handle the situation.
• Student Teacher. Think of something that you found difficult to do at first (such as multiplication or tying your shoes), but that you now understand. Explain the process so that someone else could learn to do it.
• Holidays . What is your favorite holiday? Explain how you celebrate it.
• Pet Sitter. Your family is going on vacation and a pet-sitter is coming to care for your pets. Write a note explaining how to care for them.
• PB&J. Write out the step-by-step process for making the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
• Chores. What is a household chore for which you are responsible? Explain how to do it.
• Emergency Drills. Think of one emergency drill that your school practices. Write a paper describing exactly how to do it as if you were explaining it to a brand-new student.
• Allergies. Do you have a serious allergy to something like peanuts or milk? Write an essay explaining why it’s so important for you not to come into contact with the allergen.
• Color Wheel. What is your favorite color? Choose an animal or object that is that color and describe it.
• State Fun Facts . Describe some interesting facts about your state to someone who has never visited.
• Family Traditions. Describe a unique family tradition that your family has.
• Game On.  What's your favorite game? Explain the rules to someone who has never played it before.

Research Writing Prompts

Students in 3rd grade can conduct simple research projects that build on their knowledge about a topic. They should use digital and print media to explore the topic , take simple notes, and create a basic outline before beginning the writing process.

• State History. What is the history of your state? Research the history and write an essay about one key event in your state's past.
• Marsupials. Marsupials are animals who carry their babies in pouches. With the exception of the opossum, all marsupials live in Australia. Choose one of them to learn more about.
• Insects. They may be small, but insects play an important role in our environment. Choose an insect to research and write an essay about its characteristics.
• Jaws! Are Great White sharks really man-eaters? Research this question and write an essay about your answer. 
• Bat Signal. How do bats use echolocation?
• Explorers. Choose a famous (or not-so-famous) explorer to research.
• Comic Book Heroes. When was the first comic book published and what was it about?
• Extreme Weather. Choose an extreme weather event such as a tornado, hurricane, or tsunami, and explain its cause.
• International Space Station. Learn more about the International Space Station: how it's used, who visits it, and why it's important. Write an essay about your findings.
• Ben Franklin, Inventor . Many people know Benjamin Franklin as a Founding Father and statesman, but he was also an inventor. Learn about some of the things he invented.
• Legends.  Research a popular legend such as the Lost City of Atlantis, Big Foot, or Paul Bunyan . Write an essay describing the evidence for or against the legend.
• Presidential History. Research the childhood of one American president and write an essay about what you learn.
• 24 Journal Prompts for Creative Writing in the Elementary Classroom
• Fun March Writing Prompts for Journaling
• November Writing and Journal Prompts
• January Writing Prompts
• 4th Grade Writing Prompts
• February Writing Prompts
• October Writing Prompts
• May Writing Prompts
• Writing Prompts for Elementary School Students
• September Writing Prompts
• Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Prompts
• December Writing Prompts
• Second Grade Writing Prompts
• Writing Prompts for 5th Grade
• First Grade Writing Prompts
• Christmas Journal Writing Prompts

The Trapped Librarian

Make your library the center of your school

April 16, 2021 by: Laura

Strengthen Research Skills for 2nd and 3rd Grades

Last Updated on June 15, 2021 by Laura

Teaching research skills in second and third grades is fun when you remember a few important guidelines. The key is looking at the big picture. What have your students learned up until this point? And what will your students need as they progress though school? Research skills for second and third grade students build upon an early foundation and lay the groundwork for future learning and success. Think of these skills as continuing to build a strong foundation.

Scaffold Research Skills

We started small when approaching research skills for kindergarten and first grade students . We want to build upon that learning as we look to the future needs of our students. If you begin with the end in mind (5h grade? 8th grade? 12th grade?), you will be helping your students understand concepts that will serve them well in later learning. It is important to  teach skills each year that build upon one another .

Use Research Vocabulary

It’s important to use the proper vocabulary while teaching research skills to your youngest students. This is one way to build that strong foundation for future learning. Make sure you continue to use the same words with your second and third grade students, taking time to review their meanings and give examples as you go. These words will be familiar each year as you do more research lessons. Some important words to include:

• Informational Text

Give Choices

A key to engaging learning activities is the element of choice. You want your students to know they can use library resources to explore topics of personal interest at any time. You want them coming back to the library, driven by their own curiosity! Even within a guided project, students can choose an animal to research , or a U.S. president to learn about. You can always narrow choices ahead of time if you want to be sure that you have resources to support their chosen topic.

Guide the Process

Does your school use a research process like the Big 6 or Super 3 ? Plan, Do, Review from the Super 3 is a nice framework to follow. It’s easy for you and the students to remember, and all the important steps needed for effective research can fit into those 3 categories. My students plan by reviewing a note taking outline that I provide. Knowing the information they are looking for will help them be productive when looking at their sources.

I choose an animal or president for my topic and demonstrate each step of the process using a document camera with the source projected on the screen. Students use their own devices to access online resources and to search for print resources in our library collection. The “Do” step involves note taking, which I model on my own outline, giving time for students to complete their notes along with me.

Use Kid-Friendly Resources

Over the years I’ve purchased sets of animal books from the Blastoff Readers series, and a president biography from Abdo. Of course we also have animal and president books from other series as well. When students search the library catalog for print resources, they are usually able to find what they need (again you can narrow the list of possibilities ahead of time if you want to be sure). I like being able to demonstrate how to use the index, glossary, charts, timelines, and other text features in these books and have students find them in their own copies as well.

We also use our online databases such as Abdo Zoom Animals and Biographies and World Book Kids and Student. When each student can find their animal or president in the same database, it’s nice to be able to explore the features together. Make sure students know how to have the text read aloud, how to use the glossary (often you just click or double click on the word), and how to cite the source.

Make a Fun Project

Students are motivated when they like the end product they will create. I like to help my second and third grade students create fun projects to share with our school community. In second grade we use PowerPoint (or Google Slides) to create a set of bookmarks about our animal or president. Students can choose one bookmark to display on our bulletin board, take one home, and have two to trade with friends. My third graders also use PowerPoint or Google Slides to create a fun lift-the-flap poster that we display on our library bulletin boards as well. Other students and staff members are drawn to these attractive displays to learn more about animals or the presidents.

Make it Easy on Yourself!

If you’re looking for made-for-you activities to help you teach research skills to your second and third grade students, I can help! These popular resources can be used for in person or distance learning, and include tutorial videos to guide students to success in making fun projects to showcase their learning.

• Animal Research 2-3   is fun and engaging any time of year!
• President Research 2-3  is great for February activities around President’s Day.

Research Skills for Elementary Students

Research skills for second and third grade students continue to lay the foundation for future learning. If you’re looking for scaffolded lessons to take the learning from kindergarten to fifth grade, check out the resources in this  Ultimate Research Bundle . You’ll get lessons and activities for animal research projects and president research projects. Each grade builds upon skills taught the previous year. Help your students progress in their mastery of research skills throughout their elementary school years!

When you make research skills for second and third graders fun, students will remember the process later. And they are more likely to apply it to their own personal interests or future information needs.

Be the light!

April 19, 2021 at 5:38 PM

Hello Laura, Thank you for sharing your wonderfully laid out process of teaching research skills to primary-grade students. I appreciate your step-by-step, organized process and advice on how to keep the project on track by building upon each skill. Admittedly, I often jump ahead too fast, which causes the project to stall and drag on until everyone has lost interest!  Also, I absolutely love the idea of making each researched animal into a fact-filled information bookmark!  This would be perfect in our library, and the students would be so pleased to have their work featured in such novel way –they think bookmarks are one of the best parts of our library (I am the teacher-librarian). I also use the Blastoff Readers in my research project lessons and find these books ideal for teaching nonfiction text features too when I only have time for brief incidental teaching during our book exchange days.

I am so glad to have found your blog and look forward to learning more from you via your posts.

April 23, 2021 at 6:56 AM

Hi Kristin – I’m glad you found some good ideas here! Have fun with your research activities!

May 11, 2021 at 3:26 PM

I really enjoyed this post about research skills for younger grades. I am currently teaching a grade 2/3 class and have found it challenging to really teach these skills to my students. The way that you broke it up with the “Super 3” of Plan, Do, Review, is something I think my students would grasp; breaking down each section with simple instructions. Like the comment above, I too can sometimes jump ahead too quickly which can cause challenges for the students needing extra time fully understand each skill. You mentioned, “It’s important to use the proper vocabulary while teaching research skills to your youngest students,” I agree wholeheartedly with this statement. Ensuring that students are aware of the language that goes along with the process will help make connections in future years and projects.

With research, the notion of giving students choice with an overarching topic is something I too see great value in. I plan to have my students research animals this spring and these ideas and pieces of information will be extremely helpful to help guide my students in the right direction. I noticed your ideas for kid-friendly resources are seen in print and through your school’s databases. Do you find most students gravitate to resources found online rather than in print? I know my students are more intrigued with finding information with screens (or just being on devices in general) and many would put the books as their second option. How do you find the motivation levels when doing your research with books versus technology? At this level, is your main focus of research using whatever intrigues them most or ensuring students are using all available technologies to aid in their research skills?

Looking forward to using these ideas this spring!

May 24, 2021 at 12:37 PM

Hi Robyn – I’ve actually found that often my older elementary students prefer to do research using books rather than technology. But I do like giving them a choice. In the younger grades I want them to learn how to navigate the database(s), so I create my lessons to address that need. As they get older they can make choices regarding the sources they use. Overall, our students need to be comfortable using both print and digital resources.

thetrappedlibrarian

📚 Elementary School Librarian 🌟 NBCT 2011 👩🏻‍🏫 Teacher Author Blog: trappedlibrarian.org

Research Writing (Grades 3-4)

Our Research Writing lesson plan for grades 3-4 teaches students how to write a thoroughly researched and factually accurate five paragraph essay. Students practice researching a topic, summarizing and citing their information, and consolidating it into paragraphs.

Description

Additional information.

Our Research Writing Lesson Plan for grades 3-4 teaches students about the importance of researching and reporting findings accurately and effectively. Being able to clearly and accurately inform and communicate findings through writing is a valuable skill that students will need in many areas of their lives. Gathering and summarizing key information will also be a powerful tool for academic reading and writing throughout upper grades and higher education. In this lesson, students are asked to use the information they have learned to research and write a research paper from start to finish, including brainstorming and outlining.

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to successfully write a five paragraph research paper which clearly provides factual information and/or explanations about an expository topic.

Thank you for submitting a review!

Your input is very much appreciated. Share it with your friends so they can enjoy it too!

Research Writing Grade 3-4

A clear quality educational material that I found useful not only for grades 3-4 but also some of our grade 5 students. I don't know where I would be without Clarendon Learning. Thank you!

Great time saver

Helped save time with great ideas all with common core applications

Great lesson!

Lesson was very thorough and well done!

Extremely helpful

Amazing site for all ages of learning

Related products

Careers: Electrician

Man o’ Wars

Lewis and Clark Expedition

Careers: Archaeologist

Make your life easier with our lesson plans, stay up-to-date with new lessons.

• Lesson Plans
• For Teachers

© 2024 Learn Bright. All rights reserved. Terms and Conditions. Privacy Policy.

• Sign Up for Free

• Chess (Gr. 1-4)
• TV (Gr. 1-4)
• Metal Detectors (Gr. 2-6)
• Tetris (Gr. 2-6)
• Seat Belts (Gr. 2-6)
• The Coliseum (Gr. 2-6)
• The Pony Express (Gr. 2-6)
• Wintertime (Gr. 2-6)
• Reading (Gr. 3-7)
• Black Friday (Gr. 3-7)
• Hummingbirds (Gr. 3-7)
• Worst Game Ever? (Gr. 4-8)
• Carnivorous Plants (Gr. 4-8)
• Google (Gr. 4-8)
• Honey Badgers (Gr. 4-8)
• Hyperinflation (Gr. 4-8)
• Koko (Gr. 4-8)
• Mongooses (Gr. 5-9)
• Trampolines (Gr. 5-9)
• Garbage (Gr. 5-9)
• Maginot Line (Gr. 5-9)
• Asian Carp (Gr. 5-9)
• Tale of Two Countries (Gr. 6-10)
• Kevlar (Gr. 7-10)
• Tigers (Gr. 7-11)
• Statue of Liberty (Gr. 8-10)
• Submarines (Gr. 8-12)
• Castles (Gr. 9-13)
• Gutenberg (Gr. 9-13)
• Author's Purpose Practice 1
• Author's Purpose Practice 2
• Author's Purpose Practice 3
• Fact and Opinion Practice 1
• Fact and Opinion Practice 2
• Fact and Opinion Practice 3
• Idioms Practice Test 1
• Idioms Practice Test 2
• Figurative Language Practice 1
• Figurative Language Practice 2
• Figurative Language Practice 3
• Figurative Language Practice 4
• Figurative Language Practice 5
• Figurative Language Practice 6
• Figurative Language Practice 7
• Figurative Language Practice 8
• Figurative Language Practice 9
• Figurative Language of Edgar Allan Poe
• Figurative Language of O. Henry
• Figurative Language of Shakespeare
• Genre Practice 1
• Genre Practice 2
• Genre Practice 3
• Genre Practice 4
• Genre Practice 5
• Genre Practice 6
• Genre Practice 7
• Genre Practice 8
• Genre Practice 9
• Genre Practice 10
• Irony Practice 1
• Irony Practice 2
• Irony Practice 3
• Making Inferences Practice 1
• Making Inferences Practice 2
• Making Inferences Practice 3
• Making Inferences Practice 4
• Making Inferences Practice 5
• Main Idea Practice 1
• Main Idea Practice 2
• Point of View Practice 1
• Point of View Practice 2
• Text Structure Practice 1
• Text Structure Practice 2
• Text Structure Practice 3
• Text Structure Practice 4
• Text Structure Practice 5
• Story Structure Practice 1
• Story Structure Practice 2
• Story Structure Practice 3
• Author's Purpose
• Characterizations
• Context Clues
• Fact and Opinion
• Figurative Language
• Grammar and Language Arts
• Poetic Devices
• Point of View
• Predictions
• Reading Comprehension
• Story Structure
• Summarizing
• Text Structure
• Character Traits
• Common Core Aligned Unit Plans
• Teacher Point of View
• Teaching Theme
• Patterns of Organization
• Project Ideas
• Reading Activities
• How to Write Narrative Essays
• How to Write Persuasive Essays
• Narrative Essay Assignments
• Narrative Essay Topics
• Persuasive Essay Topics
• Research Paper Topics
• Rubrics for Writing Assignments
• Learn About Sentence Structure
• Grammar Worksheets
• Noun Worksheets
• Parts of Speech Worksheets
• Punctuation Worksheets
• Sentence Structure Worksheets
• Verbs and Gerunds
• Examples of Allitertion
• Examples of Hyperbole
• Examples of Onomatopoeia
• Examples of Metaphor
• Examples of Personification
• Examples of Simile
• Figurative Language Activities
• Figurative Language Examples
• Figurative Language Poems
• Figurative Language Worksheets
• Learn About Figurative Language
• Learn About Poetic Devices
• Idiom Worksheets
• Online Figurative Language Tests
• Onomatopoeia Worksheets
• Personification Worksheets
• Poetic Devices Activities
• Poetic Devices Worksheets
• About This Site
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Understanding CCSS Standards
• What's New?

Ereading Worksheets

Free reading worksheets, activities, and lesson plans., site navigation.

• Learn About Author’s Purpose
• Author’s Purpose Quizzes
• Character Types Worksheets and Lessons
• List of Character Traits
• Differentiated Reading Instruction Worksheets and Activities
• Fact and Opinion Worksheets
• Irony Worksheets
• Animal Farm Worksheets
• Literary Conflicts Lesson and Review
• New Home Page Test
• Lord of the Flies Chapter 2 Worksheet
• Lord of the Flies Chapter 5 Worksheet
• Lord of the Flies Chapter 6 Worksheet
• Lord of the Flies Chapter 10 Worksheet
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
• Sister Carrie
• The Count of Monte Cristo
• The Odyssey
• The War of the Worlds
• The Wizard of Oz
• Mood Worksheets
• Context Clues Worksheets
• Inferences Worksheets
• Main Idea Worksheets
• Making Predictions Worksheets
• Nonfiction Passages and Functional Texts
• Setting Worksheets
• Summarizing Worksheets and Activities
• Short Stories with Questions
• Story Structure Activities
• Story Structure Worksheets
• Tone Worksheets
• Types of Conflict Worksheets
• Reading Games
• Figurative Language Poems with Questions
• Hyperbole and Understatement Worksheets
• Simile and Metaphor Worksheets
• Simile Worksheets
• Hyperbole Examples
• Metaphor Examples
• Personification Examples
• Simile Examples
• Understatement Examples
• Idiom Worksheets and Tests
• Poetic Devices Worksheets & Activities
• Alliteration Examples
• Allusion Examples
• Onomatopoeia Examples
• Onomatopoeia Worksheets and Activities
• Genre Worksheets
• Genre Activities
• Capitalization Worksheets, Lessons, and Tests
• Contractions Worksheets and Activities
• Double Negative Worksheets
• Homophones & Word Choice Worksheets
• ‘Was’ or ‘Were’
• Simple Subjects & Predicates Worksheets
• Subjects, Predicates, and Objects
• Clauses and Phrases
• Type of Sentences Worksheets
• Sentence Structure Activities
• Comma Worksheets and Activities
• Semicolon Worksheets
• End Mark Worksheets
• Noun Worksheets, Lessons, and Tests
• Verb Worksheets and Activities
• Pronoun Worksheets, Lessons, and Tests
• Adverbs & Adjectives Worksheets, Lessons, & Tests
• Preposition Worksheets and Activities
• Conjunctions Worksheets and Activities
• Interjections Worksheets
• Parts of Speech Activities
• Verb Tense Activities
• Past Tense Worksheets
• Present Tense Worksheets
• Future Tense Worksheets
• Point of View Activities
• Point of View Worksheets
• Teaching Point of View
• Cause and Effect Example Paragraphs
• Chronological Order
• Compare and Contrast
• Order of Importance
• Problem and Solution
• Text Structure Worksheets
• Text Structure Activities
• Essay Writing Rubrics
• Narrative Essay Topics and Story Ideas
• Narrative Essay Worksheets & Writing Assignments
• Persuasive Essay and Speech Topics
• Persuasive Essay Worksheets & Activities
• Writing Narrative Essays and Short Stories
• Writing Persuasive Essays
• All Reading Worksheets
• Understanding Common Core State Standards
• Remote Learning Resources for Covid-19 School Closures
• What’s New?
• Ereading Worksheets | Legacy Versions
• Online Figurative Language Practice
• Online Genre Practice Tests
• Online Point of View Practice Tests
• 62 School Project Ideas
• 2nd Grade Reading Worksheets
• 3rd Grade Reading Worksheets
• 4th Grade Reading Worksheets
• 5th Grade Reading Worksheets
• 6th Grade Reading Worksheets
• 7th Grade Reading Worksheets
• 8th Grade Reading Worksheets
• 9th Grade Reading Worksheets
• 10th Grade Reading Worksheets
• Membership Billing
• Membership Cancel
• Membership Checkout
• Membership Confirmation
• Membership Invoice
• Membership Levels
• Your Profile

Want Updates?

101 research paper topics.

• Why do we sleep ?
• How do GPS systems work?
• Who was the first person to reach the North Pole ?
• Did anybody ever escape Alcatraz ?
• What was life like for a gladiator ?
• What are the effects of prolonged steroid use on the human body?
• What happened during the Salem witch trials ?
• Are there any effective means of repelling insects ?
• How did trains and railroads change life in America?
• What may have occurred during the Roswell  UFO incident of 1947?
• How is bulletproof clothing made?
• What Olympic events were practiced in ancient Greece?
• What are the major theories explaining the disappearance of the dinosaurs ?
• How was the skateboard invented and how has it changed over the years?
• How did the long bow contribute to English military dominance?
• What caused the stock market crash of 2008?
• How did Cleopatra come to power in Egypt what did she do during her reign?
• How has airport security intensified since September 11 th , 2001?
• What is life like inside of a beehive ?
• Where did hip hop originate and who were its founders?
• What makes the platypus a unique and interesting mammal?
• How does tobacco use affect the human body?
• How do computer viruses spread and in what ways do they affect computers?
• What is daily life like for a Buddhist monk ?
• What are the origins of the conflict in Darfur ?
• How did gunpowder change warfare?
• In what ways do Wal-Mart stores affect local economies?
• How were cats and dogs domesticated and for what purposes?
• What do historians know about ninjas ?
• How has the music industry been affected by the internet and digital downloading?
• What were the circumstances surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden ?
• What was the women’s suffrage movement and how did it change America?
• What efforts are being taken to protect endangered wildlife ?
• How much does the war on drugs cost Americans each year?
• How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?
• Are humans still evolving ?
• What technologies are available to home owners to help them conserve energy ?
• How have oil spills affected the planet and what steps are being taken to prevent them?
• What was the Magna Carta and how did it change England?
• What is the curse of the pharaohs?
• Why was Socrates executed?
• What nonlethal weapons are used by police to subdue rioters?
• How does the prison population in America compare to other nations?
• How did ancient sailors navigate the globe?
• Can gamblers ever acquire a statistical advantage over the house in casino games?
• What is alchemy and how has it been attempted?
• How are black holes formed?
• How was the assassination of Abraham Lincoln plotted and executed?
• Do the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks?
• How do submarines work?
• Do lie detector tests accurately determine truthful statements?
• How did Cold War tension affect the US and the world?
• What happened to the lost settlers at Roanoke ?
• How does a hybrid car save energy?
• What ingredients can be found inside of a hotdog ?
• How did Julius Caesar affect Rome?
• What are some common sleep disorders and how are they treated?
• How did the Freedom Riders change society?
• How is internet censorship used in China and around the world?
• What was the code of the Bushido and how did it affect samurai warriors ?
• What are the risks of artificial tanning or prolonged exposure to the sun?
• What programs are available to help war veterans get back into society?
• What steps are involved in creating a movie or television show?
• How have the film and music industries dealt with piracy ?
• How did Joan of Arc change history?
• What responsibilities do secret service agents have?
• How does a shark hunt?
• What dangers and hardships did Lewis and Clark face when exploring the Midwest?
• Has the Patriot Act prevented or stopped terrorist acts in America?
• Do states that allow citizens to carry guns have higher or lower crime rates?
• How are the Great Depression and the Great Recession similar and different?
• What are the dangers of scuba diving and underwater exploration?
• How does the human brain store and retrieve memories ?
• What was the Manhattan Project and what impact did it have on the world?
• How does stealth technology shield aircraft from radar?
• What causes tornadoes ?
• Why did Martin Luther protest against the Catholic Church?
• How does a search engine work?
• What are the current capabilities and future goals of genetic engineers ?
• How did the Roman Empire fall?
• What obstacles faced scientists in breaking the sound barrier ?
• How did the black plague affect Europe?
• What happened to Amelia Earhart ?
• What are the dangers and hazards of using nuclear power ?
• How did Genghis Khan conquer Persia?
• What architectural marvels were found in Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire ?
• From where does spam email come and can we stop it?
• How does night vision work?
• How did journalists influence US war efforts in Vietnam ?
• What are the benefits and hazards of medical marijuana ?
• What causes desert mirages and how do they affect wanderers?
• What was the cultural significance of the first moon landing ?
• What are sinkholes and how are they formed?
• Have any psychics ever solved crimes or prevented them from occurring?
• Who is Vlad the Impaler and what is his connection to Count Dracula ?
• What are the risks of climate change and global warming ?
• What treatments are available to people infected with HIV and are they effective?
• Who was a greater inventor, Leonardo di Vinci or Thomas Edison ?
• How are the Chinese and American economies similar and different?
• Why was communism unsuccessful in so many countries?
• In what ways do video games affect children and teenagers?

923 Comments

I like using this website when I assist kids with learning as a lot of these topics are quickly covered in the school systems. Thankyou

Mackenah Nicole Molina

Wow! I always have trouble deiciding what to do a research project on but this list has totally solved that. Now my only problem is choosing what idea on this list I should do first!

Most of these my teacher rejected because apparently ‘these aren’t grade level topics, and I doubt they interest you”

I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds like you will have a potentially valuable character-building experience in the short-term.

Edwin Augusto Galindo Cuba

THIS SITE IS AWESOME, THERE ARE LOTS OF TOPICS TO LEARN AND MASTER OUR SKILLS!

research kid

I need one about animals, please. I have been challenged to a animal research project, Due Friday. I have no clue what to research! somebody help, thanks for reading!

You can do one on bats

For international studies you can do Defense and Security.

This was very helpful.

Research on Ben Franklin? I think THAT will get a real charge out of everyone (hehehehegetit)

Mandy Maher

“Is it possible to colonize Mars?”

maddy burney

these are silly topics

thx for making this real.

more gaming questions!!!!!!

Is it still considered stealing if you don’t get caught?

Yes, yes it is still considered stealing.

I need topics on memes

Mary Nnamani

Please I need project topics on Language Literature

Marcella Vallarino

I would appreciate a list of survey questions for middle school grades 6-8

I need a research topics about public sector management

I NEED FIVE EXAMPLES EACH ON QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH (EDUCATION, HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY, ECONOMY AND ENGINEERING)

publish research that are interesting please……

hey can you do one on the burmiueda triangle

Anybody know video games effect kids,and,teens. There Fun!!

they’re

I need a topic about woman history if any of u can find 1 please that would be great!

You could research about the history of the astronauts, and of human past (WWI, WWII, etc.)

so about women? Manitoba Women Win the Right to Vote in Municipal Elections, The First Women, January 23, 1849: Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first woman to graduate from medical school and become a doctor in the United States, Rosa Parks Civil Rights Equal Pay. I have way more. so if you need more just ask.

communism is good

what are you a communist?!?!

Did FDR know about the upcoming attack on Pearl Harbor on 07 DEC 1941.

do you know how babies are born

Christine Singu

kindly assist with a research topic in the field of accounting or auditing

need more about US army

Please can yiu give me a topic in education

I think one should be how can music/Video games can affect the life for people

or How Do Video Games Affect Teenagers?

zimbabwe leader

I think a good topic is supporting the confederate flag!

Need a research topic within the context of students union government and dues payments

do more weird ones plz

joyce alcantara

Hi pls po can you give me a topic relate for humanities pls thank u.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe Now

Popular content.

• Author's Purpose Worksheets
• Characterization Worksheets
• Common Core Lesson and Unit Plans
• Online Reading Practice Tests
• Plot Worksheets
• Reading Comprehension Worksheets
• Summary Worksheets
• Theme Worksheets

New and Updated Pages

• Capitalization Worksheets
• Contractions Worksheets
• Double Negatives Worksheets
• Homophones & Word Choice Worksheets

BECOME A MEMBER!

Tech ed from Teacher-authors

33 Great Research Websites for Kids

Here are quick, safe spots to send students for research:

• BrainPop –with the BrainPop characters, a launchpad to curiosity
• CoolKidFacts –kid-friendly videos, pictures, info, and quizzes–all 100% suitable for children
• Dimensions –academic research geared for college-level
• Fact Monster –help with homework and facts
• Google Earth Timelapse –what changes to the planet over time
• Google Trends –what’s trending in searches
• History Channel –great speeches
• How Stuff Works –the gold standard in explaining stuff to kids
• Info Please –events cataloged year-by-year
• National Geographic for Kids
• Ngram Viewer –analyzes all words in all books on Google Books
• TagGalaxy –search using a cloud
• Wild Wordsmyth –picture dictionary for kids
• World Book –requires membership

Citing Resources

• Citation Machine

Kids Search Engines

• Kiddle –visual search engine for kids

How to Research

• A Google A Day
• How to Search on Google
• Power Searching (with Google)
• Teaching students to search/research
• I nternet Search and Research –a lesson plan for K-8

Lesson Plans

• Image Copyright Do’s and Don’ts
• Internet Search and Research

Resources/Research

• Kids Picture Dictionary
• Primary Source Documents
• Talk to Books –research your topic based on books

Click for a lesson plan on Search and Research .

Click for more search and research websites.

Jacqui Murray  has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a  K-12 technology curriculum ,  K-8 keyboard curriculum,   K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum . She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an  Amazon Vine Voice , freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers,  To Hunt a Sub  and  Twenty-four Days . You can find her resources at  Structured Learning.

Updated 1-16-23

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Related Articles

5 thoughts on “ 33 Great Research Websites for Kids ”

love these websites.

Thanks so much!

• Pingback: How to Teach Argument Writing Step-By-Step - ELA Buffet

they are nice to reach on

They’re a little out of the norm, which makes them more interesting.

Comments are closed.

We are a group of dedicated technology teachers with tons of experience in teaching K-18 t ech, unraveling its problems, and making it exciting for kids (and adults). We blog here, teach online grad school classes, provide curricula (like K-12 Technology curriculum ,  K-8 keyboard curriculum,   K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum ). Jacqui Murray (the face of AATT) also authors tech thrillers,  To Hunt a Sub  and  Twenty-four Days . You can find our resources at  Structured Learning.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address

Find Us, Follow Us

Top Posts & Pages

Fun Typing Games

Emails/Newsletters

One-time donation, monthly donation, aatt resources.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Find books here…

Student Workbooks

Homeschoolers

Teaching Strategies

• Digital Literacy 0
• Flipped Class 0
• Frayer Model 0
• Habits of Mind 0
• Mindfulness 0
• Orton-Gillingham 0
• 7 Assessment Tools
• Benchmark assessments
• CC Assessments
• Common Core and Assessment
• Report Cards and Tech
• 13 Skills that Blogs Teach
• 3 Issues before schools blog
• Blogging and CC

Book Reviews

• CC Literacy
• CC Meets GA
• Endangered Minds

Chromebooks

• Chromebooks in Class
• Chromebooks–Pros/Cons

Common Core

• Adapt to CC
• Align Tech with CC
• CC and Blogs
• CC and keyboarding
• CC and publishing
• CC Classroom

Digital Citizenship

• 17 DigCit Topics
• 1st Grade DigCit
• 2nd Grade DigCit
• 3rd Grade DigCit
• 4th Grade DigCit
• 5th Grade DigCit
• 6th Grade DigCit
• Kindergarten DigCit
• Charts in Excel
• Excel and Arrays
• Shapes in Excel
• Tessellations in Excel

Featured Articles

• Are you a new tech teacher?
• Computers and Tech Teachers
• Create an inquiry-based class
• Twitter in Education
• You're a Geek now
• Create wallpaper
• 5 Favorite Apps
• IPads vs. laptops

Keyboarding

• 6 Ways to Make KB Fun
• Adults and keyboarding
• Do we need KBing?
• Handwriting vs. KB
• Is KB Cool?
• KB class in 25 minutes
• KB with ASCII art

Online classes

• Work remotely

Presentations

• 15-second presentation
• PowerPoint or Publisher

Problem solving

• 3-click rule
• Computer quits
• I Can Solve That
• Most common problems
• What if Computers Fail
• What if Tech Fails

Miscellaneous

• Structured Learning 0

Special Needs

• Special Needs–Reading
• Tech and Special Needs
• Entries feed
• Comments feed
• WordPress.org

Question? Click…

Any cookies on my website are used to ensure normal website functions (for instance, Youtube videos won’t work without their own identifiers). These cookies cannot be switched off because the website wouldn’t work properly anymore. However, these identifiers do not store any personal data.

Legal stuff

When you leave a comment, WordPress stores your gravatar name, IP Address, comment, and email address. Therefore, leaving a comment is considered a clear affirmative, specific, and unambiguous action as defined by the GDPR giving me consent to store this information, and permission to contact you in the future by email.

Your personal information will not be sold or shared with any third parties under any circumstances. Your information shall be retained until you unsubscribe or ask me to remove your data. If you feel your data has been misused, you have a right to complain to the  Hellenic Data Protection Authority  (HDPA). If you do not consent to the above, please don’t leave a comment.

AI Legal Notices

The content presented in this blog is the result of my creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”

Copyright © 2024

WOULD YOU LIKE ACCESS TO ALL THE FREEBIES FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS? ➔

How to Teach Research Skills to Elementary Students in 2024

Research skills are incredibly important in the world we live in today. When we come across a problem or a question, what do we do? We quickly search online to find the answer. We are using our research skills while we are doing this. Read below to learn how to teach research skills to elementary students! This will help you prepare your twenty-first century learners for the ever-changing world we live in. You’ll have the confidence to create opportunities to apply these skills to research projects like this animal research project .

What are Research Skills?

Research skills is the ability to search for information about a topic, evaluate that information efficiently, and share findings in an organized way.

What Research Skills do Elementary Students Need?

Your elementary students are required to learn research skills if your state uses the Common Core or TEKS.  Read below to learn what specific research standards your grade level covers.

Research Standards in Common Core

The standards listed below are a good starting point for figuring out how to teach research skills to your elementary students.

Kindergarten

• ELA.W.K.7 : Participate in shared research and writing projects.
• ELA.W.K.8 : With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

First Grade

• ELA.W.1.7 : Participate in shared research and writing projects.
• ELA.W.1.8 : With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Second Grade

• ELA.W.2.7 : Participate in shared research and writing projects.
• ELA.W.2.8 : Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Third Grade

• ELA.W.3.7 : Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
• ELA.W.3.8 : Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

Fourth Grade

• ELA.W.4.7 : Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
• ELA.W.4.8 : Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. 
• ELA.4.9 : Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
• ELA.4.9.B : Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts.

Fifth Grade

• ELA.W.5.7 : Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
• ELA.W.5.8 : Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
• ELA.W.5.9 : Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
• ELA.W.5.9.B : Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts.

Research Standards in TEKS

The standards listed below are a good starting point for figuring out how to teach research skills to your students.

• Generate questions for formal and informal inquiry with adult assistance. (TEKS 12A)
• Develop and follow a research plan with adult assistance. (TEKS 12B)
• Gather information from a variety of sources with adult assistance. (TEKS 12C)
• Demonstrate understanding of information gathered with adult assistance. (TEKS 12D)
• Use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results. (TEKS 12E)
• Generate questions for formal and informal inquiry with adult assistance. (TEKS 13A)
• Develop and follow a research plan with adult assistance. (TEKS 13B)
• Identify and gather relevant sources and information to answer the questions with adult assistance. (TEKS 13C)
• Demonstrate understanding of information gathered with adult assistance. (TEKS 13D)
• Use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results. (TEKS 13E)
• Identify and gather relevant sources and information to answer the questions. (TEKS 13C)
• Identify primary and secondary sources. (TEKS 13D)
• Demonstrate understanding of information gathered. (TEKS 13E)
• Cite sources appropriately. (TEKS 13F)
• Use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results. (TEKS 13G)
• Generate questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry. (TEKS 13A)
• Identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources. (TEKS 13C)
• Recognize the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism when using source materials. (TEKS 13F)
• Create a works cited page. (TEKS 13G)
• Use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results. (TEKS 13H)
• Generate and clarify questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry. (TEKS 13A)
• Develop a bibliography. (TEKS 13G)
• Use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results . (TEKS 13H)
• Understand credibility of primary and secondary sources. (TEKS 13D)
• Differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism when using source materials. (TEKS 13F)

20 Research Mini Lesson Ideas

Below are 20 research mini lessons for how to teach research skills to elementary students.

• Research and What it Looks Like
• The Steps in the Research Process
• Types of Resources
• Text Features in Websites
• Finding Resources on the Internet
• Finding Information in Non-Fiction Books
• Text Features in Non-Fiction Texts
• How to Use an Encyclopedia
• Conducting an Interview with an Expert
• Reading a Newspaper and Getting Information from it
• Previewing a Text for Research
• Evaluating a Resource to Determine if it is Reliable
• Citing Sources
• Facts vs. Opinions
• Taking notes
• Paraphrasing
• Summarizing
• Organizing Information
• Writing Like an Informational Writer
• Presenting Findings

What are the Research Steps for Elementary Students?

Here are the 4 steps of the research process for elementary students:

• Choose a topic.
• Search for information.
• Organize information.
• Share information.

Ideas for Elementary School Research Topics

Below are research topic ideas for elementary students.

Animal Research Topics for Elementary Students

1. ocean animals.

Oyster, tuna, cod, grouper, shrimp, barnacle, barracuda, shark, bass, whale, lobster, starfish, salmon, clam, conch, coral, crab, sea otter, dolphin, eel, seal, sea turtle, flounder, octopus, sea star, haddock, jellyfish, krill, manatee, marlin, seahorse, sea otter, sea cucumber, sea lion, sea urchin, stingray, squid, swordfish, and walrus

2. Land Animals

Aardvark, elephant, frog, dog, tortoise, ant, anteater, antelope, fox, rabbit, baboon, camel, badger, owl, bat, bear, beaver, bison, rhinoceros, spider, bobcat, buffalo, bumble bee, butterfly, cat, chameleon, cheetah, chicken, chipmunk, cockroach, cougar, cow, coyote, gorilla, deer, donkey, dragonfly, eagle, emu, ferret, flamingo, goat, goose, hedgehog, heron, hippopotamus, horse, hummingbird, hyena, iguana, jaguar, kangaroo, koala, lemur, leopard, lion, llama, meerkat, mongoose, monkey, moth, mouse, mule, panther, parrot, peacock, pelican, peacock, pheasant, pig, platypus, porcupine, possum, puma, quail, raccoon, rattlesnake, sheep, skunk, sloth, squirrel, swan, termite, tiger, turkey, vulture, walrus, weasel, wolf, woodpecker, yak, and zebra

3. Endangered Species

Bengal tiger, polar bear, Pacific walrus, Magellanic penguin, leatherback turtle, bluefish tuna, mountain gorilla, monarch butterfly, Javan rhinoceros, giant panda, amur leopard, sei whale, Asian elephant, sumatran elephant, pangolin, African wild dog, amur tiger, blue whale, bonobo, chimpanzee, dugong, Indus river dolphin, orangutan, red panda, sea lion, vaquita, whale shark, yangtze finless porpoise, North Atlantic right whale, and yellowfish tuna

Resources for Teaching Elementary Research Skills

Below are resources for teaching elementary student research skills.

Animal Research Project

Learn more about the animal research project below!

What is the animal research project?

The animal research project is a printable and digital research project where students learn about any animal they choose. You can also choose the animals for them. The resource can be used over and over again all year long by just picking a new animal.

What grades is the animal research project appropriate for?

This resource includes tons of differentiated materials so it is appropriate for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students.

What is included in the animal research project?

The animal research project includes the following:

• teacher’s guide with tips and instructions to support you with your lesson planning and delivery
• parent communication letter to promote family involvement
• graphic organizers for brainstorming a topic, activating schema, taking notes, drafting writing
• research report publishing printables including a cover, writing templates and resource pages
• grading rubric so expectations are clear for students and grading is quick and easy for you
• research activities (KWL, can have are chart, compare/contrast Venn diagram, habitat map, vocabulary pages, illustration page, and life cycle charts)
• flipbook project printables to give an additional choice of how students can demonstrate their understanding
• flap book project printables to offer students another way to demonstrate their learning
• research poster to serve as an additional way to demonstrate student understanding
• poetry activities to offer students an alternative way to demonstrate their learning
• digital version so your students can access this resource in school or at home

4 Research Websites

Below are 4 research websites for elementary students.

• http://www.kidrex.org
• https://www.kiddle.co
• https://www.safesearchkids.com
• https://www.kidzsearch.com/boolify/
• Read more about: ELEMENTARY TEACHING , LITERACY

You might also like these posts...

May would you rather questions and activities for elementary students, april would you rather questions and activities for elementary students, november coloring: elementary color by code activities for 2024.

LET'S CONNECT

Hey there! I’m Jodi. I am a National Board Certified teacher with 17 years of experience in the classroom.

I created Clutter-Free Classroom to support busy elementary teachers like you!

FREEBIES FOR TEACHERS

Join the 75,000+ elementary teachers who receive free resources from us each week.

© Jodi Durgin | Clutter-Free Classroom, LLC • Website by KristenDoyle.co

Reading & Math for K-5

• Kindergarten
• Learning numbers
• Comparing numbers
• Place Value
• Roman numerals
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Order of operations
• Drills & practice
• Measurement
• Factoring & prime factors
• Proportions
• Shape & geometry
• Data & graphing
• Word problems
• Children's stories
• Leveled Stories
• Context clues
• Cause & effect
• Compare & contrast
• Fact vs. fiction
• Fact vs. opinion
• Main idea & details
• Story elements
• Conclusions & inferences
• Sounds & phonics
• Words & vocabulary
• Reading comprehension
• Early writing
• Numbers & counting
• Simple math
• Social skills
• Other activities
• Dolch sight words
• Fry sight words
• Multiple meaning words
• Prefixes & suffixes
• Vocabulary cards
• Other parts of speech
• Punctuation
• Capitalization
• Narrative writing
• Opinion writing
• Informative writing
• Cursive alphabet
• Cursive letters
• Cursive letter joins
• Cursive words
• Cursive sentences
• Cursive passages
• Grammar & Writing

Breadcrumbs

Research practice

Download & Print Only $6.49

Note taking practice

These writing worksheets give students practice in research and note taking .  A research topic is given, and students use the graphic organizer to organize their notes.

Civilizations:

These worksheets are available to members only.

Join K5 to save time, skip ads and access more content. Learn More

What is K5?

K5 Learning offers free worksheets , flashcards  and inexpensive  workbooks  for kids in kindergarten to grade 5. Become a member  to access additional content and skip ads.

Our members helped us give away millions of worksheets last year.

We provide free educational materials to parents and teachers in over 100 countries. If you can, please consider purchasing a membership ($24/year) to support our efforts.

Members skip ads and access exclusive features.

Learn about member benefits

This content is available to members only.

• Forgot Password?

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 great research paper topics.

General Education

One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you.

In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics.

#1: It's Something You're Interested In

A paper is always easier to write if you're interested in the topic, and you'll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don't feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well.

#2: There's Enough Information to Write a Paper

Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you're so excited to write about it, you won't be able to produce a good paper if there isn't enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper.

Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn't have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper.

#3: It Fits Your Teacher's Guidelines

Don't get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you're writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won't be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you're really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing.

113 Good Research Paper Topics

Below are 113 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We've organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Arts/Culture

• Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance .
• Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
• How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years?
• How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music?
• How has rap music evolved in the past decade?
• How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed?

Current Events

• What have been the impacts of China's one child policy?
• How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades?
• How has the Trump presidency changed international relations?
• Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
• What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
• What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
• How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
• How have the US's immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
• How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US?
• What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US?
• What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)?
• What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power?
• Discuss the history of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies  (some of which tokenize the S&P 500 Index on the blockchain) .
• Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers?
• Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
• Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren't receiving a free meal?
• Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools?
• Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
• How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method ?
• Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
• What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
• How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?
• What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students' health?
• Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
• Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools?
• Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching?
• How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
• Should graduate students be able to form unions?

• What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US?
• How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
• Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
• How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
• How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
• Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?
• Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes?
• Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
• Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another.
• Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
• Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs?
• Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
• Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet?
• Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
• How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss?
• How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other?
• What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
• What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods?
• Which methods are most effective for improving memory?
• What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US?
• What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis?
• Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
• Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
• How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week?
• Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children?
• What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs?
• How does stress affect the body?
• Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
• What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials?
• Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation?
• How has New Orleans and the government's response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina?
• What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
• What were the impacts of British rule in India ?
• Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
• What were the successes and failures of the women's suffrage movement in the United States?
• What were the causes of the Civil War?
• How did Abraham Lincoln's assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
• Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
• What caused Hitler's rise to power?
• Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
• What led to Cleopatra's fall as ruler of Egypt?
• How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries?
• What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide ?

• Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church?
• Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.)
• How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church?
• How has the Catholic church's power changed over the past decades/centuries?
• What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/ agnosticism in the United States?
• What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha?
• How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September 11th?

Science/Environment

• How has the earth's climate changed in the past few decades?
• How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US?
• Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades.
• Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time.
• How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods?
• How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety?
• What are the pros and cons of fracking?
• What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far?
• What have NASA's biggest successes and failures been?
• How can we improve access to clean water around the world?
• Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment?
• Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
• What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction?
• What impact has climate change had on coral reefs?
• How are black holes created?
• Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
• How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users?
• Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles.
• How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
• Has social media made people more or less connected?
• What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence ?
• Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
• What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
• How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
• When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone?
• Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates?

How to Write a Great Research Paper

Even great research paper topics won't give you a great research paper if you don't hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers.

#1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early

Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don't want to start writing without it!

As some examples, if you're writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be "Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom."

If you're writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be "While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states' rights, and territorial expansion."

#2: Back Every Statement Up With Research

Remember, this is a research paper you're writing, so you'll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You're allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give.

#3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing

You don't want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn't enough research to back up the points you're making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you're trying to make!

Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you've collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you're going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it'll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper.

What's Next?

Are you also learning about dynamic equilibrium in your science class? We break this sometimes tricky concept down so it's easy to understand in our complete guide to dynamic equilibrium .

Thinking about becoming a nurse practitioner? Nurse practitioners have one of the fastest growing careers in the country, and we have all the information you need to know about what to expect from nurse practitioner school .

Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa).

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

Shaping Young Minds: Opinion Writing Topics for 3rd Grade

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

1. Developing Writing Skills: Why Opinion Writing is Important for 3rd Graders

2. exploring engaging topics: inspiring ideas for opinion writing in 3rd grade, 3. nurturing critical thinking: encouraging 3rd graders to form informed opinions, 4. promoting self-expression: creating a safe environment for 3rd grade opinion writing, 5. incorporating real-life connections: connecting opinion writing to everyday experiences, 6. building logical arguments: teaching 3rd graders the art of persuasive writing, 7. cultivating empathy: empowering 3rd graders to write about social issues, 8. encouraging collaboration: peer feedback and revision in 3rd grade opinion writing, frequently asked questions, in conclusion.

Opinion writing plays a crucial role in the development of writing skills for 3rd graders. It goes beyond simply expressing thoughts and ideas; it encourages young students to think critically, engage in open-minded discussions, and develop their own unique perspectives. Here are several reasons why opinion writing is essential for 3rd graders:

• Enhances critical thinking: Through opinion writing, students learn to analyze various topics from different angles and make informed judgments. They develop the ability to gather evidence, evaluate arguments, and support their opinions with logical reasoning.
• Fosters communication skills: When children express their opinions in writing, they’re encouraged to articulate their thoughts clearly and concisely. This skill helps them organize their ideas effectively and communicate their viewpoints with confidence and coherence.

Moreover, opinion writing empowers 3rd graders by giving them a voice. It allows them to express their feelings, preferences, and beliefs on a wide range of subjects, such as their favorite books, sports, or even current events. By practicing opinion writing, children gain a sense of autonomy and become more capable of participating in constructive conversations both in and outside the classroom.

In 3rd grade, opinion writing not only teaches students essential skills but also encourages them to express themselves freely. To assist young writers in generating interesting and thought-provoking ideas, we’ve compiled a list of engaging topics that will spark their imagination and promote critical thinking.

Take a look at some exciting ideas to incorporate into your opinion writing lessons:

• Is it better to read books or watch movies? Invite students to share their preference and explain why they believe one medium is superior to the other.
• Should school uniform be mandatory? Encourage students to debate the pros and cons of wearing a school uniform, considering factors such as equality, individuality, and school spirit.
• Which season is the best? Explore the unique characteristics of each season and allow students to defend their favorite, showcasing their creative writing skills.
• Should pets be allowed in school? Ask students to articulate their stance on the topic, weighing the benefits and potential distractions that pets may bring to the classroom.

These topic suggestions aim to captivate 3rd graders’ interest and encourage them to form and support their own opinions. Remember, providing a safe and inclusive environment for open discussions is key to fostering their growth as independent thinkers and writers!

Developing critical thinking skills is crucial for 3rd graders as they begin to form their own opinions about the world around them. By nurturing their ability to think critically, we empower them to analyze information, question assumptions, and make informed decisions . Here are some effective strategies to encourage 3rd graders in developing this essential skill:

• Engage in thought-provoking discussions: Encourage open-ended questions and active participation in class discussions. By asking students to explain their reasoning and supporting their opinions with evidence, we foster critical thinking.
• Current events exploration: Introduce students to age-appropriate news articles and encourage discussions on topics that are relevant to their lives. This exposes them to different perspectives, helps them think beyond their immediate experiences, and broadens their understanding of the world.

Moreover, it is essential to provide students with a safe and inclusive environment where they feel comfortable expressing their opinions without fear of judgment. Praising their efforts in formulating well-reasoned arguments and celebrating diverse viewpoints will further fuel their desire to think critically. By nurturing critical thinking in 3rd graders, we equip them with a valuable skill that will serve them well throughout their academic journey and beyond.

Creating a safe environment for 3rd grade opinion writing is essential in promoting self-expression among young writers. By establishing a supportive atmosphere, students can feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions without fear of judgment. Here are some strategies to promote self-expression in the classroom:

• Encourage active listening: Foster a culture of respect by teaching students the importance of active listening. This will help students feel heard and validated when expressing their opinions.
• Modeling open-mindedness: As an educator, it is crucial to model open-mindedness and respect for differing views. By doing so, students will learn to appreciate diverse opinions and feel encouraged to express their own.
• Provide choice: Offer a variety of topics for opinion writing, allowing students to select a subject they feel passionate about. This autonomy promotes engagement and aids in developing confident writers.

Moreover, it is equally essential to create a safe space where students can feel free to express themselves:

• Create a non-judgmental environment: Emphasize the importance of giving and receiving constructive feedback. Encourage students to focus on the content rather than criticizing individual opinions.
• Incorporate peer collaboration: Implement activities that promote collaboration and discussion, such as pair or group writing exercises. This allows students to share ideas, learn from one another, and build confidence in expressing their opinions.

By implementing these strategies and fostering a safe environment, 3rd-grade students will thrive in their opinion writing journey, gaining valuable skills in self-expression and communication that will benefit them throughout their academic and personal lives.

Opinion writing becomes more meaningful and relatable when it is connected to real-life experiences. By incorporating everyday connections, students can develop a deeper understanding of their own perspectives and engage in more authentic discussions. Here are some creative ways to connect opinion writing to the real world:

• Current Events: Encourage students to read and analyze news articles or watch relevant videos that discuss topics they are interested in. This not only enhances their knowledge on various subjects but also helps them develop critical thinking skills as they form opinions based on factual evidence.
• Personal Reflections: Provide opportunities for students to reflect on their own experiences and emotions. This could involve writing about their favorite books, movies, or even their personal values. By connecting their opinions to their own lives, students become more invested in their writing and find it easier to express themselves.

Furthermore, incorporating real-life connections in opinion writing fosters empathy and broadens students’ understanding of different perspectives. By discussing diverse opinions on topics such as climate change, social justice, or even popular culture, students are exposed to a range of viewpoints. This exposure teaches them to respect differing opinions and engage in respectful debates, ultimately strengthening their communication and collaborative skills.

In order to teach 3rd graders the art of persuasive writing, it is important to focus on building logical arguments. By giving students the necessary tools to construct solid arguments, they will be better equipped to express their ideas effectively and convince others of their viewpoint. Here are some strategies and activities that can help enhance their persuasive writing skills :

• Understanding the audience: Teach students to consider who their audience is and what their concerns or interests may be. Encourage them to tailor their arguments accordingly and use language that appeals to their audience.
• Identifying supporting evidence: Emphasize the importance of using evidence to back up their claims. Teach students to find reliable sources, such as books or articles, to support their arguments. Help them learn how to present this evidence in a clear and organized manner.
• Exploring counterarguments: Introduce students to the concept of counterarguments and teach them how to address opposing viewpoints. Encourage them to anticipate counterarguments and explain why their own position is stronger.
• Using persuasive language: Teach students various techniques, such as using strong adjectives and adverbs, appealing to emotions, and employing rhetorical questions. These language tools can help make their arguments more compelling and persuasive.

By building strong logical arguments, 3rd graders can become skilled persuasive writers. Encourage them to practice these strategies through class debates or persuasive writing assignments. Remind them that their opinion matters and by presenting well-constructed arguments, they have the power to influence others.

Cultivating empathy is crucial in today’s society, and it is never too early to start teaching it to our children. In this empowering workshop, we bring together a group of talented 3rd graders to explore and write about social issues that matter to them. By engaging these young minds in discussions about empathy, they will develop a deeper understanding of the world around them and learn how their words can make a difference.

Through interactive activities and thought-provoking prompts, we guide the 3rd graders in expressing their thoughts and emotions about various social issues. We foster their creativity and encourage them to think critically about topics such as bullying, poverty, and environmental conservation. Our experienced facilitators provide a safe space for these young writers to share their perspectives and feelings, empowering them to use the power of the written word to raise awareness and advocate for positive change.

Throughout the workshop, our emphasis is on teaching these 3rd graders how to write effectively about social issues. We encourage them to use descriptive language, incorporating sensory details that evoke emotions in their readers. By emphasizing the importance of research, we guide them to gather facts and statistics that support their arguments and opinions. Additionally, we inspire them to interview individuals who have experienced these issues firsthand, amplifying authentic voices in their writing. Overall, this workshop equips young minds with the tools and the confidence they need to make a meaningful impact on the world around them.

• Cultivate empathy in young 3rd graders
• Encourage critical thinking and creativity
• Promote effective writing about social issues
• Provide a safe space for sharing perspectives
• Teach the importance of research and interviewing

Collaboration plays a crucial role in the development of 3rd graders’ opinion writing skills. By encouraging peer feedback and revision, students not only enhance their writing abilities but also foster teamwork and critical thinking. Here’s how teachers can create a collaborative environment in the classroom:

1. Peer Feedback Sessions: Set aside dedicated time for students to provide feedback on each other’s opinion pieces. This can be done through structured activities such as pair or small group discussions. Encourage students to focus on specific elements of writing, such as clarity of arguments, use of examples, or organization. Remind them to be constructive and respectful in their feedback, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement.

2. Revision Stations: Transform your classroom into interactive revision stations to engage students in the revision process. Divide the room into different areas, each focusing on a specific aspect of opinion writing. For example, one station could be dedicated to strengthening introduction paragraphs, while another could focus on incorporating persuasive language techniques. Allow students to rotate through these stations, providing them opportunities to revise their own work and receive guidance from their peers. This hands-on approach not only encourages collaboration but also empowers students to take ownership of their writing.

Q: What are opinion writing topics for 3rd grade? A: Opinion writing topics for 3rd grade are subjects that allow students to express their personal views and provide reasons to support their opinions. These topics encourage critical thinking skills and help students develop their own unique voice through writing.

Q: Why is opinion writing important for 3rd graders? A: Opinion writing is important for 3rd graders as it helps them develop their communication skills, creativity, and ability to express themselves effectively. It also encourages independent thinking, as students learn to form opinions based on their own experiences and observations.

Q: What are some popular opinion writing topics for 3rd graders? A: Popular opinion writing topics for 3rd graders include: 1. Should students have to wear school uniforms? 2. Is it better to have a pet or a sibling? 3. What is the best after-school activity? 4. Should kids be allowed to vote? 5. Should school days be shorter? 6. Is homework necessary? 7. Which is better, indoor or outdoor games? 8. Should junk food be banned at school?

Q: How can teachers facilitate opinion writing in 3rd grade classrooms? A: Teachers can facilitate opinion writing in 3rd grade classrooms through various strategies: 1. Provide clear explanations of what opinion writing is and model the process for students. 2. Offer a range of age-appropriate and engaging topics for students to choose from. 3. Encourage brainstorming sessions to help students gather ideas and arguments. 4. Teach students how to structure their opinion pieces, including writing an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. 5. Foster a classroom environment that values and respects differing opinions. 6. Provide regular feedback and support to help students improve their writing skills. 7. Incorporate peer-review activities to encourage collaboration and revision.

Q: How can parents support their 3rd graders in opinion writing? A: Parents can support their 3rd graders in opinion writing by: 1. Encouraging their child to practice writing their opinions by discussing daily topics or events. 2. Reading opinion articles together and discussing the arguments made by the writer. 3. Helping their child brainstorm ideas and organize their thoughts before writing. 4. Providing constructive feedback on their child’s writing, focusing on both strengths and areas for improvement. 5. Setting aside regular time for writing practice at home. 6. Celebrating their child’s accomplishments and progress in opinion writing.

Q: Why is it important for 3rd graders to develop their own opinions through writing? A: It is important for 3rd graders to develop their own opinions through writing because it helps them develop critical thinking skills, learn to evaluate information, and express themselves confidently. Writing allows children to reflect on their own thoughts and emotions, fostering creativity and individuality.

Q: Are there any benefits of opinion writing beyond 3rd grade? A: Yes, opinion writing continues to be valuable beyond 3rd grade. As students progress through their education, the ability to express opinions effectively becomes increasingly important in academic and professional settings. Opinion writing helps students develop skills such as persuasive writing, critical analysis, and communication, which are relevant throughout their lives.

In conclusion, opinion writing in 3rd grade helps young minds develop critical thinking skills, express their thoughts, and build confidence in communicating their ideas. It is a valuable tool that empowers them to shape their own perspectives and participate in meaningful conversations.

Bearing Witness through Words: Utilizing Creative Writing for Bearing Witness

Unlock Your Creativity: Conquer Writer’s Block Today!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Reach out to us for sponsorship opportunities.

Welcome to Creative Writing Prompts

At Creative Writing Prompts, we believe in the power of words to shape worlds. Our platform is a sanctuary for aspiring writers, seasoned wordsmiths, and everyone. Here, storytelling finds its home, and your creative journey begins its captivating voyage.

© 2024 Creativewriting-prompts.com

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Second Grade teachers! Join me Around the 2nd Grade Kampfire on Facebook! JOIN HERE

• Facebook Group
• Search this website

Around the Kampfire

Elementary Teaching Blog

Last updated by Linda Kamp on December 9, 2022 • Leave a Comment

30 Weather and Climate Activities for 3rd Grade

Learning about weather, and all the fun investigations that come with it, is always a highlight for my students. In this post I’ll share some of our favorite third grade weather and climate activities that will spark curiosity in your students and excite their creativity. 

This post will help you plan and teach an in-depth weather and climate unit that covers all of the third grade NGSS.  I’ve included lots of weather activities, teaching ideas, books, videos, and science experiments that align with third grade NGSS as well as many state science standards.  

Find activities and STEM labs for students to explore:

• Weather instruments and tools
• Comparing and graphing weather data
• Researching natural weather hazards
• Reducing the impact of severe weather
• Modeling flood prevention
• Designing solutions to weather-related problems 
• How mountains affect climate
• Modeling sea level rise
• How sunlight varies on Earth’s surface and affects climate

Weather and Climate Activities 

Learn the Difference Between Weather and Climate

Weather is what the atmosphere is like at a particular time and place. Climate describes what the weather is like over a long period of time in a specific area. Scientists use averages of temperature and precipitation to classify climates.

This Weather vs. Climate video does a good job of explaining the difference.

Compare Weather Data

Challenge your students to make tools to measure rainfall in a way that can be compared. This simple lab helps students understand these key concepts:

• To compare data, the rainfall must be measured in the same way.
• If two groups measure in different ways, their data cannot be compared.
• Data is observations or measurements recorded in an investigation. 

Students work in groups and can use very simple objects like a popsicle stick, connecting cubes, or a pencil, to measure and compare the amount of rain that falls in two different places. 

• Use a small paper cup as the rain cup. Poke small holes in the bottom.
• Label two 9 oz. clear cups as Cup A and Cup B.
• Students pour water into the rain cup and move the rain cup back and forth between cup A and cup B so it “rains” in both cups. 

Next, students use their materials to devise a way to measure the rainfall in both cups and record their observations. Since they will not have a ruler, their measurements will be untraditional. 

Make 3D Precipitation Graphs

Choose a city and research its weather to find the amount of monthly rainfall. Use connecting cubes to build a 3D precipitation graph of its yearly rainfall then to compare the monthly weather data.

Lab sheet source

Design a hurricane-safe home

Challenge your students to solve weather-related problems and incorporate engineering practices by designing a hurricane-safe house.

Ask students to research hurricanes then use what they learn to design a house that will reduce the impact of a hurricane.

Model Ways to Stop a Flood

Make models to test various materials and their ability to reduce the impact of a flood. Engineers test properties of materials to decide which are best for certain jobs. 

Write Storm Safety Guides

As students learn about severe weather, have them research ways to reduce the impact of natural hazards. 

Students can write storm safety guides about how to prepare for and stay safe during extreme weather events.

This project is a great way to incorporate writing in your science lessons!

Weather and Climate Lesson Plans

Click on the pictures below for complete weather and climate science unit with lesson plans, labs, teaching slides and more!

Learn to Read Thermometers

One of the key concepts students learn is that to compare weather data, it must be measured and recorded in the same way. Students learn to read a thermometer and use this standard tool to measure temperature. 

Measuring temperature and reading thermometers are also a great way to also incorporate math skills. Students can practice Reading A Thermometer online on IXL.

Determine an Average Temperature

Another way to incorporate math skills into a weather science unit is to determine the average temperature of a place. Students use addition and division to determine an average temperature.

Here’s how:

• Record high temperatures each day for one week where you live.
• Add those numbers together
• Divide the sum by seven to find the average temperature for the week.

Make Weather Instruments

To predict the weather, scientists use several different tools to gather data. They collect information on temperature, humidity, wind speed, and barometric pressure. Students can easily make simple weather instruments to collect their own data.

Barometer with a Jar

Students can record changes in barometric pressure by making a homemade barometer.  This easy to do design requires a jar, a balloon, a rubber band and a toothpick!

DIY Anemometers

Make a simple anemometer to measure wind speed with straws and small paper cups.

Turn a Bottle Into a Rain Gauge

Learn how to make a rain gauge on Science Sparks using a 2-liter bottle.

Make a Water Thermometer

See how to make a water thermometer at Steve Spangler Science.

Learn more about weather instruments on Weather Wiz Kids and National Geographic Kids . 

Simulate How Mountains Affect Climate

Climate on a mountain varies depending on what altitude you are up a mountain. Mountains can have a big impact on rainfall. Mountains are natural barriers to the winds that carry moist air over the land. When air reaches a mountain it is forced to go over it.

The side of the mountain the wind reaches first will get plenty of rain. The other side will get little rain. This is because air cools as it moves upward. Students can simulate how mountains affect climate by using a fan and a box to represent wind and a mountain.

Turn on the fan and have students drip cotton balls to simulate the mountain barrier that blocks cool moist air that results in precipitation.

Explore How the Sun Affects Climate 

Because the Earth is round, the sun’s rays don’t fall evenly on the land and oceans. This causes some parts of the Earth to get more of the sun’s energy than others. 

A location’s latitude has a big effect on its climate. Temperatures drop the further an area is from the equator. 

Add Math to Your Weather Activities

Incorporate math by having students solve weather related word problems. These task cards are part of a complete 3rd grade weather and climate unit .

Students analyze data, interpret weather graphs, read thermometers and more.

Play Weather and Climate Games Online

IXL Weather Games

You can only play the games for a short time without creating an account

• Compare Temperatures on Thermometers
• Graph Temperature Data
• Weather vs Climate: What’s the Difference?
• Weather and Climate Around the World
• Use Climate Data to Make Predictions
• Use Data to Describe U.S. Climates
• Use Data to Describe World Climates

Weather and Climate Videos

• Measuring Weather
• Weather Instruments
• Severe Weather
• Weather Safety
• Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Thunderstorms
• Climate Zones
• Weather Channel Tornado Simulation
• Weather Channel Storm Surge Simulation

Books About Weather and Climate

Incorporate science in your reading block with informational books about weather and climate. I’ve collected a range of books on Amazon. Click here to see the list.

Weather Websites for Kids

• Climate Kids NASA
• Earth and Atmospheric Science
• Extreme Weather
• National Geographic Forces of Nature: Hurricanes and Tornadoes
• Weather Wiz Kids
• Treehouse Weather Kids
• The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids  
• National Weather Service for Kids
• Space Weather Center

Excite your students with these high engagement experiments, project ideas, and weather and climate activities for third grade. Save this post for later so you have it when you plan!

Visit these posts for more third grade science activities:

10 Easy Inherited Traits Activities or 3rd Grade

Force & Motion Activities for Third Grade

Free Science & Engineering Practice Posters

The First Week in Third Grade Science

Happy teaching!

Share this:

Plant Life Cycle Poster Pack

Get a FREE plant life cycle poster pack plus parts of a plant and photosynthesis posters to add to your science reference wall!

You May Also Enjoy These Posts

Reader Interactions

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of new posts by email.

Hello Friends

I’m Linda Kamp, a 20 year primary grade teacher with a passion for creating educational materials that excite students and make learning fun! I'm so glad you're here!

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

FREE Poetry Worksheet Bundle! Perfect for National Poetry Month.

11 Research Project Strategies for Second Graders

Real teachers share their best ideas!

Research is part of the Common Core standards for second grade , but what are some ways of approaching this seemingly complex topic with such little ones? Teacher Malia wrote into the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE last week asking for tips. “I have to do a research project with my second graders this year. Any tips on making research appropriate for that age?”

We got lots of feedback from teachers on creating grade-appropriate research projects, Malia. Try one (or all!) of these ideas for your next assignment!

1. Keep the topic simple.

Students can learn and apply methods of research on very simple topics. “My science and computer class did a short research project that entailed creating a PowerPoint about an animal they researched. It was not overly detailed.” — Stephanie W.

2. Use the project as a way to introduce students to the resources of the school.

“When I taught second grade, we did research projects. The kids had fun with it, learned how to use the internet and library as resources, and loved having a ‘big kid’ assignment.” — Elisabeth N.

3. Have a highly structured, creative final product instead of a written paragraph.

“I’ve done animal research in second grade. Their ‘paper’ was a very guided booklet with starters, prompts and stems. It worked really well.” — Jennifer G.

4. Or if you include writing, add a visual component to complement it.

“We do a planet project. They choose the planet and create a visual aid, write a paragraph, and present their findings to the students. The paragraph is a simple, four- or five-sentence piece with lots of support.” — Lorena I.

5. Get other staff members involved for support.

“I’ve always done research projects with my young students, and one thing that helps make it successful is involving other teachers in the school, like the computer teacher and the librarian. Having other people as resources to help out students creates more guidance and support for them.” — Katrina P.

6. Make it a habit.

Research can be a frequent part of your instruction. “My second graders do a research project every month! They create posters, Google slides and brochures. They are pretty good at it, and they love to do them.” — Sheli I. 

The more often they do it, the easier it will be for them!

7. Break down the skills and teach them as mini-lessons.

“Teach the steps as individual lessons the culminate in a research paper or presentation.” — Hayley B.

“Give your students graphic organizers to help them keep organized.” — Helene E.

8. Do it all in the classroom.

Structure the project so it can be done completely in school. “My students need to learn the process, and it takes us a couple of months, and there is such pride in the finished product. It is all done in my room under my supervision.” This also cuts down on the likelihood that parents will “help” a bit more than they should.

“Do it in school to ensure the child does the work. If it’s done at home, then the child may still not have experience doing research because the parent could do the whole project or, on the flip side, not make sure the project gets done.” — Cathy C.

9. Create a flyer.

“My students do research and present it in a flyer format.” — Kathleen C.

10. Chunk it.

“My students in third grade have written several five- or more paragraph researched essays this year—typed! But we work in chunks for weeks and peer edit, and that’s what makes it work.” — Maggi S.

11. Go interdisciplinary.

“We did research projects on a chosen animal and everything tied in—they made clay animals in art, built their habitats, researched on the iPad and wrote a short essay about the animal. Then they presented their findings. They LOVED it!” — Alyssa V.

You Might Also Like

What Is Genius Hour And How Can I Try It in My Classroom?

Self-directed learning builds skills and confidence. And it's just plain fun! Continue Reading

Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Following the people and events that make up the research community at Duke

Students Offer Their Voices of Change to Climate Commitment

By Gabrielle Douglas

On April 2, 2024

In Climate/Global Change , Science Communication & Education , Students

In a society where it seems like the power to create meaningful change on climate concerns is concentrated in the hands of few, witnessing the youth attempt to counter this dynamic is always inspiring.

Last week, members of Duke University’s Climate and Sustainability Office convened with students for a town hall meeting to discuss current progress, areas for improvement, and aspirations for the future. During this meeting, great emphasis was placed on the opinions and perspectives of students, as the leaders of the Duke climate commitment recognized the importance of their voices within this process.  

The meeting began with two thought-provoking questions by Toddi Steelman, Vice President and Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability, and Tavey Capps , Executive Director of Climate and Sustainability and Sustainable Duke: “What is one word to describe your feelings towards climate change, and what energizes you about climate change?”

These two questions immediately brought the room to life as students began to express their climate anxiety, fears, and frustrations, alongside the ways in which they hoped to one day see change. This passionate discussion set the stage for a deep dive into the objectives and goals of Duke’s Climate Commitment.  

The Climate Commitment is a university-wide effort aimed at creating initiatives to correct our current climate crisis by creating a sustainable environment for all.

Within the commitment, there are five areas of focus: Research, Education, External Engagement, Operations, and Community Connections. The research sector is focused on connecting Duke’s schools across the board for interdisciplinary research. Education is geared towards ensuring learning occurs in and beyond the classroom. External Engagement focuses on informing policy and decision makers alongside engaging community members within this mission. Operations studies the food, water, waste, energy, and carbon supply chain on campus. Lastly, Community Connections asks: how do we authentically engage with the community and partners alike? 

This commitment serves as a broad scale invitation for everyone to get involved, and Duke students did not hesitate to take advantage of this invitation. The town hall was organized through breakout rooms for the students to collectively share ideas.

The first breakout room was focused on the idea of communication. In this, students discussed the ways that they felt the commitment could best reach their peers on campus. Some proposed utilizing the popular social media platform, TikTok by creating short eye-catching videos. Others discussed using professors, posters, and BC Plaza to ensure engagement. Most agreed that email listservs and newsletters also held some merit in getting their classmate’s attention.

Above all, students came to the consensus that informing the student body would be one of the most important missions of the Climate Commitment. 

Following the communication session, I attended the research breakout room led by Blake Tedder from the Office of Sustainability and formerly the Director of Engagement at the Duke Forest. He asked again about the most pressing climate issue. From this, many students delved into issues surrounding biodiversity financing, carbon offsetting, access to clean water, and the ways climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

Conversation about these concerns quickly bled into issues surrounding the larger prospect of interdisciplinary studies. Many students felt that this was best done through Duke’s  RESILE  initiative (Risk Science for Climate Resilience), Bass Connections, and even greater connection between Duke’s main campus and its Kunshan Campus. 

The final room I attended was geared towards making the fight against climate change one that is inclusive and diverse. This talk was coordinated by Jason Elliot from Sustainable Duke.

The question that guided the discussion was: “How can we ensure our goals do not come at the expense of the community?” To this, students proposed a range of ideas. Chief among these were becoming more in tune with the needs of the community and finding ways to actively attend local farms, and other places in need.

In addition, many suggested diversifying speakers to ensure representation and voices from all parts of the community. Some students even narrowed in on engagement within our own campus, suggesting greater collaboration among groups such as the Climate Coalition , Keep Durham Beautiful, and Alpha Phi Omega to achieve these goals. 

This town hall was simply one of many future engagements expected from  Duke’s Climate Commitment in the coming years. While there is still much more work to be done, the diligent efforts of students and faculty alike make the future look promising in the fight against Climate Change. 

To get a fuller picture of a forest, sometimes research requires a team effort

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén

Featured Topics

Featured series.

A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts.

Explore the Gazette

Read the latest.

Anticipate, accommodate, empower

Navigating Harvard with a non-apparent disability

Yes, it’s exciting. Just don’t look at the sun.

Peggy Newell (left) and Kathleen McGinn.

File photo Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer; courtesy photo

Harvard asks students about sexual assault and misconduct in third survey since 2015

Survey open April 2 through May 2 for degree-seeking students

Nicole Rura

Harvard Correspondent

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and on April 2, the University launched the Higher Education Sexual Misconduct and Awareness (HESMA) Survey. This is the third in a series of surveys that the University has used to understand and address issues related to sexual assault, misconduct, and harassment on campus. (The first two were held in 2015 and 2019 .) Harvard is a member of a 10-university consortium that is administering the HESMA Survey. 

The survey will be open through May 2, and all degree-seeking students can access it by scanning the QR code displayed on materials around campus, visiting hesma.harvard.edu , or following instructions emailed to them by Westat, the independent research firm conducting the survey. To encourage participation, all students who complete the survey will receive a $20 gift card, with an option to donate the funds to select nonprofit organizations.

To learn how these surveys have changed sexual assault and misconduct prevention practices on campus, why it is critical for all eligible students to participate, and how the results can impact campus resources going forward, the Gazette spoke with Deputy Provost Peggy Newell and Kathleen McGinn, the survey’s principal investigator and the Cahners-Rabb Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Is this survey the same as the ones from 2015 and 2019?

McGinn : The core of the survey is almost identical to the 2015 and 2019 surveys because we want to be able to compare the data across all three surveys. That allows us to learn where students’ experiences have gotten better over time and where they may have remained constant or gotten worse. With data from all three surveys, we can quantify the effects of changes Harvard has made and move forward with steps suggested by survey responses.

Newell : Beyond the core survey, we added questions to ensure that we meet key requirements mandated by Massachusetts law. Students, in particular Harvard students and alumni , were critical in supporting and advocating for Massachusetts campus sexual assault legislation , which requires every higher education institution in Massachusetts to administer a campus climate survey of all students every four years. The HESMA Survey continues our ongoing commitment to engage in climate surveys, and thanks to the hard work of those Harvard students, all Massachusetts colleges and universities will also gather this important data. 

Why is this survey so important?

Newell : It’s very important because it helps us measure what’s happening on our campus, not only the incidence of sexual assault and sexual harassment, but also how well we’re doing in addressing problems that we have on campus. For example, we’re asking participants about their knowledge of available resources and their experiences with accessing resources and University processes designed to address issues of sexual harassment and misconduct on our campus. The results from the HESMA Survey will give us very useful insight that we can use to improve our efforts in this area, with the goal of reducing and ultimately eliminating sex-based harassment and discrimination.

McGinn : The survey is one way for us to be proactive instead of reactive, which is critical. Unfortunately, sexual harassment and sexual assault continue to be a reality of campuses across the U.S. If we don’t have a way to understand what’s going on in terms of sexual harassment and sexual assault, we can only be reactive and address cases after they’ve happened. This survey allows us to take a proactive stance and change things that might stop sexual harassment before it happens.

How did the results from the 2015 and 2019 survey change how the University addresses these issues?

McGinn : The 2015 survey was the first of its kind. People had been talking about the prevalence of harm occurring on college campuses, but there was little data available about the actual prevalence of sexual harassment and misconduct within higher education. We didn’t really know how problematic and pervasive this was as a national public health issue until we got that solid data in 2015. Continuing to survey at regular intervals is essential for us to see how certain strategies are or are not making a difference over time. And as one in a group of universities conducting this survey, we can share information across institutions and learn from our peers. We must work together to find effective solutions.

Newell : Before 2015 and even until 2019, there was a lot of focus on policy. Since 2015, research has confirmed that solely focusing on policies, procedures, and the law doesn’t change behavior or reduce harm. Since that first iteration of the survey, we’ve shifted our approach to looking at the issue of sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct in higher education as a public health issue, which must be addressed from multiple angles, including individual or bystander action, cultural change, and policy awareness. 

McGinn : The survey also provides information about the places and the situations in which sexual harassment and sexual assault takes place, allowing us to focus efforts there. For example, the 2015 and 2019 surveys revealed that alcohol consumption is co-occurring with student-on-student sexual harassment and assault. In response, HBS has supported student-led efforts toward having social events that aren’t centered around alcohol. Additionally, we learned from the 2019 results that Harvard should emphasize bystander strategies more.  Since the 2019 survey, we’ve increased both online and in person training for our students, staff, and faculty on bystander intervention. 

This time of year is hectic at the University, especially for students. Why is important for all degree-seeking students to pause and take the survey?

McGinn : For any survey to be useful, it’s critical to have a representative sample. By hearing from all people across campus regardless of their positive or negative experiences, we can fully understand what’s going on and continue to try to get in front of it.

Newell : My biggest worry is a low response rate. We can’t address and prevent sexual misconduct without engaging the community. The more voices we hear, the stronger the survey results will be and the better positioned we will be to understand what changes are needed. So, we really do need to get as many students to take it as possible.

The survey includes questions about highly sensitive issues and topics, and some students may have concerns about confidentiality. How will students’ privacy be protected?

Newell : Westat, an independent research firm, is conducting the survey. They are contractually required to anonymize all responses and won’t maintain or generate any connection logs with IP addresses. No information about a person’s identity will be shared with Harvard at all — there’s a complete separation. And it’s up to a student to decide whether or not they participate. We hope they will, but it is entirely voluntary.

How could faculty and staff encourage students to participate?

McGinn : I think it’s paramount for faculty to get the word out there. As a faculty member, you can mention it in class; you can put the QR code on your office door. Just talking about it is really, really important.

Share this article

You might like.

How to ensure students with disabilities have an equal chance to succeed?

4 students with conditions ranging from diabetes to narcolepsy describe daily challenges that may not be obvious to their classmates and professors

Lab, telescope specialist details Harvard eclipse-viewing party, offers safety tips

College accepts 1,937 to Class of 2028

Students represent 94 countries, all 50 states

Pushing back on DEI ‘orthodoxy’

Panelists support diversity efforts but worry that current model is too narrow, denying institutions the benefit of other voices, ideas

So what exactly makes Taylor Swift so great?

Experts weigh in on pop superstar's cultural and financial impact as her tours and albums continue to break records.

A 7th grade math teacher and army veteran changed his name to ‘Literally Anybody Else’ and announced his run for U.S. president

A 35-year-old Texas man legally changed his name to “Literally Anybody Else” and announced he is running in the 2024 U.S. presidential election .

The man, formerly known as Dustin Ebey, is an army veteran and teaches seventh grade math at Watauga Middle School, located in Tarrant County, Texas. But this week, he decided to give the world a history lesson and announced his run for presidential candidacy—which, historically speaking, is a doomed mission—out of frustration over the two repeating candidates, former president Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden. 

The name change idea started as a joke last year, Else said in an interview with Texas outlet WFAA . He started taking it seriously because he realized there’s few other options “for folks like me who are just so fed up with this constant power grab between two parties that just has no benefit to the common person.” 

Else legally changed his name at a courthouse in Tarrant County on January 12, and it’s even reflected on his driver’s license . But he’ll need 113,000 signatures from non-primary voters in Texas to make it on the presidential ballot . Since it’s unlikely he’ll receive enough signatures, per a Guardian report , he’s campaigning for people to write in his name. 

Being on the ballot isn’t about himself as a person, he said in the interview, “it’s about literally anyone else as an idea.”  

Else believes there should be an option beyond the two candidates—one a billionaire and the other a lifelong politician—because they don’t share the same experiences as the majority of the country. He questions whether Trump and Biden are “still in touch with people like me or people like you.” 

What’s more, Else said a lot of people he speaks to vote “against one of the main candidates rather than for someone they support.” They might not like Biden, he explained, but they’ll vote for him if they despise Trump. He hopes that getting his name on the ballot can be a way for “disenfranchised” people who want another presidential option to say “neither.” 

“We should have the option to vote for people who represent us,” Else said, rather than voting for the “lesser of two evils.”

Can third-party candidates actually win an election?

The sentiment behind Else’s presidential bid is not lost on many people. Taste for a third party candidate has been growing. Indeed, 63% of U.S adults agree that the republican and democratic parties do “such a poor job of representing the American people that a third major party is needed,” according to a survey conducted by Gallup in October. 

The country is home to more than 54 political parties –some of the most active include The Green Party, Reform Party, Libertarians, and Natural Law Party–and 37 of them have had candidates run for the U.S. presidency. But historically, third party candidates tend to lose because of how the country’s two-party system evolved, according to a report by Third Way , a public policy think tank based in Washington D.C. 

Some influential third-party candidates who have run include Ross Perot, who ran as an independent in 1992, and Ralph Nader, who made four presidential bids under the Green Party in 1996 and 2000; the Reform Party in 2004; and as an independent in 2008. They were all unsuccessful runs.

On March 8, No Labels , a group that supports third-party presidential candidates, decided to field a presidential candidate in the 2024 election,The Associated Press reported , but its luck has been dry. Earlier this week, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie decided against a third-party run with No Labels, joining a list of other big-name candidates, including Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin who refused to join the centrist party. 

While Christie said he appreciates “the encouragement I’ve gotten to pursue a third party candidacy,” and feels as if it’s an important conversation to be had, he thinks it could hurt the overall election outcome. “If my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward,” he wrote in a statement on X .

And the Third Way report also goes to show how third-party runs can affect election results. 

It’s “close to impossible for a third-party candidate to actually win the election outright,” and candidates often instead “act as a spoiler,” the report says.

Still, dreams of a more relatable third-party are in motion in much of the country–as seen by Else’s name-altering decision to address the two-party dominated ballot. And he hopes his name on the ballot will be a “beacon for everyone who shares the same sentiment.”

Latest in Politics

• 0 minutes ago

Trump hangs onto New York assets—for now—by posting $175 million bond in civil fraud case

Cannes yacht encounter triggered alleged $1.8 billion fraud that put Malaysia’s ex-prime minister in prison

Early green tech failures cast doubt on Europe’s $40 billion ‘must-succeed’ innovation fund

Billionaire known for high-interest loans to car buyers with poor credit is chairman of the insurance group that underwrote Trump’s $175 million bond

Trump’s social media platform says it’s above ‘traditional key performance indicators.’ An auditor has substantial doubt it can continue as a going concern

Oregon just officially changed its mind on decriminalizing drugs

Most popular.

Singaporean firm whose ship took down the Baltimore bridge just cited an 1851 maritime law to cap liability at $44 million

America will be left with ‘severe, irreversible scars’ if national debt goes unchecked. Now, a blockbuster report warns the bill is higher than believed, hitting $141T by 2054

‘Cicada-geddon’ will hit America for first time since 1803, expert says: ‘Trillions of these amazing living organisms [coming] out of the Earth’

Don’t brush right after you eat. Dentists say there’s one thing you should do after every meal that’s better for oral—and overall—health

AT&T found over 70 million users’ Social Security numbers on the ‘dark web.’ Here’s how to know if you’re affected

The CEO behind the world’s No. 2 TV brand thinks the West’s tech controls on China are driving deglobalization

Search Icon

Events See all →

April wellness walk.

The Division of Human Resources and the Penn Center for Public Health host the monthly two-mile wellness walk for April, which is the first outdoor walk of the year. 

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

College Hall, Benjamin Franklin Statue

Immigration Policy and the Election

1:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

The Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics, 133 S. 36th St.

2024 Models of Excellence

4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Penn Museum, 3260 South St.

Take Our Children to Work Day

Various locations

Campus & Community

Four Penn undergrads are 2024 Goldwater Scholars

Goldwater scholarships are awarded to students planning research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering..

Four University of Pennsylvania undergraduates have received 2024 Goldwater Scholarships , awarded to second- or third-year students planning research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.

Penn’s 2024 Goldwater Scholars are third-years Hayle Kim, Eric Myzelev, and Eric Tao in the College of Arts and Sciences , and Kaitlin Mrksich in the School of Engineering and Applied Science .

They are among the 438 students named 2024 Goldwater Scholars from 1,353 undergraduates students nominated by 446 academic institutions in the United States, according to the Barry Goldwater Scholarship & Excellence in Education Foundation . Each scholarship provides as much as $7,500 each year for as many as two years of undergraduate study.

The students applied for the Goldwater Scholarship with assistance from Penn’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships . Penn has had 63 Goldwater Scholars named since Congress established the scholarship in 1986 to honor U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater.

Kim, from Knoxville, Tennessee, is majoring in neuroscience. She works in the lab of Matthew Kayser at Penn Medicine , where she studies the molecular basis of sleep maturation using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. At Penn, Kim is the co-founder and co-president of the undergraduate chapter of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association , and was the internal vice president of the Penn Korean Student Association . She is a teaching assistant for the course Chronobiology and Sleep taught by David Raizen , professor of neurology, and has been a learning assistant and peer tutor for general chemistry. Kim is a University Scholar and CURF Research Peer Advisor . She volunteers for the nonprofit One House at a Time in its Beds for Kids program, and in the emergency department of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia . After graduating, Kim plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience.

Mrksich, from Hinsdale, Illinois, is majoring in bioengineering. She is interested in developing drug delivery systems that can serve as novel therapeutics for a variety of diseases. Mrksich works in the lab of Michael J. Mitchell where she investigates the ionizable lipid component of lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery. At Penn, Mrksich is the president of the Biomedical Engineering Society , where she plans community building and professional development events for bioengineering majors. She is a member of the Kite and Key Society , where she organizes virtual programming to introduce prospective students to Penn. She is a member of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, and the Sigma Kappa sorority. She also teaches chemistry to high schoolers as a volunteer in the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project through the Civic House . After graduating, Mrksich plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in bioengineering.

Myzelev, from Toronto, is majoring in mathematics, with a minor in computer and information science, and is submatriculating for a master’s degree. His research interests include algebra, combinatorics, and using deep learning to solve partial differential equations. Myzelev has worked on numerous research projects in combinatorics and deep learning, has both a co-authored publication and an accepted paper, and has presented his work at several international conferences. Myzelev has been a research assistant for Sasha Indarte , assistant professor of finance at the Wharton School, using recurrent neural networks to identify racial biases in personal bankruptcy outcomes, and he was an intern with the Penn Wharton Budget Model . He is a problem writer for the Canadian Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad and an event supervisor for Science Olympiad at Penn . After graduating, Myzelev plans to pursue a Ph.D. in math and research algebraic geometry and combinatorics.

Tao, from Wallingford, Pennsylvania, is majoring in cognitive science, mathematics, and logic, with a focus on language and the mind. They are interested in related fields including physics, linguistics, and logic. Tao studies the neuroscience of social behavior under Marc Schmidt , professor of biology, using multimodal mating displays in the brown-headed cowbird as a model system. Tao co-founded the Penn Math Contest to promote enthusiasm for mathematics among high schoolers, and volunteers with similar organizations such as Science Olympiad at Penn . Tao also works as a teaching assistant in Penn’s Mathematics Department . After graduating, Tao plans to pursue a graduate degree in computational neuroscience.

Penn celebrates operation and benefits of largest solar power project in Pennsylvania

Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences

‘The Illuminated Body’ fuses color, light, and sound

A new Arthur Ross Gallery exhibition of work by artist Barbara Earl Thomas features cut-paper portraits reminiscent of stained glass and an immersive installation constructed with intricately cut material lit from behind.

25 years of ‘LOVE’

The iconic sculpture by pop artist Robert Indiana arrived on campus in 1999 and soon became a natural place to come together.

Health Sciences

Two-and-a-half decades of research in Malawi

As the country’s life expectancy has risen, the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health has shifted its current and future research to aging.

Science & Technology

In hot water: Coral resilience in the face of climate change

Over a decade, researchers from Penn studied coral species in Hawaii to better understand their adaptability to the effects of climate change.

Read our research on: Abortion | Podcasts | Election 2024

Regions & Countries

Key facts about asian americans living in poverty.

Asian Americans are often portrayed as educationally and financially successful when compared with other racial or ethnic groups. However, Asian origin groups in the United States vary widely in their economic status and education level . Indeed, more than 2.3 million Asian Americans – about one-in-ten – lived in poverty in 2022, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Learn more about Asian Americans’ experiences with economic hardship in  our data essay  and  short film .

Here are nine facts about Asian Americans living in poverty.

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to better understand the characteristics, experiences and views of Asian Americans living in poverty today. It is part of a three-part study that includes an analysis of 18 focus groups conducted with 144 Asians living with economic hardship completed in February 2023 and a short film about Asian families who have experienced economic hardship .

This analysis is based on two main data sources. The first data source is the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) provided through Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) from the University of Minnesota. In this analysis, poverty status is determined using the 2022 federal poverty line for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, Alaska, or Hawaii, depending on respondents’ state of residence, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For example, a family of four living in 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia were categorized as living “in poverty” if they make a yearly income of $27,750 or less.

The second data source is Pew Research Center’s 2022-23 survey of Asian American adults, conducted from July 2022 to January 2023 in six languages among 7,006 respondents. The survey analysis included 561 Asian adults whose approximate family income is at or below the 2022 federal poverty line for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, regardless of their state of residence. For more details, refer to the survey methodology . For questions used in this analysis, refer to the topline questionnaire .

Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. The Center’s Asian American portfolio was funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, with generous support from The Asian American Foundation; Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; the Henry Luce Foundation; the Doris Duke Foundation; The Wallace H. Coulter Foundation; The Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation; The Long Family Foundation; Lu-Hebert Fund; Gee Family Foundation; Joseph Cotchett; the Julian Abdey and Sabrina Moyle Charitable Fund; and Nanci Nishimura.

We would also like to thank the Leaders Forum for its thoughtful leadership and valuable assistance in helping make this survey possible.

The strategic communications campaign used to promote the research was made possible with generous support from the Doris Duke Foundation.

The terms Asians and Asian Americans  are used interchangeably throughout this post to refer to individuals who self-identify as Asian, either alone or in combination with other races or Hispanic identity.

The terms living in poverty and living near or below the federal poverty line are used interchangeably throughout this post to refer to those whose family income is close to or below the 2022 federal poverty line.

• For results on Asian adults from the survey , this refers to adults whose approximate family income falls at or below 100% of the federal poverty line.
• For data on the total U.S. Asian population from the U.S. Census Bureau , this refers to all Asian Americans whose family income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty line.

The term U.S. born refers to people who are U.S. citizens at birth, including people born in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territories, as well as those born elsewhere to at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen.

The term immigrants , when referring to Census Bureau data, includes those who were not U.S. citizens at birth – in other words, those born outside the 50 U.S. states or the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territories to parents who were not U.S. citizens. When referring to survey respondents, this group only includes those born outside the 50 U.S. States or the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories.

About 10% of Asian Americans overall live in poverty, but poverty rates vary widely across origin groups. Burmese (19%) and Hmong Americans (17%) were among the Asian origin groups with the highest poverty rates in 2022. Meanwhile, Filipino (7%) and Indian Americans (6%) were among the groups with the lowest poverty rates.

A third of Asian Americans ages 25 and older who live in poverty have a bachelor’s degree. By comparison, among non-Asians 25 and older who live in poverty, only 14% have a bachelor’s degree.

Asian Americans 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree are still less likely to live in poverty (5%) than those with less formal education (13%).

Nearly six-in-ten Asian Americans who live in poverty are immigrants. And relatively few of these immigrants speak English proficiently.

Among Asian immigrants ages 5 and older living below the poverty line, 44% are proficient in English (meaning they either speak only English or speak the language very well). By comparison, 61% of those immigrants above the poverty line speak English proficiently.

About 1 million Asians who are below the poverty line live in 10 U.S. metropolitan areas. In fact, more than 500,000 live in just three metropolitan areas: New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco. These metro areas each have about 100,000 or more Asians living in poverty, and together they hold 26% of all Asian Americans living in poverty.

Fresno, California (19%), Buffalo, New York (18%) and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (15%) are among the metro areas with the highest poverty rates among Asian Americans. Still, Asian Americans who live in poverty largely reside in places with larger Asian populations than these metro areas.

Refer to a downloadable spreadsheet for detailed data on the number and share of Asians living in poverty by metro area.

Around eight-in-ten Asian adults who live in poverty (79%) have experienced financial challenges in some way in the past 12 months, according to a Pew Research Center survey of Asian adults conducted in 2022 and 2023. By contrast, 48% of Asian adults living above the poverty line say they have experienced the same. Among the specific financial challenges they faced:

• 57% of Asian adults living in poverty were unable to save for emergencies, compared with 40% of Asian adults living above the poverty line.
• 42% had trouble paying their bills, more than twice the share of Asian adults living above the poverty line who said the same (17%).
• 38% have gotten food from a food bank or charitable organization, about six times the share among Asians living above the poverty line (6%).

Financial difficulties tend to come in bundles: Among those living in poverty who say they experienced at least one of the financial challenges asked about, 65% experienced two or more.

A majority of Asian adults who live in poverty (61%) have turned to family or friends for help with bills, housing, food or employment.

A large share (49%) also say they have sought help from local, state or federal governments. Smaller shares have sought help from religious institutions such as churches or temples (21%) or Asian community groups (13%).

However, 19% of Asian adults living in poverty say they have not sought help from any of the sources asked about in the survey.

Why Asian immigrants came to the U.S. is linked to whether they have received help from the government. For example, a third of all Asian immigrants, regardless of poverty status, who came to the U.S. due to conflict or persecution in their home country have received help with bills, housing, food or employment from governments (33%). By comparison, smaller shares of Asian immigrants who came for educational opportunities (14%) or economic opportunities (16%) or who migrated to be with family (25%) say the same.

Roughly half of Asian Americans who live in poverty (47%) say the American dream is out of reach, but others say they have achieved it (15%) or are on their way to achieving it (36%). By comparison, Asians living above the poverty line are more optimistic about their chances of achieving the American dream: 26% say it is out of reach for them, while 27% say they have achieved it and 46% say they are on their way to achieving it.

Asian adults who live below the poverty line and those who live above it have similar views on what’s important to achieving the American dream. For Asians living in poverty, the vast majority say having freedom of choice in how to live one’s life (91%), a good family life (91%), children having the best opportunities (91%) and retiring comfortably (90%) are important to their view of the American dream. Among Asian adults living above the poverty line, similar shares say these elements are important.

Homeownership is also seen as key: 81% of Asian adults living in poverty and 87% of those living above the poverty line say owning a home is important to their view of the American dream. However, Asian adults in poverty are much less likely than those above the poverty line to be homeowners (40% vs. 71%), according to Census Bureau data.

Note: For more details, refer to the survey methodology . For questions used in this analysis, refer to the topline questionnaire .

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivered Saturday mornings

Bangladeshis in the U.S. Fact Sheet

Key facts about asian americans, a diverse and growing population, key facts about asian origin groups in the u.s., asian americans are the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the u.s., demographic and economic data on the thai immigrant and u.s.-born populations in the united states., most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

‘It was the most unfair thing’: Disobedience, school discipline and racial disparity

Misbehaviors tagged as disobedience affect black students disproportionately and are the justification in a third of all suspension and expulsions..

TOLEDO, Ohio – The sound of his teacher smacking his desk jolted Marquan into consciousness, and his head jerked up. “Wake up,” his teacher said.

Marquan hadn’t slept much the night before, and the words came out before he was fully coherent. “Watch out before you make me mad,” he said. 

His teacher turned and asked if that was a threat. The 16-year-old said no, he was just startled, but it was too late – he was sent out of the classroom and given a two-day suspension. 

What the teacher heard as a threat was, for Marquan, an instinctive reaction, and he had failed to code-switch in that groggy moment.

“I wasn’t threatening him; it was just loud and all of a sudden,” said Marquan, now 17 and a sophomore at Jesup W. Scott High School in Toledo, Ohio. (His last name is being withheld to protect his privacy.) “That was the most unfair thing.” 

In Ohio, Black students like Marquan are suspended for incidents like this far more frequently than their white peers. In the past six years, Ohio has issued close to 885,000 suspensions and expulsions for comments and misbehaviors tagged as disobedience or disruption. Nearly half of those dismissals have been for Black students, even though they make up only 17% of the public school population. Black students in Ohio are, on average, kicked out of classes for these offenses at four and half times the rate of white students.

A Hechinger Report analysis across 20 states found that in many of them, including Indiana, Maryland and Rhode Island, Black students are suspended more often for infractions that can include dress code violations, talking back to teachers and being too noisy in class.

Subjective terms lead to selective punishment

States use different terms to describe the offenses – disrespect, insubordination, defiance – depending on their discipline code. But what they all have in common is the subjective nature of an educator’s decision; experts say that’s what leads to racial disparities. What seems disrespectful and threatening in one classroom can be entirely acceptable in another, depending on who’s listening and who’s speaking. That’s when racial and cultural differences between educators and students can come into play. Bias also plays a role.

Researchers say that racial disparities inside schools tend to reflect what’s happening in society as a whole and that income level does not explain the discrepancies.

“Teachers are no more biased than other people, but also no less biased,” said Russell Skiba, a professor in the school psychology program at Indiana University and director of its Equity Project. “Race is the much more important predictor of whether a kid gets suspended rather than poverty.”

The Indiana Department of Education said that school discipline policies were set at the local level. Rhode Island said that it helps school districts in setting discipline policies that "are conducive to a safe and nurturing environment that promotes academic success." Maryland’s state education agency said only that it makes annual data available for school districts to analyze.

In Ohio, a spokesperson from the Department of Education and Workforce, Lacey Snoke, didn’t respond directly to questions about the state’s racial disparities. Snoke, the chief communications officer, said the department “supports schools and districts as they address non-academic barriers to learning.”

Snoke also noted that the state requires schools to use a student support system known as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS. “When implementing PBIS with fidelity, schools and districts see a reduction in out-of-school suspension and exclusionary discipline,” she said.

Like many of America’s school districts, Toledo’s public schools have struggled with keeping discipline racially equitable for years. In 2020, following a federal civil rights investigation, the district agreed to a settlement with the federal Department of Justice “to address and prevent discriminatory discipline of students based on race or disability.” Last spring, the government extended its monitoring for an additional year after finding that the district was not in full compliance with the settlement terms. 

Root cause for disparities unclear

Part of the problem in Toledo, the fifth-largest school district in Ohio with more than 21,000 students, is that teachers and administrators haven’t figured out what’s at the root of the disparity, according to a federal monitoring report sent to the district last May and obtained by The Hechinger Report as part of its investigation into the widespread use of suspension for things like defiance and disruption around the country.

“Speculative answers about the reasons for why disciplinary referrals would be greater for Black students when compared to white students ranged from blaming the students’ underperformance in math and English language arts to blaming ‘parents who don’t take pride’ or are otherwise uninvolved in their children’s lives,” according to the report. “Educators at one school opined that they are not using strategies that engage kids of color; those at another school said they needed to develop activities for students to feel more of a sense of belonging.”    

Last year, there were more than 12,000 suspensions in Toledo public schools for defiance or disruption and more than 7,700 were given to Black students, up from 7,000 the year before. Black students received 65% of defiance and disruption suspensions last year, even though they make up about 46% of the student population in Toledo.

The reason for the high numbers is multifaceted, and the solutions need to be as well, said Amerah Archer, acting executive director for the Department of Equity Diversity and Inclusion in the Toledo Public Schools.

“We understand there's sometimes a cultural mismatch between teachers and students and their backgrounds,” Archer said. “So we offer culturally responsive training, to help our teachers understand how to build relationships and students across cultures.”

The district has also brought in outside mental health providers and – in all 57 of its schools – it has set up social-emotional wellness teams to examine discipline data and look for trends, including racial disparities within schools and classrooms. Educators receive training on how to respond to students who have endured trauma and may be acting out as a result, with responses that can lead to alternatives to suspensions.

‘He just scares me’

Sheena Barnes, president of the school board until January this year, points to a culture that views some children as more dangerous than others. She’s also concerned about educators who have trouble appropriately interpreting a child’s behavior.

Barnes, who is Black, got a call last year to come to her child’s school immediately. Her son, who is on the autism spectrum and was in third grade at the time, had been trying to mix paints to make a specific color. The teacher accidentally took one of the colors away, frustrating the boy, who threw his paintbrush and splattered some paint. After Barnes arrived and helped de-escalate the situation, she said the teacher asked her if they could talk. 

“'He just scares me,” she said the teacher confessed to her. 

“So I asked her, ‘What did he do? Did he bite you, kick you, did he throw something at you, cuss at you? I’m going through all the list of things that could make you scared of a 9-year old, my baby.’ And she says, ‘It’s the way he looks at me.’

“And I just crumble,” Barnes recalled. “If you're scared of him in third grade, what the hell are you gonna do to him in ninth grade?”

Moments like these – when adults see children as threatening – can influence decisions made in a heated classroom situation. The Department of Justice report on Toledo schools last spring concluded that “subjective infractions that are prone to bias, such as ‘Disruptive Behavior’ and ‘Failure to Follow Directions’” play a role in racial discrepancies when it comes to discipline.

Toledo school officials noted that the report said that the district had “made significant progress” in some areas and that the COVID-19 pandemic had “hampered and delayed the District’s ability to execute certain provisions in a timely manner.”

Barnes, who remains on the school board, said she welcomed the continued monitoring by the government, because, she said, “we still have work to do.”

“There’s not a bad child – there’s a child reacting to a bad situation,” she said, sitting in a cafe in downtown Toledo, and noting the many serious issues faced by young people, such as gun violence and food insecurity.

“Maybe I can't read. So, I'm gonna disrupt the class, because I don't want to get embarrassed,” said Barnes. “Or if you ask me where my homework is, I'm gonna make some silly jokes and get kicked out, because I don't want people to know that I didn't have a home to sleep in last night, or I couldn't do my homework, because we didn't have power.”

Teacher experience, training key to prevention 

Sometimes disruptive behavior starts with a small incident – like a student calling out in class. If a teacher has trouble redirecting the child, it can escalate, and the classroom can become chaotic. Teachers sometimes conclude that removing the child who is being loud is in the best interest of the whole class.

Experience and training can provide teachers with tools to address student conduct without suspensions.

One study in California published last year found that it was often the least-experienced teachers who relied on removing disruptive students from the classroom, and that even three years of teaching experience led to a substantial drop in the number of students referred for discipline.

The same study found that, among teachers who removed students from class and sent them to the principal’s office for disciplinary action, the top 5% did this so often that they accounted for most of the racial gaps in these referrals – effectively doubling those gaps.

Those gaps are largely driven by incidents that require a more subjective call, such as for “defiance,” rather than more objective categories like drug use or skipping class, according to Jing Liu, an assistant professor of education at the University of Maryland and one of the study’s authors. 

Other researchers argue that stressful environments can bolster racial inequities.

“When people are stressed out, when they are under pressure, when they don’t have the time to think through a response, they are more likely to rely on racial biases,” said Juan Del Toro, a professor in the psychology department at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, who has studied the impact of discipline policies on Black students. 

Del Toro argues that more support for teachers could bring down the number of suspensions for low-level offenses, which in turn could help more students perform well academically. His research showed that when students committed minor infractions, those who were suspended experienced significant negative academic consequences, compared with students who were just written up for the same kind of offense. 

In Toledo, Jamarion, a 10th grader at E. L. Bowsher High School, was serving an in-school suspension last December for getting in an argument with another student when he was assigned an additional three days for talking in the suspension room.

“We were just talking about the way we were feeling, bored and all that. You’re just sitting there all day staring at the wall or doing your homework,” said Jamarion, who is 15. (His last name is being withheld to protect his privacy.) “You should at least get a warning or something.”

“It’s not fair,” he said. “I was mad, upset.” And he said he was concerned about missing more math classes and falling behind.

Educators say banning suspensions isn’t the solution

Educators and administrators emphasize that simply banning suspensions for low-level offenses would not change school culture or help educators find alternatives. “It could fix the data,” said Myree, the former Cincinnati principal, “but it might not fix what’s going on in the building.”

Some districts in Ohio, such as Cleveland Municipal, reduced the number of disobedience suspensions of Black children over the past year, but the number in Ohio overall climbed to more than 78,400 in 2022-23, up 16% from the previous year.

Izetta Thomas spent 18 years as an educator in Columbus public schools in Ohio and is now the education justice organizer for the Columbus Education Association, the union that represents Columbus educators. 

She believes individual teachers have a responsibility for their actions, but that teacher-prep programs and the school system itself could do more to curb the overuse of suspensions. 

“It’s hard for educators because a lot of us might feel like this [discipline decisions] is not what I signed up to do, this is not what I learned in my college classroom,” said Thomas. “But why isn’t it a part of teacher training in colleges? Why isn’t understanding of our own biases and lenses and those that are different from ours, why aren’t we taught early on what that is?”

“Everybody needs Band-Aids, she added, “but Band-Aids only last so long.”

CONTRIBUTING: Fazil Khan, The Hechinger Report

Note: The Hechinger Report's Fazil Khan had nearly completed the data analysis and reporting for this project when he died in a fire in his apartment building. USA TODAY Senior Data Editor Doug Caruso completed data visualizations for this project based on Khan’s work.

This story about racial disparities in school discipline was produced by USA TODAY publishing partner The Hechinger Report , a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.