SOME HELP with asking thick questions... and some ideas for possible artifacts

Are you running short on thick questions to ask for your research?  

Here are some thought-provoking questions that can be tailored to fit your BIOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH TOPIC.  Feel free to use this link to help you in writing your own questions.  You may need to change some questions, but you can start with many of these to help you get a jump on writing thick questions.  

Since this is a site that is blocked at school, you can access it from home, or you can see the list below for some starters.... 

Biography Questions for Research

1. Where did this person grow up/live?
2. What does/did this person do for a living?
3. How did the historical context (time period) this person lived through impact their life?
4. In what ways was the life remarkable (amazing, important, noteworthy, extraordinary, etc.)?
5. In what ways was the life despicable (negative, “bad,” shameful, contemptible, etc.)?
6. In what ways was the life admirable (positive, commendable, praiseworthy, etc.)?
7. What human qualities (character traits) were most influential in shaping the way this person lived?
8. Which quality/trait or event proved most troubling and difficult for the person? What were the major obstacles this person had to overcome? How did they?
9. Which quality/trait or event was most beneficial for the person? What caused their success?
10. Did this person make any major mistakes or bad decisions?
11. What are the two or three most important lessons you or any other young person might learn from the way this person lived?
12. An older person or mentor is often very important in shaping the lives of gifted people by providing guidance and encouragement. To what extent was this true of your person? Explain.
13. Many people act out of a "code" or a set of beliefs that influence their choices. It may be religion or politics or a personal philosophy. To what extent did your person act by a code or act independently of any set of beliefs?
14. What do you think it means to be a hero? Was your person a "hero?" Why? Why not? How is a hero different from a celebrity?
15. Why is this person famous? What did/does this person do to become famous?
16. How has this person made an impact on others' lives?

Remember-- some thin questions will be required in your research, but you will need to focus on the thick ones in order to prove your assertion.  

After you get part of your research completed, you may be ready to start thinking about the artifacts you will choose in order to share the information.  Review this list of possible artifacts to start.  You have to flip through the slide share until you get to the slide on possible artifacts.  It won't hurt you to review the goals of a multi-genre project along the way! 

This Wiki offers some really great examples of Multi-Genre writing artifacts for you to check out.  You can explore the entire wiki to find out more about the goal of your project.

Do any of these intrigue you??? Are you a poet at heart?  A mystery writer?  A news reporter?  A little of all of the above???

What is your favorite type of writing?  What would you like to TRY that you have not TRIED before?  What is your strength?  What type of writing would fit your research?  Think OUTSIDE OF THE BOX!!

Should you write a POEM that describes the life experiences of your research topic?  Should you write a letter that your research topic might have written to someone who was important to him or her in some way?  Could you detail his or her family tree in a visual way?  Can you created a map on GOOGLE MAPS that shares some of the places he or she has lived over his or her life?  Do you want to create a period-correct obituary about your person's life after his or her death?  The goal in your artifact creation should be two-fold.  First of all, you MUST choose an artifact that creatively shares your information in a way that allows your audience to learn something NEW and SIGNIFICANT.  Additionally, your artifact should be a blend of fact and creativity-- you will not simply FIND an artifact that has already been created and share it: you will create YOUR OWN artifact.

Here are some student-created VOICE THREADS showing yet another type of artifact you can create.   These samples add another dimension to your project-- WEB 2.0-based projects that are created using free and easy to use tools ONLINE!

TONS of MGP examples and student artifacts-- some links are NO LONGER active, but there are some good links on this site.

You can map your own MGP on READ WRITE THINK'S WEBSITE.

Checking out STUDENT PROJECTS is a great way to decide what YOU can do with your own project. Spend some time looking a what OTHERS have done, and HAVE FUN!!!