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10 Great Research Topics for Middle School Students

Middle school is the perfect time to start exploring the fascinating world of research, especially if you're passionate about STEM and the humanities. Engaging in research projects now not only feeds your curiosity but also develops critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a love for learning. Whether you're intrigued by the secrets of the universe, the beauty of numbers, or the complexity of robotics, there's a research project that you can pursue to help you build your knowledge. Let's dive into some advanced yet accessible research topics that will challenge you and enhance your academic journey.

1. Program your own robot

What to do:  Start by defining the purpose of your robot. Will it be a pet robot that follows you around, or perhaps a robot that can help carry small items from one room to another? Sketch your design on paper, focusing on what sensors and motors you'll need. For instance, a robot that follows light might need light sensors, while a robot that avoids obstacles will require ultrasonic sensors. Use an Arduino or Raspberry Pi as the brain. You'll need to learn basic programming in Python (for Raspberry Pi) or C++ (for Arduino) to code your robot's behavior.

Tips to get started:  The official websites for Arduino  and Raspberry Pi  offer tutorials for beginners. For more specific projects, such as building a pet robot, search for guides on Instructables  that detail each step from hardware assembly to software programming.

2. Design a solar-powered oven

What to do:  Investigate how solar ovens work and the science behind solar cooking. Your oven can be as simple as a pizza box solar oven or more complex, like a parabolic solar cooker. Key materials include reflective surfaces (aluminum foil), clear plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect, and black construction paper to absorb heat. Experiment with different shapes and angles to maximize the heat capture and cooking efficiency. Test your oven by trying to cook different foods and measure the temperature achieved and cooking time required.

Tips to get started:  The Solar Cooking  wiki is an excellent resource for finding different solar cooker designs and construction plans. YouTube also has numerous DIY solar oven tutorials. Document your process and results in a project journal, noting any changes in design that lead to improvements in efficiency.

3. Assess the health of a local ecosystem

What to do:  Choose a local natural area, such as a stream, pond, or forest, and plan a series of observations and tests to assess its health. Key activities could include water quality testing (for pH, nitrates, and phosphates), soil testing (for composition and contaminants), and biodiversity surveys (identifying species of plants and animals present). Compile your data to evaluate the ecosystem's health, looking for signs of pollution, habitat destruction, or invasive species.

Tips to get started:  For a comprehensive approach, NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory  provides information on atmospheric and environmental monitoring techniques. Tools like iNaturalist  can assist in species identification, and water and soil testing kits are available from science education suppliers.

4. Develop an educational app

What to do:  Identify a gap in educational resources that your app could fill. Perhaps you noticed that students struggle with a particular math concept, or there's a lack of engaging resources for learning a foreign language. Outline your app’s features, design the user interface, and plan the content it will deliver. Use MIT App Inventor  for a drag-and-drop development experience, or Scratch  for a game-like educational app. Test your app with classmates or family members, and use their feedback for improvements.

Tips to get started:  Both MIT App Inventor  and Scratch  provide tutorials and community forums where you can learn from others’ projects. Begin with a simple prototype, focusing on one core feature, and expand from there.

5. Model rocketry: design, build, and launch!

What to do:  Dive into the basics of rocket science by designing your own model rocket. Understand the principles of thrust, aerodynamics, and stability as you plan your rocket. Materials can range from simple kits available online to homemade components for the body, fins, and nose cone. Educate yourself on the proper engine selection for your design and the recovery system to ensure your rocket returns safely. Conduct a launch in a safe, open area, following all safety guidelines.

Tips to get started:  The National Association of Rocketry  is a treasure trove of information on model rocket safety, design, and launch procedures. For beginners, consider starting with a kit from Estes Rockets , which includes all necessary components and instructions.

6. Create a wearable electronic device

What to do:  Envision a wearable device that solves a problem or enhances an aspect of daily life. It could be a smart bracelet that reminds you to stay hydrated or a hat with integrated LEDs for nighttime visibility. Sketch your design, listing the components you'll need, such as LEDs, sensors, a power source, and a microcontroller like the Adafruit Flora or Gemma. Plan your circuit, sew or assemble your device, and program it to function as intended.

Tips to get started:   Adafruit’s Wearables  section offers guides and tutorials for numerous wearable projects, including coding and circuit design. Start with a simple project to familiarize yourself with electronics and sewing conductive thread before moving on to more complex designs.

7. Explore the science of slime and non-Newtonian fluids

What to do:  Conduct experiments to understand how the composition of slime affects its properties. Create a standard slime recipe using glue, borax (or contact lens solution as a safer alternative), and water. Alter the recipe by varying the amounts of each ingredient or adding additives like cornstarch, shaving cream, or thermochromic pigment. Test how each variation affects the slime’s viscosity, stretchiness, and reaction to pressure.

Tips to get started:  The Science Bob  website offers a basic slime recipe and the science behind it. Document each experiment carefully, noting the recipe used and the observed properties. This will help you understand the science behind non-Newtonian fluids.

8. Extract DNA at home

What to do:  Use common household items to extract DNA from fruits or vegetables, like strawberries or onions. The basic process involves mashing the fruit, adding a mixture of water, salt, and dish soap to break down cell membranes, and then using cold alcohol to precipitate the DNA out of the solution. Observe and analyze the DNA strands.

Tips to get started:  Detailed instructions and the science explanation are available at the Genetic Science Learning Center . This project offers a tangible glimpse into the molecular basis of life and can be a springboard to more complex biotechnology experiments.

9. Investigate the efficiency of different types of solar cells

What to do:  Compare the efficiency of various solar panels, such as monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. Design an experiment to measure the electrical output of each type under identical lighting conditions, using a multimeter to record voltage and current. Analyze how factors like angle of incidence, light intensity, and temperature affect their performance.

Tips to get started:  Introductory resources on solar energy and experiments can be found at the Energy.gov  website. Consider purchasing small solar panels of different types from electronics stores or online suppliers. Ensure that all tests are conducted under controlled conditions for accurate comparisons.

10. Study ocean acidification and its effects on marine life

What to do:  Simulate the effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms in a controlled experiment. Use vinegar to lower the pH of water in a tank and observe its impact on calcium carbonate shells or skeletons, such as seashells or coral fragments. Monitor and record changes over time, researching how acidification affects the ability of these organisms to maintain their shells and skeletons.

Tips to get started:   NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program  offers educational materials and experiment ideas. For a simpler version of this experiment, see instructions for observing the effects of acidified water on eggshells, which are similar in composition to marine shells, at educational websites like Science Buddies .

By pursuing these projects, you will not only gain a deeper understanding of STEM principles but also develop invaluable skills in research, design, and critical analysis. These projects will teach you how to question, experiment, and innovate, laying the groundwork for future scientific inquiries and discoveries.

One other option – Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program

The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about .  Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke and LSE.

The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure ! 

To learn more, you can reach out to our Head of Growth, Khushi Malde, at [email protected] or go to our website .

Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link ! If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines for 2024, you can refer to this page!

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

• middle school students

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Exciting Research Topics for Middle Schoolers to Fuel Curiosity

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Middle school is a time of burgeoning curiosity and the perfect opportunity for students to engage in research that not only educates them academically but also cultivates skills for the future. By encouraging young learners to explore topics they are passionate about, educators and parents play a pivotal role in their intellectual development and the growth of their intrinsic motivation. This blog post outlines a diverse range of research topics suited to the inquiring minds of middle school students, giving them the freedom to deepen their understanding of various subjects while honing critical thinking and independent study skills.

Uncovering the Mysteries of History

Middle schoolers often find history fascinating, particularly when learning about the past from distinct perspectives. Here are some intriguing historical research topics to consider:

• The Unsung Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement: Apart from the well-known leaders, students can explore the contributions of lesser-known figures who played a significant role in the struggle for equality.
• The Impact of Ancient Civilizations on Modern Society: Researching the ways in which the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, or other ancient societies have influenced contemporary culture, politics, and technology offers a broad canvas for exploration.
• Everyday Life in Different Historical Periods: Focusing on the routines, customs, and technologies that shaped people’s daily lives in times gone by can provide valuable insights into societal norms and individual experiences.

Science and the Natural World

The sciences are a playground of wonder, with an infinity of topics waiting to be explored. Here are some research ideas that can nurture a love for discovery and experimentation:

• Climate Change: Effects and Solutions: Investigating the causes and potential solutions to this global challenge can make students aware of their role in protecting the planet.
• The Wonders of the Solar System: Encouraging a study of the planets, their moons, and the vast expanse of space they inhabit can ignite dreams of interstellar exploration.
• Biodiversity and Ecosystem Conservation: Researching the variety of life on Earth and strategies to protect and sustain ecosystems can foster a sense of environmental stewardship.

Literature, Language, and Creative Expression

Language and literature are potent forms of human expression, allowing students to explore complex ideas and emotions. Here are some topics that bridge the gap between art and academia:

• Interpreting Classic Literature for Modern Relevance: Encouraging the study of timeless works can lead to discussions on their contemporary significance and the evolution of societal values.
• The Structure and Evolution of Language: Investigating the origins and changes in language over time can be a rich area of study, especially when paired with the examination of cultural shifts.
• The Intersection of Art and Literature: Exploring how visual arts and writing intersect to convey messages and emotions can be a fertile ground for interdisciplinary research.

Mathematics and Logic Puzzles

The precision and patterns found in mathematics can be both satisfying and thought-provoking. Middle school students often enjoy the thrill of solving problems and unraveling puzzles. Here are some mathematical research topics that can engage students’ analytical minds:

• Famous Mathematical Conjectures: Researching unsolved problems, such as the Goldbach conjecture or the Riemann hypothesis, can introduce students to the excitement of open questions in mathematics.
• The Application of Math in Various Industries: Investigating how mathematical principles underpin fields like music, art, sports, and technology can illuminate the subject’s real-world utility.
• The History of Mathematical Discoveries: Tracing the lineage of mathematical concepts through different cultures and periods can showcase the universality and timelessness of mathematics.

Social Sciences and Human Interaction

Studying human behavior and society can help students develop empathy and a deeper understanding of the world around them. Here are some social science research ideas to explore:

• The Impact of Social Media on Friendships and Relationships: Research could focus on positive and negative effects, trends, and the future of social interaction.
• Cultural Traditions and Their Meanings: Investigating the origins and contemporary significance of customs from various cultures can foster respect for diversity and a global perspective.
• The Psychology of Decision Making: Exploring the factors that influence human choices, from cognitive biases to social pressures, can provide insights into individual and collective behavior.

Technology and Innovation

Middle schoolers are often tech-savvy and interested in the latest gadgets and advancements. Here are some technology and innovation research topics to tap into that curiosity:

• The Impact of Gaming on Society: Research could examine how video games influence education, social issues, or even career choices.
• Emerging Technologies and Their Ethical Implications: Encouraging students to study technologies like artificial intelligence, gene editing, or wearable tech can lead to discussions on the ethical considerations of their use and development.
• Inventions That Changed the World: Chronicling the history and influence of significant inventions, from the wheel to the internet, can provide a lens through which to view human progress.

By providing middle schoolers with the opportunity to conduct meaningful research in a topic of their choosing, we not only deepen their education but also equip them with the skills and passion for a lifetime of learning. This list is just the beginning; the key is to foster curiosity and guide young minds toward engaging, challenging, and diverse research experiences. Through such explorations, we empower the next generation to think critically, communicate effectively, and, most importantly, to nurture their innate curiosity about the world.

Implementing Research Projects in the Classroom

Encouraging middle school students to undertake research projects requires a strategic approach to ensure sustained interest and meaningful outcomes. Here are some methods educators can employ:

• Mentorship and Support: Pairing students with teacher mentors who can guide them through the research process, provide feedback, and encourage critical thinking is essential for a fruitful research experience.
• Cross-Curricular Integration: Linking research topics to content from different subjects helps students appreciate the interconnectedness of knowledge and develop versatile learning skills.
• Use of Technology and Media: Incorporating digital tools for research, presentation, and collaboration can enhance engagement and teach essential 21st-century skills.
• Presentation and Reflection: Allocating time for students to present their findings nurtures communication skills and confidence, while self-reflection activities help them internalize their learning journey.

These strategies can create a robust framework within which students can pursue their curiosities, leading to a more personalized and impactful educational experience.

What is a good topic to research for middle school?

A good topic for middle school research could delve into the Role of Robotics in the Future of Society . Students can explore how robotics may transform jobs, healthcare, and everyday life. They can examine the balance between automation and human work, predict how robots could augment human abilities, and discuss the ethical dimensions of a robotic future. This inquiry not only captivates the imagination but also encourages critical thinking about technology’s impact on tomorrow’s world.

What are the 10 research titles examples?

• The Evolution of Renewable Energy and Its Future Prospects
• Investigating the Effects of Microplastics on Marine Ecosystems
• The Influence of Ancient Civilizations on Modern Democracy
• Understanding Black Holes: Unveiling the Mysteries of the Cosmos
• The Impact of Augmented Reality on Education and Training
• Climate Change and Its Consequences on Coastal Cities
• The Psychological Effects of Social Media on Teenagers
• Genetic Engineering: The Possibilities and Pitfalls
• Smart Cities: How Technology is Shaping Urban Living
• The Role of Nanotechnology in Medicine: Current Applications and Future Potential

Fascinating Facts About Middle School Research Topics

• Interdisciplinary Impact : Research projects in middle school often blend subjects, such as the integration of art and mathematics when exploring patterns and symmetry, which helps students discover the interconnectivity of different fields of knowledge.
• Skill Building : Engaging in research equips middle schoolers with advanced skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and time management, which are beneficial across their academic journey and beyond.
• Diversity in Content : Middle school research topics are notably diverse, ranging from examining the role of robotics in society to exploring the psychological effects of social media, catering to a wide array of student interests and strengths.
• Tech Savvy Learning : Technology-based research topics, such as the influence of smart cities or the impact of augmented reality in education, are deeply relevant to tech-savvy middle school students, making learning more engaging and relatable.
• Cultural Relevance : Researching topics like cultural traditions and their meanings encourages middle schoolers to develop a global perspective and fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation for the diversity within their own school community and the world at large.

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• Open access
• Published: 21 May 2016

Identifying middle school students’ challenges in computational thinking-based science learning

• Satabdi Basu 1 ,
• Gautam Biswas 2 ,
• Pratim Sengupta 3 ,
• Amanda Dickes 4 ,
• John S. Kinnebrew 5 &
• Douglas Clark 4  

Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning volume  11 , Article number:  13 ( 2016 ) Cite this article

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Computational thinking (CT) parallels the core practices of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and is believed to effectively support students’ learning of science and math concepts. However, despite the synergies between CT and STEM education, integrating the two to support synergistic learning remains an important challenge. Relatively, little is known about how a student’s conceptual understanding develops in such learning environments and the difficulties they face when learning with such integrated curricula. In this paper, we present a research study with CTSiM (Computational Thinking in Simulation and Modeling)—computational thinking-based learning environment for K-12 science, where students build and simulate computational models to study and gain an understanding of science processes. We investigate a set of core challenges (both computational and science domain related) that middle school students face when working with CTSiM, how these challenges evolve across different modeling activities, and the kinds of support provided by human observers that help students overcome these challenges. We identify four broad categories and 14 subcategories of challenges and show that the human-provided scaffolds help reduce the number of challenges students face over time. Finally, we discuss our plans to modify the CTSiM interfaces and embed scaffolding tools into CTSiM to help students overcome their various programming, modeling, and science-related challenges and thus gain a deeper understanding of the science concepts.

Introduction

Computational thinking (CT) refers to the concepts and representational practices involved in formulating and solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior by drawing on fundamental computing concepts like problem representation, abstraction, decomposition, recursion, simulation, and verification (Grover and Pea 2013 ; Wing 2008 ). The practices of CT along with computational modeling and programming that are integrally linked to CT have been included as key features in NRC’s K-12 science education framework (National Research Council 2011 ). A number of researchers (Blikstein and Wilensky 2009 ; Hambrusch et al. 2009 ; Kynigos 2007 ; Sherin 2001 ) have shown that computational modeling and programming parallel core practices in science education and can support students’ learning of challenging science and math concepts in an effective manner.

Despite the emerging consensus that CT is central to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines (Henderson et al. 2007 ; National Research Council 2011 ), and the known synergies between CT and STEM education, empirical studies have shown that balancing and exploiting the trade-off between the domain-generality of CT (CT concepts and practices are valid across different domains) and the domain-specificity of scientific representations present a significant educational design challenge (Guzdial 1994 ; Sherin et al. 1993 ). Currently, a majority of CT-based systems adopt open-ended contexts such as game design, storytelling, and mobile app development. Further, their primary focus is on improving students’ interest in CT through extracurricular activities, as opposed to aligning their learning activities with curricular topics in science or mathematics. Also, relatively little is known about students’ developmental processes and conceptual understanding in curricula that involve learning programming and/or computational modeling in conjunction with scientific concepts and representational practices. Grover and Pea ( 2013 ) argue that the idea of computing as a medium for teaching subjects besides computer science—such as science and math—remains under-investigated . They proposed that studies which integrate CT and STEM learning should focus on identifying the hurdles that exist in developing essential CT elements in learners of different age groups and propose means for addressing them. In this paper, our overarching goal is to study specific issues in integrating CT with middle school curricular science instruction to support science and CT learning, while also detecting and addressing the types of difficulties students face when working in these environments. A good understanding of the learning processes provides opportunities for designing relevant adaptive scaffolds that can help the students overcome their difficulties. Adaptive scaffolds refer to actions taken by an agent (e.g., a human tutor or a computer-based software agent), based on the learners’ interactions, intended to support learners in completing their tasks (Wood et al. 1976 ; Puntambekar and Hubscher 2005 ). Such scaffolds often seek to highlight differences between the desired and current learner performances and provide direction to students who are unsure of how to proceed.

Over the past few years, we have developed CTSiM (Computational Thinking in Simulation and Modeling)—a learning environment for K-12 science that is based on a computational thinking approach (Basu et al. 2013 ; Sengupta et al. 2013 ; Basu et al. 2014 ). The system consists of an agent-based, visual programming and modeling platform where students can model, simulate, and study science processes to simultaneously learn about domain-general computational concepts and practices and relevant science phenomena. In this paper, we describe a think-aloud study with an initial version of CTSiM to identify and understand the types of challenges middle school students face in working with this environment and the kinds of support they require to overcome these challenges and successfully complete their learning tasks. Challenges have been documented in the literature separately for programming, science learning, and inquiry learning using modeling and simulations. However, when CT and science are integrated using a learning-by-modeling paradigm, the challenges that arise are not known. After identifying the challenges, we go on to describe how they influence subsequent redesign and development of the CTSiM system to increase its effectiveness and make it better suited for integration with classroom science instruction.

In particular, this paper investigates issues pertaining to the processes students employ when constructing simulation models in CTSiM to learn about topics and concepts in kinematics and ecology. We conducted a pull-out study with 15 6th grade students in a Metro Nashville school. Each student worked on the system individually and was assisted one-on-one by members of our research team, who not only primarily acted as observers but also interacted with the students asking them clarifying questions and providing support when they faced difficulties. All of the students work on the system and their interactions with the researchers were captured using Camtasia, and these videos were coded and later analyzed to answer the following research questions :

What are the different types of challenges that students face while working on CTSiM, and what kinds of supports can help them overcome these challenges?

How do these challenges evolve across a sequence of curricular units taking into account that students are scaffolded one-on-one by researchers when they have difficulties?

The rest of the paper is organized as follows. The “ Literature review ” section presents key design principles guiding the integration of CT and science education in CTSiM, and reviews known challenges and scaffolds for CT-based environments and learning-by-modeling environments for science. The “ The CTSiM environment ” describes the CTSiM learning environment. The “ Method ” section describes the learning activities, our study design, and the types of analyses we performed with the study data. In the “ Results ” section, we present our results, including the categories of challenges identified, the scaffolds provided to help overcome the challenges, and how the number and type of challenges varied across activities. We conclude with a discussion of how our results have been influencing design of subsequent iterations of our system and the design of CT-based learning environments for teaching science in general.

Literature review

Design as a core focus of learning using computational programming and modeling.

Sengupta et al. ( 2013 ) argued that CT becomes evident only in the form of design-based epistemic and representational practices. Grover and Pea ( 2013 ) have identified examples of representational practices as abstractions and pattern generalizations (that include modeling and simulation activities); symbol systems and representations; algorithmic notions of flow of control; structured problem decomposition (modularizing); conditional logic; and iterative, recursive, and parallel thinking. Other epistemic practices include systematic processing of information, adopting efficiency and performance constraints, and debugging and systematic error detection. This, in turn, aligns with the following perspectives:

Science as practice perspective (Duschl 2008 ; Lehrer and Schauble 2006 ), which suggests that the development of scientific concepts is deeply intertwined with the development of epistemic and representational practices such as modeling. Modeling—i.e., the collective action of developing, testing, and refining models (National Research Council 2008 )—involves carefully selecting aspects of the phenomenon to be modeled, identifying relevant variables, developing formal representations, and verifying and validating these representations with the putative phenomenon (Penner et al. 1998 ; Lehrer and Schauble 2006 ); and

Learning-by-design pedagogy which suggests that students learn best when they engage in the design and consequential use of external representations for modeling and reasoning (Kolodner et al. 2003 ; Papert 1991 ).

From a pedagogical perspective, this means that engaging students in developing design-based computational representational practices, such as the ones discussed above, can be closely aligned with the development of students’ CT skills.

Several scholars have pointed out that computing can be used successfully as a medium for teaching and learning other subjects and that this can facilitate learning in both the subject and computing domains. For example, Papert ( 1991 ) stated that programming is reflexive with other domains; that is, learning programming in concert with concepts from another domain (such as math and science) can be easier than learning them separately. Kay and Goldberg ( 1977 ) showed that object-oriented programming using SmallTalk is useful for learning math, science, and art. Emile, a scaffolded graphical programming interface designed and used to help students learn physics, represents another example of synergistic learning (Guzdial 1994 ). Redish and Wilson ( 1993 ), Soloway ( 1993 ), and Kafai et al. ( 1997 ) also demonstrated that reorganizing scientific and mathematical concepts around computational mechanisms lowered the learning threshold, especially in domains like physics and biology. More recently, some researchers have exploited the synergy between CT and science to develop CT-based science curricular units for K-12 classrooms (Sengupta et al., 2015 ; Basu, Kinnebrew & Biswas 2014 ; Allan et al. 2010 ; Repenning et al. 2010 ).

In each of the environments discussed above, students learn through an iterative model building process. Previous studies have shown that middle school and elementary children can successfully use programming as a mode of inquiry to develop models of scientific phenomena, which in turn helps them develop a deep understanding of the relevant scientific concepts (diSessa et al. 1991 ; Sengupta & Farris 2012 ). CTSiM adopts this learning-by-design pedagogical approach (Kolodner et al. 2003 ), and students iteratively design, test, and revise computational models of physics and ecology.

Agent-based modeling can leverage students’ prior knowledge

CTSiM is an agent-based modeling environment. The term “agent” here indicates an individual computational object or actor (for example, a rollercoaster car or a fish in a fish tank), which performs actions (for example, moving forward, changing directions) based on simple rules, and these rules can be designed and controlled by the user. Several researchers have shown that agent-based modeling can leverage K-12 students’ pre-instructional intuitions and support their learning of (a) complex and emergent phenomena in biology, such as population dynamics in ecological systems (Basu et al. ( 2014 ); Dickes and Sengupta 2012 ; Wilensky and Reisman 2006 ), and (b) phenomena in the domain of Newtonian mechanics that require students to develop an understanding of the relations between position, speed, and acceleration as aggregation of continuous change in these variables over time (Basu et al. 2012 ; diSessa et al. 1991 ).

The advantages of visual programming

In a visual programming (VP) environment, students construct programs using graphical objects and a drag-and-drop interface, thus making the programming more intuitive and accessible to the novice programmer (Kelleher and Pausch 2005 ). Visual constructs significantly reduce issues with program syntax and understanding textual structures making it easier for students to focus on the semantic meaning of the constructs (Soloway 1993 ). For example, visual interfaces make it easier to interpret and use flow of control constructs, such as loops and conditionals (Parsons and Haden 2007a , b ).

CTSiM provides a library of visual constructs that students can choose from and arrange spatially to generate their computational models. If students try to drag and drop a programming construct incorrectly, the system disallows the action and indicates the error by explicitly displaying an “x” sign. Therefore, CTSiM eliminates the possibility of generating programs (that is, models) with syntax errors. Examples of other agent-based VP environments include AgentSheets (Repenning 1993 ), StarLogo TNG (Klopfer et al. 2005 ), Scratch (Maloney et al. 2004 ), ViMAP (Sengupta et al., 2015 ), and Alice (Conway 1997 ). They have been used successfully in teaching children CT through game design, storytelling, and modeling activities.

Integration of domain-specific primitives and domain-general abstractions

Previous research suggests that learning a domain-general programming language and then using it for domain-specific scientific modeling involves a significant pedagogical challenge (Guzdial 1994 ; Sherin et al. 1993 ). To address this issue, CTSiM combines domain-general and domain-specific primitives. Domain-general primitives are computational constructs (for example, “when-do-otherwise do” and “repeat” representing conditionals and loops). Domain-specific primitives are designed specifically to support modeling of particular aspects of the topic of study, for example, kinematics or ecology. Imposing domain-specific names on the constructs creates semantically meaningful structures for modeling actions in the particular domain. For example, “forward,” “speed up,” and “slow down” represent movement, acceleration, and deceleration actions in kinematics, respectively, and “create new” and “die” imply birth and death of agents in ecology, respectively. Students develop more complex agent behaviors by combining computational and domain-specific primitives. Examples include “model car speed” behavior in kinematics and “breathe” and “eat” behaviors in ecology. Previous studies suggest that such an approach that combines domain-general and domain-specific computational primitives can effectively support the development of children’s scientific models and conceptual understanding of the domain, as well as support the development of their programming concepts and skills.

Known challenges for programming and learning-by-modeling in science

Developing a scaffolding framework for an environment like CTSiM which is intended to be used in classroom settings warrants an in-depth understanding of the different types of difficulties students at different levels of understanding face in the environment (Puntambekar and Hubscher 2005 ). Previous research has separately documented challenges associated with science learning, programming challenges faced by students and challenges faced with inquiry learning using modeling and simulation. However, when science learning and learning programming skills are combined in a modeling- and simulation-based learning environment, the types of challenges that emerge have not been explored. In this section, we explore the known challenges in each of these areas.

Instructional approaches in science emphasize learning by engaging in knowledge construction practices, investigation, and argumentation. These approaches to learning through inquiry not only provide the potential to connect knowledge more effectively to real-world contexts but also pose particular challenges for learners (Reiser 2004 ). For example, learners may not be familiar with general strategies for designing empirical tests of hypotheses and in using specific domain knowledge to plan and guide investigations (Schauble et al. 1991 ). They also tend to focus on achieving desired results rather than on understanding the principles behind the results (Perkins 1998 ) and find it difficult to generalize appropriately from their work on specific problem scenarios. Further, students tend to have difficulty mapping their intuitive understandings to formal representations and evaluating alternate representations (Sherin 2001 ). In addition, students may face social interaction and collaboration challenges or linguistic and discourse challenges (Reiser 2004 ).

The challenges faced in learning science through investigative processes or discovery learning can be grouped in a number of ways. Quintana et al. ( 2004 ) categorizes the challenges into three categories, those related to sense making, process management, and articulation and reflection. Sense making entails constructing and interpreting empirical tests of hypotheses. Students need to coordinate their reasoning about experiments or data comparisons with the implications of the findings for an explanation of the scientific phenomena. This coordination and mapping task is complex and requires rich subject matter knowledge to design data comparisons and interpret findings in light of the hypotheses. Process management involves the iterative processes of designing an investigation, collecting data, constructing and revising explanations based on data, evaluating explanations, and communicating arguments. These require both discipline-specific processes and content knowledge that may be new to learners. Finally, scientific investigations require the complementary processes of reflection and articulation as students monitor and evaluate their progress, reconsider and refine their plans, and articulate their understanding as they proceed. Thus, in learning science through inquiry or investigative process, students face challenges at several levels. They face challenges with the content knowledge, as well as the cognitive complexity of discipline-specific strategies for sense making and process management, and the metacognitive processes for social interaction and discourse association with scientific practices (Reiser 2004 ).

On the other hand, de Jong and van Joolingen ( 1998 ) identify a number of characteristic problems that learners may encounter in discovery learning with computer simulations and classify them according to the main discovery learning processes: hypothesis generation, design of experiments, interpretation of data, and regulation of learning. These challenges hold good for discovery learning using computer simulations in any domain including science. Generating hypotheses and adapting or rejecting hypotheses based on collected data seem to be common challenges. Also, students display confirmation bias—the tendency to seek for information confirming hypotheses or construct experiments that are not intended to test a hypothesis. They tend to design inconclusive experiments and show inefficient experimentation behavior. In addition, interpretation of data is often directed by the hypothesis and the tendency to find data confirming the hypotheses. In particular, students find interpretation of graphs extremely difficult. Finally, planning experiments and working in a systematic fashion are processes students find challenging.

Students’ challenges with studying scientific phenomena using a complex systems framework have also been studied extensively. In such systems, the collective, global behavior emerges from the properties of individual elements and their interactions with each other. The global or macro behaviors—known as emergent phenomena—are often, not easily explained by the properties of the individual elements. For example, in chemistry and physics, gas molecules’ elastic collisions at the micro level produce the macro-level properties of pressure and temperature. In biology, animals interact with others of the same and different species and the environment to survive, grow, and reproduce at the individual level that leads to phenomena such as evolution, natural selection, and population dynamics at the ecosystem level. Students find the behaviors of individual elements intuitive but struggle to understand their relations with the aggregate behavior (Wilensky & Resnick 1999 ; Chi 2005 ).

Studies have not yet been conducted for studying students’ challenges with learning CT skills, but several studies have documented the challenges students face while writing programs. Most of these challenges are, however, in the context of undergraduate programming with text-based programming languages. For example, students are found to have difficulties with assembling programs and writing syntactically correct programs. Programming languages tend to have only a few components which are combined in many different ways, and learning to understand the semantic results of different combinations is considered complex. Also, understanding how to combine programs to achieve particular goals is known to be a challenge (Spohrer 1989 ). When students try to assemble programs by combining elements, they often get confused with syntax problems as they struggle to understand semantic ones. Another known programming challenge in the literature is students’ lack of understanding of computational processes. Many students do not understand how interpretation of traditional computer languages works, e.g., where does control flow and how do variables get updated (DuBoulay 1989 ).

We expect to see some of these known science and programming challenges with CTSiM as well. Since CTSiM tries to leverage the synergy between computational thinking and science education by making students computationally model a scientific phenomenon, we also anticipated situations where students’ programming challenges might be compounded by challenges with the science domain content, or vice versa, and were prepared to interleave scaffolds for the science content and the programming task.

Scaffolds in existing CT and science learning environments

The term scaffolding, as it relates to education, was introduced by Wood et al. ( 1976 ) as a metaphor describing how teachers and tutors assist learners in completing learning tasks that, without assistance, the learners would be unable to complete. Additionally, the authors list six scaffolding functions that tutors may employ: recruitment, reduction in degrees of freedom, direction maintenance, marking critical features, frustration control, and demonstration. This definition of the scaffolding process focuses on a relationship between two people and their interactions; it highlights the difficult but important task of continually diagnosing and adapting to the needs of the learner, whether that involves providing additional support, in the case that the learner is struggling, or removing support, in the case that the learner is excelling (Puntambekar and Hubscher 2005 ). Since this metaphor was introduced, researchers have expanded and generalized it to different aspects of computer-based learning environments. Some researchers define scaffolds as interface features (e.g., explanation construction tools; Reiser 2004 ). Others define scaffolds as activity sequencing within the learning environment (e.g., requiring students to answer questions before starting an invention task; Roll et al. 2012 ). Still others define scaffolds as supportive actions taken for the purpose of supporting learners in completing their tasks (e.g., providing hints; Azevedo and Jacobson 2008 ; Basu & Biswas 2016 ).

In this section, we discuss scaffolding mechanisms documented in the literature for helping students overcome the science and programming challenges discussed in the previous section. Reiser ( 2004 ) proposes two complementary mechanisms of scaffolding in software tools to help students with their science inquiry challenges related to sense making, process management, articulation, and reflection. He proposes (i) structuring problem-solving tasks to make them more tractable and to shape tasks for learners in ways that makes their problem-solving more productive and (ii) problematizing subject matter to provoke learners to devote resources to issues they might not otherwise address. Students’ learning tasks can be structured by providing structured work spaces to help decompose a task and organize work to help recognize important goals to pursue. Explicit structures such as prompts, agendas, or graphical organizers can help learners monitor their progress and keep track of what goals have been addressed and what aspects of the task are pending. Also, restricting the problem space by narrowing options, preselecting data, or offloading more routine parts of the task can help learners focus resources on the aspects of the task more productive for learning. The second proposed mechanism for scaffolding is to make some aspects of students’ work more “problematic” in a way that increases the utility of the problem-solving experience for learning. Rather than simplifying the task, the software leads students to encounter and grapple with important ideas or processes. This may actually add difficulty in the short term, but in a way that is productive for learning. For example, eliciting articulation or collaboration can help counter the tendency toward superficial and non-reflective work. Similarly, eliciting arguments and decisions can force students to think deeply about the content and the relations between the evidence and their arguments.

On the other hand, de Jong and van Joolingen ( 1998 ) describe different ways to support learners’ challenges with discovery learning using modeling and simulation. They suggest providing the learner with direct access to domain information and then providing support for specific discovery processes. Insufficient prior knowledge might be the cause that learners do not know which hypothesis to state, cannot make a good interpretation of data, and move to unsystematic experimentation behavior; hence, providing access to domain information comprises the first level of support. Then, students can be supported by providing them with a hypothesis menu or scratchpad, experimentation hints and strategies, tools for making predictions, and planning and monitoring tools. Decomposing and structuring the discovery process can also be useful scaffolds.

With respect to supporting learning of emergent science phenomena, agent-based modeling holds immense potential. As discussed earlier in the “ Agent-based modeling can leverage students’ prior knowledge ” section, it provides the means to build on students’ intuitive understandings about individual agents acting at the micro-level to grasp the mechanisms of emergence at the aggregate macro-level.

Scaffolds for programming challenges are limited and have focused on pointing out syntax errors in students’ programs or providing tools to help debug programs. Alleviating syntax problems is believed to help students focus on the semantic ones (Soloway 1993 ). In fact, research comparing learning in a more and a less syntactically strict language, Java and Python respectively, attribute the greater success of students in Python to be a result of reduced syntactic complexity (Mannila et al. 2006 ). Alleviating syntactic complexity is something we achieve in CTSiM by using a visual programming paradigm. Thus, bugs in CTSiM are always semantic errors and never the result of a typing error or a misremembered detail of the language syntax. Some research also claims that visual programming languages can make understanding the algorithmic flow of control more accessible by making complex elements of flow of control, such as loops and conditionals, more natural (Parsons and Haden 2007a , b ).

While several existing computer-based learning environments include scaffolds like explanation construction tools, guiding questions, argumentation interfaces, workspaces for structuring tasks, data comparison tools, and tools for observing effects of plans made or models built, several of these scaffolds are part of the environment design and are not adaptive. As Puntambekar and Hubscher ( 2005 ) point out, such tools now described as scaffolds provide us with novel techniques to support student learning, but they neglect important features of scaffolding such as ongoing diagnosis, calibrated support, and fading. Adaptive scaffolding involves responding to individual learner challenges. In computer-based environments, it involves tracking and interpreting learner actions. For example, in Ecolab (Luckin and du Boulay 1999 )—a modeling- and simulation-based environment, the scaffolding agent intervenes whenever students specify an incorrect relationship in their models and provides a progression of five hints, each more specific than the previous one, with the final hint providing the answer. Co-Lab (Duque et al. 2012 ), on the other hand, tracks student actions to provide feedback about both students’ solutions (the models built by students) and work processes, but is still limited to reminding students about specific actions they have not taken or should employ more frequently for model building and testing. AgentSheets (Repenning et al. 2010 ) is an example of one of the very few CT-based environments which include adaptive scaffolds. Students are provided an automatic assessment of the computational artifacts they build (games or science simulations). The CT patterns present in students’ artifacts are compared against desired CT patterns for the artifacts and represented in terms of what is known as the Computational Thinking Pattern graph.

The CTSiM environment

A detailed description of the CTSiM learning environment can be found in Sengupta et al. ( 2013 ). The version of CTSiM that we used in the study included three primary interfaces visible to the learner: the Construction world (C-World) corresponding to the “Build” interface, the Enactment world (E-World) corresponding to the “Run” interface for model simulation, and the Envisionment world (V-World) corresponding to the “Compare” interface for model verification. The C-World interface shown in Fig.  1 provides students with the available set of relevant visual primitives to build their computational models for a given science phenomenon. Students are directed to adopt an agent-based approach by decomposing the domain into a set of agents, their properties, and their behaviors. The behaviors are modeled using the block-structured visual language, much like other environments, such as Scratch (Maloney et al. 2004 ) and StarLogo TNG (Klopfer et al. 2009 ).

The Construction world with a “breathe” procedure for “fish” agents in the fish-tank unit

The student’s model is then internally translated into an intermediate language (code graphs of parameterized computational primitives) by the “Model Translator”. CTSiM, written in Java, includes an embedded NetLogo (Wilensky 1999 ) instance to simulate and visualize the constructed model. Each block in the student’s model is translated internally into a code graph that remains hidden from the student, and the set of code graphs are translated into NetLogo commands by the model executor to form a complete, executable NetLogo simulation, which can be run in the E-World and in the V-World.

At the top of the C-World interface (see Fig.  1 ), students can choose the agent and the particular agent behavior/procedure they want to model. Most agent behaviors in CTSiM units are specified in terms of a sense and act computational model. The list of visual primitives is provided on the left pane, and students drag and drop these available primitives onto the right pane, arranging and parameterizing them spatially to construct their models. The domain-general computational primitives regulate the flow of execution in the computational model (for example, conditionals, loops), while the domain-specific primitives generally represent agent actions (for example, moving, eating, reproducing) or sensing conditions (for example, vision, color, touch, toxicity).

Students can observe their model behaviors as simulations in the E-World, i.e., the “Run” interface or they can compare the simulations generated by their models against an “expert” simulation in the V-World, i.e., the “Compare” interface. Figure  2 depicts the V-World interface. NetLogo visualizations and plotting functionalities provide students with a dynamic, real-time display of how their agents operate in their modeled micro-world. Students can observe agent behaviors in the animations, and study the emergence of aggregate system behaviors by studying the generated plots and the behaviors depicted by the animations. Although the expert model is hidden from the students, they observe its simulated behavior and can compare these with behaviors generated by their own models, through the synchronized side-by-side plots and micro-world visualizations (Clark and Sengupta 2013 ).

The Envisionment world for the fish-tank unit

In this section, we describe a study where students worked with CTSiM on a learning activity progression spanning two domains: kinematics followed by ecology in a 6th-grade middle Tennessee classroom. Currently, there is a great emphasis on introducing students to CT and computational methods and piquing their interest in computer science from an early age, since today’s students will go on to live and work in a world heavily influenced by computational tools (Barr and Stephenson 2011 ). Introducing CT at the middle school level itself is considered useful since it is the age at which students start deciding on future career choices based on their assessments of their skills and aptitudes. While we chose 6th grade students for our first CTSiM study, we have successfully used CTSiM in other later studies with middle school students from the 5th grade and 8th grade.

We discuss the data analysis approach in support of our research questions.

CTSiM curricular units

Kinematics (physics) and ecology (biology) were chosen as the curricular topics for synergistic learning of science and CT using CTSiM. They are common and important curricular topics in the middle school curriculum, and as Sengupta et al. ( 2013 ) argued, researchers have shown that K-12 students have difficulties in understanding and interpreting concepts in these domains (Chi et al. 1994 ). Furthermore, it has been argued that students’ difficulties in both the domains have similar epistemological origins, in that both kinematics phenomena (e.g., change of speed over time in an acceleration field) and system-level behaviors in an ecosystem (e.g., population dynamics) involve understanding aggregation of interactions over time (Reiner et al. 2000 ; Chi 2005 ). Also, agent-based modeling is well suited for representing such phenomena, as it enables learners to invoke their intuitions about agent-level behaviors and organize them through design-based learning activities, in order to explain aggregate-level outcomes. Studies have shown that pedagogical approaches based on agent-based models and modeling can allow novice learners to develop a deep understanding of dynamic, aggregate-level phenomena—both in kinematics and ecological systems by bootstrapping, rather than discarding their agent-level intuitions (Farris & Sengupta, 2016 ; Dickes & Sengupta, 2013 ; Dickes, Sengupta, Farris & Basu, 2016 ; Wilensky and Reisman 2006 ; Levy and Wilensky 2008 ). Student activities in kinematics and ecology are explained in greater detail below.

Kinematics unit : We extended previous research by Sengupta, Farris & Wright ( 2012 ) to design the kinematics unit in three phases.

Kinematics phase 1: This covered activities 1 and 2, where students used turtle graphics to construct geometric shapes that represented: (1) constant speed and (2) constant acceleration . In activity 1, students were introduced to programming primitives such as “forward,” “right turn,” and “left turn” that dealt with the kinematics of motion, primitives like “repeat” which corresponded to a computational construct (independent of a domain construct), and primitives like “pen down” and “pen up” which were Netlogo-specific drawing primitives. The students were given the task of generating procedures that described the movement of a turtle for drawing n -sided regular shapes, such as squares and hexagons. Each segment of the regular shape was walked by the turtle in unit time indicating constant speed. Therefore, activity 1 focused on students learning the relationship between speed, time, and distance for constant speed motion. In activity 2, students were given the task of extending the turtle behavior to generate shapes that represented increasing and decreasing spirals. In this unit, segments walked by the turtle, i.e., its speed per unit time, increased (or decreased) by a constant amount, which represented a positive (or negative) acceleration. Activity 2 thus introduced students to the relations between acceleration, speed, and distance using the “speed up” and “slow down” commands to command the motion of the turtle.

Kinematics phase 2 corresponded to activity 3, where students interpreted a speed-time graph to construct a representative turtle trajectory. Starting from the speed-time graph shown in Fig.  3 , students developed a procedure where the length of segments the turtle traveled during a time interval corresponded to the speed value on the graph for that time interval. For example, it was expected that students would recognize and model the initial segment of increasing speed by a growing spiral, followed by the decrease in speed by a shrinking spiral, whose initial segment length equaled the final segment length of the last spiral. Students were given the freedom to choose the shapes associated with the increasing and decreasing spirals. We hypothesized this reverse engineering problem would help students gain a deeper understanding of the relations between acceleration, speed, distance, and time.

Acceleration represented in a speed-time graph ( left ) and turtle graphics ( right )

Kinematics phase 3, represented by activity 4, involved modeling the motion of a rollercoaster car along a pre-specified track with multiple segments. In more detail, students were asked to model a rollercoaster as it moved through different segments of a track: (1) up (pulled by a motor) at constant speed, (2) down (with gravitational pull), (3) flat (cruising), and then (4) up again (moving against gravity). The students had to build their own model of rollercoaster behavior to match the observed expert behavior for all of the segments.

The ecology unit was represented by activities 5, 6, and 7, where students modeled a closed fish tank system in two phases. In the first phase (activity 5), students constructed a macro-level, semi-stable model of the fish tank ecosystem by modeling the fish and duckweed species as two agent types. Activity 5 required students to model the food chain, respiration, locomotion, excretion, and the reproductive behaviors for the fish and duckweed. The inability to develop a sustained macro-model, where the fish and the duckweed could be kept alive for extended periods of time, even though all of the macro processes associated with the two agents were correctly modeled (that is, the behaviors generated by the students’ computational model matched the behaviors generated by the expert model), encouraged students to reflect on what may be missing from the macro-model. This led to the realization about the need to model the waste cycle and its entities, primarily the two forms of bacteria and their behaviors. This prompted the transition to the second phase (activity 6) where students identified the continuously increasing fish waste as the culprit for the lack of sustainability of the fish tank. Students then built the waste cycle model for the fish tank, with the Nitrosomonas bacteria that converts the toxic ammonia in fish waste into nitrites, which is also toxic, and the Nitrobacter bacteria that converts the nitrites into nitrates. Nitrates are consumed by the duckweed (as nutrients) thus preventing an excessive buildup of toxic chemicals in the fish tank environment. The combination of graphs from the micro- and macro-world visualizations was intended to help the students develop an aggregate-level understanding of the interdependence and balance among the different agents (fish, duckweed, and bacteria) in the system. After completing the ecology micro-unit, students worked on activity 7 where they discussed the combined micro-macro model with their assigned researcher and how the macro-micro model phenomena could be combined into an aggregated causal model describing the sustainability of the fish tank ecosystem.

The sequencing of curricular modules allowed students to tackle modeling and reasoning with a single agent in kinematics first and then build more complex computational models with multiple agents in ecology. This was an intentional design decision because studies in developmental psychology (for example, Lehrer et al. 2008 ) and agent-based modeling for education (for example, Goldstone & Wilensky 2008 ) show that individual agent-level reasoning occurs developmentally prior to understanding interactions among agents, and eventual aggregate-level reasoning with multiple agents and processes. Furthermore, within each unit, the sequencing of the activities implied increasing conceptual challenges that students would face in learning the relevant phenomena. For example, in the kinematics unit, when students modeled a single agent, the computational modeling tasks were presented in the order of increasing complexity, starting from constant shapes (squares to triangles to circles) to spirals of the same shapes (where speed became a function of the acceleration) to modeling real-world systems involving constant and variable speed segments.

Assessments

This initial CTSiM study was primarily targeted toward understanding how students’ used the system, and the challenges they encountered while constructing science models using the system—aspects assessed by studying students’ video data as they worked on the system with one-on-one individualized guidance. We only used paper-based science assessments using a pre- and post-test design to assess students’ science learning as a result of our intervention. The science assessments included kinematics and ecology questions (the pre- and post-tests included the same questions), which comprised a combination of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. In the future versions of CTSiM, we plan to assess the science models students build and other aspects of students’ modeling behaviors.

The kinematics pre-test/post-test assessed whether agent-based modeling improved students’ abilities to generate and explain mathematical representations of motion and reason causally about the relations between acceleration, speed, and distance. Specifically, the test required interpretation and generation of speed versus time graphs and generating diagrammatic representations to explain motion in a constant acceleration field, such as gravity. For example, one question asked students to diagrammatically represent the time trajectory of a ball dropped from the same height on the earth and the moon. The students were asked to explain their drawings and generate graphs of speed versus time for the two scenarios. The kinematics assessment questions were derived either from standard middle school science textbook questions or from pre-post assessments used with other learning environments covering similar content.

On the other hand, most questions on the ecology assessment were designed for this study ensuring that they closely aligned with the concepts covered in the ecology modeling activities and the broader ecology learning goals of understanding interdependence and balance in an ecosystem. The test focused on students’ understanding of the role of species in the ecosystem, interdependence among the species, the food chain, waste and respiration cycles, and how a change in one species affected the others. An example question asked was “Your fish tank is currently healthy and in a stable state. Now, you decide to remove all traces of nitrobacter bacteria from your fish tank. Would this affect a) Duckweed, b) Goldfish, c) Nitrosomonas bacteria? Explain your answers”.

Sample and procedure

Fifteen 6th grade students (age ranged between 11 and 13) from an ethnically diverse middle school in middle Tennessee worked on CTSiM in a pull-out study with one-on-one individualized verbal guidance from one of five members of our research team. The students were chosen by their classroom science teacher, who also happened to be their science teacher. The teacher ensured that the chosen students were representative of different genders, ethnicities, and performance levels based on their state-level test scores (Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program or TCAP). All the students in the class (those who were chosen for the pull-out study as well as those who were not) had provided their consent (student and parental consent) for working with CTSiM. Hence, while the majority of the class participated in the CTSiM pull-out study, the remainder of the class (nine students) was allowed to explore the CTSiM learning environment on their own without one-on-one guidance (with minimal guidance from the teacher and some other members of our research team) during the science period, and the teacher made sure they learnt the same science topics as covered in the CTSiM learning activities during this time. In this paper, we focus only on the 15 students who participated in the pull-out study, and the data and analysis we present are derived from their pre- and post-tests, their interactions with the CTSiM environment, and the conversations they had with their assigned researcher. Since this was our first study with the CTSiM system, our goal was to use the one-on-one interactions to determine the approaches the students used in constructing their models, the problems they faced during model building, how they discovered and responded to errors in their models, and scaffolds provided by the researchers that were effective in helping them deal with the challenges they faced when they lacked domain knowledge, or when they tried to correct errors in their models.

The 15 students were paired one-on-one with one of the five members of our research team. Thus, each researcher from our team worked with three students for the study with three 1-h sessions daily (9 am–10 am, 10 am–11 am, 12:30 pm–1:30 pm), one for each student assigned to them. On ay 1, all 15 students took the paper-based pre-tests for both the kinematics and ecology units. They took between 25 and 40 min to finish each test. Then, the students worked on the kinematics units (activities 1–4) from day 2 through day 4 and took the kinematics post-test on day 5. On days 6–8, they worked on the ecology units (activities 5–7) and then took the ecology post-test on day 9. The students worked in the CTSiM environment with their assigned researcher sitting next to them, interacting with them when needed. The entire study took place over a span of 2 weeks toward the end of the school year, after the students had completed their annual state-level assessments (TCAP).

All five members (one assistant professor and four graduate research assistants) of our research team who conducted the one-on-one interviews had prior experience with running similar studies. They met before the study and decided on a common framework for questioning the students and interacting with them as they worked with CTSiM. While the interviews were not strictly scripted since the conversations would depend on individual student actions and thought processes, a common flexible interview script was prepared and shared among the researchers. This ensured that all of the researchers’ interview formats and structures were similar (similar questions asked and similar examples to illustrate a concept) during each of the CTSiM learning activities. As part of the intervention, the researchers introduced the CTSiM system and its features to their students individually and introduced each of the learning activities before the student started them. However, the students were not told what to do; they had complete control over how they would go about their modeling and debugging tasks. But the researchers did intervene to help the students when they were stuck or frustrated by their own lack of progress. An important component of the researchers’ interactions with the students involved targeted prompts, where they got the students to focus on specific parts of the simulation results and verify the correctness of their model. When needed, the researchers also asked leading questions to direct the students to look for differences between the expert simulation results and their own results and then reflect on possible causes for observed differences. These questions often required the students to predict the outcome of changes they had made to their models and then check if their predictions were supported by the simulation results.

In addition, the researchers prompted the students periodically to make them think aloud and explain what they were currently doing on the system. They also provided pointers about how to decompose large complex modeling problems into smaller manageable parts and at appropriate times, reminded the students about how they had tackled similar situations in past work. All of the student and researcher conversations during the one-on-one interviews were recorded using the Camtasia software. Footnote 1 These videos also included recordings of the screen, so we could determine what actions the students performed in the environment and what the consequences of those actions were.

Analysis and coding

We scored students’ pre- and post-tests and also analyzed the Camtasia™-generated videos for all 15 students to characterize the types of challenges the students faced while working with CTSiM and the scaffolds that were provided to help them overcome these challenges. Two members of our research team came up with initial rubrics for grading the pre- and post-tests, which were then iteratively refined based on student responses. The initial rubric focused on correct answers for multiple-choice questions and keywords and important concepts for questions requiring short answer responses. A systematic grading scheme was developed after studying a subset of the short answer responses. The short answer grading scheme attempted to account for different ways a question could be answered correctly and was updated if we found a student response which could not be graded adequately using the current rubric. We have since used these pre-post grading rubrics in other studies (Basu et al 2014 ; Basu et al. 2015 ), and have found the rubrics to be reliable and valid with a variety of student responses from different studies.

The video data was coded along two dimensions: first, the type and frequency of challenges faced during each activity and second, the scaffolds that were used to help the students overcome the challenges. Initial codes were established using the constant comparison method by two researchers involved in the study. To do so, they chose data from two participants, whom we will call Sara and Jim (not their real names). They were selected as representative cases because they had the lowest and highest state standardized assessment (TCAP) scores in science among the 15 participants of the pull-out study (Basu et al. 2013 ). When the students voluntarily asked their interviewer/research member a question or mentioned they were not sure what to do next or asked for help with building and debugging models, these counted as challenges. Even if the students themselves did not ask for help, the students were frequently asked to explain what they were doing, why they were doing what they were doing, what they planned to do next and why, and predict the results of their actions. When the students could not correctly predict or explain their model behaviors, describe the semantics of programming blocks, explain their actions in the system, or how they planned to check and debug their model, these were also considered as student challenges. When we found instances of challenges, we documented the challenge using a brief description, its associated timestamp, and the scaffold provided.

Definitions and examples of the types of challenges (derived by initial analysis and repeated re-analysis to refine the definitions) are explained in detail in the “ Challenges faced and scaffolds required ” section. Fourteen challenge categories were identified and further grouped into four broad categories: (1) programming challenges, (2) modeling challenges, (3) domain challenges, and (4) agent-based reasoning challenges—to aid in the interpretation of the aggregate data set. Henceforth, we refer to the 14 initial categories as “subcategories” of these four broad categories.

Two researchers unaffiliated with the study coded the remaining video data from the other 13 participants, using our coding scheme described above. To establish reliability, they were first asked to determine the challenges and frequency counts for activities 3, 4, and 5 from Sara’s video data. Both coders reached good agreement with the researcher-developed codes (91.15 and 96.46 % agreement). Once reliability with the researcher codes was established, the coders were asked to code a different student to test their inter-rater reliability. The inter-rater reliability between coder 1 and coder 2 yielded a Cohen’s kappa of 0.895 (93.1 % agreement), implying a “very good” inter-rater reliability rating. Then, the coders divided up the work of coding the remaining 12 student videos. Once the challenges faced and scaffolds received for all 15 students were extracted from the video files (used to answer our first research question), we computed the average number of challenges of each type per activity (to answer research question 2).

The average pre-post learning gains for the 15 students who participated in the pull-out study are reported in the “ Pre-post learning gains with CTSiM ” section. The “ Challenges faced and scaffolds required ” section presents the categories of challenge the students faced along with the examples from each category and the corresponding scaffolds that helped them overcome their challenges. The “ Number of challenges and their evolution time ” section describes how these categories of challenges evolved over time from activities 1 to 7.

Pre-post learning gains with CTSiM

Table  1 shows that students’ pre- to post-test gains were statistically significant for both the kinematics and ecology units, demonstrating the combined effectiveness of our learning environment, activity design, and the one-on-one scaffolds provided by the researchers (Basu et al. 2012 ). The gains were higher in the more complex ecology units in comparison to the kinematics units. A possible reason for this is that students has lower prior knowledge in ecology (for example, they knew very little about the role of bacteria in a fish tank) as compared to kinematics. This observation is supported by their pre-test scores.

Since these pre-to-post learning gains are clearly due to a combined effect of the use of the CTSiM environment and the verbal scaffolds provided to the students, we compared these gains against the pre-to-post gains for the other nine students in the class who explored CTSiM on their own without any external scaffolding. Unsurprisingly, we found that those nine students also showed learning gains, but the effect sizes (Cohen’s d ) were much lower (0.05 versus 0.71 for kinematics and 1.09 versus 3.16 for ecology) compared to the students who received one-on-one scaffolding. We also computed repeated measures ANCOVA with TCAP science scores as a covariate of the pre-test scores to study the interaction between time and condition. Not surprisingly, there was a significant effect of condition (i.e., students who received one-on-one scaffolding and students who did not) on pre-post learning gains in kinematics ( F (1,21) = 4.101, p  < 0.06), as well as ecology ( F (1,21) = 37.012, p  < 0.001), indicating the scaffolding helped students learn science content better.

Challenges faced and scaffolds required

Our analysis of the one-on-one interviews produced the four primary categories and 14 subcategories of challenges the students faced when developing and testing their models in CTSiM. These categories are summarized as follows:

Domain knowledge challenges related to difficulties attributed to missing or incorrect domain knowledge in science. Several of these challenges were reflected in students’ answers on their science pre-tests. For example, some common challenges we identified in the kinematics domain were understanding acceleration and its relation to speed and the effect of acceleration on distance traveled per time unit. On the kinematics pre-test, we found common incorrect responses where students said that a higher speed implied a higher acceleration and represented a ball falling under gravity as traveling equal distances in each time unit. Similarly, on the ecology pre-test, we noticed that almost no student had the required knowledge about the waste cycle in a fish tank and the beneficial role of bacteria. The challenges we identified for the ecology domain through analysis of our video data reflect similar problems.

Modeling and simulation challenges were associated with representing scientific concepts and processes as computational models and refining constructed models (partial or full) based on observed simulations. More specifically, these challenges included difficulties in identifying the relevant entities in the phenomenon being modeled; specifying how the entities interact; choosing correct preconditions and initial conditions, model parameters, and boundary conditions; understanding dependencies between different parts of the model and their effect on the overall behavior; and verifying model correctness by comparing its behavior with that of an expert model. Subcategories of these challenges could be classified as: (1) challenges in identifying relevant entities and their interactions; (2) challenges in choosing correct preconditions; (3) systematicity challenges; (4) challenges with specifying model parameters and component behaviors; and (5) model verification challenges).

Agent-based thinking challenges —They represented difficulties students faced in expressing agent behaviors as computational models, difficulties in understanding how individual agent interactions lead to aggregate-level behaviors, and the consequences of agent behavior changes on the aggregate behavior. Therefore, the subcategories of challenges have been called: (1) thinking like an agent challenges and (2) agent-aggregate relationship challenges.

Programming challenges —Students had difficulties in understanding the meaning and use of computational constructs and other visual primitives (for example, variables, conditionals, and loops). They had difficulties in conceptualizing agent behaviors as distinct procedures, and some could not figure out how to compose constructs visually to define an agent behavior. Additional difficulties were linked to the inability to reuse code and to methodically detect incorrect agent behavior, find root causes, and then figure out how to correct them. The programming challenge subcategories were as follows: (1) challenges in understanding the semantics of domain-specific primitives; (2) challenges in using computational primitives like variables, conditionals, nesting, and loops to build programs (i.e., behaviors); (3) procedurality challenges; (4) modularity challenges; (5) code reuse challenges; and (6) debugging challenges).

These four types of challenges are not mutually exclusive. For example, agent-based thinking challenges could also be considered as modeling and simulation challenges, but specific to the agent-based modeling paradigm, we have employed in CTSiM. However, this categorization still offers us ease of analysis and reporting. Tables  2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 describe the subcategories of domain knowledge, modeling, agent-based-thinking, and programming challenges, respectively, along with examples of occurrence of the challenges from the kinematics and ecology units and scaffolds provided by the experimenters to help students overcome these challenges.

Number of challenges and their evolution over time

As further analysis beyond the different types of difficulties the students face when working with CTSiM and the scaffolds which can help them in such situations, we also studied how the frequency of challenges varied across learning activities in one domain and across domains. This helped understand the complexities associated with different learning activities and the variation in support required in these activities.

First, we ran an agglomerative complete-link hierarchical clustering algorithm to see how the students grouped based on their challenge frequency profiles per activity. The results showed that the students generally exhibited similar challenge profiles with the exception of one student (see Fig.  4 ).

Students clustered according to their number of challenges per activity

Figure  4 shows the challenge profiles of the two clusters—the average challenge profile for the similar group of 14 students and one outlier, a single student who seemed to face many more challenges than the rest of the students. This student needed more scaffolding than the other students, and several challenges had to be scaffolded more than once before the student could overcome those difficulties. This student’s pre-test and standardized state-level test scores were much lower than those of the other students, which may explain why the student had a significantly higher number of challenges initially. Though this student had multiple challenges that persisted through multiple activities, the number of challenges the student had came closer to the number of challenges the others faced at the end of the kinematics (activity 4) and ecology units (activity 7). Similarly, the student’s post-test scores also matched that of the others, making this student’s pre-post gains higher than most of the students.

Next, we analyzed how the average number of challenges per student varied across the kinematics and ecology units and across the activities in each unit. The average number of challenges for an activity is calculated as the total number of challenges for all 15 students for an activity divided by 15. This number depends on new challenges that the students face in an activity, as well as the effectiveness of scaffolds received in previous activities. This is because whenever the students faced challenges in an activity, they were scaffolded. If the scaffolding was successful, the students were not likely to face the same challenges again in their model building and checking tasks. However, we did observe similar challenges resurfacing later in the same activity or in subsequent activities; therefore, the students were often provided with the same scaffolds more than once. Latter scaffolds often started with a reminder that this scaffold was provided before when the student faced the same challenge.

Figure  5 shows how the average number of challenges varied across the different activities. The number of challenges decreased across similar activities in the same domain. For example, the number of challenges decreased through the progression of shape drawing activities (activities 1–3); similarly, they decreased from activity 5 through activity 7 for the ecology units. The challenges increased in the transition between domains (activity 4 in kinematics to activity 5 in ecology) and between problem types in a domain (activity 3 to activity 4 in the kinematics domain). This was because activity 4 (the rollercoaster activity) introduced a number of new modeling and programming challenges. It required building a model of a real-world phenomenon by taking into account relevant variables such as steepness of the rollercoaster ramp. In addition, this was the first activity where the students’ simulation model behaviors had to match that of an expert model behavior. This required a better understanding of the simulation output, which was presented as a combination of an animation and graphs. Moreover, this activity was more challenging from a computational modeling viewpoint, because the model required the use of nested conditionals and variables. The students were experiencing these computational concepts for the first time, and this explained the increase in the difficulties they faced. Similarly, when students progressed from the kinematics domain to the ecology domain, activity 5 (the fish-tank macro-model) introduced additional complexities in a new domain. First, the students had to scale up from a single-agent to a multi-agent model. It also involved modeling multiple behaviors for each agent, and the students had to figure out how to modularize behaviors, for example, what to include in the fish “eat” behavior versus the fish “swim” behavior. (The two are related—a fish has to swim to its food before it can eat it).

Variation of average number of challenges over activities

This shows that the average number of challenges in an activity is a function of the complexity of the activity as well as the scaffolds received in the previous activities. Since we found an increase in average number of challenges in activities 4 and 5, we further reviewed the coded student videos to analyze whether the challenges were new ones related to the new complexities introduced in the activities or whether they were old ones resurfacing despite previous scaffolding. Our analysis showed that a number of new challenges were introduced in activities 4 and 5, though a few previously observed challenges also resurfaced in the context of the more complex activities. For activity 4 (RC activity), the students faced several new challenges in:

Modeling—this included difficulties in comparing user and expert models, difficulties in setting preconditions and initial conditions and modeling aspects that did not need to be modeled

Programming—new challenges included difficulties in understanding the concept of “variables”, difficulties in understanding the semantics of conditionals and nesting of conditionals, and difficulties in debugging and testing the code in parts

Domain knowledge — difficulties included understanding that speed varies based on angle of the rollercoaster track segment and difficulties in understanding how rollercoaster motion can be characterized by acceleration and speed

Similarly, the increase in challenges from activity 4 to activity 5 can be attributed to a set of new challenges in:

Programming—difficulties covered the inability to decompose behaviors into separate procedures and define procedures but forget to call them from the “Go” procedure and challenges in decomposing a behavior into a sequence of steps

Domain—difficulties included missing or incorrect knowledge about what duckweed feeds on and what increases and decreases fish and duckweed energy

Agent-based thinking—included difficulties in understanding energy states of agents and difficulties in understanding that aggregate outcomes may depend on multiple agent procedures

Next, we looked at previously observed challenge categories which resurfaced and increased in activities 4 and 5. In activity 4, the only previously observed challenges which increased instead of going down with time were the programming challenge related to understanding the syntax and semantics of domain-specific primitives and the modeling challenge related to model validation. Facing challenges with respect to understanding domain-specific primitives seems understandable in the wake of new domain knowledge and related domain knowledge challenges. Also, activity 4 marked the first time the students had to perform model validation by comparing their model simulations against expert simulations and had to compare the two sets of animations and plots to assess the correctness of their models. Similarly, in activity 5, there were a few challenges previously observed in activity 4 which resurfaced and increased. For example, programming challenges related to the use of CT primitives increased, as did modeling challenges related to identifying relevant entities and their interactions, choosing correct preconditions, and specifying model parameters and component behaviors. A new domain, increase in domain complexity, and dealing with modeling multiple agents and multiple behaviors for each agent seem to have been the primary contributors. Further, the size (number of blocks contained) of the fish macro expert model was about thrice that of the expert rollercoaster model, increasing the probability of facing various difficulties in this activity (activity 5). Challenges with using CT constructs like conditionals resurfacing in the context of complex domain content emphasize the need for further practice and a more holistic understanding of the constructs. Unfortunately, we did not study computational learning gains using pre- and post-tests in this initial study, but they may have indicated that students needed repeated practice in different contexts to gain a deep understanding of the computational constructs. In other more recent studies with modified versions of CTSiM (modified based on challenges identified in this paper), we have shown synergistic learning of science and CT concepts (Basu et al. 2014 ; Basu et al. 2016 ). In Figs.  6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 , we investigate these issues further, by analyzing the data available from this study to study how the four primary categories of challenges individually varied across activities.

Average number of domain knowledge challenges over time

Average number and type of programming challenges over time

Average number and type of modeling challenges over time

Average number and type of agent-based thinking challenges over time

Figure  6 shows that students generally had fewer difficulties with domain knowledge in kinematics (activities 1–4) than in ecology (activities 5–7). For kinematics activities, the challenges did increase with the introduction of new domain-specific concepts like acceleration and the operation of a rollercoaster. But there was a sharp increase in the number of challenges when students had to deal with multiple agents and their interactions in the macro and micro fish tank activities. The difficulties were further compounded by students’ low prior knowledge in ecology as indicated by their low ecology pre-test scores.

Programming challenges show a similar trend as seen for average number of challenges in general in Fig.  5 . Figure  7 shows that students initially had problems with understanding computational primitives, such as conditionals, loops, nesting, and variables, but these programming challenges decreased from activities 1 to 3. Activity 4 introduced a new type of programming challenge related to checking and debugging one’s model using the results from an expert simulation. Also, challenges with understanding primitives increased due to the number of new primitives (domain-based and computational) introduced in activity 4. Another big challenge in activity 4 was constructing nested conditionals to model rollercoaster behavior on different segments of the track. In activity 5, there were new types of programming challenges related to modularity and procedurality since the fish tank macro-model required students to specify component behaviors as separate procedures that were invoked from one main “Go” procedure. However, challenges with understanding conditionals, loops, nesting, and variables also increased, though they were not new to this activity. The reason for the resurfacing of old challenges may be explained by the increase in the complexity of the domain content in this activity (see Fig.  6 ), making it harder for the students to translate the domain content into computational structures. Overall, for both kinematics and ecology units, the programming challenges decreased over time across activities in the unit unless an activity introduced addition complexities.

Similarly, modeling challenges (see Fig.  8 ) increase in number in activity 4 for kinematics and activity 5 for ecology. Initial difficulties were related to systematicity, specifying component behaviors, identifying entities and interactions, and model validation. In activity 4, modeling a real-world system introduced new challenges related to choosing correct initial conditions. The students also had the additional task of verifying the correctness of their models by comparing against expert simulation behaviors. For activity 5, although the average number of challenges increased, there were no new types of modeling challenges. Existing modeling challenges resurfaced in light of the sharp increase in domain knowledge-related challenges. However, when the students switched to the fish tank micro-unit (activity 6), they had overcome most of these challenges.

For the agent-based thinking challenges (see Fig.  9 ), challenges went down with time in both the kinematics and ecology units. Since the kinematics models had single agents, the challenges related to agent-aggregate relationships did not occur in activities 1–4. Unlike the other three categories of challenges, the number of challenges did not increase in activity 4. This is possibly because activity 4 did not introduce any new agent-based-thinking-related challenges. However, the agent-based thinking challenges resurfaced in activity 5 when the students were required to model multiple new agents, and modeling multiple agents caused the number of challenges to increase sharply. Like other types of challenges, the students were also able to overcome most of these challenges by activities 6 and 7.

Discussion and conclusion

In this paper, we have systematically documented and analyzed the challenges students face when integrating computational thinking with middle school science curricula using CTSiM—a learning environment where students learn their science by building and simulating models of science phenomena. Our research team provided the scaffolds to handle these difficulties, and our analyses show that the number of challenges students face generally decreased as they worked through a progression of activities in one domain, though some challenges resurfaced after initial scaffolding. These primarily occurred in activities where the number of complexities increased in comparison to previous units. We also showed using pre- to post-test gains that the CTSiM intervention produced significant learning gains in science domains like kinematics and ecology. These gains could be a combined result of a number of factors like the CTSiM system design, the activity progression from more simple, single-agent modeling activities to more complex, multi-agent modeling activities, and the one-on-one scaffolds provided to students whenever they faced difficulties.

We concede that this is an initial study that was designed to test usability and, therefore, has its limitations in drawing more detailed conclusions. The sample size in the study was small, and the challenges identified may not be a comprehensive list. Also, the challenges may be categorized differently, and the categories of challenges identified were not mutually exclusive. However, this study serves as an important first step toward evaluating CTSiM and making decisions on directions for redesign and further development of CTSiM.

In addition, our results also contribute to the literature on CT at the K-12 level. Whereas the importance of integrating CT with the K-12 curricula is well recognized, very few of the existing environments focus on synergistic learning of CT and curricular content, and little is known about students’ difficulties and developmental processes as they work in CT-based environments, especially CT-based environments that promote synergistic learning. Our results show that any learning-by-design CT-based environment needs to build in supports for programming, domain knowledge acquisition, and modeling tasks. In general, we find that our identified modeling and programming challenges encompass known challenges in the literature (see the “ Known challenges for programming and learning-by-modeling in science ” section), for example, challenges with respect to sense making, process management, articulation, and systematic experimentation. We see that when we integrate science and CT using a computational modeling task, the domain content challenges and the inquiry learning challenges emerge along with challenges specific to the use of programming primitives and programming practices like procedurality and modularization. However, challenges may not be mutually exclusive, and taking this account may lead to developing more effective scaffolds. Programming and modeling challenges can be compounded by domain knowledge-related challenges and can resurface in the context of new domain content. But, learning programming and modeling skills in the context of different domain topics can help generalize the learning and lead to deeper learning. Scaffolds should also focus on contextualizing programming and modeling scaffolds in terms of domain content, to further leverage the synergy between science and CT.

Implications of this study and future work

The specific challenges and scaffolds that we identified in this study have played a vital role in laying the groundwork for extending the CTSiM environment and integrating adaptive scaffolding to help students simultaneously develop a strong understanding of both CT and science concepts. We have been working on modifying the CTSiM interface and adding tools to help alleviate some of the students’ challenges that we have identified in this paper. For example, to help students overcome their domain knowledge challenges, we have been developing hypertext science resources for the kinematics and ecology units. Similarly, to help students with understanding programming constructs, flow of control, and the agent-based modeling paradigm, we have been developing a second set of hypertext resources, which we call the “Programming guide”. These two sets of resources should help students become more independent learners.

Also, to help students deal with their modeling challenges related to representing a science domain in the multi-agent-based modeling paradigm (MABM) and identifying the entities in the science domain and their interactions, we have developed new interfaces to help students conceptualize a science phenomenon in the MABM paradigm, before they start constructing their computational models in the C-World. We have also modified the current “Build” interface requiring students to conceptualize each agent behavior as a sense-act process (properties that are sensed and properties that are acted on) before building the block-based computational model for the behavior. We have added dynamic linking between these representations for conceptual and computational modeling, emphasizing important CT practices of modeling at different levels of abstractions and understanding relations between abstractions. For example, the availability of domain-specific blocks in the “Build” interface for an agent behavior are dependent on correct conceptualization of the behavior as a sense-act process. Students are also provided visual feedback on the links between the conceptual and computational representations.

Further, we have been working on adding scaffolding tools (for instance, model tracing and partial model comparison capabilities) to support students in their model validation and debugging tasks. Finally, besides making substantial modifications to the CTSiM environment by adding new interfaces and tools, we have been working to design adaptive scaffolding that takes into account how students use the different tools and combine information from the different interfaces. We have recently conducted research studies with this newer version of CTSiM used in classroom settings without any external scaffolding and found extremely encouraging results which we will be reported in subsequent publications.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Brian Sulcer, Mason Wright, Emily Anne Feitl, and Ji Won Park (in no particular order) for helping develop the system and code the video data. This work was supported by the NSF (NSF Cyber-learning grant #1124175 and #1441542).

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Satabdi Basu

Institute for Software Integrated Systems and EECS Department, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA

Gautam Biswas

Department of Learning Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Pratim Sengupta

Department of Teaching and Learning, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA

Amanda Dickes & Douglas Clark

Research Scientist, Bridj, Boston, MA, USA

John S. Kinnebrew

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Correspondence to Satabdi Basu .

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Competing interests.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Authors’ contributions

SB helped develop the learning environment, conduct the interviews and collect the data, analyze and interpret video data and data from paper-based tests, run statistical tests, and draft the manuscript. GB helped design the learning environment, conceptualize the study, and critically revise the manuscript. PS helped design the learning activities, conduct the interviews and collect the data, and draft parts of the manuscript. AD helped conduct the interviews and collect the data and analyze and interpret the video data. JSK helped design the learning environment and revise the manuscript. DC helped design the learning environment and revise the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Authors’ information

Satabdi Basu is a CS Education Researcher at SRI International, and has a Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science from Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on introducing all students to CS and computing concepts from an early age. She has used modeling and simulation tools for synergistic learning of science and computational thinking, and has worked on developing adaptive scaffolds for these open-ended modeling and simulation-based environments. She is also interested in developing assessments and applying different forms of learning analytics to better understand and assess students’ learning behaviors in such environments.

Gautam Biswas is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Vanderbilt University and has a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Michigan State University. He conducts research in Intelligent Systems with primary interests in hybrid modeling, simulation, and development of open-ended learning environments for math and science education.

Pratim Sengupta is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Learning Sciences at University of Calgary and received his Ph.D. in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University. His research focuses on designing new forms of generative, computational representational systems including visual programming languages, tangible computation, narrative-based programming, multi-agent-based models, and participatory simulations.

Amanda Dickes is a doctoral student at Vanderbilt University in the Learning Sciences and Learning Environment Design program. Her research interests lie in developing new learning tools in both material and computational mediums to engage elementary students in learning biology.

John S. Kinnebrew is a research scientist at Bridj and received his Ph.D. in Computer Science at Vanderbilt University. His research focuses on the use of machine learning and data mining techniques to assess learning behaviors from activity traces of student interaction in computer-based learning environments.

Douglas Clark is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University and received his Ph.D. in Education at the University of California-Berkeley. His research investigates the learning processes through which people come to understand core science concepts in digital and game-based learning environments and focuses on conceptual change, explanation, collaboration, and argumentation.

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Basu, S., Biswas, G., Sengupta, P. et al. Identifying middle school students’ challenges in computational thinking-based science learning. RPTEL 11 , 13 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-016-0036-2

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Received : 15 December 2015

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Published : 21 May 2016

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-016-0036-2

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Research Activities For Middle School: Discussions, Tips, Exploration, And Learning Resources

February 6, 2024 //  by  Josilyn Markel

Learning to research effectively is an important skill that middle-school-aged students can learn and carry with them for their whole academic careers. The students in question will use these skills for everything from reading news articles to writing a systematic review of their sources. With increased demands on students these days, it’s never too early to introduce these sophisticated research skills. 

We’ve collected thirty of the best academic lessons for middle school students to learn about sophisticated research skills that they’ll use for the rest of their lives. 

1. Guiding Questions for Research

When you first give a research project to middle school students, it’s important to make sure that they really understand the research prompts. You can use this guiding questions tool with students to help them draw on existing knowledge to properly contextualize the prompt and assignment before they even pick up a pen. 

Learn More: Mrs. Spangler in the Middle

2. Teaching Research Essential Skills Bundle

This bundle touches on all the writing skills, planning strategies, and so-called soft skills that students will need to get started on their first research project. These resources are especially geared towards middle school-aged students to help them with cognitive control tasks plus engaging and active lessons. 

Learn More: Pinterest

3. How to Develop a Research Question

Before a middle school student can start their research time on task, they have to form a solid research question. This resource features activities for students that will help them identify a problem and then formulate a question that will guide their research project going first. 

Learn More: YouTube

4. Note-Taking Skills Infographic

For a strong introduction and/or systematic review of the importance of note-taking, look no further than this infographic. It covers several excellent strategies for taking the most important info from a source, and it also gives tips for using these strategies to strengthen writing skills. 

Learn More: Word Counter

5. Guide to Citing Online Sources

One of the more sophisticated research skills is learning to cite sources. These days, the internet is the most popular place to find research sources, so learning the citation styles for making detailed citations for internet sources is an excellent strategy. This is a skill that will stick with middle school students throughout their entire academic careers! 

Learn More: Educator’s Technology

6. Guided Student-Led Research Projects

This is a great way to boost communication between students while also encouraging choice and autonomy throughout the research process. This really opens up possibilities for students and boosts student activity and engagement throughout the whole project. The group setup also decreases the demands on students as individuals. 

Learn More: The Thinker Builder

7. Teaching Students to Fact-Check

Fact-checking is an important meta-analytic review skill that every student needs. This resource introduces probing questions that students can ask in order to ensure that the information they’re looking at is actually true. This can help them identify fake news, find more credible sources, and improve their overall sophisticated research skills. 

Learn More: Just Add Students

8. Fact-Checking Like a Pro

This resource features great teaching strategies (such as visualization) to help alleviate the demands on students when it comes to fact-checking their research sources. It’s perfect for middle school-aged students who want to follow the steps to make sure that they’re using credible sources in all of their research projects, for middle school and beyond!

9. Website Evaluation Activity

With this activity, you can use any website as a backdrop. This is a great way to help start the explanation of sources that will ultimately lead to helping students locate and identify credible sources (rather than fake news). With these probing questions, students will be able to evaluate websites effectively.

10. How to Take Notes in Class

This visually pleasing resource tells students everything they need to know about taking notes in a classroom setting. It goes over how to glean the most important information from the classroom teacher, and how to organize the info in real-time, and it gives tips for cognitive control tasks and other sophisticated research skills that will help students throughout the research and writing process. 

Learn More: Visualistan

11. Teaching Research Papers: Lesson Calendar

If you have no idea how you’re going to cover all the so-called soft skills, mini-lessons, and activities for students during your research unit, then don’t fret! This calendar breaks down exactly what you should be teaching, and when. It introduces planning strategies, credible sources, and all the other research topics with a logical and manageable flow. 

Learn More: Discover Hub Pages

12. Google Docs Features for Teaching Research

With this resource, you can explore all of the handy research-focused features that are already built into Google Docs! You can use it to build activities for students or to make your existing activities for students more tech-integrated. You can use this tool with students from the outset to get them interested and familiar with the Google Doc setup. 

13. Using Effective Keywords to Search the Internet

The internet is a huge place, and this vast amount of knowledge puts huge demands on students’ skills and cognition. That’s why they need to learn how to search online effectively, with the right keywords. This resource teaches middle school-aged students how to make the most of all the search features online. 

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

14. How to Avoid Plagiarism: “Did I Plagiarize?” 

This student activity looks at the biggest faux pas in middle school research projects: plagiarism. These days, the possibilities for students to plagiarize are endless, so it’s important for them to learn about quotation marks, paraphrasing, and citations. This resource includes information on all of those and in a handy flow chart to keep them right!

Learn More: Twitter

15. 7 Tips for Recognizing Bias

This is a resource to help middle school-aged students recognize the differences between untrustworthy and credible sources. It gives a nice explanation of sources that are trustworthy and also offers a source of activities that students can use to test and practice identifying credible sources. 

Learn More: We Are Teachers

16. UNESCO’s Laws for Media Literacy

This is one of those great online resources that truly focuses on the students in question, and it serves a larger, global goal. It offers probing questions that can help middle school-aged children determine whether or not they’re looking at credible online resources. It also helps to strengthen the so-called soft skills that are necessary for completing research. 

Learn More: SLJ Blogs

17. Guide for Evaluating a News Article

Here are active lessons that students can use to learn more about evaluating a news article, whether it’s on a paper or online resource. It’s also a great tool to help solidify the concept of fake news and help students build an excellent strategy for identifying and utilizing credible online sources. 

Learn More: Valencia College

18. Middle School Research Projects Middle School Students Will Love

Here is a list of 30 great research projects for middle schoolers, along with cool examples of each one. It also goes through planning strategies and other so-called soft skills that your middle school-aged students will need in order to complete such projects.

Learn More: Madly Learning

19. Teaching Analysis with Body Biographies

This is a student activity and teaching strategy all rolled into one! It looks at the importance of research and biographies, which brings a human element to the research process. It also helps communication between students and helps them practice those so-called soft skills that come in handy while researching. 

Learn More: Study All Knight

20. Top Tips for Teaching Research in Middle School

When it comes to teaching middle school research, there are wrong answers and there are correct answers. You can learn all the correct answers and teaching strategies with this resource, which debunks several myths about teaching the writing process at the middle school level. 

Learn More: Teaching ELA with Joy

21. Teaching Students to Research Online: Lesson Plan

This is a ready-made lesson plan that is ready to present. You don’t have to do tons of preparation, and you’ll be able to explain the basic and foundational topics related to research. Plus, it includes a couple of activities to keep students engaged throughout this introductory lesson.

Learn More: Kathleen Morris

22. Project-Based Learning: Acceptance and Tolerance

This is a series of research projects that look at specific problems regarding acceptance and tolerance. It offers prompts for middle school-aged students that will get them to ask big questions about themselves and others in the world around them. 

Learn More: Sandy Cangelosi

23. 50 Tiny Lessons for Teaching Research Skills in Middle School

These fifty mini-lessons and activities for students will have middle school-aged students learning and applying research skills in small chunks. The mini-lessons approach allows students to get bite-sized information and focus on mastering and applying each step of the research process in turn. This way, with mini-lessons, students don’t get overwhelmed with the whole research process at once. In this way, mini-lessons are a great way to teach the whole research process!

24. Benefits of Research Projects for Middle School Students

Whenever you feel like it’s just not worth it to go to the trouble to teach your middle school-aged students about research, let this list motivate you! It’s a great reminder of all the great things that come with learning to do good research at an early age. 

Learn More: Thrive in Grade Five

25. Top 5 Study and Research Skills for Middle Schoolers

This is a great resource for a quick and easy overview of the top skills that middle schoolers will need before they dive into research. It outlines the most effective tools to help your students study and research well, throughout their academic careers. 

Learn More: Meagan Gets Real

26. Research with Informational Text: World Travelers

This travel-themed research project will have kids exploring the whole world with their questions and queries. It is a fun way to bring new destinations into the research-oriented classroom. 

Learn More: The Superhero Teacher

27. Project-Based Learning: Plan a Road Trip

If you want your middle school-aged students to get into the researching mood, have them plan a road trip! They’ll have to examine the prompt from several angles and collect data from several sources before they can put together a plan for an epic road trip. 

Learn More: Appletastic Learning

28. Methods for Motivating Writing Skills

When your students just are feeling up to the task of research-based writing, it’s time to break out these motivational methods. With these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to get your kids in the mood to research, question, and write!

29. How to Set Up a Student Research Station

This article tells you everything you need to know about a student center focused on sophisticated research skills. These student center activities are engaging and fun, and they touch on important topics in the research process, such as planning strategies, fact-checking skills, citation styles, and some so-called soft skills.

Learn More: Upper Elementary Snapshots

30. Learn to Skim and Scan to Make Research Easier

These activities for students are geared towards encouraging reading skills that will ultimately lead to better and easier research. The skills in question? Skimming and scanning. This will help students read more efficiently and effectively as they research from a variety of sources.

• Summarizing arguments in a term paper
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• Beginning a project on global warming
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• Example papers in literature

Simple Guideline On How To Write A Research Paper For Middle School

As a middle school student writing a research paper there are a few key things you need to know. You need to pick a topic that suits your paper requirements. If you are writing a paper for an English class, you may not be able to get away with writing on the topic of economics, unless otherwise approves by your teacher. The topic you pick must be precise. You won't get very far if you pick a large topic for a small paper.

For example, writing a history research paper on the effects of slavery on the southern states is far too broad a topic, especially for a research paper that is between two and five pages. Instead, narrow down your topic to something a bit more manageable.

After you have your topic, you should follow these rules for writing the research paper:

• The first is writing a thesis statement. The thesis explains what your paper is about and what problem you are trying to answer. You want the thesis statement to be the last sentence of your introduction.
• The introduction is the first paragraph which gives the reader background. So if your topic relates to slavery then your introduction might include a sentence about what slavery was in America and how long it lasted.
• After the introduction you want the body of the research paper. The body should be three to five paragraphs based on your requirements. Each paragraph should have a specific point made followed by evidence to back up the point. That means you need to find three points to support your thesis statement. If, for example, your thesis is that cell phones should not be permitted in classrooms, each paragraph in your body should explain one point why not with evidence to back it up.
• And speaking of evidence, what is it really? Evidence is data or facts or quotes from professionals that you include to support your statement. If you claim that teenagers cheat with their cell phones in class, you should find a quote or statistic related to the number of students who cheat.

Once you are done you need to conclude your paper with the concluding paragraph. This paragraph is where you mention your thesis statement again in a different way and mention your main reasons again. By using these tips you will be well on your way to completing a great research paper for whichever class you are in.

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Trauma-informed practices in schools, teacher well-being, cultivating diversity, equity, & inclusion, integrating technology in the classroom, social-emotional development, covid-19 resources, invest in resilience: summer toolkit, civics & resilience, all toolkits, degree programs, trauma-informed professional development, teacher licensure & certification, how to become - career information, classroom management, instructional design, lifestyle & self-care, online higher ed teaching, current events, 5 methods to teach students how to do research papers.

When teaching students how to construct research papers, the scaffolding method is an effective option. This method allows students to research and then organize their information. The scaffold provides understandable support for expository papers. Students greatly benefit from having the majority of the research and proper structure in place before even starting the paper.

With well-prepared references, students are able to:

• Study informational text
• Practice strategies that are genre-specific for expository writing
• Use an inquiry-based approach
• Work individually
• Work collaboratively

The following tips and methodologies build off the initial preparation:

• Students formulate a logical thesis that expresses a perspective on their research subject.
• Students practice their research skills. This includes evaluating their sources, summarizing and paraphrasing significant information, and properly citing their sources.
• The students logically group and then sequence their ideas in expository writing.
•  They should arrange and then display their information on maps, graphs and charts.
• A well-written exposition is focused on the topic and lists events in chronological order.

Formulating a research question

An example research paper scaffold and student research paper should be distributed to students. The teacher should examine these with the students, reading them aloud.

Using the example research paper, discuss briefly how a research paper answers a question. This example should help students see how a question can lead to a literature review, which leads to analysis, research, results and finally, a conclusion.

Give students a blank copy of the research paper Scaffold and explain that the procedures used in writing research papers follow each section of the scaffold. Each of those sections builds on the one before it; describe how each section will be addressed in future sessions.

Consider using Internet research lessons to help students understand how to research using the web.

Have students collect and print at least five articles to help them answer their research question. Students should use a highlighter to mark which sections pertain specifically to their question. This helps students remain focused on their research questions.

The five articles could offer differing options regarding their research questions. Be sure to inform students that their final paper will be much more interesting if it examines several different perspectives instead of just one.

Have students bring their articles to class. For a large class, teachers should have students highlight the relevant information in their articles and then submit them for assessment prior to the beginning of class.

Once identification is determined as accurate, students should complete the Literature Review section of the scaffold and list the important facts from their articles on the lines numbered one through five.

Students need to compare the information they have found to find themes.

Explain that creating a numbered list of potential themes, taken from different aspects proposed in the literature collected, can be used for analysis.

The student’s answer to the research question is the conclusion of the research paper. This section of the research paper needs to be just a few paragraphs. Students should include the facts supporting their answer from the literature review.

Students may want to use the conclusion section of their paper to point out the similarities and/or discrepancies in their findings. They may also want to suggest that further studies be done on the topic.

You may also like to read

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Read Our Research On:

• The Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing and How Writing is Taught in Schools
• Part II: How Much, and What, do Today’s Middle and High School Students Write?

Table of Contents

• Part I: Introduction
• Part III: Teachers See Digital Tools Affecting Student Writing in Myriad Ways
• Part IV: Teachers Assess Students on Specific Writing Skills
• Part V: Teaching Writing in the Digital Age

AP and NWP teachers participating in the survey report giving students written assignments ranging from research papers to short responses, journaling, and creative writing.  The type and frequency of written assignments varies considerably by the subject being taught and grade level, but on the whole these AP and NWP teachers place tremendous value on formal written assignments.

These teachers also point out that “writing” can be defined more broadly than written work assigned in an academic setting.  In focus groups, many teachers noted that in addition to the “formal” writing students do for class, they are engaged in many forms of writing outside of the classroom, much of it using digital tools and platforms such as texting and online social networking.  How to define these new types of writing and determining what impact they have on the “formal writing” students do in class remains an open question for many of these teachers.  But most agree that among  students , “writing” continues to be defined as assignments they are  required  to do for school, as opposed to textual expression they engage in on their own time.

The writing assignments AP and NWP teachers give their students

The survey quantified what types of writing exercises AP and NWP teachers assign to their middle and high school students.  As the graphic below suggests, among this group of teachers, short essays and journaling are the most commonly assigned writing tasks.  More than half of the sample (58%) report having their students write short essays, short responses, or opinion pieces at least once a week.  Four in ten (41%) have students journal on a weekly basis.

Research papers, multimedia assignments, and creative writing in the form of plays or short stories, while not assigned by many teachers on a weekly basis, are assigned at some point during the academic year by most of these AP and NWP teachers. Just over three-quarters report having students complete a research paper (77%) or a multimedia project (77%) at some point during the current academic year.  Two-thirds (66%) have students engage in creative writing, such as poetry, a play, a short story or piece of fiction, at least once a year.

In contrast, more specialized types of writing assignments such as writing out mathematical problems or proofs, writing up labs, writing computer programs, designing computer games, and writing music or lyrics are assigned rarely, if ever, by most AP and NWP teachers surveyed.

The type and frequency of written work assigned is obviously highly dependent on the subject matter being taught.  Among Math teachers, for example, 81% report having students write out mathematical problems, proofs or concepts on at least a weekly basis.  And among science teachers, 51% have students write up labs at least once a week and 56% have students write out mathematical concepts or problems.  All of these percentages are much higher than those for teachers of other subjects.

In addition, while 94% of English teachers and 83% of history/social studies teachers had their students write a research paper in the 2011-2012 academic year, that figure is 68% among science teachers and 36% among math teachers.  A similar pattern emerges for multimedia or mixed media assignments, with English (84%) and history/social studies (82%) teachers most likely and math teachers least likely (51%) to have given their students this type of assignment in the prior academic year. Science teachers (70%) fall in the middle.

How do teachers—and students—define “writing” in the digital world?

A fundamental question posed to the AP and NWP teachers in the current study is how they and their students define “writing.”  Specifically, we asked teachers which forms of writing in the digital age—academic writing assignments, texting, social network site posts, blogs, tweets, etc.— are “writing” in their eyes, and which are not?  In a 2008 Pew Internet survey of teens on this topic, the consensus among 12-17 year-olds was that there is a fundamental distinction between their digital communications with friends and family and the more formal writing they do for school or for their own purposes.  Only the latter is considered “writing” in teens’ eyes. 9  Survey and focus group findings in the current study indicate this perception has not changed, either among students or their teachers, and that there remains a fairly strong conceptual divide between “formal” and “informal” writing.  For both groups, much day-to-day digital communication falls into the latter category.

Asked in focus groups to clarify what, specifically, they consider “writing,” the majority of teachers indicated that “formal writing” and “creative writing” fit their definition of “writing.”  Slightly fewer said they would classify “blogging” as writing, and very few said they would consider texting as a form of writing. Asked how they thought students would categorize these same writing forms, the results are comparable.  Most of these teachers do not think their students consider texting writing, but rather confine their definition of “writing” to those exercises they are required to do for school.  A handful of teachers went even further, saying that some students define “writing” only as something that requires them to use complete sentences.

On how students define “writing,” AP and NWP teachers say…

Our kids, over the course of their lives, will write infinitely more than we ever will. I’m 43 years old–half of my life was lived without email, texting, social networking, etc. The fact is, that is writing. Kids have more access points today and those access points are literally at our fingertips and beeping and buzzing blipping…nudging us to write. Incredibly though, students do not see this as “writing.”

Because students still write journals in some classes, I think they still distinguish this from blogging.  I think they see journaling as writing, but not blogging quite yet.  Although, I think that is starting to change as they start blogging for classes.  I think blogging will be viewed as more official writing in the future.

While most AP and NWP teachers in the focus groups said they do not consider texting, blogging, or micro-blogging (posting on social network sites) “writing” in the traditional sense, they believe these digital formats do spur thinking and encourage communication among their students, which may lead to deeper thinking and self-expression. Several teachers characterized these shorter online posts as “pre-writing” that may get a student engaged in a topic or discourse enough to want to write a longer piece about it or explore it further.  In some teachers’ eyes, these digital forms of expression are building blocks for lengthier, more formal writing.

On newer digital forms of writing, AP and NWP teachers say…

These digital technologies give students a reason to write. Social media and texting are very engaging for them; they write reflexively. It is not classic academic writing for sure. But, they do use the written language to communicate. This requires a certain amount of composition activity. Texters must decide the most efficient set of words to include in their message in order to convey meaning. These activities are “pre-academic writing”, but nevertheless for some kids they are formative processes that can lead to more sophisticated composition skills.

Students can write and voice ideas in many different registers. It is often not “academic” writing in the sense that many teachers would consider. However, I think the kinds of real world applicability of student work in classes makes these new digital tools much more relevant for students beyond their schooling years.

I read a fascinating article that talked about the impact of micro-blogging on writing. The piece started talking about how everyone just assumed that when things like Twitter and Facebook began to become more prevalent we would see a decline in our society’s willingness to take the time to write. What the article went on to explain however, was that many people who blurt something out on these sites are also actually taking the time to digest what others are saying on the matter, collaborate or chat with the others who are talking about the same thing, and then in turn they feel more compelled to go on and take the time to compose a longer piece of writing – such as a blog post. I see a lot of truth to this idea. In essence, the micro-blog has become to some their pre-writing.

Teachers in the study say today’s students are expressing themselves more, and more often

Though most AP and NWP teachers who participated in the study do not characterize activities such as texting, tweeting, blogging or micro-blogging on social network sites as “writing” in the strictest sense, there is almost universal agreement among them that the digital ecology in which today’s teens live provides many more avenues for personal expression.  In addition, most agree that many forms of personal expression are more accessible to the average student than has been the case for past generations.  Ultimately, most of these teachers see their students expressing themselves in text (and other formats) more so than was the case when they themselves were in middle and high school.  Asked in focus groups, if students today simply write more, in sheer quantity, most participating AP and NWP teachers agree this is the case.

On whether today’s students write more than prior generations, AP and NWP teachers say…

Digital technologies provide many opportunities to practice writing through participation. Mobile technologies allow one to write, capture, edit, & publish while on the go, anytime, anywhere. Be it at a museum, walk through the old neighborhood, or on a wilderness hike. Writing is no longer limited to a designated time or location.

They enjoy writing.  When you talk to these kids, they like to write.  They don’t like to write when you tell them, ‘I want you to write this.’  But in fact they love to write, and when you look at what they’re writing, they’re talking about themselves and expressing themselves.  Maybe not well but they are speaking their minds, so they are, I think, exploring who they are and what they’re about and they’re reading what other people are writing and looking at, and exploring other people’s feelings and ideas.

The informality of the written word and how students use the language is the downside of technology, but the upside is that students are communicating in the written form much more than I ever did at their age.

The ease of accessibility brought via technology has opened the availability of writing opportunities for students today. Some devices have tempted students to write everything as if it were a text, but teacher focus on this issue can channel the text craze into more academic writing. I think like all technologies, there are good and bad points, but at least the thought processes of writing are taking place.

I think they’re writing more, more than ever, and I think they have a much more positive outlook on writing, not just because of the school…you have Facebook, you have email, you have Twitter…they’re writing constantly.

[other teacher]

92% of AP and NWP teachers surveyed describe writing assignments as “essential” to the formal learning process, and “writing effectively” tops their list of skills students need to be successful in life

The survey gauged AP and NWP teachers’ sense of the overall importance of incorporating writing into formal learning today, and asked them to rank the value of effective writing vis a vis other skills students may need to be successful in life.  The vast majority (92%) say the incorporation of writing assignments in formal learning is “essential,” with another 7% saying it is “important, but not essential.”  Only 11 teachers out of more than 2,000 describe the incorporation of writing assignments into formal learning as “only somewhat important” or “not important.”

These results are not surprising, given the large number of writing teachers in the sample and the focus on formal writing in much of the U.S. educational system.  But the high value placed on writing extends across AP and NWP teachers of all subjects.  While 99% of English teachers in the sample say that writing assignments are essential to the formal learning process, the same is true for 93% of history/social studies teachers, 86% of science teachers, and 78% of math teachers.

Asked to place a value on various skills today’s students may need in the future, “writing effectively” tops the list of essential skills, along with “judging the quality of information.” 10  Each of these skills is described as “essential” by 91% of AP and NWP teachers surveyed.  Again, while large majorities of teachers of all subjects respond this way, English teachers are slightly more likely than others to say that “writing effectively” is an “essential” skill for students’ future success.

Other skills relevant to the current digital culture also rank high as life skills, with large majorities of these teachers saying that “behaving responsibly online” (85%) and “understanding privacy issues surrounding online and digital content” (78%) are “essential” to students’ success later in life. Skills that fewer of these AP and NWP teachers view as essential for students’ success in life include “presenting themselves effectively in online social networking sites” and “working with audio, video, or graphic content.” Fewer than one in three AP and NWP teachers in the sample describes either of these skills as “essential” to their students’ futures, though pluralities do describe each of these skills “important, but not essential.”

Do AP and NWP teachers see continued value in longer writing assignments?

The tremendous value most AP and NWP teachers place on writing of all forms, and particularly “formal” writing, was reflected throughout focus group discussions.  For some AP and NWP teachers, the extent to which today’s middle and high school students engage in what many see as “informal” writing means that “formal” writing assignments are more critical than ever.  Moreover, many see tremendous value in longer writing assignments that require students to organize their thoughts and fully develop complex ideas (particularly because they often have to present ideas on standardized tests in this format).  They see longer, formal writing assignments as an important juxtaposition to the more informal and often more truncated styles of expression in which their students regularly engage.  Throughout focus groups, AP and NWP teachers expressed the belief that students must master all styles of writing in order to be successful across social domains and to communicate with different audiences.

On the value of longer writing assignments in the digital world, AP and NWP teachers say…

There is great purpose and value in teaching students to write long and formal texts. Again, there are a whole lot of ideas that simply cannot be reduced simply without serious distortion or reduction. Consequently, developing complex ideas and thinking often requires longer texts. Writing is a demonstration of thinking, after all. So the deeper and more complex the thinking, the more that is reflected in the writing. As for formal texts, academia certainly requires a greater level of formality but so does a lot of work in the political, legal, and commercial world. Formal writing is almost always a factor that can be used for exclusion. Inability to write formal texts potentially robs students of voice and power. Arguably more important is the ability to recognize and adjust to the context that is appropriate for a given purpose. So knowing when and how to write with greater formality is an essential skill.

The organization and critical thinking skills that must be employed when students write a longer, more formal piece are skills that will students to become better, more engaged citizens. The processes of brainstorming, researching, evaluating, selecting, analyzing, synthesizing, revising are all skills that help students become more critical citizens, more discerning consumers, and better problem-solvers.

To carry an idea out to see if it is “true” to the thinker or not, I think this is so important. I want students to grapple with the complexity of a subject, to see it from all sides by way of a formal written response. Further, I think breaking down that response into its finer parts help me to teach the components that would go into an extended response. An example of this would be a section of their packet simply titled, DEFINITION. Before going into their response, I ask my students to define their terms and to set their parameters for the paper, not only as a service to their readers, but as a guidepost for themselves.

Writing is thinking—and, quite honestly, I don’t think any of us fully knows what our writing is (will be) about until we write it. Writing develops our thoughts and allows us to grapple with the “whats” and the “whys” of life. In this respect, writing informal and formal texts serves as role playing exercises as much as they do anything else. It is practice in being critical, analytical, reflective, informative and so on. We’re shipping young people out into the world where they are going to have to buy a car, a lawn mower, a stove…and they are going to want to read informative reviews before they spend their money. Writing it allows us to become familiar with it–we may never write an informative review once we leave school, but some…many…will want to read reviews before they spend their own money on something. Beyond buying something, I want to emphasize “writing is thinking is role play for life” as a cross-curricular ideal that too often becomes buried as just an English class objective.

Long texts give students the opportunity to deeply analyze an idea. Longer texts are essential to articulate complex concepts and beliefs. Although not everyone will be asked to write a long academic paper for their jobs, the reflection that goes behind this type of writing is critical for everyone. The process of making thinking transparent and clear to others is essential to knowing the why behind the what. The notion of form al texts supports the idea of knowing how to communicate with various audiences. The more registers a person has in his or her arsenal, the more effective that person will be when communicating with a diverse group.

I think that there is value of having long and well organized thoughts about a topic. I think that when we delve deeply into a topic and have to provide an argument or exploration then we must be able to write logically and coherently and be able to develop a point without getting off track. We must be able to write for an audience and provide evidence and delve deeply. I think there are also audience needs to be met when deciding on what level of formality we will write with so I see the value in teaching formal writing. People have to produce reports for colleagues and prospective business partners and college professors so this is obviously a skill that needs to be learned.

Writing is crucial across the curriculum. Good writing teachers teach students how to communicate a logical argument that is well-researched. At my school, I am impressed with the amount our English and history students write as well as the amount our science students write. The IB program does not have many multiple choice tests; therefore, students have to be good writers to perform well on IB exams… The IB program places such a heavy emphasis on communication that the students (and teachers) have adapted their definition to include anything that involves clearly stating ideas and explaining rationale.

While many focus group participants stressed the importance of learning to write in multiple styles—including more “formal” styles—and to write lengthier pieces on complex topics, other teachers questioned the “term paper mentality” and the tendency of some educators to equate length of assignment with complexity of thought.  Some AP and NWP teachers in the study debated the value of longer textual expression today, not just for students but for society as a whole. As many digital tools encourage shorter, more concise expression, these teachers questioned whether mastering more traditional writing styles will be critical for their students moving forward.  While these skills may be valued in standardized testing and in the college and university settings, there was some debate about how useful these skills are beyond those two arenas. Moreover, some teachers questioned whether lengthy writing assignments are the most effective format for teaching students specific writing skills.

Regardless of the length of a student’s writing, I think it is more important to teach students to develop their thoughts completely. If development of thought can come through length or formality then so be it. More important than length or formality would be for students to have a firm understanding about how to organize their ideas in such a way where they can effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas. I certainly don’t think that a teacher should only teach any one kind or length of writing, but the most often I hear the reason we should teach students to write lengthy formal essays is because that is the way they will have to write in high school, which in turn is how they will have to write in college. While I would say there can be value in getting a student dedicated to deeply investigating a certain topic through a longer writing assignment, I would never be willing to teach kids formal writing just because that is the way they do it in high school – there would have to be another purpose.

This almost starts to get at the “how many words should this be question.” I tend to find that when I say 500 words long, kids work to that end and stop. Sometimes they seem to like this better…it’s easy and sure. Usually, I say to make a plan and work to thoughtful response to the assignment and the feedback from their peers. This usually drives more from their thought process that my giving them a word count. Is this a formal text? Not really, but yes at the same time. I think many teachers panic when students deviate from the 5 paragraph essay that they know and understand. The belief seems to be that this serves their needs on the near future high stakes test that are demanded on students. I’m not sure that this serves them past this point.

I don’t think length is a point to pound home with any student. We need to look at the content of a students’ writing the most. If that means a paper has 8-10 pages to it, then so be it, but students need to learn how to sort out what is relevant and irrelevant details and information. Students need to produce well planned, thought out papers that get to the point.

• “Writing, Technology and Teens,” available at  https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/Reports/2008/Writing-Technology-and-Teens.aspx . ↩
• For more on the latter, see “How Teens Do Research in the Digital World,” available at  https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/Reports/2012/Student-Research.aspx ↩

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30 Tips For Finding Great Research Paper Topics for Middle School

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206 Middle School Research Topics: Original Ideas List

As middle schoolers prepare to go to high school, they are introduced slowly to essay and research writing. They are sometimes given homework that involves picking suitable topics and writing on them. However, it should be noted that i t is not easy to write a research paper for a high grade. Middle schoolers in their preteen age are taught how to be creative, air out their opinions and conduct little research. It helps make them critical thinkers and prepares them for more writing tasks as they advance in their education. This article will help middle schoolers understand what is expected of them when asked to write an essay or research on a topic. It will also expose them to different areas where they can write and many research topics for middle school they can pick from.

What Should Be In A Middle School Research Paper?

Middle school research papers are often not required to be extended. They are in a unique position where they move from writing simple pieces to more detailed essays and research papers. This is the foundation where they learn to write excellent papers as they transcend to high school and eventually college. Writing an essay in middle school is not very different from writing in other stages. Some steps to get you started are

• Understanding the Assignment :Before you begin, you should understand your teacher’s expectations when turning in your finished work.There will be rules and procedures to follow. Know the format the essay is supposed to be written in, and keep the due dates in mind. If you do not understand any aspect of the assignment, please ask for clarification, as this will help you deliver a clear and concise essay at the end.
• Do Your Pre-Writing :Start with brainstorming on middle school research topics to determine what you would like your essay to be about. There are many options to pick from and several general subjects to break down into topics you want.

Pick up to three topics when you first brainstorm. From there, you can select the best one to write on. When you find a topic, start writing all you know about it. Create a rough paper where you jot down information from your research that will be useful in your essay. Feel free to write freely, as this will be your first draft, and you have the chance to edit it as you go.

• Edit Your Work : Editing is essential. It helps give your paper structure. From your rough work, take out parts that are not necessary and add details you think you missed. This is where you should be detailed and try to make your work as neat and correct as possible. You are almost at the end of writing the paper.When you are sure your paper is good, it is time to proofread. Check for spelling and punctuation errors. One expert way to do this is to read the report from the bottom up, and this can help you spot any spelling errors.
• Citations and References : Your teacher would have given you a format to write references for your work. Ensure that you are following the prescribed format.References will highlight the sources of the information gathered to make your essay.

What Can Middle Schoolers Write About?

There are many general subjects that middle schoolers can write about in their assignments. Streaming from what they have been taught in the classroom or their experiences outside class. Some issues that can create good middle school research paper topics include:

Science : This broad aspect covers earth science, geology, physical science, life science, and genetics. Science research paper topics for middle school will encourage the students to be interested in growth and learning how things work. Social Studies : This will involve learning about their history, other people’s cultures, human interaction, family, etc. This will create fun research topics for 6th graders, learning about life and how relationships work. Literature : This is the best time to learn about books and works of art. The literature will provide many topics to research for middle school students.

There are many more aspects that middle school students can research and write papers on. Discover more than 200 interesting research topics for middle school students below. However don’t worry if the assignment seems too difficult for you. You are only at the beginning of the path and our cheap research writing service will be happy to get you through with your paper.

Good Research Topics For Middle School

Students who have no experience writing papers and are looking for good research topics to work on are in luck. The topics below are suitable for all middle schoolers and can create detailed essays.

• Should students be compelled to wear a specific uniform?
• Textbooks or tablets: which is better to read from?
• Obesity in American youth: Causes and solutions.
• Should boys and girls be allowed to play on the same athletics team?
• Should young people be allowed to play violent video games?
• Impact of continuously playing violent video games.
• When can we say someone is spending too much time in front of the screen?
• Listening to music during class: Does it disturb concentration?
• How to recognize harmful content on the internet?
• Should all businesses be compelled to recycle?
• What is the appropriate punishment for students who engage in cyberbullying?
• Should school hours be adjusted to later in the morning?
• Should our scientists be allowed to test drugs on animals?
• Why do people’s behavior change in different settings?
•  Is sex education important?
• Different types of poetry and how they came about.
• What to do if you are being bullied on the internet.
• How to have healthy self-esteem.
• Why does the human body need sleep?
• Insect repellents, are they helpful?
• Why did dinosaurs go extinct?
• What is skateboarding?
• The effects of tobacco on the body.
• Artificial tanning: Risks and benefits.
• What is spam email? Where does it come from, and how can we stop it?
• What is a desert mirage? How does it affect people?
• What are penguins? Where do they stay, and what do they eat?
• When and how was America created?
• Who are some well know and inspirational women?
• Who are some famous inventors?
• What famous inventions helped in shaping human existence?
• Steps you can take to protect yourself from scammers online.
• What is a cryptocurrency, and why is it so popular?
• What did the invention of the mobile phone do to change the world?
• How to handle stress from school.
• How can issues in the family affect a child?
• Is your school working hard enough to prevent bullying?
• Should we use mobile phones and tablets in class?
• Does technology make you smarter?
• What is an unhealthy life, and what are the effects?
• Is there any benefit of doing homework?
• What is video game addiction, and how to stop it?
• What is a museum, and what can be found in it?
• What can we do to reduce climate change?
• Is soda suitable for children?
• Does everyone have to go to college?
• Comparing homework and class assignments.
• What is physical education?
• How the internet has changed our life
• What is peer pressure?
• What effect has global warming had on the environment?
• What is racism?
• What is a healthy diet?
• Should students be able to pick what they learn?
• Do movies depict what happens in real life?
• Is arts a vital part of the school curriculum?
• What are the challenges students face?
• How do we conserve energy in our homes?
• What is pop culture?
• Should parents monitor their children’s social media?

Fun Research Topics for Middle School

Writing an essay shouldn’t always be stressful or tedious. These topics will make writing papers fun. The topics below can hold the researcher’s attention for a long time as they work on completing their project.

• How should celebrities who break the law be punished?
• What is bulletproof clothing made of?
• All there is to know about hip-hop.
• What do we know about ninjas?
• Do lie detector tests work?
• What are the ingredients contained in a hotdog?
• Sharks, how do they hunt, and what do they eat?
• How do search engines work?
• Some fascinating extinct animals, and what happened to them?
• How to manage time effectively.
• How does insufficient sleep affect the brain?
• How to let go of bad habits?
•  How do parents help us grow?
• How to become a better writer.
• Are dogs and cats enemies?
• Why do parents punish children for bad behavior?
• What is the best punishment for naughty kids?
• Is magic real?
• How to save money effectively?
• What is self-development?
• How to motivate yourself to be a better student?
• When should you begin to earn money?
• What’s the secret of having a successful life?
• How not to become a game addict.

Middle School Research Project Ideas

Research shouldn’t always end as essay writing. Sometimes, you need hands-on projects to keep the middle schooler busy. The list below can serve as an ideal hub for research ideas for middle school students and work as interesting essay topics.

• Investigating what life is like inside a beehive.
• Steps in creating a movie.
• How do our brains store memories and retrieve them when we need them?
• What is a landform?
• What are some important holidays around the world, and who celebrates them?
• What are some significant symbols used in world holidays?
• Creating an ecosystem: what’s the process involved?
• Research on some exotic underwater creatures.
• What is a meteor?
• How to build a crossword puzzle.
• What is advertising: create a short advertisement campaign.
• Write the story of your life.
• Create a calendar highlighting critical events in your life.
• Create your family tree.

Science Research Topics for Middle School

Science is an exciting part of our lives. Because of science, the quality of our lives has increased, and there are many more inventions to come. These topics can engage the curious mind of the youngster and introduce them to science-related subjects to work on.

• Earthquakes: Its causes and effects.
• Computer viruses. What are they, and how do they spread?
• Evolution of human beings.
• Are human beings still evolving?
• What is alchemy?
• What is a black hole? How is it formed?
• What is a submarine? Who uses them, and how do they work?
• What is the cause of tornadoes?
• What is a sinkhole, and how do they form?
• Research on one of the planets in the solar system.
• Understanding glaciers and icebergs.
• What are volcanoes, and how do they form?
• The different types of volcanoes and what causes them.
• Who are the most famous scientists, and what are they famous for?
• What are the components of airplanes that make them fly?
• What are fossils, and what do they teach us?
• How do genetics and DNA affect how we look?
• Why does the moon change color and shape sometimes?
• What is a Lunar eclipse?
• What is pollution?
• The different types of pollution and what can be done to curb them?
• Can fruits play a part in medicine?
• What is flooding?
• What is an ecosystem?
• What measures do butterflies take to defend themselves?
• Different types of butterflies.
• What is a skeleton, and why is it an essential part of the body?
• How many bones are in a skeleton? Which are the most important?
• Who is a marine biologist?
• What is the connection between a marine biologist and the weather?
• What are the risks marine biologists face when they dive?
• Different types of fossils?
• Are whales still hunted?
• What is scientific research, and who conducts it?
• What is the job of the nervous system?
• Understanding the concept of hibernation?
• What are the necessities plants need to grow?
• Who are the people who study dinosaurs?
• Mammals and reptiles: Similarities and differences.
• Why don’t human beings float?
• What is a prism, and what does it do?
• What gives humans the ability to lift heavy things?
• What factors can cause earthquakes?
• How is wind measured?
• What differentiates a planet from a star?
• What is a galaxy? What galaxy is the earth?
• Who is an astronaut, and what is their job?
• What is a waterfall?
• Do plants drink water?
• Why do oil and water not mix?
• What is microbiology?
• How can we preserve our natural resources?
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of exploring space.
• What are bacteria, and how useful is it to humans?
• The similarities between temperature and heat.

Other Topics to Research for Middle School

We cannot run out of topics for middle schoolers, as several aspects are available to look at. Here are some other topics that can jump-start your essay writing process.

• Is it advisable for students to be with their cell phones all day?
• Should the minimum age for getting a driving license be raised?
• The differences between homeschooling and standard schooling: which is better?
• Does social media have a positive or negative impact on teenagers?
• Going vegan, is it good for your health?
• Who is a Monk, and what is his lifestyle/routine?
• How did humans domesticate cats and dogs, and why?
• How is America helping endangered animals?
• How is climate change affecting us?
• What are the effects of video games on teenagers and children?
• Do Athletes make good models?
• Who is to blame for the number of homeless people in America?
• Should we have shorter school weeks?
• Should parents monitor websites visited by their children?
• What is cybercrime?
• What can we don’t protect our environment?
• Instant messaging, do they affect literacy?
• What are the most effective ways of achieving academic excellence?
• What is a good movie that influenced us in 2023?
• Are tests a good way of judging a student’s intelligence?
• How does music help us feel better?
• How to choose the best research project ideas for middle school students.
• Why is it important to learn multiple languages?
• Do learning techniques affect behavior?
• Bullying and its effects on mental health.
• All you need to know about distant learning
• Should prayer be part of school activities?
• Do we need math formulas in real scenarios?
• When should students start undergoing leadership training?
• How to write a good essay.
• How does night vision work?
• What is the solar system?
• What is Nasa, and what do they do?
• What is a natural disaster, and what can cause one to happen?
• What is the process of becoming a president of the United States?
• How many presidents has the United States had?
• What are some of the responsibilities and privileges of the president?
• Learning about Vice Presidents and First Ladies of the United States.
• Is social media dangerous for children?
• Does the location where you grow up affect who you become?
• What is a participation trophy? Is it necessary?
• Should there be a screen time limit for children?
• What are the responsibilities of a government to its citizens?
• What is a curfew, and why do kids have them?
• Is grounding an effective punishment?
• Should physical education be necessary for everyone?
• What are some advantages of knowing how to read?
• How can cell phones be used productively while in class?
• What are the qualities of a good leader?
• What are hobbies, and what do they do for us?
• Should less homework be given to students?
• What is summer school? Does it help students?
• What age is appropriate for children to be left alone at home?

If You Need Paper Writing Help

There are many ways to brainstorm ideas for your middle school homework. The research project ideas for middle school and the topics listed above will make it easier to begin. After picking a suitable topic, the next step is writing the entire paper. This will involve a lot of research and fact-finding to get accurate information for your paper. It doesn’t end at research, as you still have to write a great essay to score high marks. This could be a daunting task for many students. Don’t be afraid to get research paper help from our professional writers. After attending class, you may not have adequate time to write your essay yourself, if this is your situation, it’s okay to search for help on the internet. A quick google search for “write my paper” will result in several websites promising to write the best essay for you. However, you need to make your research before hiring an online writer for your assignment. If you need someone to write your assignment, we can be of help. We provide fast, reliable, custom paper writing services that can be completed online. Our services are available to every student, including university, middle school, high school, and college students. Our team of writers consists of professionals and teachers who are always available to ensure that you meet your deadlines. Contact us with a message “ do my research paper for me ” and enjoy the perfect result!

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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.

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How to Create a Strong Research Paper: A Guide for Middle School Students

When a middle school student first begins the research paper process, he or she has a lot of writing rules to remember. And if the child has to write an APA and a MLA paper at different times, then there are even more things to remember. Use this guide as this very important foundation is built.

Step to Remember

• Pick a good topic with lots of facts
• Have 2-4 main ideas
• Use academic and credible research
• Read the teacher instructions and follow the teacher instructions
• Bookmark an APA and a MLA website for easy reference
• Learn the difference between a reference page, a works cited, and a bibliography
• Go to any extra help given
• Learn how to do an in-text citation, know the APA and the MLA way
• Write in third person

There are different tips for different styles of papers. You have to know what style your teacher wants. For example, an informative essay is composed much differently than a cause and effect paper. Know your types and ask questions if you are not sure what to do. The layout of the paper matters, too. So follow these formatting tips:

Formatting Tips

• Use size 12 font
• Use a plain font such as Times New Roman or Arial
• Double space
• Write using a formal tone
• Use correct spelling
• Use correct grammar
• Do not use slang or contractions
• Have the length that the teacher required for the paper
• Use the right number and type of sources the teacher asked for such as magazines, interviews, videos, and studies
• Your teacher will want some or all of these items to be submitted
• A rough draft
• A final draft
• Some type of reference sheet
• A possible electronic submission
• A working outline
• Hard copies of all the sources you used and a link to them if they are online
• Supplemental hard copies of materials such as an interview transcript

One of the best ways to create a successful middle school paper is to pick a topic that you like if the teacher gives you the option of selecting your own topic. You will always write a better paper on a subject that you enjoy and have an interest in. Do yourself a favor and pick a topic you love.

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Third student accused in Northwest ISD middle school plot to attack students, staff

The district said additional armed security will be present on campus for the remainder of the school year..

By Julia James

7:45 PM on May 10, 2024 CDT

A third student is facing charges in connection to a online document describing plans to attack dozens of people at a middle school in Northwest ISD, district officials said.

In a letter to parents on Monday, Northwest ISD officials said they had concluded their investigation into the “recent terroristic threats” and found that a third student was also responsible. On May 2, the district notified parents of the “watch list” at Truett Wilson Middle School and said they alerted the families of the 25 students as well as the seven staff members named.

Related: Texas fortified campuses after Uvalde, but gun violence affecting schools continues

As of Monday, school officials said three students had “been charged with a felony terroristic threat.” Fort Worth police confirmed May 3 that two students were in custody. It is unclear if police arrested the third student.

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Other students were involved in the investigation, but were not found to have engaged in terroristic threats, the email said.

District officials said while they could not share details of individual punishments because of student privacy concerns, they did share that students found responsible for felony terroristic threat could be placed in the district’s alternative education program for 45 to 60 days according to their policies.

Related: Student in custody after gun found in car on Mesquite ISD campus; classes not impacted

As some students stayed home because of safety concerns, the district also said it would excuse absences for May 4-8.

An armed security guard has also been added to the campus for the remainder of the school year.

“We hope the presence of the additional armed security guard will increase the visibility of security for students, staff and parents and reinforce that students are safe to learn at Wilson Middle School,” the email said.

Julia James , Breaking News Reporter . Julia is a breaking news reporter with the Dallas Morning News. She is a Louisiana native and a graduate of the University of Mississippi where she studied journalism and public policy. She previously covered education for Mississippi Today in Jackson, Miss.

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Police fatally shoot student outside Wisconsin middle school while responding to report of person with a gun

Police shot and killed a student outside a Wisconsin middle school Wednesday as officers responded to a report of a person with a gun, officials said.

No one else was hurt in the incident outside Mount Horeb Middle School, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in an evening news conference. He said the investigation was ongoing and declined to disclose details of what led up to the shooting.

“Police officers from the Mount Horeb Police Department responded to a report of an individual with a weapon outside the middle school. Police officers responded to that threat, and they used deadly force," Kaul said, adding that the person was a student in the Mount Horeb Area School District.

As is protocol, some officers will be placed on leave following the shooting, Kaul said.

The school district posted on its Facebook page that the school system was locked down around 11:16 a.m. An "active shooter" near the middle school “did not breach entryway,” the district said.

“An initial search of the middle school has not yielded additional suspects. As importantly, we have no reports of individuals being harmed, with the exception of the alleged assailant,” it said.

Some parents were reuniting with their children Wednesday evening, Kaul said. The reunification process took longer because police were concerned there might have been an additional threat after the student was killed. However, investigators determined that was not the case, Kaul said.

District Superintendent Steve Salerno told reporters at the media briefing Wednesday that some security measures at the middle school prevented what could have been a worse tragedy.

“We have a system in place that before anyone can come into our schools, they must ring through a doorbell and state the nature of their business," Salerno said. "I’m most proud of some of our faculty and staff. As you can imagine, they had a number of concerns, not the least of which were their own children who would be in those buildings themselves. Yet we know them to be just loving, professional individuals. They rose to the occasion."

Salerno also lauded quick-acting students who reported that someone was approaching the school.

"Those students were able to communicate immediately as to what they had seen. And staff were able to take ... decisive action quickly," he said.

Mount Horeb is a village about 25 miles southwest of the state capital, Madison.

The incident stoked fears among witnesses, students and parents.

Jeanne Keller said she heard about five gunshots while she was in her shop just down the block from the campus that includes the middle school.

“It was maybe like pow-pow-pow-pow,” Keller said. “I thought it was fireworks. I went outside and saw all the children running. ... I probably saw 200 children.”

Max Kelly, 12, said his teacher told the class to get out of the school. He said they skated to a street, ditched their in-line skates, ran to a nearby convenience store and gas station and hid in a bathroom.

Max was reunited with his parents and sat on a hillside with them early Wednesday afternoon, waiting for his younger siblings to be released from their own schools. He still wore socks, his shoes left behind.

“I don’t think anywhere is safe anymore,” said his mother, Alison Kelly, 32.

Antonio Planas is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

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‘Do The Write Thing’ more than just a slogan for these area middle-school students

SPRINGFIELD — Tah’Tionna Taylor is hoping an essay she wrote about the impact of violence in her community will make a difference.

>> I-Team: Teachers assaulted in their own classrooms

“There’s like a lot of kids at my school that go through violence that shouldn’t have to, and like they’re scared to speak their mind and stuff,” the seventh-grader said Thursday.

Her essay was selected from more than 100 that were entered as part of “Do The Write Thing,” a national program aimed at getting students to write about violence and its impact.

Tah’Tionna, one of 10 Springfield City School District finalists honored for their essays, also caught the attention of state Attorney General Dave Yost during the award ceremony at John Legend Theater.

Students in Springfield “tackled the difficult subject with candor, thoughtfulness and insight beyond their years,” Yost said.

“Do the Write Thing” originated in Ohio in 2021, when Springfield became the first district statewide to partner on the program with Yost’s office. Bolstered by that success, the program has since expanded to four other Ohio districts: Canton, Lima, Youngstown and Zanesville.

This year, more than 900 Springfield seventh- and eighth-graders participated in the program.

“I love this program because it helps students find their own voice,” Yost said, who noted that he was taken by this part of Tah’Tionna’s essay: “In this generation kids and teens can’t walk down one street without seeing an act of violence.”

Yost told News Center 7′s Xavier Hershovitz that the impact of growing up around violence is something he sees in his job all the time.

“You start to think that’s the way the world works and you want to try to either hide or become the strong one,” Yost said. “And that’s not a good way for our society or civilization to go.”

And Tracy Yates, whose husband, Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Yates was killed in the line of duty by gun violence, also backed up the message of the event -- to encourage middle-schoolers to explain how youth violence affects them and what they can do to help stop it.

“The impact of violence, especially when it claims the life of someone like Deputy Yates, goes far beyond the incident itself,” she said.

Tah’Tionna said she hopes her essay will make a difference.

Her mother is hoping the same.

Growing up in Springfield can be rough, Pearla Taylor said.

“I hope that she grows into an adult that would stand in that for our community also that’s what I’m rooting for her for her life,” Mother Pearla said. “So I want this to be a lifelong thing, not just for a school essay.”

The two winners from Springfield will head to Washington, D.C., this summer to join other “Do the Write Thing” ambassadors from all across the country.

©2024 Cox Media Group

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Mother shot while sitting on porch during apparent drive-by shooting in Springfield

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Police killed student outside Wisconsin school after reports of someone with a weapon, official says

Police shot and killed a Wisconsin student outside a middle school after receiving a report of someone with a weapon while class was in session, according to the state’s attorney general. No one else was hurt and the student didn’t get inside the building. An investigation is ongoing.

Law enforcement personnel respond to a report of a person armed with a rifle at Mount Horeb Middle School in Mount Horeb, Wis., Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The school district said a person it described as an active shooter was outside a middle school in Mount Horeb on Wednesday but the threat was “neutralized” and no one inside the building was injured. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)

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People gather at a site designated for parent and student reunifications following a report of a armed person outside Mount Horeb Middle School in Mount Horeb, Wis., Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)

Bystanders watch as law enforcement personnel respond to the report of a person armed with a rifle at Mount Horeb Middle School in Mount Horeb, Wis., Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The school district said a person it described as an active shooter was outside a middle school in Mount Horeb on Wednesday but the threat was “neutralized” and no one inside the building was injured. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)

People wait for their children outside the Mount Horeb School District bus station in Mount Horeb, Wis., where students were taken after an active shooter situation at the middle school, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Authorities said without giving details that the “alleged assailant” was harmed, and a witness said she had heard gunshots and saw dozens of children running. (AP Photo/Todd Richmond)

MOUNT HOREB, Wis. (AP) — Police shot and killed a student outside a Wisconsin middle school Wednesday after receiving a report of someone with a weapon, the state’s attorney general said in the first law enforcement briefing on gunshots that sent children fleeing and prompted an hourslong lockdown of local schools.

Authorities had previously said an active shooter who never got inside the building was “neutralized” outside Mount Horeb Middle School. State Attorney General Josh Kaul told reporters Wednesday evening no one else was harmed and that an investigation is ongoing.

“This incident took place outdoors. The subject in this case never gained entry,” he said.

Authorities described the student as a juvenile male but didn’t provide an age or indicate which of the Mount Horeb district’s schools he attended.

Kaul declined to answer several questions about what happened once police responded, including whether the student had fired a weapon, what type of weapon he had, and whether he tried to get inside the school. Authorities said multiple Mount Horeb officers, wearing body cameras, had fired weapons but they did not say how many.

Police remained on the scene hours afterward while students were kept locked down in buildings late into the afternoon before slowly being released to relatives.

For panicked kids and their terrified parents, it was an anxious, unsettling wait. Parents described children hiding in closets, afraid to communicate on cell phones, and one middle schooler said his class initially fled the school gym on in-line skates.

The district used Facebook posts throughout the day to give updates, with the earliest around 11:30 a.m. reporting all district schools were on lockdown. Authorities in Mount Horeb said the “alleged assailant” was the only person harmed, and witnesses described hearing gunshots and seeing dozens of children running.

Several hours later, school buses remained lined up for blocks outside the middle school and police tape surrounded the middle school, the nearby high school and playing fields between both buildings.

“An initial search of the middle school has not yielded additional suspects,” a post around noon said. “As importantly, we have no reports of individuals being harmed, with the exception of the alleged assailant.”

Earlier, the district posted without elaborating that “the threat has been neutralized outside of the building” in Mount Horeb, a small village about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of the state capital of Madison.

Jeanne Keller said she heard about five gunshots while in her shop The Quilting Jeanne, just down the block from the middle school.

“It was maybe like pow-pow-pow-pow,” Keller told The Associated Press by phone. “I thought it was fireworks. I went outside and saw all the children running ... I probably saw 200 children.”

One middle schooler said his class was in the school gym practicing in-line skating when they heard gunshots.

Max Kelly, 12, said his teacher told the class to flee. He said they skated to a street, ditched their in-line skates and ran to a nearby convenience store and gas station and hid in a bathroom.

Kelly, shoeless, was reunited with his parents and sat on a hillside with them early Wednesday afternoon waiting for his younger siblings to be released from their own schools.

“I don’t think anywhere is safe anymore,” said his mother, 32-year-old Alison Kelly.

Police in Mount Horeb said they could not provide information in the immediate hours afterward. The Dane County Sheriff’s office directed reporters to a staging area but also provided no updates.

Anxious parents spent hours thronging a bus depot waiting for their kids. Kaul said law enforcement had been concerned about the possiblity of a continuing threat though he didn’t provide more details. He said investigators sought to interview students as they were reunited with parents.

Shannon Hurd, 44, and her former husband, Nathian Hurd, 39, sat waiting for their 13-year-old son, Noah, who was still in the locked-down school.

Shannon Hurd said Noah texted her saying he loved her and she nearly fell down the stairs at her work as she rushed to the school.

“I just want my kid,” she said. “They’re supposed to be safe at school.”

Stacy Smith, 42, was at the bank Wednesday when she saw police cars rush by and got a text warning of an active shooter.

She initially couldn’t reach her two children — junior Abbi and seventh-grader Cole. Finally, she reached Abbi by phone but the girl whispered she was hiding in a closet and couldn’t talk. She eventually connected with both and learned they were OK.

“Not here,” she said in disbelief. “You hear about this everywhere else but not here.”

Schools nationwide have sought ways to prevent mass shootings inside their walls, from physical security measures and active shooter drills to technology including detailed digital maps . Many also rely on teachers and administrators working to detect early signs of student mental health struggles.

Mount Horeb Area School District Superintendent Steve Salerno suggested that without recent security upgrades “this could have been a far worse tragedy.” He said students immediately told school staff about seeing someone suspicious outside the building but did not elaborate.

“It’s an experience that you just pray to God every day that you just don’t ever have to enter into,” Salerno told reporters.

The village is home to around 7,600 people and the central office of outdoor gear retailer Duluth Trading Company. Mount Horeb markets itself as the “troll capital of the world,” a reference to carvings of trolls stationed throughout its downtown district.

Associated Press reporters Corey Williams in Detroit and Rick Callahan in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

'Could have been a far worse tragedy': Wisconsin police kill armed teen outside school

Editor's note: Follow here for Thursday updates on the Mount Horeb shooting .

Police in Wisconsin shot and killed a boy who was armed with a weapon outside of a middle school late Wednesday morning, law-enforcement officials said.

The armed boy was a student in the Mount Horeb School District, Josh Kaul, state attorney general confirmed at an afternoon press briefing. The boy was shot and killed by officers outside before he could make his way inside the school, Kaul said.

"For a period of time today there was concern that there was an ongoing threat related to this incident. We currently believe that there is no ongoing threat to public safety. But again, this is an ongoing investigation, and we will update the public if any additional threat to safety is discovered," Kaul said.

The shooting in the community about 20 miles west of Madison was reported a little after 11:15 a.m. local time when Mount Horeb Area School District Superintendent Dr. Steve Salerno said in a social post: "The threat has been neutralized outside of the building. Law-enforcement is circulating throughout the middle school to confirm the safety of all students."

Kaul said officers responded to a report of "an individual with a weapon" outside the middle school and used "deadly force" to neutralize the threat posed. Kaul confirmed that no students or school staff were injured, stating that the reunification process between parents and students would continue through Wednesday night.

He declined to release any specific information on the student involved or the weapon, stating that it is an "ongoing investigation."

'The safety of students and school staff is our number one priority'

The Wisconsin Department of Justice will be leading the investigation, receiving additional assistance from the agency's Office of School Safety.

"The safety of students and school staff is our number one priority. We want to thank the parents and community members of Mount Horeb for their patience as this process took place to ensure the safety of students and school staff," Kaul said.

Salerno echoed the statements made by Kaul, complimenting "amazing staff that have rallied in support of our beautiful children. And the community, that envelops and holds their children and their schools in high esteem. We, of course, lift our prayers to all who have been impacted by today's events."

Kaul recommended that parents and caregivers "restore a sense of safety" by providing reassurance, and safe environment to ask to questions/verbalize their feelings. As well as keeping media exposure to these "upsetting events" limited.

"And we encourage you to contact your local school staff, if you have any specific concerns about your child. School violence prevention is a shared responsibility. And if you have concerns that somebody may be planning an act of school violence, we urge you to report the concern," Kaul said.

Mount Horeb School District to 'take a beat,' schools open to those who need it

Mount Horeb School District schools will be open Thursday to any and all students and staff that need support, with Salerno adding that he thinks it's best for everyone to "take a beat, take a rest" after the day they've had.

"It is our hope that based upon the tone and tenor of those visits...that we can bring students and staff back on Friday," Salerno said. "We'll have a decision on that some point here in the near future. But at this point, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and work shoulder to shoulder with our amazing law enforcement, first responders who came to help support and protect our young people."

The district hopes to begin the process of engaging with parents and community about questions they might have about school safety.

Salerno also noted the community's support for capital referendums that helped install safety measures at schools around the district.

"This could have been a far worse tragedy," the superintendent said. "We're beyond grateful for the community's support of our beautiful children and our loving staff."

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.

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As States Resist Federal Gender Rules, Schools Are Caught in the Middle

Conservative state governments are forbidding school districts from doing what the Department of Education says they must, under new Title IX regulations on students’ gender identity.

By Amy Harmon

New civil rights regulations released last month by the Biden administration presented school districts across the nation with a clear choice: Either adopt policies that allow transgender students to use the bathrooms, wear the uniforms and be called by the pronouns that correspond with their gender identity, or risk losing federal funding.

But several Republican-led states have responded with an equally clear message for their schools: Steer clear of such policies.

The clashing state and federal directives have put school officials in a difficult spot, education officials said. School boards may face federal investigations, litigation from parents, threats of a state takeover or lost funding.

“No matter which way a school district goes, they’re going to possibly draw a lawsuit from someone in disagreement, whether that’s a federal regulator or a private person who doesn’t agree with how the district handled it,” said Sonja Trainor, managing director for school law at the National School Boards Association. “A lot of schools are going to be in no man’s land.”

The dispute centers on Title IX, the 1972 law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. The new regulations from the Biden administration interpret “discrimination on the basis of sex” to include discrimination on the basis of sex stereotypes and gender identity. The regulations did not address whether transgender students should be able to play on school sports teams corresponding to their gender identity. A second rule on that question is expected later.

“These regulations make it crystal clear that everyone can access schools that are safe, welcoming and that respect their rights,” Miguel A. Cardona, the education secretary, told reporters when the new regulations were announced in April.

But in four separate lawsuits, filed in federal courts in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Kentucky, attorneys general in more than a dozen states are trying to block the regulations from going to effect in August as planned.

And lawyers for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal organization, have filed a challenge on behalf of the Rapides Parish School Board in Louisiana.

“We would not want to put ourselves in a position where the federal government would take funding away because we follow the original purpose of Title IX,” Jeff Powell, the district superintendent, said in a statement. “We want students in our district to have privacy and safety when they access sex-specific facilities.”

Most school districts across the country receive federal funds for special education programs, and schools serving high concentrations of low-income families get federal support. But they get much more funding from state governments and, in some cases, local property taxes. Most school boards are directly answerable to their states.

“Schools are trying to ensure that kids are safe and that they have access to educational services,” said Francisco M. Negron Jr., founder of K12 Counsel, a school law advocacy and policy firm. “When there’s inconsistency in the law, it’s unsettling and it’s distracting.”

Several Republican-led states have passed laws that forbid transgender students to use school bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity. Gov. Brad Little of Idaho signed a bill last month that bars teachers from referring to a student by a name or pronoun that does not align with the student’s birth sex without parental consent.

Education officials in at least five states — Oklahoma, Florida , Louisiana , Montana and South Carolina — have urged school boards to maintain policies that “recognize the distinction between sex and gender identity,” as Elsie Arntzen, Montana’s superintendent of public instruction, put it in her letter to school leaders in the state.

For now, the new federal regulations supersede any state law or directive from a state official on the issue. But one or more federal judges, legal experts said, could issue an order blocking the regulations from taking effect locally or nationally while the lawsuits make their way through the courts. And the issue may ultimately reach the Supreme Court, which has so far declined to weigh in on how Title IX should be interpreted with regard to gender identity.

The new regulations are premised in part on the Biden administration’s interpretation of Bostock v. Clayton County, the landmark 2020 Supreme Court case in which the court ruled that discrimination based on transgender status necessarily entails treating individuals differently because of their sex.

But in the lawsuits, Republican-led states argue that the Department of Education exceeded its authority by issuing regulations that expand the definition of what constitutes sex discrimination. They point out that the Bostock decision was about workplace discrimination, and that Title IX includes specific exceptions for separating the sexes in certain educational situations, like sports teams. That shows, they argue, that Title IX was intended to recognize biological differences between males and females, not to address gender identity.

And some Republican governors are not waiting for the courts to act.

“I am instructing the Texas Education Agency to ignore your illegal dictate,” Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in a letter to President Biden this week.

And Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas signed an executive order on Thursday stating that schools in her state would continue to enforce restrictions on which bathrooms and pronouns transgender students are allowed to use.

“My message to Joe Biden and the federal government,” Ms. Sanders said at a news conference, “is we will not comply.”

Amy Harmon covers how shifting conceptions of gender affect everyday life in the United States. More about Amy Harmon