KGHS Research Paper Topics
School Issues/Student Rights
Locker searches/privacy
Cell phone/electronic devices policies
Mandatory drop-out age
Dress codes/Uniforms
State/National testing (SOLs – are they necessary?)
No Child Left Behind – does it help or hurt the educational experience?
Should prayer be allowed in public schools?
Zero Tolerance policies toward violence vs. fairness
Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
Is college tuition too high?
Are college admissions too strict?
Sports
Should college athletes be paid?
Should sports classes in high schools be cut so students can concentrate on academics?
Should high school students be subjected to drug tests?
Pay-to-Play sports programs for high school students
Should Joe Paterno be held liable for the crimes at Penn State when he didn’t commit the crime?
Does participation in sports keep teens out of trouble?
Crime
How do serial killers choose their victims?
Does the death penalty increase/decrease crime?
How was O.J. Simpson found innocent when so many are convinced of his guilt?
Cult followings: e.g. Jim Jones members being forced to commit suicide. Why would they do that?
School shootings—could it happen here?
Do we treat prisoners too well?
Liability
Should teachers be responsible for student test scores?
Should tobacco companies be responsible for tobacco-related illnesses/deaths?
Should bartenders be responsible for behavior of their patrons?
If someone is injured at someone’s house, should the homeowner be responsible? What if that person was a burglar?
If someone goes to a doctor to help them commit suicide, should the doctor be held liable?
If children behave badly/illegally, should the parents be held responsible and/or punished?
Media and Communications
Eating disorders/body image e.g Do celebrities/magazines/television have an effect on kid’s self-esteem?
Exploitation of children -- marketing adult stuff to young ones – make up, Victoria’s Secret, Toddlers and Tiaras, etc.
Do beauty contests serve any purpose in society?
How and Why do colleges and employers using social media to screen for the interview process?
What, if any, limitations should be put on the paparazzi?
Are celebrities/professional athletes/CEO’s paid too much?
Do violent video games make juveniles commit crimes?
Reality TV –Trash or entertainment? How real is it really? Does it have a harmful effect on our society?
Is American society too materialistic?
Violence in Videogames
Current Events/Social Issues
Does the government have the right to keep law-abiding citizens from owning guns?
Interracial Dating
Arranged Marriages
Should cosmetic products be tested on animals? Are zoos cruel to wild animals?
Racial profiling/police brutality
Human Trafficking
Should violent criminals escape death penalty using an insanity plea?
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – homosexuality in the military
Should fast food restaurants be held accountable for the obesity epidemic?
Should governments be allowed to dictate what you should/shouldn’t be able to eat? E.g. NYC banning large sodas, etc.
Internet censorship – Free speech vs. hate
Does the government have the right to pry? Surveillance cameras, wire taps, etc --- Safety of citizens vs. Your right to privacy
Child soldiers – why and how are children used for war?
Should juveniles be tried as adults?
Should the U.S. have mandatory military conditions? For whom?
What is life like for Muslim-Americans after 9/11?
Should we legalize the sale of human organs?
Will China be the next Superpower?
Environmental issues – greenhouse gases, oil spills,
Do we become used to bad news? Should more good news be reported?
Outsourcing/sweatshops
Psychology/New Age/Supernatural Topics
Does Area 51 really exist?
Resurgency of piracy?
Does Birth order affect academic achievement, creativity, behavior, etc?
Body Language/Handwriting analysis
Downloading music: is it fair?
Extreme Body Modifications
Dreams – is it possible for multiple people to have the same dream simultaneously?
Vampires/Aliens/Fairies – Do they exist?
Urban legends – how do they come into existence and what makes people believe them?
Genetic Engineering – Should parents be able to choose the sex of their baby? Or decide what hair color they should have?
Conspiracy Theories – Is Elvis really dead? Did the U.S. plan the 9/11 attacks to have an excuse to go to war?
Gender differences – Is there a difference in the male and female brain? Are there achievement differences in single-sex classrooms?
Locker searches/privacy
Cell phone/electronic devices policies
Mandatory drop-out age
Dress codes/Uniforms
State/National testing (SOLs – are they necessary?)
No Child Left Behind – does it help or hurt the educational experience?
Should prayer be allowed in public schools?
Zero Tolerance policies toward violence vs. fairness
Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
Is college tuition too high?
Are college admissions too strict?
Sports
Should college athletes be paid?
Should sports classes in high schools be cut so students can concentrate on academics?
Should high school students be subjected to drug tests?
Pay-to-Play sports programs for high school students
Should Joe Paterno be held liable for the crimes at Penn State when he didn’t commit the crime?
Does participation in sports keep teens out of trouble?
Crime
How do serial killers choose their victims?
Does the death penalty increase/decrease crime?
How was O.J. Simpson found innocent when so many are convinced of his guilt?
Cult followings: e.g. Jim Jones members being forced to commit suicide. Why would they do that?
School shootings—could it happen here?
Do we treat prisoners too well?
Liability
Should teachers be responsible for student test scores?
Should tobacco companies be responsible for tobacco-related illnesses/deaths?
Should bartenders be responsible for behavior of their patrons?
If someone is injured at someone’s house, should the homeowner be responsible? What if that person was a burglar?
If someone goes to a doctor to help them commit suicide, should the doctor be held liable?
If children behave badly/illegally, should the parents be held responsible and/or punished?
Media and Communications
Eating disorders/body image e.g Do celebrities/magazines/television have an effect on kid’s self-esteem?
Exploitation of children -- marketing adult stuff to young ones – make up, Victoria’s Secret, Toddlers and Tiaras, etc.
Do beauty contests serve any purpose in society?
How and Why do colleges and employers using social media to screen for the interview process?
What, if any, limitations should be put on the paparazzi?
Are celebrities/professional athletes/CEO’s paid too much?
Do violent video games make juveniles commit crimes?
Reality TV –Trash or entertainment? How real is it really? Does it have a harmful effect on our society?
Is American society too materialistic?
Violence in Videogames
Current Events/Social Issues
Does the government have the right to keep law-abiding citizens from owning guns?
Interracial Dating
Arranged Marriages
Should cosmetic products be tested on animals? Are zoos cruel to wild animals?
Racial profiling/police brutality
Human Trafficking
Should violent criminals escape death penalty using an insanity plea?
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – homosexuality in the military
Should fast food restaurants be held accountable for the obesity epidemic?
Should governments be allowed to dictate what you should/shouldn’t be able to eat? E.g. NYC banning large sodas, etc.
Internet censorship – Free speech vs. hate
Does the government have the right to pry? Surveillance cameras, wire taps, etc --- Safety of citizens vs. Your right to privacy
Child soldiers – why and how are children used for war?
Should juveniles be tried as adults?
Should the U.S. have mandatory military conditions? For whom?
What is life like for Muslim-Americans after 9/11?
Should we legalize the sale of human organs?
Will China be the next Superpower?
Environmental issues – greenhouse gases, oil spills,
Do we become used to bad news? Should more good news be reported?
Outsourcing/sweatshops
Psychology/New Age/Supernatural Topics
Does Area 51 really exist?
Resurgency of piracy?
Does Birth order affect academic achievement, creativity, behavior, etc?
Body Language/Handwriting analysis
Downloading music: is it fair?
Extreme Body Modifications
Dreams – is it possible for multiple people to have the same dream simultaneously?
Vampires/Aliens/Fairies – Do they exist?
Urban legends – how do they come into existence and what makes people believe them?
Genetic Engineering – Should parents be able to choose the sex of their baby? Or decide what hair color they should have?
Conspiracy Theories – Is Elvis really dead? Did the U.S. plan the 9/11 attacks to have an excuse to go to war?
Gender differences – Is there a difference in the male and female brain? Are there achievement differences in single-sex classrooms?