The purpose of this project is for students to develop a deeper understanding of some significant aspects of gun violence in society. Each group will be responsible for researching and designing a lesson for their classmates on their assigned topic.  

1. Research your topic.

• Each group will have specific questions that they will be given to research.  
• Each team should consult at least six sources for this project.
• Each group should create a process for organizing your research.
• Students must avoid cutting and pasting information directly from any website. This is plagiarism. Paraphrase in your own words the information you want to share or use quotes. (Although quotes should be super special – don’t quote everything). There are two places where you need to be mindful to not plagiarize: on your slides and in what you say out loud. But, often plagiarism happens because students are disorganized with their notes so organization is key during the research phase.
• We will have some in-class work days dedicated to researching your project. However, you will be expected to do research outside of class as well. You should communicate with your partner(s) about research responsibilities.

2. Explain your research with an annotated bibliography

Each group will need to submit a team annotated bibliography in MLA format. Tip: it is easiest if you do this as you go along vs. at the end. Logistics:

• MLA format (consult Purdue OWL)
• After each entry write 2-5 sentences about the source (this is the "annotation" part; annotation means a note of explanation). 
  Your annotation should focus on:
  - How did you use this source? What information did you glean from it and how does it connect to your research topic?
  - Why did you decide the information in the source is reliable?
• While multiple group members will contribute to the annotated bibliography, it should read as one voice.

3. Present a lesson to your classmates about your topic (~8 minutes)

As a team, decide how to organize the information you learn from your research into a presentation. Think about “the story” you want to tell and what the best way is to convey this story.  We will talk about “what makes a successful presentation” in class. All group members are expected to participate in the presentation.

4. Reflect on your project. Reflection questions will be provided at a later date.

Important dates & deadlines

• Wednesday, March 13: Project Introduced
• March 25 – April 5: Research Period
• April 8 & 9: In-Class Presentations - on the day of your presentation, Ms. Schoeplein will need to receive the following: presentation slides & presentation script; your team’s annotated bibliography is due the day after your presentation.
• Monday, April 15: Individual Project Reflection due