Create a video or a presentation for the committee that includes text and visuals about the energy source you have investigated. Be sure to include information about how the energy source is obtained, transformed, and distributed and about how this impacts the environment.

Each committee member should choose one of the following energy sources to research:

solar	geothermal
nuclear	wind
oil/petroleum	biomass
coal	ocean energy
natural gas	solid waste
hydropower

There are a variety of formats that you may use for your presentation. Some possibilities are:

• brochure
• poster
• multimedia presentation (PowerPoint, Hyper Studio)
• video
• webpage

As you look at the task above, list as many questions as you can that will help you to understand and investigate this topic. THINK ABOUT...

What do you already know about the problem?

What do you need to know

• to begin your investigation?
• in order to suggest some solutions
• to convince others to support your ideas?
  

Brainstorm questions about your energy source similar to the following:

• What is geothermal energy?
• What impact does coal have on the environment?
• How is natural gas obtained?
• How is power from nuclear energy distributed?
• How is crude oil transformed into petroleum?

For help in writing your questions, click here for Unpacking the "Big" Question.

Now that you have crafted your questions, you need to develop a plan for locating your information.

• You must use multiple resources in a variety of formats to ensure complete and reliable answers to your questions.
  
• Survey the world of resources - a generic list of possible resources
  
• For a calendar, planning sheet (My Search Plan), and a variety of tools to record your notes, click here: Research Planning Tools.
  
• As you use your various sources, be sure to take effective, detailed notes. Paraphrase the main ideas to avoid plagiarism.
  
• Remember to cite your references. Check the MLA guidelines and examples for citing resources, however, your school may use a different format.
  

• Remember the questions guiding your research:

A. How can energy be obtained, transformed, and distributed?

B. How do the differences in obtaining, transforming, and distributing energy from various sources impact the environment?

• Sort your research findings using your note cards or graphic organizer.
  • Do you need to rearrange the information in different categories?
  • Can you condense or combine the information?
    
• Sift through your notes, eliminating those that do not answer your questions. Can you throw away material which is not useful, is repetitive, or does not answer your questions?
  
• Analyze your results.
  • Have you taken sufficient notes to answer all of your questions in detail?
  • Do you need to develop new questions to adequately cover your topic?
    

Use one of these tools to help you identify additional research needs:

• Checklist
• Notetaking inventory form
• Working outline form
  

• Synthesize your findings. Synthesis is the act of pulling your research and ideas together to form new meaning.
  • What new insights have emerged about your energy source?
  • Which facts are the most compelling and would have the greatest impact on your audience?
    
• Evaluate the effectiveness of your research for the task.
  
  • Have you gathered sufficient details about your energy source to become a convincing spokesperson or advocate for it?
  • Are your details organized in the right categories or sub-topics to make sense for your audience?
  • Which facts are the most compelling and would have the greatest impact on an audience?

• Recall your compelling question or thesis statement.
  
• Gather all of your materials, decide what are the most important points to support your statement in order to create an effective presentation. 
  
• Outline or rearrange your note cards or use a graphic organizer to organize your information.
  
• Create your mock-up of your presentation with visuals.
  
• Create your Works Cited page.
  • Check the MLA guidelines and examples for citing resources. Your school may use a different format, so check with your teacher or library media specialist.
    
• Submit your work to a student for Peer Response.
  
  

• As each individual presentation is given, use this chart to record the advantages and disadvantages of each energy source in preparation for your committee's vote.
  
• As a committee, discuss the pros and cons of each energy source before voting.
  
• After your committee has voted, work together to prepare a final presentation to support your energy recommendation to the CJ city council.
  
• The CJ city council (your class) will hear each committee's recommendation, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each, and conduct the final vote. Another copy of this chart can be used for this process.

Take time to think about the research process you just completed.

Story of my research process...

• What changes did you make to your original plan?
• What worked and what didn't work?
• What did you learn about yourself as a researcher?

Follow these guidelines to help you to prepare your reflection.