Step 1
Know your assignment: Understand what you will need to do.

Preresearch: Have some understanding of what happened during westward expansion so when you get to Step 2, you have research ideas.

Step 2
Narrow and define your research topic:

Review the questions that you need to address in your assignment.

Get ready for step 3: Read a short book or article about your individual so you can begin to see how the life of your individual fits into westward expansion.

Step 3
Locate sources:

a. Based on your preresearch and the assignment, what questions do you have about your individual related to the assignment?

b. What resources at school, home, the libraries, do you have access to as you learn about your topic.

c. What key words will you use when you research on web sites, online databases or in books.

Step 4
Engage in the sources: read, listen, view.

Practice good note taking.

Develop additional questions or key words for research and follow through.

Step 5
Synthesis: Organize information from multiple sources.

Write your paper or create your multimedia presentation.

Step 6
Review and Reflection:

Your Topic: How has finishing your research and project changed what you think about America?

Your Process: How did the research process work for you.