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I-Search Project for College & Careers: MHS: Home

Your Assignment & Rubric for Grading

I-Search Project Description & Rubric ​- Refer to your teacher's assignment to keep track of what goes into the project. Follow it closely to ensure you include all requirements in your final project.

Use NoodleTools to properly cite all images, database articles, websites, personal interviews, etc. Essentially, anything that is not your own words, thoughts or work must be cited. 

Rubric for I-Search Project - Periodically revisit the rubric (p. 6 in project overview - also linked in first line above) to ensure you are meeting the highest standards for your research, writing, documentation of sources, mechanics and formatting. The five-part guideline is separated out and indexed in the box below. 

Guidelines for Your I-Search Project

Part 1: Introduction and What I Already Know

(approximately 1 page)  


What I already know (about myself and my potential career path)
What I hope to find out
  • Predictions

In this section write everything you know about the career field, college, or technical school you are researching. Include information you believe to be true. Tell what you want to learn; predict what you will find. Ask questions. These questions will lead you to those sources that will answer your questions. These questions will drive your search and will guide you through your research journey. Start by discussing yourself. Explain who you are, what you want, and why you are researching this particular career. 

To Consider: This flowchart

Questions to Answer in this part:  
  • What do I need to do to get ready for college? 
  • What is the career outlook for your chosen career?  
  • What is the best education path for me? 
  • What is the cost of my technical school and how will I pay for it? 
  • What are the career possibilities of the military? (If applicable)
  • What sort of financial aid does the military provide me for my service? (if applicable)
     

Part 2: The Story of My Search - What I Want to Find Out and How

(1-2 paragraphs)

In this section, show some of the pre-planning that took place to develop your VISION. Address the following resources, which ones you used, why you used them, and how using these resources helped you find others.
  • When I went to the MHS Library, I looked at…
  • On the Internet, I found three articles that…
  • Next, I interviewed someone who works in this profession and…
  • I soon found that…
  • I contacted the admissions director and discovered… 
  • When I spoke to the recruiting officer I found out. . . 
 
You need to have a minimum of 3 primary & secondary sources

  • If you know someone in your selected career pathway you may interview them. It'll give you a great primary, first-look at that career

 

Be sure to document using NoodleTools for each of the sources you use 

Part 3: Findings 

In this section you will document the information you have discovered. You will organize this information, following an outline, so that all aspects of the career are discussed. 

Template to draft your response

Questions to Answer in this part: 

  • What are the requirements of your job?

  • What is the outlook for this career?

  • What are the benefits for this career?

  • What are the physical demands?

  • Any potential advancement within in the field?

  • What education and/or training required? 

  • What is the starting salary? 

  • What is the potential income?

  • Do you need any special skills?

  • What are the college requirements/recommendations? 

 

Part 4: Conclusion and Reflection

(1-2 pages) 

Now that you are finished researching and have found answers to your questions, what do you think? Can you make a VISION board now?

Questions to answer in this part: 
  • Were you surprised by the information you found out about your career choice, college plan, technical school or yourself? 
  • Is this still the plan you will work toward? 
  • How will this knowledge impact your future plans? 
 
Example Sentence Starters: 
  • What I now know that I didn’t know before includes… 
  • The findings that mean the most to me are… 
  • What I’ve learned will affect me by… 
  • As a result of this research, I’ve decided to… 

Part 5: Works Cited in MLA Format 

You will need to cite your sources in two ways:

You will need to carefully document ALL SOURCES you use throughout your I-Search process in order to complete this task correctly.

From day one, you need to keep a list going of all Internet sites, all reference materials, all people you interview, and any other media sources that you use.  

NoodleTools Direct Link

Use NoodleTools to cite the sources you used for your research!

MLA Citation Style Resources

Citation Helper LibGuide: MLA, APA & Chicago - This guide includes information about citing your sources, including MLA, APA and Chicago / Turabian citation styles.

 

How to Avoid Plagiarism LibGuide

How to Use This Guide
This LibGuide contains information and resources for faculty and students to learn about plagiarism and how to avoid it. If you need help, please contact Ms. Mills in the media center.
What is Plagiarism?
According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, to "plagiarize" means:
  • to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
  • to use (another's production) without crediting the source
  • to commit literary theft
  • to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source
In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.

Source: P.org sponsored by Turnitin