PAINLESS RESEARCH PROJECTS

Even very good students think that doing a research project is an excruciating task. They might know their subject well, but they find it easier to go out and dig ditches than to gather facts and organize them into a research paper or project. Rebecca Elliott, the author of Barron's just published Painless Grammar, and her husband James have written a new book to help middle school students turn research into a painless--even enjoyable--process. Their formula is pure common sense. They begin with advice on choosing a topic, then guide students through the thickets of library research, interviewing experts for information, using the Internet, making notes, writing a rough draft, and producing a finished research report. They take students step-by-step through a sample research paper and end with tips on compiling a bibliography. Also featured is an Internet address book with 56 informative websites. Their delightful, user-friendly approach demonstrates that doing a research project really isn't such a burdensome task after all!