Those outlines, according to Choponis, were developed to give students direction and to help them narrow down the vast amount of information on the Web. Research outlines are essentially a collection of related assignments centered around a particular Medieval theme. Each outline includes a specific subject for a written report, questions to be answered within the report, and a Craft Project . Students also choose a Medieval food and some type of Medieval attire to create and wear for Medieval Fun Day and Parents' Night. The first requirement of the research outline is the written report.
Students use the middle school home page as a jumping off place for their research.
A wide range of Internet Links posted at the site allows students to research their topic with a minimum of wasted time. It also helps avoid inappropriate sites that might come up in a search, Choponis pointed out. All the information needed to complete the projects can be found at these links, but students must use library materials as well, Moyses notes. For the written report, students are required to research, cite their sources, write a rough draft, peer edit, and then type a final draft. Student-inspired projects have included recreating Excalibur and Robin Hood's bow and arrows, building castles out of stones, growing herb gardens, embroidering Medieval designs, stitching lavender sachets, and building chess boards.