Teachers: Have any creative ideas for a high school civics research paper?

I work with high-risk, and therefore some very difficult uninterested students. Does anyone have any creative ideas for a U.S. high school civics research paper topic? I feel like I have suggested everything, and my students are still so apathetic!!! Help!

Teachers: Have any creative ideas for a high school civics research paper?
1. Are teenagers really poor drivers?





2. Are the police unduly hard on teenage drivers?





3. Do store owners "assume" that teens are shoplifters when they are in their store?





4. Why is the student council effective(or ineffective) in this school?





5. How well does this community respond to the politics of the time by voting in local, state, and national elections?





6. In examining the school budget, how much of the items are "fixed" costs?





7. How do parents and the police feel about advertising that sex offenders live in the neighborhoods of your community?





8. Convince your teacher and principal that there are rules in the school that are unfair and need to be changed.





9. Should there be compulsory education for everyone until they are 16 or until they graduate?








I hope these few help. I tried to make them so they would appeal to turned off students.
Reply:bring them to the state prison
Reply:I'm not a teacher, but I remember a really cool project we did in school. The song "We Didn't Start the Fire" that lists events through American History was given to us to disect. We had to come up with a clear understanding of what each event was and how it affect the world as a semester project. If you gave your students the choise to pick any name, event, and other from the song and reserch it maybe they would be a little more motivated. Make sure you listen to it.
Reply:Lets try these:


1) What laws need to be changed, and Why?


2) If you were able to rewrite the Constitution, what parts would you change?


3) What is the definition of 'Breaking the Law'?


4) Which would be worse, serving time in prison or losing your electronic toys forever. Why?


5) Does the US govt. in its present capacity still work?





Hows those ideas?
Reply:Have your students study the question of the CIA and the spread of inexpensive street drugs in largely poor neighborhoods. Relate this study to Iran-Contra, the invasions of Panama and Afghanistan.





Ask them to analyze whether it is just a coincidence that a member of the Bush family always seems to be in a position to increase the availability of drugs in poor neighborhoods.
Reply:make them write a report on something thats boring, and say now will you pay attention? wen they stop paying attention, another essay