Each year, sophomores are required to write a research paper on an individual topic of interest. The English class determines the time in the trimester students write: English 10 at the beginning of Trimester 2 and Advanced English 10 at the end.

To do well on this paper, the student’s passion must be shown through their chosen topic. If the paper has no passion behind it and is difficult for the student to complete, it will be a disinteresting read. 

Typical topics often relate to psychology, because of the high enrollment of sophomores within the AP Psychology course.  Concussions, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, or stress on teens’ mental health and social media are particularly popular topics. Additionally, the study of criminology, specifically serial killers, has proven a captivating topic. Other than psychology, topics are also based on current events like AI, social media, environmental issues, and social rights movements. Science-based papers also include a variety of popular topics such as black holes and the study of animal species.

Though many topics have some commonality between them, there are anomalies such as drug abuse in Hollywood and the evolution of basketball shoes. 

As students learn about their topic and the topics of their classmates, sophomores become more aware of the world around them, in the past, present, and future. Through the development of their research paper, each sophomore refines their writing skills, which will prepare them for college.

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