Research Curriculum for High School Teachers
Introduce your students to academic research with our free Research Starter Kit. Includes Week 1 slides, printable worksheets, and a teacher quick guide.
What's in the Research Starter Kit?
Everything you need to run your first research workshop
Week 1 Slides
Complete slide deck for "Topic Discovery: Finding Your Research Direction" with 8 slides
3 Worksheets
Interest Audit, FINER Framework, and Literature Map templates ready to print
Teacher Guide
5-page quick guide with common struggles, activities, and assessment rubric
Preview the Materials
Take a look at what you'll get in the free kit
Week 1: Topic Discovery (Complete)
Week 1: Topic Discovery
Finding Your Research Direction
Learning Objectives:
• Transform vague interests into researchable questions
• Understand what makes research publishable
• Complete the Interest Audit Worksheet
Want the full kit? All slides + 3 worksheets + teacher guide as one PDF.
Week 3 Preview: FINER Framework
Week 3 Preview: The FINER Framework
Crafting the Perfect Research Question
This is a preview of Week 3 content.
Full curriculum available in the Research Publication Fellowship.
Want the full kit? All slides + 3 worksheets + teacher guide as one PDF.
Printable Worksheets
Interest Audit Worksheet
Help students identify and narrow down their research interests through structured self-reflection.
4 sections included:
- Part 1: Broad Interests
- Part 2: Why It Matters
- Part 3: Research Angle
- + 1 more sections
FINER Framework Worksheet
Evaluate and refine your research question using the FINER criteria.
7 sections included:
- Your Research Question
- F - Feasible
- I - Interesting
- + 4 more sections
Literature Map Template
Visual tool to organize and connect sources while building understanding of the research landscape.
4 sections included:
- Central Research Question
- Key Sources Table
- Theme Identification
- + 1 more sections
Teacher Quick Guide Preview
5 sections to help you mentor student researchers effectively
1Introduction to Research Mentorship
Guiding high school students through research requires a different approach than traditional teaching. Your role is to facilitate discovery, not dictate answers.
2Common Student Struggles (And What to Do)
1. "I can't find a topic"
35 Activities That Work in Any Classroom
1. Interest Audit (20 min)
4Simple Assessment Rubric
RESEARCH QUESTION (25%)
Every page in this kit is pulled directly from the curriculum that has helped 325+ high school students publish in peer-reviewed journals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready for the Full Curriculum?
The Research Publication Fellowship includes 8 weeks of comprehensive content, 24+ worksheets, speaker notes, and 1-on-1 mentorship with Harvard researchers.