Why did you select this topic?
We chose to research the Houston Rodeo, because it has a great influence on not only the Houston community, but the entire state of Texas as well as people all around the United States. It teaches kids and adults about Houston's history and Texas culture, so it has a large impact on the society. We thought it would be a fun and easy topic to research too, because we already knew who we were going to interview.
What were your initial goals?
Our initial goals were to understand and communicate the history and culture of the Houston Rodeo to our classmates, and display the impact of the Rodeo on our community.
How were your research questions modified over time?
We didn't have to modify our research questions during the project, because we had enough prior information about the topic to create questions that we knew we could find the answers to in our research.
What steps did you take in completing this product?
First, we had to find at least seven sources to meet the requirements for the project (but we ended up finding eight). Then we printed out all of our sources and articles and annotated them so we could better understand what we were researching. Once we organized our thoughts and research, we created a website on Weebly to display what we had found in our research and to describe the culture that is associated with the Houston Rodeo. Then, we made a powerpoint to present to the class.
What surprising discoveries did you make?
During our research, we found that the Rodeo was made by only seven men one day when they were eating lunch together. Also, we found out some interesting things about one of the people that we interviewed, but it's not appropriate to put on this website or to present to the class. We also learned that the Rodeo is a non-profit organization and all the money they earn from food and tickets goes to scholarships and other things for the rodeo participants.
What struggles did you face? How did you overcome them?
It was hard for us to find a time to work together even though we live two minutes away from each other, but every time one of us was free, the other wasn't, so that was kind of a struggle. Also, every time we work together, we start listening to music and then we start jamming and then nothing gets done.
What did you gain from this experience?
We gained a huge understanding about how the Houston Rodeo impacts the area around it and how it incorporates Texan culture and history into the actual show. Also, the guy we interviewed said he could recommend us as junior volunteers for next year and that would be pretty cool.