isearch worksheet

I-search worksheet

What is an I-search?

An Isearch is a research paper that asks a question. It does not simply gather information for its own sake. It asks a question, and then you hunt for information that answers the question.

It is a question whose answer matters to your life in some way. It is a question you really do not know the answer to, but you would like to. It is a question which you can realistically pursue in the course of a single semester. It is a question with more legs, depth, angles, and nuance than a simple yes/no answer.

It is a research paper that puts "I"--you--at the center of things.

What do you want to write about? Asperger’s

What do you want to find out about your topic? How it affects relationships.

What are your questions about the topic?

1. What resources are there for people who are in a relationship with someone who has Asperger’s?

2. What are the primary issues in these relationships?

3. What is the probability of these relationships lasting?

How does it connect to your life?

 I have been dating someone with Asperger’s for three years. Prior to dating my boyfriend I had no experience with Asperger’s and until this year I didn’t even know that he had Asperger’s. We have had a very complicated relationship because of it and have been working hard to change our relationship. We both had to adjust expectations we have for each other to make sure that it was actually possible to meet each others needs. It has been a lot of work and there is more to come. I have spent a lot of time researching what Asperger’s is all about, but I have not put in a lot of time to see how relationships are affecting.

Give three reasons you like the topic

1. Relevant

2. Common- now that the process of diagnosing Asperger’s has improved there are more reported cases of it.

3. Challenging topic and I know that there are lots of things to learn that would be beneficial to me.

Give three ways your life might change if you answer your questions

1. Make me more educated on the topic.

2. Allow me to have information that would help me improve my relationship.

3. It would arm me with knowledge on how to be more understanding and compassionate.

Do you already know the answer to your question?  If the answer is sitting in a single book somewhere or if all you need do to find the answer is make some simple decision or ask one person one question, it isn't going to work out for a research paper because there isn't much you can research. Is it that kind of question and answer?  If it is, please redo the worksheet.

I am really excited to research this topic further, because even though I am in a relationship with someone who has Asperger’s, that does not mean I am an expert. I have to carefully approach normal relationship hurdles to make sure that they are handled in a way that enables him to respond to them and myself as well. I look forward to education myself and I hope to be able to apply what I learn to my relationship.

Graf 4: Reaction

Writing is an emotional journey in which you can create a world or share your own. It’s intimidating and scares the heck out of me. It’s easy to get caught in your own head and if you don’t have someone there to guide you or nudge you, well you may just end up slamming your head into a brick wall. You agonize over sentences, thoughts, and topic and before long you realize that you have spent more time stressing and over analyzing the whole piece that you haven’t even produced a piece of writing worth anyone even reading. 

Now that I have told you how you feel about writing, I suppose I should take some ownership and confess that I actually like to write. So maybe I wasn’t describing how you feel as much as I was describing how I feel, what! But, it is getting over that initial hump that kills me. Once I persevere and get over the hump and am halfway down the other side, I realize how silly it is to get so worked up. Naturally I talk a lot and by a lot I mean that my boyfriend has mastered the art of pretending to listen to me and most of the time I can’t tell if he is or isn’t, he’s that good. I like to think out loud and verbally communicate my thoughts and he is more of the silent type. I figure I talk enough for the both of us. 

Guidance is often a necessity, but what is better than guidance with some humor inserted? No, seriously, what is better than guidance with humor inserted? I think I have been given some thought provoking questions to remember.

Graf 3: Inventory

As I sit on the couch with my laptop rested comfortably on a blanket piled on my lap, I look around the living room, the contents are: 

Wrinkled beige leather oversized chair and hassock

Creased beige leather couch

Coffee table (w/two empty Pepsi cans, candle, remote control caddy, Wii remotes, bag of frosted animal shaped cookies, Samsung phone, H.C. Haynes check stub)

Lap top teetering on the legs of the coffee table

Two comforters

Two large pillows

Vomit bag

Oxycodone

Gauze

Tape

Sling

Figure eight harness

TV stand (fax machine, IH tractor model, phone, Wii console, Dish receiver, DVR player, load slips, Farm Days Poster, tax forms, Windex, paper towels)

Gazelle chest

Cluttered living room, she must be a busy lady or a lazy one. Wrinkled and creased furniture suggests that a lot of time is spent in the living room or maybe she bought the furniture used, half off even. The coffee table is covered in odds and ends, does she ever pick it up? Empty soda cans, she could just throw those in the recycling bin. At least she is organized enough to have a place for the remote controls. Pillows and comforters, does she sleep in the living room? Did she have a sleep over? Why does it sound like her living room is her bedroom? Why are the contents of a first aid kit on the floor? Did she injure herself? She has unfinished paperwork on her TV stand, she must be too busy to get it taken care of.

Graf 2: Worst Teacher

Mrs. Obert with her condescending attitude holds the coveted spot of absolute worst teacher ever! How does one earn such a position? Mrs. Obert taught honors integrated math II my sophomore year of high school. Every time that she answered a student’s question her tone was heavy with condescension. She was only able to explain a concept in one way, never expanding upon the concept or presenting it in a way that made it easier to understand. As a student you are required to trust that your teacher will do what they can to help you understand challenging concepts. Beyond her inability to teach us the new integrated system was an inability to appear human. Sophomore year of high school was also marked by the tragic events of the bombing of the twin towers and pentagon. On September 11^th, 2001 I was walking into math class with 22 other students and there was a buzz in the air that something terrible was unfolding. As we took our seats in class and slid forward in our chairs, you could hear the metal scraping across the floor as the usual chit chat was silenced. Everyone looked at each other wondering what was going on outside in the walls of school. It felt like the time dragged by as Mrs. Obert slowly walked toward the front of the classroom. Her steps seemed to be in slow motion dragging forward as though someone was holding her legs back. She stood in front of us and as we all focused our attention on what she said next, we never could anticipate how the words she spoke would affect us. As her lips moved I could not wrap my mind around her words. “I know that you may have heard some things at lunch, things going on outside of school. I want you to know that these are things that do not affect you, we will not be discussing any of these things further and I expect you all to pull out your homework and get ready for a pop quiz.” Her words hung above us and we quickly heeded her commands. What we could not fathom at that moment was exactly how the events that had occurred that morning would affect our lives for forever. To this very day I remember that class and I remember the cold way in which she redirected our thoughts.