1. Narrowing Your
Topic
by Mrs. Rannow

2. Your teacher has asked you to write a paper
about some aspect of popular culture.
Topic
Popular
Culture
This topic is really broad and
needs to be narrowed down!

3. There are many sub-topics you could choose
from:
music,
fashion, art,
sports
Popular
Culture
You need to choose one.

4. Popular
Culture
music
This sub-topic is still too broad and you need to
continue to narrow this down.

5. You need to think of other ways you can narrow
the sub-topic of music! Here are some
suggestions:
Place
Time
How your topic affects
a particular group
Related topics
A research methodology
A school of thought
A controversial, unusual or
new point of view

6. So Here is the topic you would
write about.
Rock Guitar
Popular
Culture Music
Writing
1980s
Topic
popular rock music for the guitar in the 1980s
a more manageable topic .

7. Writing Topic:
popular rock music for the guitar in the 1980s .
rock musicians
types of guitars music influences
rock songs 1980s
rock music rock groups
Guitar playing techniques Music
Now brainstorm some keywords and
phrases that you could use individually
or combine that would help you find
information.

8. Here are the keywords and phrase
arranged from broadest to narrowest:
Music
Rock music
1980s
Rock groups
Rock musicians
Rock songs
Music influences
Types of guitars
Guitar playing techniques