I guess it depends. What does the school want? Do they want her to ask a question, or simply learn about something and report?
From what I've seen at my son's small middle/high school (and my own memories), students at this level don't need to do independent or even guided research. They simply need to learn about something and report on it. YMMV depending on what the school expects, so I'd check with the science teacher.
Astronomy can be a great thing because many areas have amateur astronomy clubs that meet every month or so. We bought a telescope recently and plan to check out one or more of these groups in the summer (we're in the Bay Area in CA). A major advantage for your daughter if there's a group like this nearby would be that they often have members who are very serious about astronomy. Some of these people have seriously nice telescopes. If you get to know them (e.g. gain trust that the scope won't get damaged) and explain the situation, you could ask if she could take some pictures from their scopes.
If you live near a community or other college with an observatory, that's even better. They usually have public viewing nights (and days, if they have sun filters, which they almost certainly would).
There is a nice basic textbook on backyard astronomy; I'll look it up later at home and send the details.
HTH; did I answer any of your questions?
Val
