Help me think

I have two projects in mind concerning the Russian Orthodox Church. First of all, I'm supposed to write an eight to ten page essay about Russian history prior to 1796 (death of Catherine II). I've been trying to brainstorm some to know where to start my research. I have two ideas so far and need to see which idea has more sources. Since these topics are in themselves quite broad, I shouldn't have too much trouble finding information. My two ideas consist of Orthodoxy's influence on society and government in the 17th century (I chose that date because there seemed to be quite a bit written on this century...I still need to find out why) and the story behind the the schism of 1054. The schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox church in Constantinople always interested me and I have been unable to go into detail about what exactly happened. Of course, I would have to find a way in which to tie in the separation of the two churches with Russia, but that shouldn't be too hard to do. I could include how and why Constantinople fell and how church power shifted to Moscow. I am in my early stages of brain storming, so please help! I want to have this paper finished by next week if at all possible.

My second project is planning a class field trip to a Russian Orthodox church in Indianapolis or the surrounding area. This responsibility includes finding a church that meets my requirements (close, Russian Orthodox, etc), writing to the Bishop and asking him if he would be willing to give us an informative discussion on Russian Orthodoxy (and how it has changed since coming to the West, etc), researching the church's traditions (how we should dress, whither or not the girls should cover their heads, etc), and find a traditional Russian restaurant to finish off the day. I need to start communicating with our department secretary to find out how to reserve a van and how to get money for people's meal plans.

I'll keep you updated on how these projects go.