Investigating Our Surroundings

Step by Step Planning Calendar

Phase 1
1 Opening Event Share a personal, read a book, share a class experience to begin discussion of project topic with children.	2 Brainstorm Ideas Children list ideas from life experiences that relate to topic as the teacher writes. Begin a topic web.	3 Categorize Ideas Revisit with children to form categories of similar ideas. Share project topic with parents.	4 Label Categories Children debate best name of categories. Children develop Topic Web I.	5 Share Personal Stories Group Meeting: Share students' personal experiences with the project topic.

6 Illustrate Stories Children draw, write, dictate, or dramatize to represent and share their prior experiences.	7 Share Stories Children share their representations of stories, noting similarities or differences.	8 Collect Data Develop surveys to find out what classmates already think they know and understand about the topic.	9 Represent Findings Children represent their findings using math and science organizers.	10 Articulate Questions The teacher and the children voice their "wonderings" about the topic. Children dictate questions that they would like to answer about the topic.
Phase 2
11 Group Planning In discussion, children think about what to do, where to go, who to ask to find answers to their questions.	12 Make Predictions Before doing field work (site visits, experiments, observations, etc.) children predict (draw or dictate) what they might see or collect during field work.	13 Engage in Field Work* Children collect data to answer questions. (e.g. drawing, asking experts questions, collecting artifacts, counting, and taking pictures) This may take weeks!	14 Debrief Children share experiences and compare findings with predictions.	15 Create Representations Children represent their findings using a variety of means such as drawings, writings, constructions, paintings, and/or math and science organizers.

16 Share Progress on representations is shared with classmates offering suggestions.	17 Plans for Visiting Expert Children decide interview questions. Teacher charts predictions of the answers.	18 Expert Visitor Children ask questions and make drawings of answers or any artifacts.	19 Debrief Children compare experts' answers to their predictions.	20 Continue Investigation Additional days may be needed to continue to investigate. Additional experts, field-site visits and/or same site may be revisited.
Phase 3
21 Representations Sharing representations continues. Encourage a variety of medium including, dramatic play, music, plays, & invented games.	22 Articulate What Children Have Learned Group Discussion: What have they learned about the topic.	23 Brainstorm Second Topic Web Children list ideas of "what they now know" about the topic. Begin to develop Topic Web II.	24 Label and Categorize Ideas Children form categories of similar findings, understandings, and ideas. Children debate and name the categories. Children complete their Topic Web II.	25 Plan for Sharing Plan the culminating event and make invitations for the chosen audience.

26 Project Highlights Each child prepares to share the story of the learning achieved by the class by using posters, reports, plays, museum format, explanations, songs, and/or videos, etc. They may choose to work individually, in a small group or prepare a whole class presentation.	27 Imaginative Activity Children may engage in more expressive activities using their new understanding in poetry, stories, pretend drawings, etc. Progress on their display is shared with classmates.	28 Display Children contribute to the class display. Work from all the phases is displayed to show the children's growth in understanding.	29 Culmination Parents, and other students visit to view the displays and hear children share what they have learned about the project.	30 Evaluation Children, parents and teachers reflect on the project.


STUDYING CONSTRUCTION		EXPLORING COMMUNICATION