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Phase 1
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1 Opening Event
Share a personal story, read a book, share a class experience to begin
discussion of project topic with children.
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2 Brainstorm
Ideas
Children list ideas from life experiences that relate to topic as the
teacher writes. Begin a topic web.
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3 Categorize
Ideas
Revisit with children to form categories of similar ideas. Share project
topic with parents.
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4 Label Categories
Children debate best name of categories. Children develop Topic Web I.
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5 Share Personal
Stories
Group Meeting: Share students' personal experiences with the project topic.
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6 Illustrate
Stories
Children draw, write, dictate, or dramatize to represent and share their
prior experiences.
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7 Share Stories
Children share their representations of stories, noting similarities or
differences.
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8 Collect Data
Develop surveys to find out what classmates already think they know and
understand about the topic.
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9 Represent
Findings
Children represent their findings using math and science organizers.
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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.
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Phase 2
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11 Group Planning
In discussion, children think about what to do, where to go, who to ask
to find answers to their questions.
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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.
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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!
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14 Debrief
Children share experiences and compare findings with predictions.
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15 Create Representations
Children represent their findings using a variety of means such as drawings,
writings, constructions, paintings, and/or math and science organizers.
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16 Share
Progress on representations is shared with classmates offering suggestions.
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17 Plans for
Visiting Expert
Children decide interview questions. Teacher charts predictions of the
answers.
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18 Expert Visitor
Children ask questions and make drawings of answers or any artifacts.
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19 Debrief
Children compare experts' answers to their predictions.
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20 Continue
Investigation
Additional days may be needed to continue to investigate. Additional experts,
field-site visits and/or same site may be revisited.
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Phase
3
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21 Representations
Sharing representations continues. Encourage a variety of medium including,
dramatic play, music, plays, & invented games.
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22 Articulate
What Children Have Learned
Group Discussion: What have they learned about the topic.
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23 Brainstorm
Second Topic Web
Children list ideas of "what they now know" about the topic. Begin to
develop Topic Web II.
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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.
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25 Plan for
Sharing
Plan the culminating event and make invitations for the chosen audience.
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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.
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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.
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28 Display
Children contribute to the class display. Work from all the phases is
displayed to show the children's growth in understanding.
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29 Culmination
Parents, and other students visit to view the displays and hear children
share what they have learned about the project.
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30 Evaluation
Children, parents and teachers reflect on the project.
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