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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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