Phase One

Choosing a Topic and Brainstorming

• The topic is chosen from curriculum content.
• Topics are relevant to students' everyday experiences so that they can raise valid questions.
• A topic allows for basic numeracy and literacy skills and for the integration of several subject areas.
• The topic allows students to practice previously acquired skills.
• It may take several discussion periods to choose and refine a topic.
• A web or some other visual representation can be used throughout the investigation for debriefing discussions.
• This is the time when students begin deciding what aspects of the topic they will investigate