The elements of a project plan

In a nutshell...

• create a guiding question or problem that will launch the students into the study of the topic and lead to meaningful creations that highlight learning. These questions will lead to subsidiary investigation questions, whether initiated by you or by the students.
• Think about what, when, how and why you will evaluate FOR learning throughout the learning situation (project).
• Plan your project activities considering what your role will be, what the students will do and what support you need to plan. When you plan, make sure that you consider organising the classroom process in a way that is consistent with the life-skills (Cross-Curricular Competencies) you want the students to practice.
• Consider integrating technology in several of the project phases to support learning and thinking, not just at the end of the process when the final product is created.

The Guiding Question

Every research should be based on a problem, a question that begs a solution, that provokes discussion. A problem creates disequilibrium, cognitive conflict or dissonance, for instance a conflict between the student's current representation or understanding and what the analysis of his research shows him. A question or problem can also help the students complete an incomplete (not necessarily wrong) idea about their environment.

The most difficult part about choosing a topic and essential question for study is to get away from traditional questions such as "What is ...", as in "What is Acid Rain?" "What are the causes/effects/manifestations, ... of global warming ", "Write a report on the life of ancient Egyptians ", "Research ancient Egypt ". These are not engaging questions, they do not lead to cognitive dissonance.

• The problem question can confront students with evidence that their beliefs are incorrect (cognitive conflict/dissonance) (for example - Students believe leaves change their colour in fall because chlorophyll changes colour in the cold.)
• Another strategy is to immerse students in a topic and helping their questions and interests to emerge. (Sylvia Chard) The question or questions may still have to be reformulated in order to meet curriculum requirements.
• You can frame questions that require you to invent, to make a decision or plan a course of action. "What is the best strategy for reducing the impact of acid rain in the North America or Canada" (this requires a decision among the various strategies).
• You can create an open-ended, non-judgemental question that deals with student preoccupations, does not lead to a right or wrong answer and can be dealt with through a variety of subject area approaches. "Where does money come from?", "What makes a good sneaker?"

In short, guiding questions address meaningful problems, issues or debates. They are open ended with no single correct answer. They […] can be re-examined over time. They are designed to be thought provoking to students, engaging them in sustained focused inquiries culminating in meaningful performances. Such questions define tasks, express problems, and delineate issues. They drive thinking forward.

Use the guiding question to help formulate key subsidiary questions that will enable students to build knowledge and concepts necessary for them to answer the essential or key question from an informed position. You can provide the questions or formulate them with the students as the project progresses.

What is a guiding question? Articles with complementary perspectives on the issue.
NOTE: different terms are often used to refer to guiding questions and subsidiary questions: foundation questions, essential questions, etc. They all refer to the essentially the same concepts.

• Basing Learning Experiences in Essential Questions , by David Jakes
• Writing Foundation questions , by David Jakes
• What is a Good Guiding question ? by Rob Traver
  An article that analyses the characteristics of guiding questions, offers examples and shows how they lead to higher, more meaningful achievement.
• Framing Essential Questions , by Jamie Mackenzie
• Asking the Essential Question and Asking Foundation Questions
  From a site that explains the research process to high school students, explanations and examples.
• What are the Characteristics of a Good Guiding Question?
  A summary with several examples (French version)
• La situation-problème
  Par le RÉCIT de l'Univers social. Description de ce qu'est une situation problème et comment aborder cette approche pédagogique en classe.

Questionning in an Inquiry-Based Learning Process

Inquiry-Based Learning not only lets you cover the material you want to teach but lets you teach information processing skills.  Inquiry could be defined as "a seeking for understanding, information, or knowledge -- seeking information by questioning." Questions, whether self-initiated or posed by others, are at the heart of learning by inquiry. (Find out more about Inquiry-based learning in general.)

Click to get more information on the process steps

Sample Strategies for deriving subsidiary questions

• Five Structural Features of the Project Approach , by Sylvia Chard
  Description of the project features with young children from Discussion to the Investigation phase where questions are raised based on current knowlwdge.
• Graphic Organisers: Using ICT to create a Knowledge Tree .
  A text that explains how to go beyond simple brainstorming and move to begin organising what we know and need to know. The technique can be carried along throughout much of the projet process, especially for deriving the questions students will investigate.

Sample projects based on guiding and subsidiary questions

• Spring Acid Rain Watch
• The Two-Minute Mystery Writing Club
• Inquiring Partners

Tools

• Inspiration or Kidspiration software
  http://www.inspiration.com/home.cfm
• Planners
  

Planning the activities

Begin to plan the broad strokes of the project by laying the foundation through the Cross-Curricular Competencies and by selecting the appropriate Subject-Area learning processes - is the project science-based, arts-based, or oriented in social sciences or moral education?

A blank planner for bringing together the major elements of the QEP. format
A sample planner with chosen QEP elements format
How a teacher has used the planner for developping activity ideas. See larger version Get printable version

Planning for each project phase

Now, for each of the phases in the project process you will think of :

Planning the activities in each phase What will the students be doing, what will be their focus? What will be your role in each activity What tools and resources will be required to scaffold the process? What kind of support will the students require? What tools will the students need to manage the project process? Evaluating for learning Which Subject-Area competency(ies) will be evaluated? How? When? Why? What tools will be needed? Which Cross-Curricular competencies will be tracked? How? When? Why? What tools will be needed?

Activity planner with the major the aspects to consider. format

Learning with ICT

• How will the students use ICT :
  • to conduct research?
  • to communicate?
  • to organize and process information?
  • to produce and create?
  • to publish?
• What tools and resources will be required?

The Project Technology Toolbox. Ideas of how technology can be used in the project phases. As well, it is a tool to help you determine what technology you have available in your school in light of your project plan needs. format

Reflect and review your projet

• Project Planning Checklist
  Whatever subject area, does your project have these features?.
• Science Project and Activity Planning Checklist
  This check list was used by teachers to help them design science-based projects which they wanted to share with their colleagues. It includes ideas about what to communicate to help others implement the project.