I am setting my daughter up to do a major project over the summer. I would like to teach her how to organize, research, and execute the project, but I want her to do the work as independently as possible.
In the past we have done what we call special studies, where we concentrated on a subject of her choice. While she chose the subject, from dinosaurs, to earthquakes and volcanoes, I provided the materials and the opportunities to look things up. I would have color pages, or model kits, or books for her to look at pictures in. In the case of volcanoes, I found a site that showed the locations of the worlds active volcanoes and showed them erupting. It was great fun, and she learned a lot.
What she didn’t learn was how to research a topic. She didn’t learn how to organize her materials in order to present the project to other people. She didn’t learn to write up her final information in a paper.
I believe she is ready to learn these skills based on her ability to read a text book and tell me about what she learned. Now I just need her to be able to formalize that information. If she can learn the skills needed for “The Project” she will be able to carry them forward to high school, college, and beyond.
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