After years of hearing about I-Search projects, Miss K finally introduced one in her classroom this year, and it was fantastic. This post will walk through what an I-Search Project is, what elements it can include, what Miss K found worked (and didn’t), and what she would do next time she assigns the project.
First, what is an I-Search project, and how does it differ from a traditional research project?
An I-Search Project focuses more on learning the research process than the end product. The students focus on how to find the information, how to summarize and paraphrase the information in connection to their topic, and how to problem-solve when the information does not take them where they would like to go.
What does the process look like?
The project had two major elements: a written component and a presented component. Students wrote an introduction that explained how they chose and narrowed their topic. Then, as they researched, they wrote narratives about how they found sources and what information they found most important. These were called “Story of my Search” entries. The goal was for students to write in a narrative and reflective nature about how they found the source and how it connected to their research question. Finally, they wrote a thoughtful conclusion that expressed what they learned and what they would change in a future research project. After they finished writing, they presented their process to their peers while answering two questions: What topic did you research? What worked and didn’t work in your process?
What do students take away from the process?
Modeling multiple source types was a top goal of Miss K’s for the project. She required that each student find three sources in the following categories: Podcast/Video, Journal/Academic, and Speech. Other options are an encyclopedia/Wiki Page, News Article, and Book/Chapter. Her choices were based on the units that would follow later in the year. For example, the next unit she would teach is a persuasive speech unit, so having students look at speeches in the I-Search process, allowed her to provide mentor texts more naturally for the next unit.
Requiring various source types also allowed her to model how to find information in various ways and the importance of including multiple perspectives in research. Another major skill that was taught through this requirement was how to use boolean (or keyword) searches.
Another key takeaway for students was time management skills because Miss K modeled backward planning at the start of the unit by using a blank calendar. She sat down and showed them the final due date and the plan to get there, keeping in mind an option for a snow day (they are in New England) and other assignments that would be due, like the quarterly independent reading project (check out Miss K’s go-to independent reading project here).
After adding all of the things the whole class needed to know, Miss K gave students time to add their events to their personal calendars (sports games, birthdays, major assessments in other classes, etc.) so that they could visualize their time and what they needed to keep in mind around due dates. Throughout the project, she would have students take out their calendars and revisit and update dates. This paid off later in the year when the students asked for calendars for the next project to set themselves up for success.
What was difficult for students?
For many students, the most difficult element of the project was finding a topic and creating a research question that was their passion and allowed them to find enough sources. Students could choose any topic they wanted. Students completed a primary research process, had quick conferences with Miss K, and wrote a brief proposal of the topic and the scope of the research.
While Miss K wanted to push students to find successful topics, she stepped back and took a more hands-off approach because the problem-solving skills that were learned from having a difficult topic were immense. It modeled the power of drafting and editing for students, even on something as small as a topic title or research question. They wanted to keep their topic, so they were more included and motivated to find a solution to the problem they were facing.
For example, a student was very motivated to learn more about game development and the “hell stage” of game development (when games stop being developed and are lost in a holding pattern). The number of academic sources on this topic is minimal. Still, he learned about looking at a topic from multiple perspectives, looking for other ways to access information, and how to ask for help.
This was also when Miss K had to allow the student to be the expert. She has minimal knowledge of video games and did not know about video game development before this project. It allowed a moment to let this student be the expert on a topic and teach their teacher.
What worked and what didn’t?
At the end of the project, Miss K was ready to reflect and think about what the project would look like in the next round. Some major takeaways she wants to remember (and for you to know, too) is that this is a process project – things will change both for the students and their topics, but also how things come together for the whole class and the timeline.
For many students, the more source types they looked at, the quicker the process became to find sources and move through the story of their searches. Something that she would add to the project is a focus on citations because as she moved into the next research-based project, it was a significant element to tackle that would have integrated well into the I-Search.
Have you tried I-Search projects? What worked for you? What would you suggest to a first-timer? Share your thoughts in the comments or on our social media posts!
