If you walk by Nikki Wiseman’s fourth grade class on Friday afternoons, you’ll find the room abuzz with activity and excitement. It’s time for I-Search—the highlight of the week—when students can follow their interests, explore their curiosities, and own their learning experience.

During I-Search, students practice several research skills, including how to:

Mrs. Wiseman purposefully models all the steps during the first two I-Search cycles, guiding the students towards independence and self-regulation. In subsequent rounds, students can choose their own topic and modes of presentation, which often include demonstrations and three-dimensional models. 

Students can do as many I-Search projects as they can independently complete between September and June. Fifth grader Evie “loved it. It was fun when you didn’t know about a topic, to learn about it,” she reflected about her experience in fourth grade. Over the course of the year, Evie I-Searched giraffes, the weather, and Chanukah (a subject swap with a friend who learned about Christmas). Past student projects have included: Dolphins, Coding, Guinea Pigs, and Greek Gods. 

In addition to learning important research skills through I-Search (like reading, synthesizing, categorizing, writing, presenting, communicating, designing, time-management, and self-management), students gain something even more valuable–a love of learning. When students have the opportunity to make choices in their learning, it builds intrinsic motivation, engages and empowers, and leads to achievement in the classroom and beyond.