selecting+a+topic

Key features · Issues, themes, concepts, ideas that provide enough depth, significance, connections and variety of perspectives to support students’ development of powerful understandings · Gain the necessary skills and understanding to proceed successfully to more sophisticated work in the domain · Multiple connections between them & students experiences both in and out of school ( allows for exploring the issue more and more deeply) · Accessible to students ( well resourced for students to pursue, age appropriate, resources available that will help students with various strengths and inclinations make sense of it.) · Interesting to students (depends on age, social & cultural contexts, personal interest & intellectual experiences of students) ; and teacher, ( best generative topics are one that deeply interest the teacher sparks passion for and curiosity serves as the best model for students who are exploring the open-ended approach) · Central to one or more disciplines or domain…issue central to all disciplines being explored. · Generative topics are approached either across disciplines or through a single discipline. Interdependence can cover old topics like ponds, cells, the desert · Generativity is as much a function of the way a topic is taught as it is the topic itself or of students interest in it.
 * __Generative topic__**

When teaching with Generative topics remember to -
 * 1) get to know your students, likes/dislikes, what issues in the news, personal lives, what in other classes spark their interests? Are there any topics they hold strong opinions or enjoy arguing about?
 * 2)  Students could create own web in early days – what do these tell you about their perspectives, other issues or angles?
 * 3) Give students time to explore material, make connections and develop understandings. Explore rich topics rather than large blocks of less generative material.