When you're doing a ScienceQuest project, you're following a plan called "I-Search." It's called I-Search because you get to direct your own search for information about your topic. The topic should be something that you are interested in and/or really care about. In an I-Search, you become an "explorer" to find out information. Doing an I-Search is like doing a project. It has four steps that teams follow.

Step 1
The first step is coming up with the topic or question you and your teammates are really intersted in. First, you explore a range of topics and then settle on the most interesting. Your early exploration might involve reading about topics, talking to experts, going on trips, doing an experiment. One team became really excited about the rainforest. For another team, it was the solar system that caught their interest.

Step 2
The second step is coming up with a plan to find out information about your topic or question. Your plan should include what you can read (like books, magazines, printouts), what you can watch (like TV, movies, videos, slides), who you can ask about information (like interviewing an expert), and what you can do (like doing an experiment, conducting a survey, going on a trip). In the next step, you will carry out this plan.

Step 3
In the third step, you follow your plan to gather information. Sometimes as you find out one thing, it might lead you to another piece of information. This is the exciting, "discovery" part of a search! You might never know where your exploration can lead you. In this step, you also start making connections. Something you learn in your trip might connect to something you read about on the Internet. Little by little you'll find that you and your team are understanding more and more about your topic.

Step 4
The fourth and last step involves developing your website with your team. This is your chance to tell the world what you learned! The website needs to have your topic or question, explain how you found your information, and then tell what you learned. The website also should have a little information about each team member. When they're finished, teams often talk about how proud they are of their accomplishment. And they have a right to be, because of all the work they put into the project!