Each successful project must contain at least one of the following components.  The more components contained, the more complex the project.  The related step of the Six A's of  Designing Projects is in parenthesis.

Relevance :  Before any project is begun this foundation must be established.  What is the content of the project?  How is it relevant and important?  (Authenticity)

Collaboration:  Teachers think of Cooperative based learning immediately, but that is not the only way to collaborate, nor is it always the best.  Other methods of collaboration include across classes, curriculum, schools, within the community, nationwide. (Adult Relationships)

 Research:  While library research is probably the number one model used in the schools today, field research, oral research, image analysis, data analysis, etc. are also excellent ways to research.  A combination of several methods is the most powerful tool in projects. (Active Exploration).

Connectivity :  How does this project connect to other projects and the curriculum beyond this course?  (Academic Rigor)

Skills:  What specific skills of literacy, numeracy, research, etc.  are addressed in the project?  (Academic Rigor)

Open ended:  How can other students follow up on this project and develop spin-off research or activities.

Presentation:  How will this project be presented? (Assessment)

Level I:  Project involves  relevance, research, limited presentation and skills.  The content is relevant to a classroom assignment, the research is simple to gather or may be provided in class, literacy or numeracy skills are involved in completing the final project.  Presentation may be within classroom or other limited location.  It is a stand alone project, and the time frame is limited to a few periods.

Level II:  Project involves relevance, research,  collaboration, connectivity  and skills.    Content is connected to the curriculum, different types of research is required, literacy or numeracy skills are involved, collaboration on at least one level is involved, presentation in one location is the end of the project  It is a stand alone project that should be completed in less that half of the nine week period.

Level III:  Project involves all the components above.  Several types of research and collaboration are involved.  The project either builds off of projects done in the past by students or researchers or opens up a new area of study to be done.  The presentation is in more than one genre or location, and designed to spur more research, and can be done before the completion of the project.