Summer Research Topic Guide for Beginners: A Parent-Child Mind Map from Favorites to One Topic

Parents and kids in grades 3 to 6 use this beginner template to pick a summer research project topic they can test at home and plan it until the due date. The whiteboard has four pages. Page 1 holds the due date, format rules, favorites, curiosities, things at home, and places to go. Page 2 puts one favorite in the center and grows four branches (why, what happens, compare, make). Page 3 rates candidates on fun, ease at home, and safety with ○△× and sets the topic in one sentence. Page 4 splits the time into six steps with weekly tasks and parent help. The task board has four columns (To do, Working together, Review, Done) and 4 parent tasks with 3 subtasks each. The tip is to start from what your child sees every day and turn it into a question they can check by counting or comparing, not just look up in a book. A parent runs the board, writing the child's exact words on sticky notes. Experiments with fire, blades, or chemicals happen only with a parent nearby.