The generativity of a topic varies with the age, social and cultural contexts, personal interests, and intellectual experiences of students. Generative topics are interesting to the teacher . Their teacher's passion for and curiosity about a particular issue or question will serve as the best model for students who are just learning how to explore the unfamiliar and complex territory of open-ended questions. Generative topics are accessible . Accessibility in this case means that lots of age-appropriate resources are available to investigate the topic and that it can be addressed through a variety of strategies and activities that will help students with various strengths and inclinations make sense of it.
Generative topics offer opportunities for multiple connections .
They give students the chance to make connections to their previous experiences, both in and out of school. A first step in planning generative topics is to brainstorm ideas, preferably with colleagues. Think about what interests you most. Think about topics that have sparked your students' interest in the past. Once you have identified ideas that seem particularly promising, create idea webs around them.