As they read, tell them to start thinking about what they want to write about. If they have never done a paper, use the article on my site that tells you how to do that. Be sure to include those lessons on your planning sheet. Intersperse the other activities. Don't do all the fun stuff first, and start planning a big finale- like the party.
Every teacher needs an emergency lesson plan.
At least once a week, plan a time when you conference with each child to see how their work is coming along, and how they feel about their research. Plan a family time when the kids can share with each other what they've learned. Be ready to do emergency research when questions come up. Plan to spend a day a week at least in the library and be sure to plot out internet research time when they can look at the sites you found. This has been a really basic explanation of what I do.