Research and Present
For any unit where students go from receiving a topic to presenting their own findings.
Why this template is different
The peer feedback session at the end of Week 1 is the structural key. Most research projects have students working in isolation until the final presentation, which means errors compound silently for two weeks. This template surfaces problems before they're baked in.
Calendar Integration
Coming soon
Set a start date and Sandbox maps every day of this template directly into your planning calendar.
The plan, day by day
All 10 days, mapped out
Click any day to see the full activity breakdown.
Today's purpose
Turn a topic into a set of genuine questions that will guide the research.
Topic Introduction
Direct Instruction15 minContext for the topic: why it matters, what's at stake, what's interesting about it. Not a lecture — a provocation.
Research Question Development
Practice25 minStudents develop their own research questions using the "fat vs. thin question" framework. Fat questions have complex, arguable answers. Thin questions have a single correct answer. You approve questions before research begins.
Source Evaluation Framework
Direct Instruction10 minHow to evaluate sources: currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose. Students practise with three example sources.
Research Plan
Review5 minStudents document their two core research questions and their first three planned sources. This is their research contract.
How it looks in Sandbox
Two Weeks of planning, mapped to real dates
When Calendar Integration launches, clicking "Integrate" maps every activity block — in the right order, on the right days — directly into your Sandbox planning calendar. Each block includes the activity type, suggested timing, and resource type so your week is genuinely planned, not just listed.
Each day gets its own structured block
Activity types colour-coded so the week's rhythm is visible at a glance
Syncs to Google Calendar and Outlook
Drag to adjust, customise any day, or swap activities
Sandbox Calendar
Week of Oct 6 – 10, 2025
Topic Launch & Research Questions
Research Day 1
Research Day 2 + Organisation
Research Checkpoint
Synthesis Day
+ 5 more days across two weeks
Integration flow design
Ideas for how "Integrate" should work
We're mapping out the conversion path for Calendar Integration. These are the four approaches we're weighing — each based on different conversion principles. The best one shows teachers value before asking for anything.
"Set a start date" as the entry point
Instead of a signup button, the primary CTA is a date picker. A teacher picks which Monday they want to start this template. Sandbox then shows the full week mapped to real calendar dates — before they've created an account. At that moment, they have something real to save.
Why this works
Teachers convert on value, not commitment. Showing the template mapped to actual dates creates a personalised artefact worth saving — making account creation feel purposeful rather than premature.
"Import with Google" as the primary CTA
A single prominent "Import to Google Calendar" button. Teacher authenticates with Google (one click), and the template days appear in their Google Calendar immediately — without creating a Sandbox account. Account creation is prompted later when they want to customise.
Why this works
Eliminates the form entirely for the first touchpoint. Teachers see value in their actual tool before we ask anything of them. Progressive commitment: calendar first, account second.
Interactive calendar preview before signup
When a teacher clicks "Integrate", they see a live, interactive preview: the template mapped onto a real calendar week. They can drag days, change the start date, and see their class name on it. After any interaction: "Save this to your account →" with one email field.
Why this works
Based on signup-flow-cro principles: show value before asking for commitment. By the time a teacher enters their email, they've already built something worth saving — so the email feels like retrieval, not registration.
Email only — then see it in Sandbox
The Integrate button shows one field: email. Nothing else. They submit, and Sandbox sends them a magic link that opens with the template pre-loaded in their calendar view. No password creation until they've experienced the product.
Why this works
Each field reduces conversion. Email-only signup has 2–4× higher completion rates than name + email + password. Passwordless magic links remove the "create a password" friction while still creating a real account.
The conversion principle behind all four
"Teachers convert on value, not commitment. The integration flow that shows a teacher their actual calendar — with their template already mapped — before asking for anything will outperform any form-first approach."
Based on signup-flow-cro analysis: show the value (mapped template in calendar), then ask for the commitment (email or Google auth). The moment of account creation should feel like saving something valuable — not starting something uncertain.
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Use this template in Sandbox — free.
Customise every day, differentiate for your students, align to your standards, and export to PDF or Google Docs.