Once students have chosen a topic based on their interests and/or desires, they will need to begin a process of narrowing that topic. Topic funnels are helpful visual representations that can allow students to narrow their ideas. Ask students to draw a topic funnel and then have them begin some secondary reading of their topic. As the students read, they can begin narrowing their topic down based on their new findings. Additionally, the teacher can use a theme that the students have to consider in order to give students more ways to narrow their topic ideas. National History Day uses such themes, such as “Triumph and Tragedy,” “Exploration and Migration,” and “Breaking Barriers.”