I wrote this unit for an energetic group of gifted students to expand their research and cooperative learning skills. It was such a hit with them that I decided to enter it into a curriculum contest and it won first place in the State of Florida! If gopher tortoises aren't your thing, the research format I have created in this unit is easily adaptable to any other topic. Students will work in cooperative groups to research and create a final product of their choice with various options for pr