"Every day 3,000 American kids start smoking. Many will keep puffing long into adulthood. According to the American Medical Association, 90 percent of all adult smokers first lit up as teenagers." US News & World Report, 9/2/96, p12.

In order to be selected for this time-warp mission, you must first discover the leading reasons teenagers began smoking in the late 1990's. Based on your findings, identify steps which should have been taken at that time to decrease the current number of teenage smokers. Be prepared to submit the following information to the Council for review:

• The leading reasons teens start smoking.
• Your plan, with detailed recommendations, to change this trend.

To help you understand why teenage smoking is an alarming health issue, take some time to absorb Facts About Kids and Tobacco and explore the issues addressed in Why Do Teens Smoke?

A sample cluster diagram of a primary research question (shaded gray) with subsidiary questions (shaded yellow and blue) is provided for you to study. Notice that subsidiary questions are supporting questions which you would ask about your main research topic. Questions may even be organized into subtopics (shaded blue) as illustrated in the sample diagram.

Now, with your research team, use large pieces of butcher paper to create your own cluster diagram. Brainstorm questions that will help you explore the topic of teenage smoking. Your questions should support your investigation and prepare your team for the time-warp mission. Ask yourselves:

What do we need to know?

What do we need to find out in order to begin our investigation?

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