Hello,
Last week felt like it would never end. In school and out of school I had a lot going on so I apologize for this information being a little late. I can feel spring break calling my name and look forward to the days of relaxation. However, before we all give ourselves to the joys of the beautiful spring weather, let me lay out the plan for this year’s last research project.
The overall theme is Inventions. The children were allowed to research anything that has been invented. We are getting a wonderful variety of topics such as, motorcycles, toaster ovens, robots, and more… This project started out a little different. This time I not only let the students pick out what they wanted to study but how they wanted to demonstrate their understanding of the topic and lay out their own action plan (with the help of the worksheet I passed out). This magnificent tool was found in a book called Instruction for All Students by Paula Rutherford. The focus of the book is to create a classroom where all children can learn no matter what age, grade, developmental level, and ability is. For our mixed age classroom this seemed appropriate. Each child can pick a project that fits and interests them.
Now, because I gave the students a little more independence on the lay out of this project the timeline and rubric are going to be a little bit different too. The Action plan each student created on their worksheet is their own timeline. Last Friday I met with each student and we discussed the timeline and evaluated it realistically. It is their goal to follow their plan. Every Friday when we meet in class to work on the project, I will check in with each child to see if they are following their timeline or falling behind. I will also pick two to three students to work with and help on their project or research. Of course, I will be spending more time with students who need my help the most, like our first graders, but I will donate time for each child.
I gave a month for the students to complete their projects (Due April 30th). Based on previous projects, some students may need less time but most students will use the whole month to manage their time. If they finish too early or you feel what they picked is too simple for them let me know. The best thing about the worksheet and this project is that it can be adapted to be easier or more challenging based on the student’s abilities.
In the end, the final product will be graded on similar rubrics of past projects. However, I am looking specifically for three things on every project.
Inventor
Date of invention
and Use of invention
I will also be grading on their oral presentation, their model/poster/computer show/video…
I will be looking for a presentation that flows and makes sense. They can either focus on one topic, like history or how it works, or they can provide a summary of the invention but it needs to make sense and have connections to each piece of information.
Overall, I am looking to see that the student understand the topic and can demonstrate this understanding to his/her peers, teacher, and parents.
If you have any questions please let me know
Ms. Andrea
