Our countertop is currently full of hot glue and bottle caps, and surrounded by smiles. That doesn’t sound like a math project does it? It is, I promise. It has taken my boy two entire summers to collect those caps, and he is (in his own long and drawn-out manner) charting their results with the goal of discovering which are the most popular.
As I wrote last week, hands-on learning is important. Research has clearly proven that distinctive projects improve students motivation to learn, and help them see how school connects to the outside world. It allows our kids not only to discover things on their own, but to build problem solving skills.
How do I get started?
First, remember that you are not in charge of designing great projects, the kids are. Great interactive projects are not tasks that students need to finish after a traditionally-taught lesson but rather a self-directed learning experience that allows students the freedom to answer their own questions, solve a problem, or meet a challenge. As the educator, you are in the role of guiding them toward choosing a manageable project and making room for the mess. This isn’t something you can fully plan out ahead of time, other than simply clearing time in your day.
How to Choose a Project
1. Collect ideas: Notice what they are interested in and curious about, or what they are in need of more knowledge about, and help them choose a broad topic. Then, begin the brainstorming process. Keep a large list or web in a visible spot, and allow them to add anything at all that they would like. Encourage the kids to ask their own questions. This is the time for all ideas, big and small with no criticism or critique. Encourage them along with open ended questions: What would you like to know about this topic? What would it be fun to try? How could we teach someone else about this?
2. Veto ideas: As fun as all the brainstormed ideas may seem, not all projects are equal. Don’t get swept away in the excitement: pay attention to what you want your students to learn. Not every project is worth your time. It important to think about what your child will actually be doing with their time in any project. How much time is spent thinking about the topic subject, and how much is spent on the “extra” – cooking, cut & paste, figuring out how Power Point works, etc. Is the project truly going to help them gain a deeper understanding of the topic or is their time going to be spent thinking about tedious details? Is Powerpoint or fractions furthering your goals? If so, great! If not, cross it off. There is no need for busywork in homeschool.
3. Allow each child to pick their own direction (or allow them to work as a group if they choose) and document their starting point. Each child will be involved in their own way, and can work at his or her own level.
What do they already know about the topic already? Where else can they find information? Help them to develop the question that their investigations will answer. They might even want to sketch an idea rather than write it out in words.
Make sure to snap a photo of their list, web, or drawings at this stage so that they can have a record of where they started. Don’t file away the original at this point. Instead, leave it out as a reference point and encourage your students to continue adding and subtracting, journaling and drawing as they work on the project.
4. Have them write down their objective in a single sentence using carefully chosen words to document their learning goal, and project choice including an end-point. This will enable them to further define their purpose. At the same time it will give you to a standard by which to assess their success, growth, and understanding later on.
While they are working on this, create your own carefully crafted statement expressing the particular knowledge or skills that you are wanting to them to gain during the project process and share it with the kids. They can only strive toward a goal that they are aware of.
How to Supervise the Project
5. Provide materials for exploration: Research materials aren’t always easy to access if you are a kid. Messy stuff is kept on high shelves, and getting to the library requires help. Make sure that you remove as many of these barriers as possible. Personally, we are finally beyond the toddler stage so I now feel free to leave this stuff hanging around so that they can mess with it whenever inspiration strikes.
You should not try to think of everything, instead ask the kids to make a list of whatever they need, and be diligent to help them gain access to it. (*this is easier with big kids, but even preschoolers learn more when allowed to explore materials on their own – just be aware that your supervision will be needed) Arrange for them to speak with experts and provide access to real tools and research materials as often as possible.
6. Provide time for exploration: Intentionally (read that word again – intentionally, on purpose, not optional) set aside a block of time on a regular basis to allow the kids to work toward their goal. My crew works best in 1-1.5 hour chunks, but you may find that your students have a different standard.
You will notice that their attention will wax and wane as the project progresses. This is the stage where it is easy to give up before reaching your goal. Don’t worry if they seem to loose steam as soon as you begin pushing them to think deeper. Be persistent.
7. Provide guidance: The kids won’t always know what to do next. If they seem stumped ask open-ended questions to get them thinking about their goal again. Suggest ways for children to carry out a variety of investigations, but be willing to allow them to flounder a bit. Learning requires effort. When they say that they are stuck, send them back to the computer or library for more research.
8. Enforce expectations: I’ve said many times that my favorite parenting philosophy is “Don’t expect what you won’t inspect.” Kids turned loose with a project will always learn something new, but you had a goal for this project – remember, you wrote it down in step 4. Are they on track for reaching that goal? If not, point them back to their original purpose. At the same time, make note of worthwhile rabbit trails – it may be worth your time to stop and study that topic now, or save if for later. Make an informed choice and inform the kids of your decision so that they know if you have (temporarily) altered their goal.
How to Chronicle the Project
9. Continual documentation: I’ve somehow placed this section at the end, but the best projects allow students to regularly document their progress as they go along. This can be in the form of a journal entry, a series of photos of their ever-evolving web that I mentioned in step 1, revised drawings, or any other summary that they choose.
Documentation is not just for reporting purposes. Writing helps children to solidify their knowledge. It will also give them a sense of accomplishment to see the growth in their knowledge and understanding of their topic.
10. Celebrate Completion: Successful completion of a project does not necessarily mean that the project was a success. Learning to fail well is a valuable life skill, and it can inspire future projects.
Celebrate the end point (chosen in step 4) regardless of the results of their project. Arrange for your students to read their report, show their video, display their artwork, or in another way demonstrate what they have learned. This will give them the opportunity to review and evaluate the project as a whole.
Remember, each project is unique. The joy of distinctive projects is that they will lead you to places that you didn’t expect. Enjoy the ride!
