Alternative to Science Fair/History Day
The sheer mention of a Science Fair or History Day project sends a parent into hysterics. Calm their nerves while still achieving the same research goals, but in a FUN way. While there are no presentation boards, your students will learn more than you can imagine and present it in a way that makes it enjoyable for all.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Students are assigned (or choose) a person from a topic you are studying. They research the person and what their life was like during the time. They gather photos, videos (if available), primary sources, and basic information about their historical figure. Once they know that person really well, they are put in groups that connect the characters together to an event or subtopic of the museum.
For example: 1920s Museum
Exhibit: Jazz Musicians
Participants: Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington
Students then write their script, decide on costumes and props, and practice.
When the museum opens, tour guides lead the groups around to each site where they act out their skit that tells about the historical figures and their participation in that topic.
I have done this project with the Civil Rights Movement, the 1920s, and Immigration through the Ages. So it's do-able with most topics. It makes a great event for parents and the younger students to visit.
Their research can be displayed along the way on websites like Weebly, Wikispaces, or Ning. The ning aspect of the project was fun because the students created a "Facebook" like page where the historical characters talked to each other using quotes, planning events, posting videos connected to their topic, and interacting. This takes the place of the presentation board and adds a place for you to see that they are progressing with the project along the way.
Project Resources:
Museum project directions (immigration)
Museum Project directions (Civil Rights/with Ning assignment)
For example: 1920s Museum
Exhibit: Jazz Musicians
Participants: Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington
Students then write their script, decide on costumes and props, and practice.
When the museum opens, tour guides lead the groups around to each site where they act out their skit that tells about the historical figures and their participation in that topic.
I have done this project with the Civil Rights Movement, the 1920s, and Immigration through the Ages. So it's do-able with most topics. It makes a great event for parents and the younger students to visit.
Their research can be displayed along the way on websites like Weebly, Wikispaces, or Ning. The ning aspect of the project was fun because the students created a "Facebook" like page where the historical characters talked to each other using quotes, planning events, posting videos connected to their topic, and interacting. This takes the place of the presentation board and adds a place for you to see that they are progressing with the project along the way.
Project Resources:
Museum project directions (immigration)
Museum Project directions (Civil Rights/with Ning assignment)
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Get-Mart* Commercial
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The purpose of this Project Based Learning (PBL) assignment was to have the students use all the parts of the Scientific Method in a real-life and meaningful way. The driving question for this project was "Which consumer products are most reliable?" Students in groups of three or four decided on a product that they would like to test. They were required to purchase a name brand and store brand version of that product. They then created a testing procedure that measured at least three qualities or aspects of that product. Each group tested their own product and then another group ran the same test to determine validity of the testing protocol.
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Orange Group's Get-Mart* Commercial:
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Asparagus Group's Get-Mart* Commercial:
* Please note that "Get-Mart" is a fictional store that I made up.
Brick Group's Get-Mart Commercial:
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Once all the testing was complete each group completed a lab report with data analysis and a conclusion about whether or not the store brand or name brand version of their product was the most successful. They recorded their information on our class wiki site and then created a commercial for the "winning" product using primarypad to create their story board and script. They recorded their commercial using iMovie with green screen functions.
- Click here to see a sample student created Lab Report. Project Resources: Get-Mart Planning Sheets Get-Mart Entry Event Get-Mart Group Time Line Get-Mart Collaboration/Presentation Rubric Get-Mart Commercial Rubric |