I teach at a fantastic charter school focused on arts and community. I have a class of 7th and 8th graders.
For their IRP (independent research project) last semester, I had students come up with a community issue to focus on. This semester, I’d like to give them a little more freedom, but still give them something that would be easy for them to keep up with and not wait until the last minute to do Sooooo… what I was thinking of making the theme “What Can You Do In Twelve Weeks?” Each week they would have to write up the week and what they have accomplished with their project.
I have started a list of possibilities so they can see what I am talking about. The list includes:
a fitness program with a specific goal
training for something (bike race, minimarathon, etc)
write music for an album
write a book
write a series of articles for a specific audience
volunteer at a retirement home
experiment on a plant
train an animal
…
So, I am looking for more ideas to give them. What would you do in twelve weeks?
Learn how to count up to 1000 in a foreign language.
Learn how to write and pronounce the letters of an alphabet that doesn’t use standard letters (like Russian or Arabic or Hebrew).
Learn to play a few major and minor scales on an instrument with which you aren’t already familiar (violin, guitar, saxophone, piano).
I’m trying to think of things that lend themselves well to presentation. I dunno if these ideas are too easy, it’s been a long time since I was in 7th grade.
Create an info-map about a community issue, that could be used to raise awareness within the community. Lots of different kinds of research, and plenty of visuals to present along the way.
Manage a fantasy-stock portfolio. Learn about economics, stay up with current events, money management, and tons of charts and graphs!
Create a mock-redesign of the school playground. Get other kids involved, learn about the school board and budgeting, shop for playground equipment, plus fun design work.
Do a biography of a school faculty member, preferably not a teacher. learn more about the people that keep the school running. Flex creative muscles by writing someone’s life story.
Thanks, guys! Some great ideas. These are pretty creative kids, and I’m excited to see what they come up with. This gives them some ideas to use as springboards.
