A Project? They Want Us To Do a Project?

What exactly is a school project? Why do teachers assign them?  How can I, a home school Mum, already too busy, design a project?  Here, I hope, are a few starting points.

Projects do not need to be daunting, but they do need to be planned out.

Step 1:  What will the END product look like?  There are many ways to present learning in a project: written, published “book”, power point, oral presentation with visuals, dramatic recreation, LEGO stop motion animation, poster board, blog just begin the list.  Deciding on what the project will look like shapes the learning to take place.  Pick one idea and stick with it is usually the best advice.  What students learn along the way can be applied to the next project experience.

Step 2: Why?  Projects are ways to show learning and meet a wide variety of learning outcomes.  Projects involve creativity, summary, integration of learning, application of learning and, hopefully, some critical thinking with a Christian distinctive.  The PROCESS is far more important than the end product.  The most important evaluation question is: What would you do differently next time?

Step 3: Having decided on an end product, take time to draw up a criteria list.  This list shows students what they are aiming for, when they can consider the project “done’, and why they get the evaluation they get.   Support teachers are happy to help with this! 

Below is a sample criteria check list that I started for a student.  Mum completed the chart.

Criteria for Extreme Environments Project

	Fully meets	Exceeds
Demonstrate 3 -4 survival methods	Some detail for each method Explains why the method is used; how it is effective; somewhat credible explanation	Fully explained detail for each method Fully explains why the method is used; how it is effective; related directly to Nubian desert conditions; credible explanation
6 Journal entries	Well written gr. 6 vocabulary, sentences flow, paragraph structured. Somewhat engaging, descriptive, logically sequenced. Reference to God	Excellent vocabulary, sentence structure, varied sentence openers; paragraph structured; Very engaging through use of descriptors, action verbs, personal voice; faith in God; provision of God
Graphic content
Finished project: title page, works cited page, cover page
Attitude

This is the student’s initial plan after Mum presented the challenge:

Survive three days in the Nubian desert!

First, research Nubian Desert.

Second, study what desert survival methods I can employ using my army uniform, my journal (with pencil), military issue knife (study make of British 1942 military knife), pistol with 5 bullets left, my parachute, tin cup, compass with mirror.

The point of this project is to write journal entries on my time in the Nubian desert and how I survived.  So by the 13th of January I need to start journal entries.  I need to make about six detailed journal entries (maybe 300 words long each?) and after all that I'll make a two minute stop action video of a Lego soldier stuck in a desert. 

As part of the journal entries I'll add my own drawings modeled after real pictures of the Nubian desert, (if I can find any) so that my project has some visual reference apart from the stop action video.   

Step 4: Time Line. Time management is an excellent life learning skill.  Projects need a start date, enough time to complete, and a deadline.  Teaching students strategies for time management, for project organization, and responsibility for learning = excellent learning away from the workbook!

Step 5: Presentation. There is nothing like an appreciative audience to motivate a student!  Be sure to provide an audience who understand the purpose, who are prepared to be interested in the student and the work. 

I hope you feel encouraged and equipped to do a project for term 2!