Passion Project Pizzazz!

Passion.  It makes the world go 'round... and I am so excited that I was able to give my students an opportunity to research topics that they are passionate about.  If I were to say that this project was the icing on top of the cake... well... that would be a very cliche understatement.  I witnessed TONS of excitement throughout the school-year with our other projects, but this project was definitely a high yield investment of time...and my kids were just that...INVESTED.  Entirely.  Consumed even. Smitten.  Of course, that made me immensely proud of them too.

Maybe I enjoyed this so much because passion is something that I have for my own job... and literacy in particular.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what I do, and I LOVED learning about what my students LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.  Some of the passion projects were on topics my students are entranced by... and some were topics that just simply fascinated them and piqued their interests.  I seriously am already looking forward to wrapping up next year with this project.  It's a keeper...for sure!

My kiddos used the packet from my Passion Project packet to brainstorm, organize their thoughts, formulate their essential questions, and create action steps.  This is an example of what the very first stage of this project looked like. This little guy researched dog training to work with his dog, Maggie.

The packet includes "Launching Pads" to give students choices...and a little structure.  Essentially, they are choice boards.  I included eleven choices, and one that allowed them to pitch an idea to me if they wanted to do something that was not listed.  Nobody did that this time around.  Everyone chose ideas from the choice boards.  They really only had to choose one option, but at least half of my students chose to combine two or more options to express their passions.  There were songs, dioramas, PowerPoints, presentations through Google Drive, PowToons animated presentations, museum exhibits, puppet shows, games, plays, mobiles, and more.  I thoroughly enjoyed hearing my students present!  It is the perfect way to wrap up a school year! Here are some examples of how my students decided to present their passions to the class.  SWOON!

This is a diorama about puppy adoption comparing puppy mills and the Humane Society.

This is the accompanying presentation.

This is a fun-filled game about Greek mythology.

This little peanut created this project to convince her parents to let her get a Labradoodle.  :)

I love how colorful this mobile is... very POW-erful!

It also includes GREAT photos and facts about Labradoodles.

This is a game to reinforce the facts from her presentation. Future teacher in the making!

This student created a trifold display, created a PowerPoint, and brought in museum items to share with the class.

This is just one piece of equipment that was brought in to share with the class.  She even wore scrubs.  Cuteness!

This is a diorama showing orangutans... by my little environmental activist. :)

She created a puppet show to raise awareness about deforestation and endangerment.

This is her script.  The orangutan reminds me of the Lorax a tad.  :)

This was part of her 4 page report.  Her rationale was two pages of persuasive text as well.

This is a game that teaches students about the history of soccer.

This kiddo acted out an interview between a meteorologist and a sports reporter... all by himself.  Creative!

This is his script.  Isn't the writing witty?!

This little peanut researched the Maasai tribe. She created a presentation, a poster, and a model of their homes.

This sweetie created a presentation about the parts of the brain, how concussions affect the brain, and how helmets help.

This project is all about the Stegosaurus.  It was a BIG hit.

This is a game about Jackie Robinson to accompany a presentation.

This is Lebanese currency as part of a presentation about Lebanese culture.

This is a Jeopardy-style game to teach students about the history of basketball.

This is a trifold display that was created to enhance a presentation and oral report about Disney.

This presentation is about the evolution of the phone.

This presentation covered the multifaceted culture of the United States.

Maggie, the dog, came to visit to add some pizzazz to a PowToons presentation about dog training.

This presentation presented practical advice for softball players.

This precious peanut shared information about Irish Dance and performed for us in costume.

Her report was several pages long, and her word choice clearly conveys her passion for Irish Dance!

This is a little terrarium that shows the habitat of bunnies, their predators, and how they dig warrens to hide from predators.

My student used the terrarium, an oral report on note cards, and this song to teach the class about bunnies.

This presentation was all about the history of tennis and the evolution of the racket. 

As you can see, I had a tough time whittling projects down to share with you. I wish I could share all 57... but I think these photographs give you a good idea of how diverse and creative the projects were.  If you are looking for a fun way to allow your students to explore their own passions, delve into research, and engage in higher-order thinking skills, this is a great project!  The Passion Project was a roaring success!  Although I think it would work fabulously at any point during the school-year, it was a great way to go out with a bang!  :)  Happy Memorial Day, teacher friends!