Passion Project Introduction Slide Show

Looking for something engaging to do with in the last weeks of school? Passion Projects keep students excited and interested in research, creation and presentation. Students choose a topic to explore, research, create a project and present their work to the class. This project engages reluctant learners, helps students see the value of academic and hands-on research, and lets them share their skills and interests with the class.

Examples of past topics and projects my students have created include:

• learning to change a car's oil and producing a video guide on this skill
• a portfolio of watercolor paintings
• developing a cupcake recipe and sharing the cupcakes and recipe card
• a research paper on how addiction affects the brain
• a poll of middle schoolers on their sleep habits and PSA posters about sleep
• musical performances

Note: This free product is the introductory slide show you would show students at the beginning of the project. It includes specific details on the steps of the project and walks students through the process and rough expectations. If you have questions on implementation, I am happy to help with suggestions or answers!

Tips for implementation:

• The first question every year is "does the topic have to be for this class?" Be ready to explain that they can choose anything. . .even topics from outside of school.
• Allow alternate presentation formats
• If a student chooses a sensitive or private topic, allow them the option to present to just the teacher
• I usually have students create a proposal for their project (this should be short, and take no more than 30 minutes), so that I can provide guidance.
• Students often struggle with the idea that learning how to do something by practicing it counts as research. The example I use is a child whose parent was a builder, and who researched the process of a construction project by building a doghouse with his parent. It was not until the student completed his reflection that he realized how many academic skills he had learned during the process of building the structure.