Genius Hour (Passion Project) Resource Guide: The Fat Question

Are you a teacher looking for a fun way to spice up a research activity or make your kids think more deeply about their choice of topics? Are you a school librarian looking for an engaging way to keep the students working during library time? Genius Hour or Passion Project, as it is also called, is a powerful way to allow the students to take ownership of their learning. This unit offers a way to incorporate the idea of genius hour into a research project focusing on a student generated "fat" or guiding question. It includes links to YouTube videos to get the students started, project example ideas, notes to the teacher on teaching research questions, research resources, note taking tips and resources, project ending presentation ideas, and an evaluation piece. It also includes a printable guide to use to keep the students focused and on-task during their research.

I have used this unit with both 2nd and 4th grade students. It includes many of my ideas and research tips that I have collected in my 6 years of working with students on research activities.