Passion Projects
and Genius Hour
A passion project is work that allows students to choose what and how they will learn. It is an inquiry project based on the passion of the student. The project is connected to a group of academic skills, abilities, and student dispositions that grow from the project. Students may research, take-notes, organize their thinking, read, create questions, write, create a project and present to an authentic audience.
View videos about Passion Projects and Genius Hour
On the JCPS Digital Learning Channel, Sheryl Bibby provides a helpful overview and many further links and resources about Passion Projects.
This simple and short explanation of Genius hour gives some of the background behind the idea, including how Google has used the concept to improve productivity and innovation.
Read about Passion Projects and Genius Hour
In this article on Creative Educator, Tamara Letter describes five steps to guiding your students through Passion Projects.
A.J. Juliani summarizes academic research that supports the use of strategies such as Genius Hour, student voice and choice, and inquiry-based learning.
Explore resources about Passion Projects and Genius Hour
This is a teacher-created one-stop-shop for passion project steps, templates, graphic organizers, and more.
In this post on edgalaxy.com, a teacher outlines her Passion Project plan in 5 steps & includes links to rubrics, guiding questions, and overviews for parents and students.
Here you will see tenth graders giving examples of how they spent 20% of their class time on projects that reflected their curiosity and passion.