Mary Klempke can help with project choices and resources for each choice.
The merits of doing research and creating these reports and papers are valid. When they create them, students...
Gather information
Evaluate sources
Organize and synthesize data
Form ideas and cohesive thoughts
Create a polished, finished product
Cite where they got their information
Here's the problem, though: the finished product just isn't very relevant to the real world, be it in the workforce or in people's personal lives.
Once you see that essays don't have to be the sole method for learning expression, you can focus on three points. Here's where you can get started:
Boil down the complex content and skills that I wanted to assess into student-friendly learning objectives. Rubrics, introduction documents, and lots of models were really helpful for showing students what needed to happen and what was possible.
Brainstorm methods/projects with students that they could use to express their learning. In fact, I have students brainstorm ideas before I show them any models so that I don't affect their self-generation of ideas.
Assess projects using a student-friendly rubric that is directly based off of the learning objectives. One of my favorite ideas to show students how a specific project rubric works is to "live grade" older student-submitted models in front of them so they can hear my thinking/assessment of student work.
Looking for help creating a Choice Menu or list of project choices?
Reach out to the high school media director, Mary Klempke.
12 Essay Alternatives That Will Make Your Students Think Outside The Box
Game Board Templates: Turn Any Unit into a Game! (PowerPoint Version)
Informative Writing: 10 Real-World Assignments for Secondary ELA
Interactive timeline, commercial, play/skit, scrapbook/collage, brochure, flyer, podcast, new interview
Documentary, blog, PSA, debate, speech, infographic, radio broadcast, biographical sketches, Letter to the editor
Scaffolding Methods for Research Paper Writing (ReadWriteThink)
Scaffolding Support for Research Writing, Differentiate for Any Writer-PDF
How to take notes (Google Site), Essential questions, Research