Project Sketches

Select a project from the following samples that you think would appeal to your students. Consider the learning goals it would address. Would it challenge students to think critically or creatively? Explain your choice to your table. As a group, discuss the qualities of engaging, academically challenging projects.

1-Updating the Canon

How should we decide what to read?

Students are invited to suggest updates to the reading list for literature classes. They start by evaluating books currently on the list for qualities such as literary merit, historical importance, and contemporary interest. They interview a variety of experts (librarians, literature professors, writers) to define for themselves what it means to be well-read. They also survey peers about the books they choose to read for pleasure. They develop a new recommended reading list and present it, along with their arguments in support of changes, to a panel of literature teachers.

2-Our Planet, Our Problem

How can we be better stewards of our environment?

Students investigate an environmental concern that has local implications (such as habitat loss, biodiversity, or watershed or air pollution). They research causes of the current situation, gather stories and data about how this issue has changed over time, and investigate possible solutions. They select one do-able, sustainable solution and design a marketing campaign to build public support for it.

3-Let’s Be Fair

How can we share and be fair?

Students learn firsthand how rules and laws help people get along. Their teacher sets up a situation in which students are faced with a problem of scarcity: six handheld game consoles are distributed randomly among 25 eager students. After a period of chaos, students feel compelled to construct rules that govern individuals’ actions for the good of the group. This experience leads into a study of how communities function, culminating in a new set of rules written by students, for students.

4-What This Neighborhoods Needs Is…

How do we engineer the designed world?

Students take on the role of product designers and develop an improved food truck design. They interview vendors and customers to determine: needs of users, problems with existing cart designs, cost factors, opportunities for innovation. They read a case study about a food truck designed to improve childhood nutrition and do research to learn how carts are used by entrepreneurs in various locations. Teams render their plans in SketchUp and present final designs to a panel of potential investors.

5-Stop, Thief!

How can we protect our possessions?

The local newspaper reports that bike thefts are on the rise. Several students share that they know someone who has had a bike stolen. They investigate the issue by examining police records, conducting surveys,and analyzing data for patterns. They interview experts (bike shop owners, bicycle commuters, etc.), and create a public service campaign to inform the community about strategies to keep bikes safe.

6-Work the System, Change the World

How can we make a difference?

Teams investigate an issue that concerns them and take civic action. In the process, they explore the relationships between the issue, their proposed actions, and the public policy they need to work within or attempt to change to make civic action possible. Students develop a cogent argument for their position, study opposing views, defend their solution, and use public speaking and social media to rally others to their cause.

7-Kinetic Conundrum

How does art move us?

After investigating and documenting public art in their community, students set out to create their own kinetic sculptures. Working in teams, they design and build prototypes for sculptures that move or change in response to the environment. Developing their plans involves researching art and engineering, making mathematical calculations, learning about the history of public art projects, and writing artists' statements explaining their intent. They share their prototypes at a community art showcase where attendees vote on a "best of show" that will be produced for a park in the community.

8-Rags to Riches

How can we use money wisely?

A local man from a modest background wins a large amount of money in the state lottery. He asks students for advice on how to invest his winnings to do the most good for his family. Students consult with tax advisers, investment advisers, university experts, and financial institutions to understand the risks and rewards of different investment approaches. They also investigate the decisions and stories of past lottery winners before developing a plan personalized for their client and his family.