Passion Project

How does it work?

You may work alone or with a small group.

• Decide carefully. If you choose a small group, you will have to compromise with your group and deal with other personalities. If you work alone, you have complete autonomy but you are responsible for the outcome.

• Is this person a worker or floater?

• Can I get along with this person for the entire semester?

• Is this person going to keep on track or distract me?

• This is not about hanging out with friends,but making something really cool.

Choose a project that is new to you and something you wouldn’t normally do in another academic class.

If you are stuck, do some research on other educational 20% projects and take another look at what Google has done.

You must produce a product.

Write up a proposal and pitch* it to the rest of the class that includes a purpose, audience, timeline, and resources you will need to complete the project. You will present your pitch in a "science-fair"-type poster session in front of other students, teachers, and community members.

Choose an adult to be your official mentor. I am an English teacher, I do not have a lot of experience with some of the projects you might choose.

Reflect on the process each week on the class wiki or personal blog.

If, at any moment, you feel lost, overwhelmed, or uninspired, you must set a meeting with me to find a solution.

At the end of the year, you will present your project and reflect on the process in a five-minute TED-style talk.

Failure is an option. Simply learning from your mistakes teaches you a lot