Category: Authentic Project Ideas

Authentic Project Ideas – Surviving on a Deserted Island

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

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While on a recent journey through the northeastern waterways of the United States and Canada, I saw one small island after another.  Thinking back on the authentic project I was involved with about establishing a colony on Mars, I started to imagine what it would be like to survive on one of these islands.  What would I need to survive?  What would I eat, what kind of shelter would I need, what kinds of clothes would I need?  (OK-this is definitely a fictitious authentic project as personally I need a five-star hotel in Bar Harbor, Maine, with plenty of lobster, and lovely clothes available in the local boutiques-but I digress…)

This project would vary based on where the island was located as needs would be different based on climate, natural resources, etc.

Authentic Project Ideas – Lighthouses

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

IMG_Portland Maine Lighthouse

I recently returned from a journey where I saw many wonderful and enchanting lighthouses.  There are so many different questions that I thought about while enjoying all of these lighthouses.  How do they work?  What purpose do they serve?  How did they operate in the past?  How and why are lighthouses built today?

What would I include in a lighthouse if I designed one? (My lighthouse would resemble a five-star hotel –  just saying.)

There are so many interesting stories about lighthouses of the past that could be a jumping off point for authentic projects.  I heard about a lighthouse keeper in Portland, Maine who became bored with just tending the lighthouse.  He began to carve wooden horses that he sold for 75 cents to the local market.  Today these horses are worth thousands of dollars each.  An authentic project could be to develop other ways to pass the time while tending a lighthouse.

While purchasing a memento of the Egg Rock Lighthouse in Bar Harbor, Maine, the charming woman at the cash register introduced herself as the granddaughter of the last keepers of that lighthouse.  She briefly shared her story with me.  I wish I had had time to hear more about her grandparents!  Another jumping off point for an authentic project, reading stories about past lighthouse keepers, and perhaps creating a compilation, journal, or even writing new stories based on past stories – endless possibilities…       IMG_Grace Little Village Gifts Bar Harbor  Grace, whose grandparents tended the Egg Rock Lighthouse near Bar Harbor, Maine

 

Authentic Project Ideas – Designing a Better Airplane

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

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Having recently flown on a Dreamliner (and that plane is a dream to fly in) I was thinking about how airplanes, especially the wings, have changed in the last few decades.  Wing-tips were added, and have changed several times. Why?

I thought this might be an interesting authentic investigation and project – doing research on why airplane and airplane wings have changed.  Students could design and present their ideas for improved airplanes.  Older students could focus on aerodynamics and airplane wings, new building materials used for planes, etc.  Younger students could focus on interior changes to the inside of planes.

*I fall into the “younger student” aka “I don’t understand aerodynamics” category!  My plane is going to have wider, more comfortable seats including armrests for each passenger – in coach class!  Only two seats per row on each side, so that you are not climbing over, or being climbed over when someone needs to get up.  Better food, more movies, the Ice Skating Network…

Authentic Project Ideas – The Smart Watch

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

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With all the fancy Fitbit, Garmin, Google, Amazon, etc., smart watches out there, I thought it might be a cool authentic project for students to design their own devices.

This idea came to me on an airline flight when my husband was obsessing over the fact that his Garmin watch was calculating altitude by air pressure rather than GPS.  As the plane was pressurized (this is a good thing), his watch was reporting altitude by air pressure inside the plane, rather than the altitude the plane was at.  I am sure there are many further examples like this that older students could research, learn about, and maybe even figure out a “fix.”  They could also design their own devices with all the capabilities that they would like.

For younger students this could be more of a fun “imagineering” (thanks Disney for that word) project where they design watches with all of the capabilities that they would want.  They could also research what is available, what they could like to add, and create their dream smart watch. This could also include some authentic practice in telling time.  (Listen for the opportunity and work that skill in.)

*I would like mine to be able to, with the press of a button, bring down the temperature of any room to a lovely 69 degrees!  Oh, and instantly connect to Amazon for shopping. And give me “step” credits for said shopping.  And how about a map directing me to where my favorite television star is hiding (hint – he is Scottish and gorgeous).  And…gosh I may have to do some research and complete this project myself!

Authentic Project Ideas – The State Fair

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

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I am a huge fan of geography and love authentic projects that teach geography.  I was involved in an extremely successful project where each child picked a state in the United States to study.  Actually, they had to write a letter to the classroom teacher persuading the teacher to let them study the state they were interested in.  To do this they were already researching states for material for their persuasive letters (reading/writing).

The students then spent the entire school year learning about their state.  We tied the state research into reading, writing, and math.  (I’ll post individual blogs with ideas on how to do this – way too much for one blog!)  At the end of the year we presented what they had learned in a State Fair.

Authentic Project Ideas – Adopting the Elderly

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

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There are many possible authentic projects for students that would like to adopt older folks from an assisted care community or residence.

A few ideas (depending on the number of students involved, these ideas can be for all residents, a few, or even just one):

Get a list of everyone’s birthdays in the residence, chart/graph this and make cards for birthdays.

Create surveys asking residents about favorite things, write stories, poems, etc., based on the results of the survey.

Make cards, ornaments, placemats etc., as gifts for holidays.

Create and send a student generated monthly newsletter, magazine,  or newspaper.  Copy for each resident.

I also found this on Facebook:

The International Card Exchange for the Elderly

It lists homes that are asking for cards.  Listings are international –  a great authentic tie in with geography.  *I am not sure how current this page is, make sure and check out that a listing is current before you have students create cards.