Category: Authentic Project Ideas

We recently returned from an amazing trip out west. We saw so many amazing and spectacular sights. The view above got us talking. (Even after 5,000 miles together in our car we were still speaking! The view just opened up a new topic.)

The above photo is of the Sandhills in Nebraska. It is a view we have seen often, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina! We did not expect to see Sand Dunes in landlocked Nebraska. They were covered in prairie grasses, but you could see plenty of sand under the grass.

Authentic project ideas – Explain how the sand got there. What can the land be used for? We saw cattle, hay…any other ideas? Do some research, create a proposal…

We saw many very small towns. As in really small towns. Some rivers and lakes. And mile after mile after mile of open land. As a matter of fact, what we have seen for most of our travels through the Western Plain States of the US has been open land. The population of many of these states is less than many cities on the East Coast. So there is another authentic path to take…. Why do the huge Western Plain States have such low population numbers? What other places in other countries have low population density? Do we really have a population problem on Earth? Couldn’t we just move people around? Why or why not? Lots of research needed, and even more thinking outside of the box.

On a recent road trip, we stopped at a marble company in Kansas. It was a fantastic shop full of machine-made marbles, plus the owners were also making speciality marbles by hand.

We were able to chat with one of the owners, and heard about the history of the company. They started in the wood carving business almost 30 years ago. They carved everything from furniture to toys. One of the game boards required marbles, and they got into the marble business.

We were also told how the building they rented was on railroad land, so they rented from the railroad. This meant their rent was significantly lower than the buildings just across the street.

I started to think about all of the authentic business lessons were were learning about. How businesses change and evolve, rent or ownership of a building if needed, materials, low to high-end product costs…

It would be a great authentic project for students to pick a business they were interested in owning and plan for that business. The learning, lessons, and academic tie-ins are endless. As students would pick their own business, interest would be high, but the common ground for planning for a business would make class instruction easier. This could be done for young learners with simple planning, to older learners with in-depth research and plans. Who knows, one of these authentic plans might turn into a real business!

And my husband could not leave the shop without making a joke about losing his marbles…sigh

I am not exactly sure what this machine is doing.  I can think of several things it might be doing.  I can also think of ways to make it do what I think it is doing better – punctuation lesson – add punctuation to this sentence so you don’t have to read it three times for it to make sense!

So, maybe a driving question is, “What is happening in this picture?”  An authentic project might be to improve the machine in this picture.  Or maybe, write a story about what took place in this room.  A factual story about what the machine does, a fictional story about people who work this machine, or maybe a ghost story about something that happened in this room 200 years ago!

And if this turns into an authentic project about ways to improve apple farming, that is authentic learning.

I have written about wind turbines several times, but the more we travel, the more I see them, and the more ideas I have for authentic projects.  We just finished driving through Kansas, and I have never seen so many wind turbines.  The really neat thing is that we saw them on farms, and the farmers were still farming below the turbines.

To say the we have energy concerns on this planet is an understatement.  I think it is fair to say that we all want the same thing: reliable, safe, clean energy.  The arguments are about how we get there.

How to wind turbines work?  How is the energy produced and transported?  How far can the energy be transported?  Can the energy be stored?

What are the pros and cons of wind turbines?  Do people want them in their backyard?  I happen to think they are attractive, but there are people who do not.  Are they a danger to wildlife?

Design a wind turbine that people might find more attractive. Design a turbine that solves any problems you found in your research.  Make a model of how a turbine works.  Locate a good spot for a turbine where you live.  Make a proposal for a new wind turbine.

And if this project turns into a project about the history of windmills in Holland…that is authentic learning.

I am writing this sitting on a bench at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas.  The gift shop is currently under renovation, which is a shame as they just lost money on my inability to shop.  My husband is out hiking the preserve looking for buffalo, so I figured I would write a blog entry. 

We just spent several days in Kansas.  The view driving through Kansas was wind turbines (another blog) and farm land.  Not until we got to the preserve did we see the native tallgrass that used to cover the prairies of Kansas and the other midwestern states of the United States.  

Why are preserves like this one important?  What purpose do they serve?  Why are the US National Parks important, or national preserved areas in other countries?  What is the history of the National Park system?

Create a brochure or map for a National Park.  Create a model or diorama of a National Park. Write an advertisement for a Park or Preserve.  

Propose a new National Park.  Contact your local or state/territory government about a need for a new park.  Who knows – you might end up creating something new! It doesn’t get anymore authentic than that!  And if you have a gift shop let me know…I’ll be there!

I have always wondered how in the world an elevator took you to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.  I recently had the opportunity to find out!  I usually don’t like heights, but my curiosity won out, and I went to the top.  And for some reason, I wasn’t “weak in the knees” like I have been on other high-rise adventures.  Seattle Space Needle, great – never again.  Toronto CN Tower, ditto – never again…

I have watched videos about how an elevator could go up to the top of the Gateway Arch, and the best way to explain it is elevator meets Ferris Wheel.  Years ago, I had students watch videos about the Arch and then build models of the “tram” as they call it, that takes you to the top.  They also designed other authentic ways to reach the top, some very creative, some involving a great way to burn off a ton of calories (there are actually steps that go all the way to the top of the Arch for repairs, etc).  I am sure there are many other authentic projects that can be inspired by the Gateway Arch.

A discussion of the significance of the Gateway Arch will explore the westward movement of the United States.  So if this project also sends students on an authentic journey through parts of American history, that is authentic learning.