Suzanne Woodward of MiraCosta College has devised creative projects that incorporate all skills areas to reinforce classroom teaching. The multiple-week projects allow her students to demonstrate that they have got a handle on what she has taught them. Here are some sample projects she shared at the conference.
Individual Book Reports
From a lending library cart, each of her students chooses and signs out their own reader based on what interests them. They are told not to pick a book that is too hard for them. That way, they can have a sense of success more easily. In class, they are given some time for silent reading of their books. At the end of their eight-week session, they are to prepare ONE poster or ONE PowerPoint slide with at least one picture and a succinct book report with only a few key words. Although they are given a report format to follow when they write down the main ideas of their read books in the report prep phase, students decide what to summarize and include in their presentations. Then, they practice giving their oral report in groups before giving it to the whole class. They are not allowed to just read from their poster or PowerPoint slide. Each presentation is limited to 2 to 5 minutes. A student is used as the time keeper.
Group Pronunciation Project
This is designed to tailor students' backgrounds and needs and to reflect what they do in class:
- syllables
- minimal pairs (e.g. look-rook; lip-rip; light-right)
- tongue twisters
- poems (especially the Shel Silverstein kind)
- similar/difficult words
- the minimal pair
- a tongue twister involving the difficult sounds in question
- a poem involving the sounds under study
- a practice activity to differentiate the "odd men out" (e.g. rat-rip-lip)
Phobia PowerPoints
After watching a video clip showing compulsive behavior and gaining some insight into the concept of phobia, students discuss places and/or activities a person with a certain phobia would need to avoid. They also come up with a hierarchy of treatment for the phobia. Individual students then create a PowerPoint presentation for different phobias, with each presentation consisting of the slides for
- the phobia described (e.g. small place phobia)
- official name (they search on the Internet for this)
- a plan of treatment (i.e. a list of steps to take, from easiest to hardest)
- the first step(s) detailed
Passive Food Project
Suzanne admits that this particular project is aimed at having students practice passive voice sentences, so it is somewhat contrived. She gives each student the name of a food that is typically eaten in the US along with these four questions:
- What meal is it eaten or drunk at? (What time of day is it eaten or drunk?)
- How is it eaten or drunk?
- How is it prepared?
- Are there any holidays or traditions associated with it?
Random Acts of Kindness
These can be something the students did, something nice that happened to them, something they could do, or others' stories. Students write and share on a "wall of kindness."
Unreal Animal King
This project doesn't sound like it would take weeks. Students are asked to find 5 facts of an animal of their choice by searching on the Internet. They then practice unreal conditional sentences using this pattern: If (my animal) were in charge of the world, then _____________.
All of Suzanne's project ideas have the students take charge of their learning. And that is what I like best about them.
(To be continued.)
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