Summer’s coming to a close and school is starting back up! One of the most important parts of the first few days of school, whether teaching a small class or a large group, is to start building relationships with students and creating a supportive learning community. Here are five project ideas that encourage students to share their stories, learn about their peers, and find out more about their own local communities.
Community Maps
This is a project based on a community development and urban planning strategy, but it works well for all ages and levels with modifications. Working in groups or as individuals, students create a map that highlights the places in their neighborhoods that they value. The format of the map can be up to the students themselves, whether they use hand drawn, computer rendered, or even 3d modeled maps is entirely up to them. It’s a great way to find common interests and build connections between groups of students who don’t know each other well.
Self Portrait
Self-portraits are a twist on the classic All-About-Me project. It’s a fun way to introduce art into the classroom by examining self-portraits of artists from Rembrandt to Frida Kahlo. Choosing the medium for the self-portrait should be up to the student and is also a great way to encourage self-expression and creativity. Whether using photography, digital media, ceramics, paint on canvas, or even something more unusual like bread dough, students are able to select a way to show who they are and how they wish to be seen.
Storytelling Documentary
Interviews and oral histories with family, friends, and community members are a great way to establish a home-classroom connection and learn more about a student. But instead of asking students to conduct formal interviews with multiple questions, students ask participants to tell a story. The story could be anything, a favorite memory, a story about the student, or even a favorite folktale. The format for the documentary can be a short film or podcast, depending on the student’s preference.
Dream Board
Inspired by the old “vision board” trend, this project tasks students with creating a photo collage of stuff they want to buy, places they want to go, movies they want to watch, things they want to do, books they want to read, and really anything that they are looking forward to about the future. Goal setting is an important part of getting students engaged in learning, and this is a fun and creative way to introduce the idea of thinking about the future. It’s also another great way to get to know students and what their interests are without asking them to fill out another worksheet.
Mini EdCamp
EdCamp is a conference for educators that takes topics suggested by participants and builds lectures, workshops, and discussions based on those suggestions. This approach can be used in the classroom with students too, where each student suggests fun topics to learn about, the class votes to select three or four topics, and then the teacher can facilitate an activity based around the topic. If a student or group of students are experts on the chosen topic, say Minecraft or Greek mythology, they can also present information or lead a mini-lesson. It’s an elevated show-and-tell that helps students share common interests and practice communication skills.
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