PROJECTS
Are you a secondary history or English educator? Please feel free to use my project materials. My curriculum map is a one-stop shop for my project overviews and associated materials, or feel free to scroll through my curriculum below. Not sure how to implement a project in your classroom? Please contact me.
Toolkit for a Revolution (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang
Purpose: This project supports students in evaluating sources and conducting research about social issue of their choice (e.g., racism, sexism, LGBTQ+ rights, sustainability, etc.). They take a stance and write a persuasive essay, ultimately making zines to disseminate their message.
Soft project skills: time management, organization, evaluating sources, public speaking skills, collaboration, problem solving
Common Core Standards: Writing 7.2, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.10; Language 7.3; Speaking 7.1, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6
More resources for this project can be found here.
Root of the Problem (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: N/A
Purpose: In this integrated science and Humanities project, students develop a recipe for compost and then conduct water retention experiments with regular soil and compost. They create professional scientific posters to share their findings with the public.
Soft project skills: time management, graphic design, organization, drawing models, developing presentations, public speaking skills, collaboration, problem solving
Common Core Standards: Writing 7.2, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.10; Language 7.3; Speaking 7.1, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6
More resources for this project can be found here.
A Hero's Quest (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: Assorted hero's quests
Purpose: After modeling how to learn about an ancient civilization by studying ancient Greece, students form research clubs to conduct research deep dives into other ancient cultures and present their findings to one another. We study hero's quests from several cultures before students craft their own. The project culminates in publishing an anthology of hero's quests for sale.
Soft project skills: time management, organization, graphic design, research, evaluating credible sources, developing presentations, public speaking skills, collaboration, problem solving
Common Core Standards: Writing 7.2, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.10; Language 7.3; Speaking 7.1, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6
More resources for this project can be found here.
The Passion Project (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: October Sky by Homer Hickham
Purpose: This project teaches the project work method, practices much needed project soft skills, and turns students’ focus toward having a servant’s heart and following their passions.
Soft project skills: time management, organization, networking, writing proposals and reflections, developing presentations, public speaking skills, collaboration, problem solving
Common Core Standards: Writing 7.2, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.10; Language 7.3; Speaking 7.1, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
DEEPEN (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: N/A
Purpose: This project builds on student understanding of the project work method. Students propose a societal issue they would like to be active in solving and partner with an existing organization to deepen their community service over the course of the year.
Soft project skills: time management, organization, networking, writing proposals and reflections, developing presentations, public speaking skills, collaboration, problem solving
Common Core Standards: Writing 8.2, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 8.10; Language 8.3; Speaking 8.1, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Project Identity (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Purpose: The students learn about social identities and the treatment of Native Americans in the modern-day United States. They research the effects other social identities have had on people’s daily lives and use comic artwork to illustrate their findings. This project encourages empathy, research skills, and literary analysis.
Soft project skills: time management, creativity, comic artwork, responding to critique, resource management, organization, writing proposals and reflections
Common Core Standards: Reading 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.3, 7-8.4, 7-8.6; Language 7-8.7, 7-8.8, 7-8.9
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
What is Intelligence? (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Purpose: This project shares the theory of multiple intelligences for the purpose of illustrating how students can use their personal strengths in creative ways to leverage weaker areas. It requires deep literary analysis and then synthesis to represent changes in the novel.
Soft project skills: time management, planning, responding to critique, managing materials, organization, writing proposals and reflections, problem solving, public speaking skills
Common Core Standards: Reading 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.3, 7-8.4, 7-8.6, 7-8.8, 7-8.9, 7-8.10; Writing 7-8.9; Speaking 7-8.1, 7-8.4, 7-8.6
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Hip-Hop Activism (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: lyrics ("U-N-I-T-Y" by Queen Latifah, "Changes" by Tupac, "Sucker M.C.s" by Run-D.M.C., "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy), articles about history of hip-hop, documentary clips about DJ Kool Herc and the Cross-Bronx Expressway
Purpose: This project introduces hip-hop culture for the purpose of broadening students’ understanding of valid, valuable sociopolitical expression and participation in democracy. It shows how people use ordinary surroundings for extraordinary art, and how personal expression can be political. The project practices literary analysis and synthesis.
Soft project skills: time management, planning, responding to critique, managing materials, organization, collaboration and interpersonal communication, writing reflections, problem solving, public speaking skills, note-taking, creativity, technology evaluation
Common Core Standards: Reading 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.3, 7-8.4, 7-8.6, 7-8.8, 7-8.9, 7-8.10; Writing 7-8.9; Speaking 7-8.1, 7-8.4, 7-8.6
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Free Reading Letters (Intro)
Text: independent reading books
Purpose: This weekly correspondence ensures that students are accountable for sustained independent reading with a “book chat” tone that protects their enthusiasm for reading. They write letters to me and to their classmates, independently practicing literary analysis (which we model in class regularly) with their free reading book. They also maintain a reading log.
Soft project skills: time management, interpersonal communication, responding to critique
Common Core Standards: Reading 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.3, 7-8.4, 7-8.6, 7-8.10; Writing 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.4, 7-8.5, 7-8.9, 7-8.10; Language 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.3, 7-8.5, 7-8.6
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Writing a Place (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson, "Arrival at Santos" by Elizabeth Bishop, assorted travel writing excerpts
Purpose: Students analyze travel writing to characterize the genre and synthesize a visual tool to help others understand it.
Soft project skills: creativity, independent project work, planning, collaboration, communication, responding to critique, public speaking, time management
Common Core Standards: Speaking 9.1, 9.2, 9.5
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Uncovering Apartheid (Project and Rubric)
Text: The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay, assorted poetry and photography
Purpose: Students learn about apartheid and analyze art as a medium for democratic voice during times of civic strife, oppression, and tragedy. They analyze photography and free verse poetry and synthesize their own as a response to the history they've learned.
Soft project skills: creativity, independent project work, planning, collaboration, communication, responding to critique, time management, visual composition and design
Common Core Standards: Reading 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.3, 7-8.4, 7-8.9; Writing 7-8.1, 7-8.4, 7-8.5, 7-8.9, 7-8.10; Language 7-8.3, 7-8.5
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
More Than a Single Story (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: "A Private Experience" and "The Dangers of a Single Story" by Chimamanda Adichie
Purpose: Students analyze stereotypes and then use Adichie's story as a model for deconstructing a stereotype that affects them.
Soft project skills: creativity, independent project work, planning, responding to critique, time management, analysis
Common Core Standards: Reading 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.3, 7-8.4, 7-8.6; Writing 7-8.1, 7-8.3, 7-8.4, 7-8.5, 7-8.6; Language 7-8.1, 7-8.2
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
The Pillow Book (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon and assorted haiku
Purpose: Students explore the Heian Period of Japan, haiku, the genre ziuhitsu, which they use to experiment with journaling and writing haiku.
Soft project skills: creativity, independent project work, planning, responding to critique, time management, analysis, design
Common Core Standards: Reading 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.4, 7-8.5; Writing 7-8.1, 7-8.4, 7-8.5, 7-8.6, 7-8.7, 7-8.8, 7-8.9, 7-8.10; Language 7-8.3
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Rethinking Pink and Blue (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros; assorted articles, videos, and images
Purpose: Students analyze the role of gender in Cisneros's work before analyzing gender norm construction in popular culture with the goal of exploring essential questions: "How does the media create and perpetuate an idea of what is 'feminine' or 'masculine'?" and, "How can you educate people about and help to change the media?"
Soft project skills: time management, media literacy, note-taking, responding to critique, planning, organization, communication, collaboration, goal setting, problem solving, public speaking, and presentation skills
Common Core Standards: Reading 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.3, 7-8.4, 7-8.5, 7-8.6, 7-8.9; Writing 7-8.1, 7-8.2, 7-8.6, 7-8.7, 7-8.8, 7-8.9; Speaking 7-8.4
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Architecture as Activism (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: Various TED talks
Purpose: This year-long project invests the students in planning an architectural solution to a problem facing their local community. They produce a professional proposal for investors, blueprints, a model, and present their work to an authentic audience (e.g. city planners of their respective areas).
Soft project skills: time management, note-taking, responding to critique, planning, organization, communication, collaboration, goal setting, networking, problem solving, public speaking, and presentation skills.
Common Core Standards: Writing 9.1, 9.2, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.8, 9.9; Speaking 9.1, 9.2, 9.4, 9.5, 9.5
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Writing in the Dust (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: "Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier, "Us Two" by A.A. Milne, "To a Mouse" by Robert Burns, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Purpose: In addition to continuing students’ exploration of ideas and voice (by asking them to write expositions based on two model texts) and modeling literary analysis (by assisting students to evaluate the theme of three texts) this project explicitly teaches essay organization. They write body paragraphs, a practice essay, and finally, an in-class essay. Students also learn the background of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl through this project.
Soft project skills: time management, revision, responding to critique, research, creativity, studying
Common Core Standards: Reading 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.6; Writing 7.1, 7.5, 7.9, 7.10; Language 7.3, 7.5
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
I AM Career Exploration Project (Project Sheet)
Text: Assorted (this year-long project encompasses the projects below)
Purpose: This year-long capstone project runs concurrently with the other projects listed here. This student-led project provides opportunities to learn about crucial real-world career skills such as career research and exploration, goal setting, networking, résumé development, problem solving, communication, and interview/presentation skills. In the future, this project will become the exploratory basis for an internship program.
Soft project skills: time management, note-taking, responding to critique, planning, organization, communication, collaboration, goal setting, networking, developing a résumé and cover letter, problem solving, public speaking, and interview/presentation skills.
Common Core Standards: Writing 9.2, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.8, 9.10; Language 9.3; Speaking 9.1, 9.5, 9.6
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Personal Legend (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Purpose: This project explores themes from The Alchemist through journaling and then supports the students during initial career exploration for the year-long I AM Career Exploration Project. The final product is a goal statement.
Soft project skills: time management, journalling, planning, goal setting.
Common Core Standards: Reading 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4; Writing 9.1, 9.4, 9.6, 9.7, 9.9, 9.10; Language 9.1, 9.2, 9.6
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Hero for Hire (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: Beowulf
Purpose: Students evaluate what constitutes “leadership” in various cultures and showcase themselves using resume format. This project is one component of the year-long I AM Career Exploration Project.
Soft project skills: time management, writing a resume and cover letter, creativity, responding to critique, resource management, leadership, ability to delegate, organization, writing proposals and reflections, communication
Common Core Standards: Reading 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.9; Writing 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.10; Language 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!
Finding Your Voice (Project Sheet and Rubric)
Text: A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Purpose: Students learn about the genre of drama by analyzing how performance can alter the interpretation of a text. They deliver a monologue from A Midsummer Night’s Dream to demonstrate their understanding.
Soft project skills: memorization, time management, creativity, communication, public speaking
Common Core Standards: Reading 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.9; Speaking 9.6
See the appropriate row on my full curriculum map for resources I use during this project.
Click here for a showcase of student work!