Across our school, students in years K-6 create a passion project that is linked to a topic they have studied during the year in the areas of dance, drama, music, media, visual arts, science, history, geography and values education. In this learning module year 1 and 2 (Wattle) students brainstorm ideas, create a plan for their projects, evaluate their plans and their peers' plans, and then create their passion projects with support from their Year 5 and 6 (Banksia) buddies. These are shared through performance/presentations' displays. Underpinning these passion projects is a focus on developing students' ICT skills and their social capabilities.
Collaboration, ICT, Arts, History, Geography, Science, Values Education.
This learning module is based on the Australian Curriculum.
PERSONAL and SOCIAL CAPABILITY
Typically by the end of Year 2, students:
SELF-AWARENESS
Understand themselves as learners
Recognise personal qualities and achievements
Develop reflective practice
SELF-MANAGEMENT
Develop self-discipline and set goals
Become confident resilient and adaptable
SOCIAL AWARENESS
Understand relationships
SOCIAL MANAGEMENT
Work collaboratively
Make decisions
Negotiate and resolve conflict
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Typically by the end of Year 2, students:
APPLYING SOCIAL AND ETHICAL PROTOCOLS AND WHEN USING ICT
Apply digital information security practices
Identify the impacts of ICT in society
INVESTIGATING WITH ICT
Define and plan information searches
Locate generate and access data and information
Select and evaluate data and information
CREATING WITH ICT
Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks
COMMUNICATING WITH ICT
Collaborate share and exchange
Learning Intention:
To reflect on learning highlights for the year and to choose one for my passion project.
Success Criteria:
Comment/Reflection:
Wattle:
My 2-3 topics were .............
I ranked them in this order .........
I chose this topic because ........
Background: This 5 week learning module is a culminating unit for students to reflect on what they have learnt throughout the year in their integrated units and select a topic to explore in more depth. It focuses on learner engagement, provides students with agency in their learning, and is an opportunity to apply their knowledge creatively - something we don't always have time for.
Term 4 Timeframe
Update 1: What will I investigate?
Update 2: Concept Mapping
Update 3: Why is this worth investigating?
Update 4: My Passion Project
Update 1 - Purpose: To support students to reflect on topics they have studied throughout the year in their integrated units and to brainstorm areas they would like to focus on in their passion projects.
Teaching Tips
In week 1 of the term, conduct a brainstorm for students to think about what they have learnt during the year in their integrated units. This should be a 15-30 minute activity.
Possible strategies for the brainstorm:
Use prompting questions such as:
After the brainstorm, explain to students that they will be working on passion projects in weeks (5-7) of the term. In weeks 1-4, they will be exploring ideas and coming to a decision about their focus by the end of week 4.
Based on the initial brainstorm, students can then record possible focus areas for their passion projects on post-it notes and add them to a noticeboard. They can continue to add to the noticeboard over the next 3 weeks. Encourage students to sort the ideas - placing like ideas together; this can happen at any time by any students. Making this process visible will enable students to think about a range of ideas and refine their topic choices over time.
In week 3, conduct a ranking activity where students select 2/3 possible topics they could focus on and rank them in order of preference. They share and justify their ranking with a partner. This justification will help them to think more deeply about their ranking and perhaps reorder it. Encourage partners to question each other about their ranking and possible avenues to explore in more depth.
Collaborative strategies:
Having decided on their top idea, students can focus on it immediately in week 5. Of course, if they change their mind, they can go with their second or third ranked idea.
Students who have similar focus areas may work in a group - this might be a way that students who need more support can work with the teacher. This might be particularly useful for a performance tool - dance, music, drama etc. More independent students can work on individual or pair projects with support from their year 5 and 6 buddies.
Alternatively, four or five groups can be formed depending on student choice, and each teacher in the unit works with a group that is focused on a particular area/topic.
Learning Intention:
To form a learning goal for my passion project and to extend my thinking about what I will include in it.
Success Criteria:
Your Passion Project
Explore a topic that is linked to your learning in 2017 and that you are interested in exploring in more depth. You can decide on your format (performance, artwork, talk/presentation, model, creative writing, information report, video, photo story etc). To support your passion project, you will need to include a:
You can negotiate with your teacher to present your passion project in other formats or in small groups.
Comment/Reflection:
Wattle:
My buddy helped me to....
One thing we found hard/tricky was...
One thing I am excited about is....
My social goal for the next session is....
Banksia: (write a PEC paragraph)
Point sentence - In our concept map development, we focussed on.....
Evidence
- We discussed...
- We found...
- What worked well...
- What didn't work well....
Concluding - By working with my buddy to create a concept map, I have learned.........
Consider: Giving and cooperative learning skills including compromising, negotiating, supporting etc
My goal for the next session is......
Purpose: In this update teachers set goals and expectations, clarify audience and purpose, model how to formulate an inquiry question, and support students to complete their overview of their passion project, using ICT.
The planning stage is important as incorporates some of the social skills of the Australian Curriculum, ensures the passion project is more than a busy activity, and allows students to develop ICT skills in using mind-mapping software.
Teaching Tips
As you complete a model of a Passion Project Overview, make your expectations clear. Students could complete the corresponding section in their overview.
Students then use ICT such as Simple Mind, Popplet, Padlet, MindMeister, Mindmup, Mindomo - most of these are available on Apple or Chrome.
A template is attached for students to use and, once completed, to transfer to their concept maps. They can modify their overviews as they think of more ideas when creating the concept map.
Three examples (artist, scientist and musician) are included here. They can be used to model how to complete the overview or you can create your own model related to one of your own interests.
Learning Intention:
To think critically about my project plan.
Success Criteria:
Comment/Reflection:
Wattle
My buddy helped me to....
One thing we found hard/tricky was...
I have improved my project by .......
One thing I am excited about is....
My social goal for the next session is....
Banksia
I was successful/unsuccessful in achieving my goal because...
Write a PEC paragraph answering each of the following reflection questions
By working with my buddy to create a Plus/Minus Delta, I have learned.........
By working with my buddy to evaluate their project, I have learned.......
Consider: Giving and cooperative learning skills including compromising, negotiating, supporting etc
My goal for the next session is......
Purpose: This update supports students to critically evaluate their overviews and concepts maps. It also raises the intellectual quality of the work that students do on their projects.
Teaching Tips
Students complete a Plus/Delta (Langford – Tool Time for Education, page 108) to evaluate their projects. Their main focus is to identify the relevance of their investigation and how it could be improved. This could be completed as a large group/class. Alternatively a PMI could be used.
Focus Questions (for teachers as they model and a |
PLUS What is good? What are the positives? |
DELTA What could be improved? What would I add/delete? |
Relevance: Why is it worth investigating? Who will it benefit? Who will it interest? |
||
Research What sources will I use to find out more/explore the topic in more depth? |
||
What am I going to make/do to show my learning? |
As for Update 2, the teacher could model this as students complete the corresponding sections. Alternatively, the older buddies could go through the template with their teachers beforehand and then work individually with their younger buddies to complete their evaluations. Once they have completed their Plus/Delta charts, students should revise their concepts maps.
Learning Intention:
To create and present an interesting and engaging passion project.
Success Criteria:
Comment/Reflection:
Wattle
My buddy helped me to....
One thing we found hard/tricky was...
One thing I enjoyed was....
In future I can use the social skills I have learnt by........
Banksia:
I was successful/unsuccessful in achieving my goal because....
PEC paragraph
Point sentence - Throughout this passion project I have achieved and/or developed skills in....
Evidence
- How do you know? What evidence do you have?
Concluding - I can transfer these skills to....
Consider: Giving and cooperative learning skills including compromising, negotiating, supporting etc
Purpose: In this update students start their projects and learn about the criteria to guide them as they complete it.
Teaching Tips
Check in with students to ensure they are making progress. Another check in could be sharing progress with other students in a Kagan structure such as Inner-Outer Circle or in a discussion forum.
In Week 8 or 9, students present their passion projects to their year 5-6 buddies in a gallery walk.They could repeat them for parents at the end of year event in week 10 when parents visit the school
Project Image: (Source); Photographs by ........