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 3 and 4 students brainstorm ideas, create a plan for their projects, evaluate their plans and their peers' plans, and then create their passion projects. These are shared through performance/presentations/displays and online discussion forums. 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 4, students:
SELF-AWARENESS
Recognise personal qualities and achievements
Develop reflective practice
SELF-MANAGEMENT
Develop self-discipline and set goals
Work independently and show initiative
Become confident, resilient and adaptable
SOCIAL AWARENESS
Contribute to civil society
Understand relationships
SOCIAL MANAGEMENT
Communicate effectively
Work collaboratively
Develop leadership skills
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Typically by the end of Year 4, students:
APPLYING SOCIAL AND ETHICAL PROTOCOLS AND WHEN USING ICT
Recognise intellectual property
INVESTIGATING WITH ICT
Define and plan information searches
Locate, generate and access data and information
CREATING WITH ICT
Generate ideas, plans and processes
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:
My 3-5 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 the last 5 weeks of the term. In weeks 1-5, they will be exploring ideas and coming to a decision about their focus by the end of week 5.
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 4 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 5, conduct a ranking activity where students select 3-5 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. They could use a Five Whys strategy to prompt thinking.
Collaborative strategies:
Having decided on their top idea, students can focus on it immediately in week 6. 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 - if approved by the teacher. This might be particularly useful for a performance - dance, music, drama etc.
Learning Intention:
To form a learning goal for my passion project and to extend my thinking about what I will include in my project.
Success Criteria:
Your Passion Project
You have a 5 week learning opportunity to 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, Google Slide, 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:
I am excited about...
One thing I found hard/tricky was...
By working with my buddy to create a concept map, I have learned...
My social goal for next session is...
Consider: Giving and cooperative learning skills including compromising, negotiating, supporting etc. Also consider Bucket Filling and how this relates to the work you have done with your buddy.
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 mindmapping 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.
Two examples (artist and scientist) 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:
One thing I found hard/tricky was...
I have improved my project by .......
I helped my buddy to...
My social goal for next session is...
Consider: Giving and cooperative learning skills including compromising, negotiating, supporting etc. Also consider Bucket Filling and how this relates to the work you have done with your buddy.
I am really looking forward to...
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.
Focus Questions |
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? |
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Research What sources will I use to find out more/explore the topic in more depth? |
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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, students work in pairs or in the group they are working in and support each other to complete their evaluations. Once they have completed their Plus/Delta charts, students should revise their concepts maps.
Students can then post their concepts maps to a discussion forum such as Google Classroom or Scholar for feedback from their peers.
Using the feedback, they can refine their concept maps further before embarking on their projects.
For students working in groups, they can complete this collaboratively and post their combined concept map. Each student should give individual feedback on the concept maps of their peers.
Learning Intention:
To create and present an interesting and engaging passion project.
Success Criteria:
Comment/Reflection:
Written reflection (after completing project)-
What did I do well?
What would I add/change next time?
Something I learned about working with ICT is…
Something I learned about working with others is…
After completing presentation -
How do I feel about my presentation?
What would I differently next time?
What am I proud of?
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.
Students complete the reflection sheet before they present. Reflection sheets can help them when discussing their projects with their audiences.
In Week 10, students should present their passion projects to their peers and buddies. A Gallery Walk would enable concurrent presentations as individual presentations can be time-consuming. This could be incorporated in the end of year event when parents visit the school.
Title: Source. Photographs by .......