This week I am celebrating research projects. Honestly, I don't know if my students from three years ago would list research as one of their favorite things they did, but my recent classes probably would. Once I began shortening the length of our units, offering a ton of choice, research became fun.
When faced with PARCC testing until Monday, Spring Break starting Friday, I wondered what to do with my week. It was too short to start a new in depth unit, but I didn't want to waste any more days. Glancing at the bins of picture book biographies in our library, I asked each child to grab one, take notes, and figure out how to present to a small group about their chosen subject on Friday. What followed was three days of research, posters, Prezi projects, iMovies, Padlets, blogging, some costumes, and more.
This morning three classes - seventy-eight children - all presented in their homerooms at the start of their day while I raced around and tried to hear them all. I was so proud of these kids for their hard work this week, for their engagement when I know their brains wanted to turn to vacation, and for their sweet notes to me on what they learned. My heart filled up with love.
Please check out some of my sweet students in the video below.
Students - if you are reading this, have a wonderful break. You have earned it!
