This year I gave my students a menu of Genius Project possibilities. I didn’t tell them what their project had to be about, rather I categorized four types of genius hour projects (see below). This allows for students to “try out” different kinds of projects throughout the school year as they tap into their passions and curiosity. The projects were diverse, engaging, and student driven.
Here is a few of the inspiring genius projects students completed this first quarter of school.
Help Make the World/Community A Better Place – For this genius project choose a problem and find a solution that will benefit others on a community or global scale.
Helena devoted each Friday in designing a website to help Hurricane Matthew survivors in Haiti. Her website listed and linked websites with information about their missions and goals, and also allowed users to make a donation which would help the citizens of Haiti. She wrote blog posts about the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, updates, and shared pictures. From this experience, she learned how to make a website, became informed about the impoverished island of Haiti, and how to problem solve when it comes to technology.
The UnGoogleable – This genius hour project requires students to research something that goes beyond facts and summary but requires analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Students will look at multiple theories and present their findings.
Create/Innovate – For this genius project you will create or make something. You can build, design, or create something from scratch.
Learn/Master – For this genius project students will spend their hours practicing and mastering a personal passion of theirs.