The Wolves Research Project is something that I did with my sixth graders from start to finish. I did a pre-activity (Adopt a Pet), taught them how to research, instructed them on the CRAP test for credible sources, then helped them take notes and create their unique projects.
The results were so exciting! Not only did the students learn how to research, find and take relevant notes, and record their findings in their own words, but they also learned how to take their information and present it in an formal, but creative way!
The students were assessed for three standards:
- Writing Clearly and Coherently
- Writing Informative/Explanatory Texts
- Conventions
Because I was so involved in the process, I took over the assessment portion and was able to give my students scores for their hard work. This was challenging, of course, but extremely rewarding. I was impressed by their hard work, outside-the-box thinking, and ability to write in a factual, formal way. Here are some of them in action, working on their projects and writing portions.
Students created brochures, posters, Fakebook profiles, scrapbooks, news articles, breaking news headlines, Prezis, and Google Slideshows. We had the students present in small groups. Here are some of their projects:
This was so much fun and I think the students enjoyed it too. Giving them options for creativity seemed to make the majority just blossom. Sometimes it’s so important to take what is typically seen as ‘academic’ and add a creative portion.