2 Projects & Only 1 Me

I'm so thankful that I have such an awesome team to work with. Everyone has been so helpful in creating pieces of the projets that I am implementing in the classroom. Both projects have BIG checkpoints today which will prepare them for the creation of their final products. Let's check it out....


Planet X-ers! Have been working diligently on researching key terms and phrases that they will need in order to successfully select a life-sustaining planet and create an ecosystem that would flourish there. Students are learning the different roles of organisms in an ecosystem and how they all work together. Our science teacher made some amazing research guides for the students that have students working on a core group of words in terms of definitions/descriptions and pictures, and he then has them writing summaries as to how they are all interrelated and how it corresponds to the project. I've been getting some awesome questions from students! They are very interested in making their summaries the best possible and are continually asking how they can improve. Not something I ever saw when I taught in the traditional system.......


The Funky Bunch has been working hard at analyzing each of the acts of the play. We found a great study-guide from Glencoe (seriously.... use all the resources you have!) which has given us some great opening questions and activities, as well as a few key questions for students to answer regarding each of the acts. Today the students took a min-lit. analysis assessment involving theme, style and syntax. I'm definitely NOT an English teacher by trade, so I'm glad I had a bit of guidance from our English department. I'm sure it could have been better, and I wish I had run it by them again before letting the kids take the assessment, but as with all things in PBL... you live. you learn. Now that the students are finished with lit. analysis and character analysis for Cyrano, they are ready to move on to relating it to their life and coming up with a production for it. They are brainstorming that over Thanksgiving Break and will be put into teams on the Monday after to determine which Act they would like to recreate.

Stress is super low right now knowing that most of the students have gotten to the checkpoint; but I'm sure it'll skyrocket again over break when I've got 45 different sets of project research or analysis to review and respond to. However, Timely & Appropriate feedback are SUPER IMPORTANT in teaching kids through PBL, so I've got my goals for the week and I'll do everything possible to meet them.

So excited the marking period is winding down. They can do this! We can all do this!