Customized Project-Based Learning New Language Arts Offerings for Next Year

What is Customized Project-Based Learning? It’s customized! You make selections of literature and areas of research rather being told what to do. It’s project-based! You will have fewer small assignments that will culminate in a large quarterly project. It’s learning! You learn about literature and society and history and other topics of your choosing.

What Will I Have to Do for the Year? Students will choose a novel, epic poem, play, or nonfiction book each quarter to complete the following: Literature Assessment: 50 points (Verbal assessment to ensure student has read the literature and can move forward with the projects) Writing Prompt: 50 points (In-class writing prompt about the literature, covering the required writing genres for LA 1-4.) Daily Work Log: 80 points (Log the standards they are working with each day and to keep track of work completed towards the course) Small Literary Connection: 100 points (Small-scale project to connect the main piece of literature to another piece of literature, making sure to cover a novel, play, short fiction (2-3), mythology (3-5), nonfiction articles (3-5), or poems (3-5) by the end of the year. This connection may become a part of the larger quarterly project. Small Non-Literary Connection: 100 points (Small-scale project to connect the main piece of literature to a non-literary component, e.g. songs (3-5), movie, artwork (3-5), t.v. show (3-5), video game, etc. This connection may become a part of the larger quarterly project. Large Literary Project: 200 points (Large project (that could incorporate the small-scale connections) based on their work chosen for the quarter. Panel Presentations: Averaged for midterms and finals (Students will present their projects to the English panel at the end of each quarter) What Will I Have to Do for the Year?

Tentative Quarterly Schedule Reading of literature—novel assessment by the end of week 2 Genre-focused writing prompt—completed by the end of week 3 First small project (including annotated bibliography and evidence journal): due at end of week 4 Second small project (including annotated bibliography and evidence journal): due at end of week 6 Big project (including annotated bib and evidence journal): due at end of week 8 Presentations: Week 8-9

What Kind of Project? Not This Kind: This Kind! A poster A simple PowerPoint that you read word for word A painting with a paragraph on the back A diorama Anything that can be done in about thirty minutes the night before it is due A fully edited half-hour biopic including expert interviews and personal stories A walk-through artifact exhibit of ancient Greece including fashion, architecture, etc. Something that you are passionate about, that shows your passion and your abilities, that you would be proud to showcase in front of the world

How Do I Sign Up? Write your name down on the sign-up sheet. Start thinking about your strengths and abilities, as well as topics that you have a passionate desire to learn more about. Read through and fill out the application that will be available next week. Note: This will be a class with scheduled class time to read, research, create, learn, etc. If you are not willing to devote time every. single. day. to this and you are hoping to complete four last-minute projects…don’t waste anyone’s time.