1. Objective: SWBAT demonstrate their understanding of the genius hour concept through brainstorming topics, choosing a topic, and sharing ideas.
Bell Ringer: Watch this video and write a half page about how you will improve in English class and your behavior. What was eye opening about the video and how do you plan to be more successful in class.

2. Genius Hour Projects
Grade 9

3. An Introduction

4. The rationale
Genius hour is a movement that allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom. It provides students a choice in what they learn during a set period of time during school. The result is your own, individualized passion project.
The search-engine giant, Google, allows it’s engineers to spend 20% of their time to work on any pet project that they want. The idea is very simple. Allow people to work on something that interests them, and productivity will go up. Google’s policy has worked so well that it has been said that 50% of Google’s projects have been created during this creative time period. Ever heard of Gmail or Google News? These projects are creations by passionate developers that blossomed from their genius hour projects. In fact, Post-it Notes were created during a similar initiative.
So either you’ll become famous, or at least you’ll be thinking about what you might want to do with your future.

5. • What do you want to learn how to do? • What do you want to create?
Seriously…
• What do you want to learn how to do?
• What do you want to create?
• Who do you want to help?

6. Now, consider how your passion and interests could be used to impact your community or others around you.

7. Our timeline

8. Questions you may have…
Can we work with partners? No, this is about YOUR passions and interests.
When you say anything, do you really mean anything? Anything within reason, but I will be approving your topic ideas before you are allowed to get started.
Do I have to present it to the front of the class? You have to present it in some form or fashion.  If you make a documentary, then you will show the movie.  If you make a model, you will need to present what you learned to the class.  This is about sharing your passions and ideas.

9. How you will be graded Formation and Approval of Research Question
Submission of Research Sheets, Annotations and Note Taking
The Elevator Pitch
The Annotated Bibliography
The Written Paper and Reflection
The Sharing Phase
The following are very important as we move forward: creativity, inquisitiveness, flexibility, originality, and persistence. Oh, and did I say PASSION.

10. Examples of passion projects
Ella held a spaghetti dinner for members of her church. The event had over 100 attendees and raised almost $2,000! She had estimated she would raise $800 to make hygiene kits for the homeless and ended up being able to also purchase socks, laundry soap, and other miscellaneous items. 
 Madison, who has scoliosis, wanted to raise funds for scoliosis research. To help, she walked around her neighborhood selling handmade cupcakes and explaining her cause. She was thrilled to raise over $200 and received a letter from the head of the organization designating her an “angel” donor.
Justine learned how to make organic dog treats and then sold them to make money for the humane society.
Thomas is really into technology. He decided to make a movie to test out new effects included in the latest version of iMovie. He worked for several weeks on The Microchip Theft and had lots of fun. At the same time he taught several new special effects to himself, his teachers and his classmates.

11. Let’s Hear what others have done…

12. What is your top interest topic?
Exit Slip
What is your top interest topic?
How can this topic be used to better something in your community or society?