The Witches Final Project

My reading class began their final projects today after choosing from five options:

1. Write a Storyjumper or Storypatch story that tells about the Grand High Witch before she became “grand” or “high”or maybe even a “witch."
2. Write a Storyjumper or Storypatch story about an adventure in the school of the witches.
3.  Create and present a persuasive speech as the Grand High Witch, trying to convince your audience that you really aren’t all that bad.
4.  Create a three- dimension potion that could free the children from the witches’ spells
5.  Create a jeopardy game based on the book to present to the class using http://jeopardylabs.com/build/

I was surprised by some of the selections the students had made, especially after deciding on certain project options with particular children in mind! However, as I looked around the room at each student completely immersed in their projects I appreciated the value of self-direction. After the students spent time brainstorming their main ideas and supporting details, they began filling out their "game plan." I asked the students to design a self-directed timeline to complete their project by next Wednesday. This involves each student setting specific goals for each day, assigning homework if needed, and checking and re-assigning goals after each class. It was fascinating to hear their different plans, from “I’m going to get it all finished by Friday and double check things on Tuesday” to “I am going to just plan today, and start my actual project tomorrow.”

Personally, I have always aimed to finish assignments well in advance, and have probably encouraged/planned for my students to do the same. Watching the students’ planning process, I realized that each student would have their project completed by Wednesday, while working on very different time schedules. Furthermore, the opportunity to create their own plan helps the students learn more about their working style, instead of mine.