Bill Young

This project tasks students to create a board game that will teach a core content topic to other students. These board games could be from any subject (elective, math, science, language arts, etc.). I created this project to encourage my gifted students to utilize game play as a learning tool and as a review tool for difficult concepts. This project can be modified to fit ANY curriculum or area that you need.

Students use a still camera to take still pictures of an object, move the object, and shoot another picture. Process continues until students have several hundred photos. They then use video editing software (iMovie or Windows Movie Maker) to put the pictures together and play them at a high rate of speed to simulate motion. Rubric includes links to examples that are posted on YouTube.

Students answer a series of questions about the 7 different teachers they have had this year. The information will be grouped by teacher and bound together so that future students can use it as a reference when they are getting to know their new teacher. Project description includes questions, due dates and point values for each question. This would also be useful for high school students; or any situation where students need to get used to multiple adults for a new school year.

I use this with my students whenever I start to see that they are neglecting to read the directions on one of my science labs. This really helps them understand the importance of reading and following step-by-step instructions. Students work cooperatively in groups of 3 or 4 to build a structure using common materials. They write down step-by-step instructions on how to put their device together. A few days later a different group is given the instructions and the container of parts. They

Students take an inanimate object and give it a voice and a personality. Project is broken into 3 parts; the write-up, the audio file and the video project. The Woot.com Li'l Checkmates video is an example of the type of video students will create (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dc2oxnVIuQ). Instructions for downloading and using Audacity (for creating and editing the audio files) is included, as well as instructions for downloading and using Window's Movie Maker Live for the video editin

Students remake their all time favorite movie into a much briefer and very low budget version of the original. The term is from a 2008 Jack Black movie called "Be Kind Rewind". In the movie, Jack Black works at a VHS video rental store, and acidentally erases all the video tapes. Rather than purchase new tapes, he and his coworker, Mos Def, decide to reshoot the movies using low budget effects that they can scrounge from the local dumpsters. I usually show clips from this movie to my stude

Students start this project by reading one of 3 novels. I usually have my new kids read Ender's game and my older kids read Ender's shadow. If any of them have read these two novels already I have them read Shadow of the Hedgemon. These novels follow the lives of gifted students and is set in the future. They are sent to a special school in outer space called "battle school", where they learn to become military leaders in the hope that they will give humanity the advantage in a battle agains

Each year, I get a fresh batch of 6th grade gifted students who come from at least 3 different elementary schools. I designed this project as an ice breaker, but the skills in this project could be used throught the year. Students use a free program called Audacity (requires access to a computer that has a microphone) to interview each other and record the interview as an MP3 file. Project file includes a grading rubric for the MP3 file, a grading rubric for the video file and quick referen

Students create a device or invention that will help the average middle school student. After they've created their device or invention, they have to shoot an infomercial that will help sell their product, including testimonials from the average middle school student(s). Project file includes the invention grading rubric, video grading rubric and a quick reference to using Movie Maker for the PC.