Research projects allow students to become thoroughly informed about an engaging topic. They encompass a lot of different skills and can be integrated into any subject area. Best of all they prepare students for real-life learning by teaching them how to gather information. The benefits don't end there. There are many other reasons to make them a part of your classroom including the following: TIME MANAGEMENT Research projects provide opportunities to practice time management skills. This takes time. The more guided practice students are given, the better they become at knowing how to pace themselves. EXPLORATION OF INTERESTS More and more often students are told what to read and what to learn. Research projects give them some choice. Choosing what to learn about makes practicing those important reading and writing skills so much more enjoyable which results in increased learning. REPLICATES THE REAL WORLD Students are not going to be students forever. As......

I may be weird, but I love doing report projects with my kids. Instead of dreading each one (yes, we do several each year), I actual enjoy the process. Lucky for me, because I think when we enjoy something, the kids can tell and are more likely to view the whole process in a positive way. So, how exactly do I lead these 30 or so kids into creating meaningful, well-written, and researched projects? Let me tell you five tips that may just come in handy. 1. Plan Ahead This is a must-do and not a may-do! Starting a new report project is definitely not one of those times that you can show up and wing it. Here are a few things you'll want to do in advance: Make copies of all of the papers needed  Schedule the entire project out in your lesson plans (You'll need to have every due date firmed up ahead of time) Reserve library time for research if needed (I like them to have at least one book) Reserve the computer lab/laptop carts if needed for researching/writi......

Have you ever sat in a boring Social Studies class?   Thinking about the monotone voice of one of my Social Studies teachers makes me cringe even to this day!  Needless to say, it was not my favorite subject and I never did well.   When I became a teacher many moons ago, I was determined to make Social Studies interesting!  In this post, you will find how I teach the beginning of a Colonial Unit.  I like to mix it up with videos, projects, and food! Columbian Exchange: 1.   Video :  A great 10 minute explanation that keeps your students focused!    1492 Columbian Exchange Part 5 2.   Informational Text :  I wrote my own informational text, but to keep this post without expense, I found some great websites for text information!  This site has information with a map, along with effects and impacts of the Columbian Exchange.   Columbian Exchange Website 3.   Group Research : Assign each group one of the follo......