Genius Hour
What is GENIUS HOUR?
Something exciting is going on in our classroom. We are getting ready to introduce
GENIUS HOUR,
a special time in our classroom once a week, where students are encouraged to be creative and explore a topic of their choice.
Genius Hour Time
After appropriate mini lessons each student will create an essential question based on their passion/interest that they will research and solve during Genius Hour. After teacher approval, students will be given approximately one hour each week to research their topic and prepare a presentation while the teacher serves as facilitator. Students will showcase their final project and presentation in March.
Sample Questions Sample Projects
How do you code a computer game? Build a basic computer game
How can I save the wolves? Create a fundraising/awareness campaign
How can I recycle salt water? Create a desalination experiment
Parent Involvement
While the majority of the project will be completed in class, students may need help completing research at home and printing resources. Students may also need to bring in some materials from home for their project. We appreciate your support with this process.
Required Components of Genius Hour
-Essential Question with Teacher Approval
-Research notes with list of sources
-Reflection in which students examine what they completed each session
-Good work habits in which students pursue their passion with focus and stamina
-Final presentation/project
Which State Standards does Genius Hour support?
RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RI.3.5 Use text feature and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
3-P4.2.1 Develop and implement an action plan and know how, when, and where to address or inform others about a public issue.
3-P4.2.2 Participate in projects to help or inform others.
3.SL.2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
3.5ETS1.2 Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem base on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.