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Purposes of Passion Projects at MHMS
Today more than ever, schools are competing for their students’ attention. Information is widely available and easily accessible. In times past, schools were the main place for individuals to learn facts and build skills. That is no longer the case. We must create a learning environment that expects students to apply skills to increasingly complex tasks. In today’s highly complex economy, those that thrive are those who can take initiative and complete complex tasks. The hope is that when students are given the opportunity to spend time on a project that they are passionate about, we will see increased engagement for all learning. This is modeled after a similar practice employed at companies like Google. Schools have utilized this concept as well and called it things like “Genius Hour” or “20 Time Projects”. Generally, these are only done by individual teachers and often focused just on students who are identified as Gifted and Talented.
At Marce Herz Middle School our vision is to empower young people to pursue their passions and change the world. That applies to every student no matter what teacher they have or what program they belong to.
At Marce Herz Middle School our data demonstrates that students are fairly skilled when it comes to self-awareness. They demonstrate less skill when it comes to self-management. Giving them the opportunity to work on a project of their choosing that isn’t laid out in detail for them, will give them the opportunity to further develop those skills.
3 Basic Criteria
- Something you are passionate about
- Culminates in a product of some sort
- Contributes to the world outside of yourself
Examples
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- Soccer Camp
- Decorated Hospital Rooms
- Build Go-Cart
- Electric Bike
- Cookbook
- Magnet Product to Move Things
- Children's Book
- "How to..."
Decision Process
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Example 1
- Student: "I'm passionate about WWII, how do I turn this into a Passion Project?"
- "I can make a poster about what I learned"
- Teacher response: "WWII is fascinating and I’m sure you could learn a lot, but a Passion Project isn’t just about you learning. You need to contribute to the world outside yourself. How do you think you can do that?
- Student's new, advanced ideas:
- Create a timeline or other graphic to be displayed in a history class
- Teach younger people about the topic
- Write a book on the topic
- Create a website on the topic
- Create artwork related to the topic
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Example 2
- Student: "I’m passionate about snowboarding and I want to learn to do a 360 on my snowboard."
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- Teacher response: "That’s amazing. What kind of product will you create that contributes to the world outside of yourself?
- "I’ll create a video of my process to inspire others to try new things."
- "I want to understand the physics of the process and will create a lesson that uses snowboarding to explain potential and kinetic energy because I think the way my teacher explains it is boring."
- Student's new, advanced idea:
- Actually, I’m more passionate about creating a YouTube channel and will use snowboarding as my topic. My goal is to get at least 500 subscribers to my YouTube channel.
- Teacher response: "That’s amazing. What kind of product will you create that contributes to the world outside of yourself?
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I need a driving question?
Yes. You need to have something you are trying to accomplish. Something that you don’t know yet or haven’t accomplished yet and you want to work towards.
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Can I do a research project?
Passion Projects are not just research projects. Research will likely be a part of your project, but you need to think in terms of what product you will create. When your project is done, we want more than just research. You need to do something with that research.
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Is the Passion Project graded?
Your project is graded for completion. As long as you complete each step to the best of your ability, you will earn an A. There is not a specific rubric because we want you to be able to be as creative as possible. You will have specific tasks to complete and deadlines to meet. This is very real world. Your boss will give you tasks and deadlines. Your boss probably won’t give you a specific line-by-line list of everything you need to do. You need to be able to make that list. Determine what needs to be done to meet the deadlines and put forward a high-quality product.
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Can I fundraise for an organization?
Yes, if that is what you are passionate about. Your project does not have to include any fundraising. Most of the best projects we’ve seen over the years don’t include fundraising. If you are going to fundraise, you need parents' permission and all the money raised needs to go through your parents. The school will not collect any money for you.
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Can I build something?
Yes. Depending on what you are building, you may need to do that part at home. Remember, you need to have a product. That product may be something you build.
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Do I have to do anything in class, or can I do it all at home?
There are several tasks that need to be done in class. You will present your ideas to your class. You will update your class on your progress. You should use class time to research, plan, prepare, document, etc. Generally, you will spend one Advisory class each week working on your Passion Project. Use this time wisely.
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Can I change my project in January or later in the year?
You can change your project. As you work on your project you may find you are not as passionate about it as you once thought you were. You may also find your project leads you to something you hadn’t thought of. Just remember that you have deadlines. No matter when you change your project, you still need to meet all required deadlines.
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Is my PowerPoint the final product?
No. Your PowerPoint may be one way you choose to tell us about your project, but it is not your final product.
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Can I work with a partner or in a group?
Yes, but there are a few requirements for group projects. Teacher permission is required. You need to demonstrate to your teacher why you want to work as a group. What does each team member add and how will your project be better because you work as a team? You may need to present individually in each of your classes. Progress will be checked and if your group is not working productively, your permission to work as a group may be revoked.
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Do I have to present in front of people?
Yes. There are various presentations along the way. Sharing your ideas with others is an important skill to learn. It is also a very important way to get feedback on what is and isn’t working. Before presenting to a large group, your teacher will help you develop the skills needed. You will have the opportunity to present to small groups before presenting to a large group.
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Why do I have to do a Passion Project?
At MHMS we are about empowering young people to pursue their passions and change the world. We teach you a lot of specific skills in each of your classes. In many cases, the world will ask you to apply those specific skills to a larger goal. Our world is changing very quickly, and you need to be able to attack complex tasks and create something great. Passion Projects will help you practice doing just that.
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How do I track my progress?
There are two ways you will track your progress.
- Periodically, you will present to your class in a more formal fashion.
- You will also regularly upload your progress and comment on the progress of others through Padlet.
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What if I need money to fund my idea?
Our PTA is willing to fund some Passion Projects. If you need money to get your project going, you will need to present your idea to the PTA. Contact Mr. Bringhurst and he can give you the details for making your presentation to the PTA.
