Lewis and Clark: A Children's Book Project

Once upon a time, a group of students were given a project about Lewis and Clark... 

I have taught the unit on Lewis and Clark for over 15 years, but have changed it just about every year because I'm not always happy with how I present these ground-breaking explorers to my students.  But I have finally created something that I am truly happy with and, even better, it is a fun, student-centered alternative to what I have done in the past:

A Children's Book Project!

Students really take charge of their own learning by completing a detailed web quest to gain detailed background information about the Lewis and Clark expedition.  Then they organize the facts they learned from the web quest in a planning packet.  Finally, they use the planning packet to create a children's book showcasing all they have learned.

Story time?  In middle school?

Yes.  My colleagues may tease me but I like to break from what can be hum-drum, boring, same ol', same ol' and have story time with my students as a culminating activity to this unit and project.  Some students like to read their book aloud.  Others ask me or another student volunteer to read their book.  Either way, I have all kids leave their children's book on their desk and we have a "gallery walk" in which the kids "visit" each other's desks and skim through a fellow student's book.  It's always a fun day!

No paper-and-pencil test here....

Yes.  This project is a graded and takes the place of a traditional paper-and-pencil test on this unit.

Depending on the make-up of your school and/or district, this could even be an opportunity for your middle school kids to visit lower grades and read aloud to the younger ones :)  Great community connection here!

Time is always a factor.  But I love the culminating activity (day it is due) so much that I make it happen.  I may do a flipped lesson somewhere else in the Jefferson unit to make up a day or two.  Depending on the year and how much time I have, I make a timeline for the students with target dates for when they should have different aspects of the project completed.  While this may be time-consuming because I check up on the kids' progress (or lack thereof!) it generally results in better projects and few (if any) missing projects on the day it is due.

Take a look at some previews of the lesson and a detailed timeline here