James H. Bean fifth graders in Mrs. Paisley-Hopper’s class have spent one “genius” hour per week exploring and learning about various topics of their choosing. Genius Hour is a structured inquiry project in terms of its steps:
Brainstorming
Questioning
Researching
Designing
Creating
Presenting
Although it’s structured, Genius Hour is flexible enough to meet the academic needs and diverse interests of every student. Genius Hour is mostly process-driven, with the ultimate goal of students teaching their peers what they’ve learned. To assist in presenting their new knowledge, students are challenged to create a model, a slide presentation, a website, a podcast, a video, an informational pamphlet, a book, a collection, a how-to demonstration, or any other expression of learning they choose to create!
So far this year students learned about a wide variety of topics including tap dancing, the Milky Way, D-Day, the Holocaust, how to become a voice actor, curating a family cookbook, braiding, making healthy treats for dogs and their owners, carburetors, how to open your own pet store, megalodons, and a handful of other topics – showing that everyone can be a “genius” in their own way!
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