What was your driving question?
What passion do you have that you can teach your peers?
Grades Involved
Kindergarten
How did this project connect to your local or regional community?
Students worked with family members and community members to create their passion project presentations.
What PBE principles were highlighted in this project?
Learner-Centered & Inquiry Based
Project Description
Mrs. Cunningham’s Kindergarten students were asked to choose something they were passionate about in order to teach their fellow kinders. Students were asked to create a driving question that their passion projects would address. Then, these kindergarteners worked with their families and local community members to develop a presentation that taught their peers about their passions. The students presented their “passion projects” to the class, their classmates were able to ask questions and probe into each other’s passions, and the peer students provided feedback to the presenters.
How did this positively impact the community? How was it shared?
This project positively impacted our classroom community by allowing Mrs. Cunningham’s students to bond over their different interests and passions. It also allowed the students the opportunity to choose something they love to work through with family and community members, which again allowed the students to create a relationship with others. Mrs. Cunningham shared the students’ videos, pictures, and projects via a social media video.
Reflection: What was the biggest challenge? What was the most rewarding aspect of this project?
The biggest challenge for the students was deciding on a passion. Even with teacher-student conference time to narrow down their ideas, the students still had trouble selecting just one passion. The most rewarding aspect of this project was the opportunity for the teachers and adults to see the pride on the students’ faces and hear the encouragement from the class as their peers presented their projects.
Any advice for a teacher or student that is implementing a PBE project for the first time?
Instead of bringing a project idea to the students, allow the students to bring the project idea to you. Also, think outside of the box. Kindergarteners are just as capable of producing quality, student-driven work!
