I did not intend to have another Museum, instead students were going to individually present each project. We simply ran out of class time for that, but students who want to present still have the chance to do so in younger grade classes.
Next year, I'm going to add a new project to the agenda that focuses on oration as I believe students need the chance to develop that skill with intent and practice.
So, with only ten school days left, students and I will be busy today setting up the Museum. I'll use this as a chance to clean up the room for the end of the year too.
First, I'll go in early to reorganize the furniture, pushing cabinets and bookshelves to the back of the room to make space for Museum displays and visitors. Then students will clean their desks and cubbies, bringing home all the books and supplies we will no longer use this year. After that students will begin creating their Museum spaces with posters and displays, leaving room for their laptops so visitors can see their Google presentations and films during the open house.
It takes a lot of energy to coordinate the Museum set-up, and I like to do it a few days prior to the actual Museum leaving "room for error and revision." Once the room is prepped, students will have a chance to finesse their projects.
As you can see, the Endangered Species project has many elements to it from initial design to implementation to presentation. I'll write again once we reach the final stage--the project open house or Museum. Stay tuned.
