How Children Benefit From Having Choices For Ways To Share Their Knowledge

Are you looking for ways to help your kids share their knowledge and understanding in meaningful ways? With the wide range of abilities and needs in classrooms today, written assignments and presentations are not always the best ways for kids to shine. I discovered years ago that providing different choices and ways to share through projects was a better way for children to successfully share what they knew.
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When I was still teaching, I made sure to do one or two projects with my class each year. Most of them were social studies projects, but I included some science ones.

Our Solar System Project was one of my favourite projects. Every time I did this project, the results were incredible. The kids were fascinated with the planets and eager to learn about them. 

I would start with finding out what they already knew about the solar system. This was a real eye opener. I would get them to draw, write, or make diagrams on large sheets of paper.

It was amazing to see the range of understanding in the group. Some children had a vast knowledge and understanding of the solar system and how it works. Others had very little background knowledge and they were unaware of what the solar system is.

This gave me insight as to how much teaching would be necessary in order to gain a good understanding of the subject.

Once I had an idea of what was needed, I gathered materials, divided the class into small groups and assigned them different planets to research. I told them they would be the experts and teach the rest of the class what they had learned.  They took this responsibility seriously and did a good job. To find out more about some of the activities and research done by children in grades 2 and 3, check out Our Space Adventures.

Once the class had a basic understanding of the solar system, I introduced the projects and explained how they worked. They had a few choices for how to share their knowledge. They could create models, make postcards, invitations, or brochures, do an interview, or write an essay or a written report. I believe that engaging them in their learning with hands on activities and projects that they chose made a difference.

I feel that the home/school link is so important. With this project, the family had the opportunity to work together and share the learning. They could help with suggestions and materials, but the child was responsible for doing most of the work. The children presented the projects to the class and visitors during a celebration display. They explained their projects and answered questions.

They were given a criteria sheet and a marking sheet at the beginning of the project so that they knew what was expected of them. Most of the children far exceeded the expectations, and they were so proud to share their projects with parents and the rest of the school. The parents were amazed at the variety of projects and the information that the students shared.
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After studying the solar system and doing their projects, I gave them another large piece of paper and had them share what they knew about the solar system. Many children needed to use both sides of the paper to share their knowledge.