Project Ideas
How might you use the global Sustainable Development Goals and local social issues to engage students in social innovation projects?
Please post your initial project ideas here.
Then, read and respond to at least 1 of your colleague's project ideas.
23 Replies
Saving paper:
Have each student to start a live binder to keep important notes. this will help with not using paper and the student will learn about the new technology.
I have not thought about using a live binder in my classroom before. But now, I will consider it as an option in my classroom. Not only will it save on paper, but it takes away the situation in which a child may not be able to afford a binder all while improving their technology skills. I love it!
I think this is a great idea, but it is also has to be manageable for the grade level you are teaching. Having this resource will work completely different in a kindergarden classroom vs a high school classroom. You would also have to think about the kid's wo may not have access to technology outside the classroom. Another thing I think about is will all the assignments be completed online as well or will they be doing it on paper, taking a picture, then uploading it.
Saving paper is a great and easy one to do in a classroom. I think this would be a great project for younger students to do.
I found the candlelight vigil to be an interesting way students could bring light to the issue of justice. At this vigil, students not only remember those who were victims of injustice, but they can also take this time to empower and educate those who may feel like they do not have a leg to stand on when it comes to topics of injustice.
I think this topic would be very interesting!
I have had an experience with this with my high school and it was a great way to make a statement yet bring students together. Instead of students walking out to make a statement they stayed after school for the vigil and we came together to understand the injustices that take place in our society. This vigil was based off of a school shooting that had taken place in another state but we wanted to be activists for the cause of school safety.
I really like this and think that this would be a great idea
- Hey Cortney, I think a candlelight vigil is a great idea as it allows students to take a stand for those who suffered injustice.
I liked the Crayon Project and the Plastic Poison project as they both involved reusing items for another purpose. In the crayon project old crayons are melted down into new molds, these molds could be different shapes and such making think crating for preschoolers and kindergarteners. The Plastic Poison project involved third and sixth graders taking the plastic cups they use to make artwork and reuse them after doing some data collection and making a video. For low income schools these are both great ideas as the products bought will last longer and new art can be added to the school walls. Personally, I would like to introduce the water bottle project where instead of using plastic cups students have their own bottle which they refill and use everyday. Many schools have already implemented this due to COVID.
Hi, Katelyn. I liked the Crayon Project too. I agree that both are good ideas for low income schools since the products will last longer. I like the water bottle project, too. When I was in elementary, I took a water bottle, so I think it's definitely something that could easily be implemented into schools!
I found the Word Sharing project interesting. It is about "understanding the meaning of words and how context and experience shapes the meaning of words." Students read Peter Reynold's Word Collector then identify a world that has meaning, then share/exchange their words with another class. Each class uses the words to make something, then shares it back. I thought it was interesting because it could show the different ways words are interpreted by kids as well as different biases/contexts that might exist.
This project sounds fun and is great for students to work with word play.
I think understanding words and context is an important skill for children
I found the Plastic Poison project interesting. This project allowed students to recycle plastic cups into artwork to show others. The students first looked to see how many cups the school went through in a month and then started this project. This is great for students to learn about recycling while having fun making artwork.
I think this is a neat project that allows students to recycle and make a better planet at a young age.
Lawson, I think the plastic poison project is very interesting also. I agree that this is great for students to learn about recycling while making artwork.
I learned more about the crayon project, where schools that are more fortunate are melting old and broken crayons down and creating new ones to donate to less fortunate schools. This project was neat because it showed how even young students can be giving at a young age. It also allows students to get creative and teaches then to reuse materials which helps the planet.
I really liked this idea. The crayon project seems like a great way for students to help other students. I agree with what you said about it doesn't matter the age of the students. Any student at any age can do this.
I really like the crayon project, I feel like this is a great project for students to help the community at a young age. The crayon project is where the more fortunate school melts down old crayons and makes new ones which will then be given to a less fortunate school. This teaches children of a young age to help others in need and how to reuse materials instead of just throwing them away. Since I plan to work with kindergarten I feel like this project would give me many opportunities to teach my students many different things.
Hi Allison,
I really like this idea of using old products and making new ones to send to those who are less fortunate and don't have access to some of these materials like crayons. I think this would be a great project to do with kindergarten students!
I really liked the project titled "Plastic Poison." This project was completed by some 3rd and 6th grade students. They realized just how many plastic cups they were using each month and how it could damage and harm sea animals. So they decided to switch to paper cups in their school as well as trying to get their community to switch away from using plastic as well. I think a good idea would be too look into the school and the cafeteria and see just how much food may be being wasted after each lunch everyday. If they are having a significant amount left over they could see about how they could use that left over food to help feed the homeless in their community.
I love this idea! It is such a subtle change that can make a huge difference on the world!
(Peer Response to Katelyn)
Hey Katelyn,
I love the idea of the crayon project because it could allow students to help the less fortunate. I like the idea of giving away the extra food that they have instead of throwing it away which would be a waste. I think that if this was implemented in the classroom and school it could lead to more positive things in the community overall and it would also help out as well!
Thanks for reading :)
I got my inspiration from the Crayon Project listed in the website. This project focused on melting down old crayons and turning them into new ones that they would then donate to the local community. As an artist I absolutely love this idea! My Idea for a project would be to collect old unused art supplies and hold a "Community Library" full of art supplies that people would take if they needed and leave what they don't. I think that this is something I could do in my local community, to promote the arts for individuals who may not have previously had access to supplies.
I think that my students could find different ways to help make the world a better place. Such as helping in community service and picking up trash on the side of the road. Helping to feed the homeless, or helping out with the Special Olympics, and many more. To incorporate this with my curriculum I would make it a competition and see who can receive the most time and would require them to take pictures and brief paragraphs on what they did.
My project idea would be called Plastic Posse, the goal would be to get people to reuse, reduce, and recycle plastic. There would be campaigns and we would go out and pick up trash on the sides of roads.
I really like the crayon project. It seems like a very good way for students to be able to help other students. This will also bring art to the classroom and students will want to participate. I would like to incorporate this into my classroom one day and use it to explain to my students that sometimes there are students/schools in need of materials that they are privileged to have and that they will have the opportunity to help them.
i agree i think this would be a great idea for a project and would be very benificial to the world, people now a days are also getting lazy so we need to start taking care of this earth more.
I like the speak-up project because it allows for people who see and suffer from hate crimes to tell their stories. I would have students research a hate crime that has happened in their local community no matter how long ago it was, and they would create a presentation on what could have prevented this from happening and what they could do to prevent this from happening again. I could also have an open discussion about hate crime topics in general and the negativity it leaves in our world. Students write down various hate crime ideas, discuss them in this open panel, and try to find preventative solutions to these issues. We can also have various scenes where we allow students to come across a possible hate crime and teach them to speak up when they see this happening. If it is something that you know shouldn't be done, say something and don't just allow this to happen. Students can also self-reflect on this as they may have experienced this in their life. It could allow them to share perspectives and experiences with classmates so they can see a primary example of how this affected their peers.
I also like the project Save a friend before you lose one. I think it is important to have students understand that they can reach out to someone when they feel like it's them against themselves. One idea for a project is having students do something nice for themselves, do something nice for their classmate, do something nice for their parent, and do something nice for someone they feel deserves it. I would have students create a poster where they could share something positive about their friends that they like, they could also attach why they are friends with this person, what the friend does that inspires them, and something encouraging for their future. We need students to be able to communicate their feelings and thoughts towards people around them because you never know what someone is going through. I would also implement an affirmations board that students can add and subtract from when they deem necessary to create that positive environment for them. As I think on this more, I could come up with more ideas but as of right now this is all that I have.
The Plastic Poison Project was one of my favorites. A class created artwork out of recycled plastic cups they used at school. The 3rd-grade children were so moved by this deed that they wrote letters to their school's headmaster, and they now only use paper cups. I'd implement this concept by having my pupils create artwork using plastic that they may see on a daily basis. I'll also give them permission to contact someone so they can make a significant difference, similar to the 3rd-grade class. This will demonstrate to them that their actions can have a positive impact on the world.
Hey Stephanie
I love your project idea; it is easy to do and can inspire little kids to want to recycle and reuse. That is great and can help effect changes.
Recycle more, trash less. it will be a fundraiser or goal to stop people from throwing out plastic and try to recycle more often.
I like the deforestation one. I think a spin on it to put in perspective for kids is to have them "build " trees out of paper or other materials then come by, and every time they use a form or wooden product, take away a tree until eventually, they run out of paper.
As a teacher the project that I would have students get prepared to participate in would be Earth Day. I would write my curriculum to teach the students all about earth day and the reason for it being important.
Great idea Jahmik, helping children get informed is a way to start off and helping know the earth is important and we should take care of it as we only have one earth.
Food For Thought Project — Understand the industrial and sustainable food systems and the steps in each. Where does our food come from? Where does our waste go? Does everyone have equal access to food? Are all farmers treated fairly? How does climate change impact our food system? Focus on one aspect of the food system. Educate your peers on your findings.
One issue I see a lot in my community is the lack of focus on the mental health of students and children as a whole. As someone who has and continues to go through this challenge, I think it is important. I think during the course of a visual arts course a lot of a child's personality shines through their work and sometimes you see the mental health come through as well. I think I would encourage students to have personal connections to their work because I find the best products come from truly caring about the result. I would also discuss how art can be used as a creative outlet but emphasize the importance of speaking up and speaking out against things that bother you. Much like art, we can put a smile on to cover up the pain, but the issue doesn't go away.
One sustainable project idea is reusing old broken unwanted crayons, collecting crayons that children do not use anymore and melting them into new crayons to be reused is a great project. These new made crayons can be donated to places for children that are less fortunate. Instead of throwing them away, they can be made into a crayon shape or have fun with it and use different molds.
I think this is a wonderful idea, Diana! It is a means of both recycling and helping others. I think children would be very invested in this project.
We could focus on the mental health of students. This could look like bringing in a counselor to speak with them, to share videos and resources with them, and to incorporate journal entries that allow them to share their thoughts and feelings, while also improving their writing skills.
Haley,
I think this is a wonderful idea. People don't normally think of mental health and the impact it plays on our students.
I would have my students use reusable water bottles. Students need to be aware of how much plastic we use throughout the day/ week. I would challenge my students to use a reusable water bottle for a week.
Sandra Holshouser
Mar 28, 2021 at 2:05 PM