All teachers know that to motivate students to learn, we must first draw their interest. We must find exciting projects to motivate students to process, learn, and retain history concepts and events. The good news: these projects don’t need to be elaborate or bank-breaking. They can be simple, hands-on lessons that get students to buy into their own learning.
Basic Projects to Motivate Students
When we suggest assigning projects, the first thought that comes to mind is an elaborate, week-long research-based presentation. It can be so much more basic than that, and still make a hit! Think small for big outcomes!
- Play games like the children in ancient civilizations played (pick up rocks, Olympics…)
- Making salt maps to help students see landscapes and the impact of water
- Learning about civilizations by building architectural components with everyday materials
- Pulling clues from a sunken ship to learn about the Age of Exploration
- Drawing masterpieces under their desks to understand the talent of Renaissance greats
The list can go on and on! And each of these are one-day lessons that your students will have fun doing, and will not forget!
Think Simple Instead of Extravagant
Our students are so used to sitting in front of a screen all day that they engage easily with simple, hands-on lessons. The break from tech-based lessons is a breather for them. And whether they admit it or not, all ages (even through high school) love a lesson where they get to collaborate and move.
- Let your students dig up artifacts from a shredded paper archeology dig. It’s easy to set up (Read this guide) and students will be more engaged AND will retain the content.
- Create a tour through a historic place or time by displaying images and chunked text throughout your classroom of the school hallways.
- Place your students in “trenches” to read real letters from soldiers to better understand their experiences in the wars.
Build Bridges to Make Lessons Interdisciplinary
Building bridges (or domes, columns, temples…) can be one of the greatest learning activities with the least effort on your part! And the lessons can be interdisciplinary. You may even want to check with a math or science teacher to collaborate. And think outside the box: Consider a lesson on the importance of bridges in the World Wars. Look at the building of the Aqueducts by the Romans to create the first network of roads. Examine the artistry in creating temples or other places of worship based on the time periods and events in history. Exciting projects to motivate students can be easy and fun for you and the students.
Need Directions for Building Bridges with Basic Materials?
- Begin by introducing the principles of bridge engineering, including how bridges distribute weight and how different shapes and materials affect the strength of a bridge.
- Divide students into groups and provide them with a set amount of dry spaghetti and mini marshmallows or gumdrops.
- Challenge students to build a bridge using only the spaghetti and marshmallows or gumdrops, and to span a designated distance (e.g. 30 cm).
- Once the bridges are complete, test their strength by adding weights to the center of the bridge until it collapses.
- Measure and record the amount of weight that each bridge was able to support.
- Have students reflect on their designs and discuss what worked well and what didn’t. Ask them to explain the principles of engineering that they applied in their design or the historic context of the build.
Assessments for Hands-On Learning
This is the best part – the assessment is in the project. If students are collaborating, building, participating, they are learning. Ask them questions as they build. Have them make comparisons as an exit prompt. The grading options are endless, just like the possibilities for learning!
Happy Teaching!
