Theme 4: Express Yourself M.I. Centers

Below you will find a list of possible projects for Theme 4 Although six weeks seems like a long time, it will go by very fast. You have a few choices. Some of these choices can be done with partners or individually. Remember to use your time wisely! Do not waste your time only looking up pictures and coloring. At the end of six weeks, you will need to teach/present your project and what you learned to the class. We will focus a large amount of our time on creating a PLAN. SAVE ALL OF YOUR WORK- even if you want to start your project all over. You want to see every step you took to complete the project. The project will be due on March 13th.

Mr. Thomas will be there to help you every step of the way! Also, don’t be afraid to ask family and friends for feedback.

**If you want to slightly change one of the projects, ask Mr. Thomas to meet with you and you can discuss your idea. Addition projects focused on Shakespeare

Grade: You will be graded on the final project, the presentation, and how well you worked by yourself or with your group. Also you will be graded on your learning process. That means you want to show all of the work you did in order to complete the project. We will set aside time every week to work on these M.I Centers. However, we will not work on them everyday. You are to work on them at home and at school.

Recall the steps of completing a M.I Center

1) Week One: Pick a project you like (not one your best friend likes). 2) Week Two: Create a rough plan for what you think you want the final to look like. 3) Week Three: Research: This will be our focus skill for theme 2. a. **Important: you may need to go back to step 1 if you do not like the way the project is turning out. 4) Week Four: Discuss and create: Be careful you do not jump to this stage first. Plan first. 5) Week Five: Add any last improvements. The WOW factor. 6) Week Six: Present your project to the class. The Projects

Language/ Writing In the story Hattie’s Birthday Surprise you will read about a girl who learns about some of the pioneers who helped to settle the western parts of the United States. Create a research report or a realistic fiction story about the experiences of a pioneer who settled the American West. Then create a diorama to go along with your project that shows a scene from your paper.

Tactile/ Kinesthetic Carving wood and other materials is an art form that is found in cultures all over the world. Use reference sources to find out about different types of carvings. Then choose a specific type to research. Create your own carving and document every step you took to complete the carving. You should present the final project in a “how-to” style.

Writing/ History: William Shakespeare was one of the most famous playwrights in history. Many of his works, including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Othello have been reproduced as plays and movies. Shakespeare wrote predominantly during The Renaissance period. Use the Internet and other resources to find 1) information about Shakespeare and his contributions to society or 2) another person during The Renaissance.

Interpersonal/ Kinesthetic: We will read a story titled William Shakespeare and the Globe. William Shakespeare was one of the most famous playwrights in history. Many of his works, including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Othello have been reproduced as plays and movies. Research a play that has been adapted from one of Shakespeare’s writings. You, along with three other partners, can perform this play for the class. You will need to teach the class about either 1) the acting world during Shakespeare’s time or 2) skills essential for an actor/actress (refer to page 410 in you Anthology).

Logical/ Mathematical: The Renaissance saw many advances in science and technology. Research the scientific advances during this time period and choose a discovery or invention that was made during that time. Create a diagram or another graphic aid that shows the discovery or invention. If the invention is not overly complicated, you may want to bring in a model.

Intrapersonal/ Linguistic: William Joyce wrote an autobiography in his story The World of William Joyce Scrapbook. His piece was written in a unique scrapbooking style along with words to explain each event. Create a similar autobiography about yourself, along with pictures, in a similar scrapbook/autobiography style.

Music/ Writing: Satchmo’ Blues you learned about the great jazz musician Louis Armstrong. Use the Internet and other resources to learn more about jazz. Look for information to answer questions such as: What is jazz? How and where did jazz begin? What do the terms ragtime, blues, scat swinging, swing, bop, and cool jazz mean? Create a project o present you information. You may want to supply some listening examples.