The nine weeks or so between spring break and the end of the year can sail by really fast. A legacy project is one way to inspire students in the final months of school. It can take many forms and be presented at any grade level. Maybe these ideas will inspire you in the last quarter of the school year!
PERSONAL LEGACY PROJECTS
If you Google “5th Grade Legacy Projects,” you’ll discover many ideas and purposes behind this type of class project (here’s one example). The tradition is that the oldest elementary class leaves something behind before they move on to middle school. However, a legacy project can also be presented as an independent project. One year, I introduced the project idea to my 5th grade GT students after our March break, proposing it as a personal project. I asked them to think of something original they could create to leave behind, either for the next 5th-grade GT class or for the entire school. The two main criteria were: (1) the product showed an effort to inspire, educate, or prompt thinking, and (2) it was something that was lasting.
I envisioned artwork, interactive displays, games, teaching videos, puzzles books, and illustrated poetry framed and hung throughout the school. Over the years, there were some impressive contributions. For example, one year several of my students’ puzzles were selected for publishing in the Creative Kids magazine, and we were able to create displays that would inspire future students. Other students created teaching videos. One year, a student’s mom helped her create an amazing quilt displaying the 5th-grade Philosophy Slam entries from that year. 💜
Individual projects sometimes turned into partner projects. These didn’t always go as well. In my early days of GT, two students decided they wanted to build a 3-D foam model of The White House. We purchased a kit and they planned a display that would include a recorded White House tour and trivia. The librarian was happy to reserve a place for it in the school library. However, it turned out to be too much of a challenge, and even though everyone in the class pitched in, we never finished it! I decided to applaud “process” over “product” on that one!
CLASS LEGACY PROJECTS
Over the years, these legacy projects evolved into end-of-the-year presentations and events. One year, my 5th-grade students created, planned, and hosted a think-a-thon for 125 classmates and this will always be their legacy. Over time, students in other grade levels got in on end-of-year events. The 3rd graders presented their ZOOM research and mathemagic to their classes and GT 4th graders hosted an entire MYSTERY DAY in their regular classrooms with Hidden-Picture presentations and a Logic Mystery. Younger students created projects to present or display in the library, such as QR Code Book Reviews (shown at the top of this page).
The final quarter of the year is always a bit hectic, but an end goal creates excitement and purpose. Students often love planning as much as creating and they will surprise you with their ideas. You can start very small with just one group, but I’ve always found that a special end-of-year personal or group project designed for a specific audience keeps students motivated to do quality work from March to May.
I’m glad I was not discouraged by that White House interactive display #FAIL because many of these legacy projects are memorable ones for my students and me.
What are your students working on between now and the last week of school? Share in comments, send a message, or consider sharing in a guest blog post!
Here’s to counting down the days… Happy Spring! 🌺 🌼
Related Post: All the World’s a Stage ~ Spotlight Your Students’ Learning