8th Grade
  • Lesson
  • 60 minutes

Wonder Quest: From Ideas to Impact

Manuel Luevano

Purpose

This lesson aims to guide 8th-grade students in transforming their natural curiosities into actionable projects by leveraging their personal interests. Through engaging activities, students will develop strategies to explore their wonderings, analyze data, and identify trends that can inform future projects. The session emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity, enabling students to produce a short documentary film that showcases their research journey and insights. By fostering an environment of inquiry and reflection, the lesson encourages students to connect their passions with meaningful research and discovery, ultimately enhancing their understanding of the world.

Learning goals

In this lesson, students will learn to transform their personal wonderings into actionable projects by identifying strategies that align with their interests. They will engage in a brainstorming session to explore their interests and formulate research questions using graphic organizers. Students will also develop skills in data collection and analysis to identify trends and patterns, which will inform their future projects. By participating in a peer-sharing circle, students will enhance their empathy and understanding of diverse perspectives, while reflecting on their learning process. The lesson will culminate in the production of a short documentary film, capturing their exploration and the impact of their findings on their understanding of the world.
Standards
  • Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
  • Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
  • ISTE Standards for Students - 1.1 Empowered Learner: Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them, and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.