Toss that Test Aside!
As we all know, students already get plenty of tests, so why not let your students show what they learned creatively? Whether your students are reading independent books or your class has just finished a unit on space or pioneers, a culminating project can really cement that learning. Here are 72 fun and creative ways for your students to show what they know.
- Create a poster
- Make a PowerPoint presentation
- Design a model
- Make a shoebox diorama
- Use a 3-panel display board
- Make a timeline
- Create a board game incorporating key elements.
- Write a poem
- Write and perform a skit
- Make a TV or radio commercial
- Make a collage
- Make a mobile
- Create a test about the topic
- Make a word search
- Make a crossword puzzle
- Write a report
- Create a flow chart or diagram
- Write an interview of a relevant person
- Create questions and an answer key
- Write journal/diary entries
- Write a postcard or letter exchange
- Create a scrapbook
- Create a photo album
- Make an instructional video
- Give a presentation
- Create an interactive notebook
- Create a set of task cards
- Make a pamphlet or brochure
- Write a newspaper article
- Perform a puppet show
- Hold a debate
- Hold a mock court case
- Create an episode of a reality show
- Create a game show
- Have a panel discussion of “experts”
- Compose a rap or other song
- Use a Venn diagram to compare two aspects of the topic
- Design a comic strip about the topic
- Create a children’s story about the topic
- Create a map
- Write a fable or myth about the topic
- Create a help wanted add and a letter/resume to answer it
- Write a text message dialogue relevant to the topic
- Write a series of tweets relevant to the topic
- Create a Facebook wall relative to the topic
- Create a Pinterest board relative to the topic
- Start a blog
- Decorate a box and fill with relevant objects
- Create a foldable
- Create a flip book
- Create a Cootie Catcher
- Create a cereal based on the topic (cover a cereal box)
- Assemble a time capsule
- Create several bookmarks about different aspects of the topic
- Write a recipe relevant to the topic (good for showing causes of an event)
- Do a newscast
- Write an acrostic poem
- Create an Internet scavenger hunt
- Write an advice column with several problems related to the topic
- Create flash cards or trivia cards
- Create a cheer relevant to the topic
- Make a short documentary film
- Create a museum exhibit
- Create a top 10 list relevant to the topic
- Create a video game
- Make a “Choose Your Own Adventure”
- Create a mini book with one fact/idea per page
- Create a glossary of relevant terms
- Make a paper chain with a different fact for each link
- Make a flower with a different fact for each petal
- Write a handbook or instruction book
- Create a newsletter
You can get 15 of these ideas with student instruction sheets and grading rubrics with Ready-to-Use Creative Book Reports.
This is a great list to honor different learning styles! I recently blogged about how we used a jeopardy game to enhance learning the school code of conduct, and I'm always a fan of making class books to reinforce concepts!
I'll be trying more of these – thanks, Rachel!
Susanna
Whimsy Workshop Teaching
Cool list guys! Really intrigued…cant wait to try some of them out…
I already have the slogan for the cereal brand. It’s about The great fire of London btw.
The slogan is “This will burn your mouth like it burned down 1300 homes”
Wonderful ideas here! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
yes! very great ideas keep them coming thanks for sharing.😊
Brilliant list! Wow! To answer your question; #8 yes #9 yes #24 – do that video one lot. LOVE these and will try many more. Feeling inspired 🙂
btw on #33? Well.. actually.. I created and produced an SBTV show called "Enlightenment Stew". 3 minute hodge podge of monologues every week full of humor/wisdom. Put my students on it a lot. We had a blast and report back was "We learn to much!"
This list is really cool.
Love this list! I find it's best to give kids 3-5 choices. Otherwise they get overwhelmed! This list is great because it will help me change it up so the choices I offer aren't always the same ones.
Funny…don't see take a state test…take a quarterly benchmark…take a unit pre/post test…sure wish we had time for these!
I don’t think tests are a way to show information, they’re more of a way to see if students understand what they’re doing.
Yes I agree
Love this list! Thanks! I do assign a lot of these types of assignments already, but do find myself resorting to tests sometimes (although I like to use different, more "FUN" or in depth versions of tests) simply because our assessment policies indicate that we ought to only assess work that is done in class, i.e. that we can observe being completed so that we can assess the process & have conversations about the learning as well as to assess the final product. I have trouble, even when I tell students that work has to be done in class, and have routines to remind them to leave work in an assigned location each period, ensuring that no one takes it home. Then accusations about fairness begin. I'd love any suggestions! I teach middle school.
Tammy @ Teaching FSL
I used the wanted poster idea. My grade 2/3 students created wanted posters for 3-D shapes. They were able to use the attributes of the shapes to describe the wanted shape and had to find an example of that shape to add an image for the poster. We used it for an artwork piece by ripping the edges and staining them with tea to look old. Great media literacy(posters) activity as well as math. The whole school got involved when we posted them around the school. We had students dropping by the room all day long to show us the shapes they had captured for us. My students even made these students bringing us shapes count the vertices and faces to prove that they had captured the right shape. It really engaged everyone. I look forward to using some of your other great ideas.
I love this!! I’m a pre-service teacher in 1st grade and may actually use this tomorrow in class! The art idea is very fun and I think this a great way to make math engaging.
I’m excited to try this wanted poster idea!
List is very useful.
So helpful! Many thanks!
I love this. I used many of them when I was in school and teaching. They are all very helpful.
thanks for the info.
Thank you for compiling such a thorough, and thoroughly useful, list.
Thank you
It is awesome and very creative
Cool list. I’ll try these out.
Wow! I really love this list! I’m a teacher in an elementary school in Albuquerque, New Mexico and my students absolutely love these ideas. They enjoy writing fun little acrostic poems and what not and constantly say “Mrs Garcia, can we please do more!” It’s so great watching their eyes fill with understanding when they do these little tasks! My personal favourite is making a reality TV show. It really makes me laugh when I see a bunch of 9-year-olds acting in such a funny way! It really expresses their knowledge in a fun way that keeps them interested and keeps me happy! Thanks so much for this list.
María Garcia
Great list–I would never have thought of some of these!
Very nice Ideas regarding classroom projects. I think such projects if applied in classroom will make a big difference in teaching and learning.
This is a great list
AMAZING!!
I like them all but I don’t have any supplies 😂
Great List
Good information.
Thank you.
Wow! Thank you for sharing this!
I actually enrolled my kids in the enrichment programs of http://www.georgia.edu.ph, an International School in the Philippines, so they can enhance their skills in the field of Arts and Music. Since you’ve mentioned that these creative ways can help me see the improvements i my child, we will definitely try them at home. Hope you can share more articles like soon, it really is very helpful for parents. More power to your blog!