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Creativity in the Modern Classroom

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How Genius Hour Social Studies Will Transform Your Classroom

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If you are not implementing Genius Hour Social Studies into your social studies classroom, you need to do this right away!

Every student has a passion, and it is no different in social studies. Each grade level has a different focus when teaching social studies. Most curriculum are focused on a time period such as: Early America up to the Civil War, or just Geography. Students in these classes, for the most part, like social studies because it is not reading or writing. (Sorry that is not a knock on you ELA teachers, just a truth we have found over time). However, each student’s interests can be very different and staying focused on only one aspect of social studies can become boring for students.

This is where Genius Hour Social Studies comes into play. Students get to choose a passion that they have in a social studies category. It can be history, culture, economics, government, geography or any other social studies topic. You just need to carve out time during the week for students to work on their projects. It could be 5-10 minutes at the end of each class period. Or it could be once a week during class. That choice is up to you.

We have five reasons why you should implement Genius Hour Social Studies below.

It promotes choice.

Choice is key in school. When students are provided a choice, they “buy in” to what they are working on. There are so many options available and the students are the ones that get to pick their project. It is a “win” for both the student and the teacher.

It helps develop critical thinking skills.

When students dive into their projects, they will need to use critical thinking skills to answer the tough questions they have developed about their topic. There will be roadblocks, but the students are more motivated to tackle them because they have an interest in the topic!

It engages the learner.

Since the topic was chosen by them, there is an intrinsic motivation to find answers to their questions. The students are engaged and can’t wait for time to work on their projects. Because of this increased excitement, you will probably see interest in your general social studies class soar as well!

It is differentiated.

As educators it is often difficult to meet all students’ needs in the classroom. But this project is totally designed by the student. Now you may need to help with guidance for some students, but each individual student is creating their project based on their interests. You will be surprised at even what your lower level students can accomplish when they are given a choice!

It is fun!

Plain and simple, Genius Hour Social Studies is fun! Your students will be begging you for more time to work on their passion projects. You will notice a positive change in student behaviors as they are now excited to come to class because they know that they will have a choice of what to work on.

Genius Hour Social Studies has been a game changer in our classrooms. We hope that you can implement this soon!

How Genius Hour Will Increase Student Engagement

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If you haven’t heard of Genius Hour yet, it is time!

Genius Hour is a time set aside each day in a classroom for students to spend time learning about something that they are passionate about. It can be as little as fifteen minutes or as long as an hour or more. The key is to allow students to spend time learning about something that they are passionate about.

We have some key observations that we would like to share with you after implementing it in our classrooms.


Students are excited to come to school.

Yes, you heard us correctly. After introducing Genius Hour to our classes, we couldn’t believe the excitement that they had each day when they knew that they would have time to work on their projects. It was usually the first thing that students would ask us when walking in to the classroom in the morning.

Behaviors will start to change.

We all have those tough students each year. There is no getting around that. But what we found when implementing it is that these “tough” students now had something to look forward to each day. Their behaviors started to change and all of the negative ways that they were seeking attention mostly were gone because they knew they had a time during the day reserved for what they wanted to do.

Student confidence and self-esteem will rise.

When given dedicated time to learn about their passions, students will take more pride and ownership of their work. It is great to see the shy students, or the students who are unsure of themselves get this twinkle in their eyes when they hear it is Genius Hour time.

Genius Hour is intrinsically motivating.

Since students get to pick their passion projects, students are invested in their learning. They can’t wait to dig in each day! There are no bells and whistles to get students to work.

It encourages collaboration.

As students work on their projects, they are talking and sharing ideas with others in the classroom. Students will want to share their work with others. It is great to see how they all work together and share ideas.

There are some great resources on the internet that are ready to use right away in your classroom. Here a few listed below.

Genius Hour
This is the #1 seller on Teachers Pay Teachers! It has everything you need to get started in your classroom.

Genius Hour Math
This is perfect for upper elementary, middle school and even high school. The focus is to give time for a project during math class or a resource/study hall period.

Genius Hour Reading
This resource is for reading classes in elementary and middle school. It provides ideas for both literature and informational text. Your students will not only still do standards work, continue to practice reading strategies and comprehension. But they will also be engaged in their learning!

Genius Hour Google Slides
Now you can access our popular resource on Google. Check it out!

Signs for the Classroom
Now you can get 40 signs to display in your classroom as students are doing their projects!

Make Genius Hour a priority in your classroom today!

Why Genius Hour Needs to Be Implemented in Your Classroom

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We all want our students engaged. With technology ruling the lives of upper elementary and middle school students it is getting harder and harder to keep students’ attention in the classroom. But this trend can stop now. Genius Hour is a time that students will be engaged in their learning. We have our top 5 ways that Genius Hour will transform your classroom in a big way!

1. Spark Curiosity

Students are naturally curious. Imagine telling your class that they get to lead their own learning for a part of the school day. They will look at you like you are crazy, but will be at the edge of their seats to learn more. Let them know that they will be in control of what they want to learn about, a passion that they have! Here is a great video to introduce Genius Hour to your class.

2. Elicit Excitement

We have created an introductory slide show that will build excitement in your classroom. This 15 slide presentation gets your class thinking about how people just like them at one time had a great idea that turned into something much bigger than they thought. By the end of the slide show, your students will be begging you to get started. Here is another video that guides your students through the process of Genius Hour if you choose to use this too.

Make students passions come to life with Genius Hour.

3. Find Internal Motivation

It is hard for many students to be excited about “math” or “writing” class. But knowing that they have a dedicated time each day or week to work on their Genius Hour projects will make all the difference. It will amaze you at how motivated your students will be to work on their projects. It is usually the first question we get in the morning. When that time comes to work on their passion projects they are ready to hit the ground running! We have seen this transfer into other subjects as students now have a purpose for being at school.

4. Show Perseverance

One great trait that Genius Hour will instill in your students is perseverance. The beginning part of the project is always easy where students pick their topics. But when the research process begins that is where you will help your class dive in and dig deeper to find answers to their essential questions. Sometimes it is not easy to find answers, but that is where you teach them not to give up and keep working toward their goal. Below is a handout we give the students that helps them with the research process. As you can see it is detailed and helps provide them with a framework of how to take notes.

5. Build Confidence

As your students near the completion of their passion projects, you will want them to share it with their classmates. Since this is a topic that matters, they will have confidence that will help them to get up in front of their peers. Their presentations will be the culmination of all the hard work that they have put into their projects.

Our Genius Hour resource is packed with everything you need to get it up and running in your classroom. We have everything from the introductory slide show, planning pages, note taking, presentation tips, rubrics and so much more.

Give Genius Hour a try in your classroom. You will never regret giving your students power in their learning and watching that power transform your classroom into an engaging and exciting place to learn!

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How to Spark Engagement with Genius Hour Math!

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You hear it every year from some students. “I hate math!” Well, it doesn’t have to be this way. With Genius Hour Math implemented in your classroom, watch the negativity disappear with highly-engaging passion projects that students get to select on their own.

Genius Hour is a time set aside for students to work on a project they are passionate about. This typically has been used for any type of concept that students show a deep interest, but we have found Genius Hour Math to be that extra spark that so many struggling math students need.

How Does it Work?

You can decide when to implement Genius Hour Math. Whether it be the first week of school, after winter or spring break, or even at the end of the year when the class, and yourself, is running on empty, the choice is up to you! In our Genius Hour Math resource we have included detailed teacher tips that will walk you through the entire process. No need to guess on how to use the great resources included. We do the dirty work for you!

Why is it so powerful?

The power is in choice. We all know that students learn better when they take part in their learning. That is exactly what Genius Hour Math provides. Students get to pick their project. Whether is be learning about statistics in baseball, creating a city out of geometric shapes, or designing a tree house, students get to decide on the project that interests them!

What results can you expect?

Number one, students will be more excited about math class, and will beg you to work on their Genius Hour project. Second, your class will be more engaged in your normal lessons because they are now looking forward to math class. Third, you should see test scores rise on your everyday curriculum as students begin to develop more confidence in their math abilities.

Is it right for me?

Yes. Plain and simple this will be the best thing you will ever implement into your math instruction. If you want to see student engagement and excitement increase in your classroom, then this resource is right for you.

Start Genius Hour Math now with your class. You won’t regret it!