Instructions on how to organize your

SCHOOL PROJECT

1. Get together in groups of 2 to 5 students (not 1, not 6, not 7)

2. Select ONE topic of your choice, among all the topics studied in the English classes:

CultureGender Stereotypesthe Environmentthe World Cupthe English language in the WorldBullyingJustice and CitizenshipThe importance of Reading

3. Decide which transforming action you and your group are going to put into practice.

4. Write down:

a) the objective(s) for your chosen action; b) the steps you will take to implement it;

(First I will…, second I will…, etc.)c) how you are going to register those steps

(Are you going to film everything? Take photos? Interview people?);

d) how you intend to present your project results (By means of a poster? On Power Point? Telling your story by means of a song? Making a video?). You must be creative!

For the first sketch/draft

5. Present a sketch of your project next week on the 31st of October.

This sketch will be worth 25% of the total project grade.

6. Deadline for presenting project results is the 21st of November.

EXAMPLE

1. Group: Isadora, Raquel and Vanessa

2. Topic of choice: The Environment

3. Transforming action: saving water for a month

Write down:

a) the objective(s) for your chosen action;

The human body needs at least 2 liters of water everyday. Our objective is to save water for a month and check how many extra days of life we could have with the water we saved.

b) the steps you will take to implement it; (First I will…, second I will…, etc.)

FIRST we will take a day to check how much time we use showering, doing the dishes, brushing our teeth, washing the car, and how many times we flush the toilet.

SECOND we will calculate how much water we spend in a day considering the following information:

Long showers (20 minutes and above) can waste from 95 to 180 liters of clean water.

A toilet flush uses about 20 liters of water, so try not to press the flush for too long.

A car wash with a garden hose uses up to 560 liters of water in 30 minutes.

Source: http://www.agenersa.rj.gov.br/agenersa_site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=112:dez-dicas-para-economizar-agua 

THIRD, we will take measures to diminish the time on those activities. For example, if I take a shower in 25 minutes, I will try to do it in 15. If I wash the car with a garden hose, I will try to do it with a bucket.

The time ranges will all be written down on a notebook.

FINALLY, in a month’s time, we will calculate how much water we spent, TOTAL, and compare it to the water waste from the previous month. If we saved 50 liters of water, for example, that means we gained 25 days of life!

c) how you are going to register those steps (Are you going to film everything? Take photos? Interview people?);

We will write records of the time spent for each activity and take pictures of the water bill. We will also check how many liters of water are spent in each activity and how much can be saved.

d) how you intend to present your project results (By means of a poster? On Power Point? Telling your story by means of a song? Making a video?). You must be creative!

We will present our project on a PowerPoint.

Another example