Each year I have my students answer the question: Why should someone come to Michigan? We brainstorm many ideas such as the places to visit, rich history, great jobs, and the geography. Then we begin to write an essay about our thoughts.
As we begin to write, I offer handouts to encourage learners to try steps of writing on their own.
The stages of writing are clear and posted so students know exactly what they should be working on.
When the project is complete we celebrate with a Michigan Museum Day. Students work on an at-home project where they choose one topic about Michigan to focus on. Then they design a tri-fold to share information about that topic. Their essay goes on display along with the tri-fold. Classes from school are invited to view the museum during school hours.
For the Michigan Museum, students create visual displays at home and they are not due until the day of the museum. At school, students work on the essay that will be displayed in our Museum.
Our school offers tri-folds for the visual display, but students purchase them for $2.50. Most students choose to make a Tri-Fold which might have pictures, maps, timelines, or important facts about their topic. Other students might choose to make a model or a power point on the computer showing what something looks like or how it might work so the tri-fold is not something you have to have.
