Investigations and Other Activities

Overall Timeline:
Timeline to complete project:
Twelve classroom days.

Timeline to present the projects:
Seven classroom days.

Preliminary discussion/writing/video:
Two or three classroom days.

Post-project discussion/writing:
One or two classroom days.

Preliminary Activities:
Before the Cribs assignment was announced, I told the students they would be completing a new project. I kept it a secret for four or five days, hinting that the students would enjoy this next project. Their curiosity was piqued and they asked me about the next project every day. Witnessing their natural curiosity was refreshing and this is a technique I will continue to employ.

A day or two before I gave them the assignment, I had the students write for me about "The Good Life." They were to think about the hardships we had discussed with earlier literature units and also about what was available to them as citizens of our country. The responses I received were interesting. Most students determined that "The Good Life" was defined by material goods, but there were a few who said that their pursuit of happiness depended upon having a happy family life.

We discussed the writings and the definition of the pursuit of happiness. We also discussed historical moves by our ancestors to find the grass that was greener. We talked about how we determine what is "good" based upon the media. This led directly into my next preliminary activity.

I showed a video from MTV. One of their ongoing series is called "MTV Cribs." Different celebrities take a camera crew through their luxurious homes and demonstrate how their success has allowed them to purchase extravagant furniture, fixtures, automobiles, gardens, pool areas and more. (I would suggest you NOT show the Cribs episode through the Playboy Mansion---- a little too PG 13 for me....)

The Assignment:
I then gave the students the handouts found on the Materials and Resources page. The Introduction Handout describes the general assignment. Many of my students were not familiar with PowerPoint and how to insert pictures from the internet. I created a quick PowerPoint to show them the next day.

The second handout explained how this assignment was going to be assessed. I wanted the students to be in control of their grades on this project, and I decided that Contract Grades were the perfect vehicle for that.

Even though the contract grading idea was specific in quantity and quality, there was plenty of room for creativity. Each student was able to choose exactly what his/her house would look like and what elements it would contain. They had to describe each room in detail and credit every photo used (even if they took digital photos of homes in our town).

Students had to investigate themselves and the world around them: What do I want my house to look like? Where can I find images to represent my imaginary house? What sorts of material goods would I purchase if I had the money? How much money will it take to make this room the way I want it? How can I find out how much money this room would cost? How many cars will make me happy? How much am I willing to spend on a car?

Although students could have taken digital pictures and created a "Crib" based on real objects around them, no one did. I don't know if this was because of the convenience of the computers.... ? But, all students found digital images of furniture, lamps, cars, pools, toilets.... EVERYTHING... online and placed these photos in their PowerPoint presentations.

Up to this point, I had been the "Computer Police" in the classroom. I would walk around and say, "We are writing not emailing," or "I don't think you need to access the internet for this...." But, with this assignment, ALL students were on task! I am not exaggerating either. Even the three students (out of 45) who for some reason did not FINISH and PRESENT their cribs, all searched the web for cars, rooms, furniture, wallpaper... you name it, without my prompting.

One of the other "cool" things that happened with this assignment is that students started to show each other their projects. Proudly. I would hear them sharing with each other every day.... long before the presentations were scheduled. I also had many who "finished early." These students kept tinkering with the final outcome in the form of fonts, backgrounds, colors, resizing pictures, etc. until the day of presentations.

To make sure that all students did the work and had it done by the due date, they had to give me their grades the day before the projects were due. By doing this, students evaluated their own progress and assessed their own finished products. I told them that they had to accurately determine their grade. And, for the most part, they did. See the Assessment page for more details.

Classroom Management:
Probably the best technique I used to keep students on task was to sit behind them. This way I was able to see all their computer screens at the same time. But, with this assignment there was not a lot of need to keep them on task. They enjoyed working on this assignment and begged for more time to continue working.

Follow up Activities:
After the presentations were over, I had the students write for me. I wanted to know what they thought of the assignment. Overwhelmingly, the students loved the assignment. Even the three who did not complete the project were complimentary of the assignment.

The next project is to figure out how much money the house cost and how to achieve such a goal.

Student Work:
Sample "Crib" (PDF format) Kayla's House

Page created by Martha Lewellen. Last updated 6-10-2003.