Mesoamerican Mosaic Projects

 

For our project assessment of Mesoamerican civilizations, I have the students utilize contact vocabulary and research to create a world mosaic. 

Our history curriculum has us cover the 3 major Mesoamerican empires - the Maya, the Aztec, and the Inca. If you do more, just add them as a research option for your kids. 

After our whole class study, I tell the kids to now focus on that either interested them or they would like to learn more about - this will be their project civilization. 

Using textbooks, resource and library books, and the internet, their purpose for research is to find content vocabulary words and phrases that are important to understanding their civilization. Students should be taking record of a minimus of 50 words/phrases, either by hand or on a document so they can refer back to it. 

Before, during, or after, the word research, students are also needing to create a hardcopy poster (I often use large construction paper instead of full poster paper, but that is up to you). On this, I require them to draw, print digitally, or a hybrid of both, 5 images that connect with the civilization (I require one of these to be in the center and the other 4 to be along the edges). 

While I allow for the words and the pictures to be printed, I do not accept an entire digital poster for this as I would like students to utilize paper/scissor organization on a hardcopy. We do so much with digital resources that I find some kids have lost the skill of being able to make a hands-on project.

If you are interested in this project, it is available HERE on my TPT! 

I am always blown away by my student's projects and they always share that they really enjoyed learning more about their civilization this way. 

SHARK TANK - Medieval Chinese Inventions

Have you ever done a "Shark Tank" style presentation with your students? Man, I just LOVE this as a project assessment in history since it blends so many other skills including presentation skills, developing a sales pitch, persuasive techniques, public speaking, and of course, research. 

I have my students follow the directions according to THIS phenomenal TPT product by Instructomania which provides everything you need to set your students up for success as they present their "Medieval Invention" to the "Sharks". 

We also watch a few shark tank presentations from the actual show to help students recognize what they are supposed to be doing. I require them to act as if they are back in Medieval China (with that time period's geography, knowledge, experience, etc.) but I allow them to use, of course, modern technology to demonstrate their items. 

I did supplement that activity with a few handouts that I felt provided my community volunteer "sharks" with a little more information as well as gave my students a bit more accountability. 

If you are interested in my added documents, they are available below for FREE! 

Group Preparation Sheet (given a day or two before) 

Judge Instructions and Sample Questions

Rubric for Judges to use in their Evaluation

 (not be turned in, just for the judges use) 

Individual Student Rubric 

(teacher evaluation of each student individually - the "partner satisfaction" grade comes from the next document) 

Partner Evaluation Sheet 

(I believe that students should always be held accountable for their action and participation in group work) 

Photos of Sharks for Decoration

This year we presented our "Sales Pitches" to our community members in the gym, due to COVID spacing necessity, however, after having done it, I think I will continue to do this as it added an element of seriousness as well as professionalism and excitement to the students presentations. 

West African Biography Griot Mask Project

As a our project assessment for our study on Medieval West African Empires, I have students conduct research on a Medieval West African leader. 

Griot masks were an important part of West African culture. They were used to tell stories of ancestors and to keep their legacies alive. Playing off this cultural tradition, I have students create a unique griot mask of their West African leader using elements from their biography to create unique designs, symbols, or colors on the mask. 

Some Great West African Leaders: Mansa Musa, Queen Amina, Queen Nzinga, Shaka Zulu, Shamba Bolongongo, King Sonni Ali, King Mwana Ngana Ndumba Tembo, Queen Asantewa, King Oba Oduduwa, King Bahanzin Hossu Bowelle – aka. The Shark King, and more! 

NOTE: I am aware that some of these leaders were after the "Medieval" period, but the goal was exposure to West African leadership, so I allowed any leader up through colonization. 

I feel my students did a fantastic job of blending their biographical knowledge along with the creation of unique Griot Mask! 

If you are interested in this WEST AFRICAN BIOGRAPHY GRIOT ACTIVITY, it is available on my TPT. 

      

Project Assessment: Empire of Islam

One of my favorite project assessments is the creation of board games! These allow students to not only review the content information, but they also have to develop problem solving strategies, critical thinking skills, and creativity. 

For our unit on the Medieval Empire of Islam, we utilized a board game as our project assessment. As always, I was VERY impressed with the students understanding of the unit content and in their creative board games. 

The students worked together in partners to create fantastic looking board games. HERE is the TPT resource I utilized for this great project! I would highly recommend it for a fun and informational project assessment on the Islamic Empire. 

This game had the "rules" written in a booklet entitled "The Holy Quran" :) 

This one was in the style of a survival style game where you received and lost food tokens, etc. But could purchase new items along the way. SUPER creative and lots of fun to play. 

Once created, students rotated in pairs and played the games for review before our written unit test. We were even able to involve our online Zoom students in the fun! 

What are your thoughts on project assessment use in the classroom?