Summer School Projects

Studying should not stop during the summer.

Summer school can be a way for a student to earn credit over her vacation for a failed class or for an eager learner to delve more deeply into a favorite subject. Summer school is much shorter than a traditional school session, and the lessons must be compressed in time. The same is true for summer school projects. Students do not have the luxury of taking weeks to fulfill the requirements for an extensive research project. Instead, opt for short-term projects that fit well within the summer school session.

Science Experiment Project

For science-focused summer school programs, opt for a science experiment as a project. Depending on the topic, these can be done in as little as a day or two up to several weeks. Students choose a question they would like to study and create an experiment around it. For instance, a student could do a project on "Why is the summer warmer than the winter?" or "How does a solar oven work?" Encourage students to focus on topics surrounding the summer season, if possible. The final results of the study or experiment can be presented at a fair on the last day of summer school.

Short Story Report

Instead of doing a book report on a long novel, opt for a report on a short story, series of stories or poems by a given author. The author can be from the time period studied, for history-focused summer schools, or in the same genre as other readings during an English summer school. Other options include reports on primary sources, such as letters from a specific time period. The students can choose an author and explore the library for works by that writer.

Math Workbook

Have students create a math workbook with problems similar to those studied during summer school. The students must include a key at the back of the workbook showing the answers and all the work required to answer the problems in the book. These workbooks should be neatly presented in report covers and typed if computers are available.

Art Project

Students create a collage, poster, diorama or theatrical presentation showing what they learned in summer school. This is an especially useful project for summer schools focusing on the creative arts, such as painting, drawing, acting or music, but any topic can be the subject of an art project. For more academically centered summer schools, have the students create a computer slide show presentation or present their project in front of the others in the school.

References

• Super-Science-Fair-Projects: Science Fair Topic Ideas
• Fiskars Crafts: What I Learned in Summer School Is