As a full-time education consultant, Allison Zmuda works with educators to grow ideas on how to make learning for students challenging, possible and worthy of the attempt. Over the past 19 years, Zmuda has shared curricular, assessment, and instructional ideas, shown illustrative examples, and offered practical strategies of how to get started.
Working at Henry Street School for International Studies and a teacher was describing a project that engaged the students as well as taught body systems. Had to see it for myself!
Read the project outline below and take a look at the attached is a sample of student work:
Body System Superhero Project!
Purpose of the Project:
The goal is for you to gain an in depth understanding of human body systems.
Directions:
For this project, you must do the following:
- Choose one human body system – it can be any body system you wish! (Does not have to be a body system that we have covered in class)
- Research your body system using internet, encyclopedia or other print sources of information. You must include a bibliography with 3 sources that you used to obtain information on your body system (No Wikipedia)
- Create Your Own superhero with a modified version of the body system you have chosen (Superhero cannot be a superhero that already exists). The Body System Superhero will consist of 2 components:
1. A Short Story
(1 page in length, Typed in 12 pt, Times New Roman font) that illustrates his/her superhero strengths and super-qualities.
- Required information in the short story:
- What is your superhero’s name?
- How did your superhero obtain their powers?
- Name of chosen body system.
- Organs/glands involved with this system.
- Function of the system in the human body.
- How is this body system enhanced in your superhero?
- How is it modified?
- What does it allow your superhero to do?
- How does your superhero fight crime or save lives?
2. A Colored Drawing of the Superhero
- Drawing must incorporate how the body system is modified or how the modified body system allows the superhero to perform his/her heroic tasks.
- Drawing must correspond to the qualities of your superhero.
