genius hour for myp science

Student Planner p. 1

Genius Hour for MYP Science

How have scientific and technical innovations in chemistry changed the world?

“Chemistry is, well technically, chemistry is the study of matter. But I prefer to see it as the study of change.” --Walter White, Breaking Bad

What is Genius Hour?

Genius Hour is an idea originally developed by the Google corporate structure, in which employees

were given 20% of their work hours to focus their energy on projects of personal interest, as long as

those projects also benefitted the company. In education, Genius Hour is a way for students to

pursue some of those “I’m curious about…” questions so that they stay engaged and enthusiastic

about a subject while benefiting from the structured guidance of a teacher.

You will have a portion of every lesson dedicated to working on a project of your choice, about a

topic of your choice, to create and share a product of your choice with the global community. Notice

the key word “choice” in the previous sentence. The topic is up to you, but it must be focused on

science, and it must be framed around the idea of solving a problem or issue in society. It may be a

small problem, or it may be huge, but the Genius Hour project is an exploration of how to solve that

problem and improve the world.

Project Overview

In this Criterion D summative assessment task, you’ll investigate chemistry as an agent of scientific

and/or technical innovation. You will work on an independent project of your choosing and

development. There is a 5-step process to the Genius Hour project, which includes a series of tasks

that you must complete by the date shown in the timeline on the following page. You will arrive to

your Genius Hour lessons ready to share your progress with me during a personal conference. I’ll

help you stay on track so that you don’t fall behind, and I’ll help you identify strengths and

weaknesses in your product so that what you produce at the end is something you can proudly share

with the world. Here’s an outline of the Genius Hour process:

1. Choose a topic of personal interest.

2. Research the topic.

3. Select a product to create - your goal.

4. Develop and refine your product with input and feedback from me.

5. Produce, publish, and share your product with the school and global community.

Original by Bradley M. Kremer ( www.mrkremerscience.com). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. As long as it is attributed, you may copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon this resource in any medium or format, even commercially.

http://www.mrkremerscience.com/

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/




Phase 1: Choose a topic

List between 3 to 5 possible topics to investigate. Outline a problem facing our local community,

the nation, or the world and how each one may be addressed through science.

1. Replace this text with your response to the above prompt. The box will automatically

expand as you type.

2. Each time you hit “enter” a new numbered item automatically appears.

Identify a problem or issue which may be solved through the application or use of principles of

chemistry. Your choice at this stage is final and will the topic for the duration of your project.

Replace this text with your response to the above prompt. The box will automatically expand as

you type.

Outline why the topic you identified above is of interest to you personally .


you type.

Outline why the topic is of interest or importance for society .


you type.

Outline how the key concept from this unit is applicable to the topic you have identified.


you type.

State which societal factor is most impacted by your topic. Choose from cultural, economic,

environmental, ethical, moral, political, social. Briefly outline a few of your ideas.


you type.

Phase 2: Research your topic

● Use a minimum of five (5) different sources . Beware: Two pages from the same website do

not count as two sources!

● Use at least two (2) kinds of sources . (For example: websites, books, periodicals,

encyclopedias, personal interviews, and scientific journals)

● Annotate each source in the space provided. Include a note (or notes) with each source about

the specific information it provided.

● Record all the sources of information you used in the space below. Remember that the

sources must be written in correct MLA format !







How does the science work? Explain the scientific principles (concepts) which make the solution

to the problem possible.


you type.

What are the benefits to humanity or society? Describe how the science you explained above

helps to solve the problem and improve our world.


you type.

Describe the limitations or negative consequences of the science. Is it deeply understood and

widely implemented, or is it theoretical and still in the “what if” stage?


you type.

Evaluate the scientific solution: Do the positive benefits outweigh the negative consequences, or

vice versa? Why? Provide evidence to justify your response.


you type.

Source #1:

Annotate your source here. Replace this text with your note about the source above. The box will

automatically expand as you type.

Source #2:



Source #3:



Source #4:



Source #5:









Phase 3: Select a product

Products can be almost anything that demonstrates your learning. The product you choose should

make sharing your ideas clear and logical for your intended audience. Possibilities are shown below

but not limited to these suggestions:

● A podcast, screencast, or video

● An original animation (Flash, PowToon, or other software)

● Public speech or TED talk

● Report from an interview (with a real person, preferably an expert in the field)

● A fictional account (i.e. science fiction, or writing from the point of view of a scientist, patient,

inventor, etc.)

● Research paper

● Creative non-fiction (i.e. human interest story, think “New Scientist” or “Scientific American”)

● A model (3D or otherwise)

● No posters. No Prezis. No Wordpress. No Weebly. No PowerPoint. You are better than that.

State the product you intend to create.


you type.

Describe how the above product will enhance your ability to explain the role of science in solving

the problem you have identified as the topic of your research.


you type.

Discuss the skills, materials, and/or other resources you need to complete your product.


you type.

Develop a timeline for completing your project. It should have dates and clear, measurable

milestones that are easy to verify with your teacher.


you type.







Phase 4: Develop and refine your ideas - written draft

This phase is perhaps the most important step toward creating a successful final product. Regardless

of the type of product you create, organizing your ideas logically and coherently is critical for success.

That means you need paragraphs built around one main idea each, scientific vocabulary used

correctly, and proper sentence structure , grammar , capitalization , spelling , and punctuation

throughout your written work. Using the blue Phase 4 organizer below, develop a written draft which

addresses all parts of the scoring rubric. For your draft and final products, you don’t have to use the

same order as the blue Phase 4 organizer, but you do have to include all the parts shown below.

Problem to be solved: Introduce the topic you chose in Phase 1 (the red part). Grab your audience’s attention with a creative hook or question.


you type.

Explain the scientific innovation or discovery which may solve the problem in Phase 2 (orange).

Describe how the science is used and explain why it works or might work.


you type.

Discuss the beneficial or helpful impacts of the science on one factor in society. Use your research from Phase 2 (orange).


you type.

Discuss the limitations which may prevent the science from successfully addressing the problem. Use your research from Phase 2 (orange).


you type.

Use examples and/or evidence of the benefits and limitations from your research in Phase 2 (orange) to evaluate the impacts of the science - do the pros outweigh the cons, or vice versa?


you type.

Develop a solid conclusion: Summarize the problem, the science, the benefits, and the limitations in a single paragraph. End with a final closing statement.


you type.







Phase 5: Produce, polish, and publish your product

Communication checklist:

✓ Look for the red and green squiggly lines that indicate spelling and grammar mistakes in your writing. Fix them.

✓ Read carefully for punctuation and capitalization. ✓ Highlight or underline key scientific vocabulary throughout your written text. ✓ Select all your text (ctrl+A or cmd+A) and set it to the same font and font size. ✓ Verify that the line and paragraph spacing are consistent throughout your writing.

Refine your final product:

✓ Review the organization of your ideas to make sure they “flow” the way you want.

✓ Check for technical glitches: Are audio levels consistent? Are the brightness/darkness of

images the same throughout? Make sure transitions all operate smoothly. If you made a

model, verify that someone who is not you can use it easily.

✓ Practice the final presentation - film yourself and review the video. You may have to do this

several times to get it right!

✓ Step away from your project for at least 24 hours, and then review it again. You’ll be

surprised at how many things you notice during this second review.

Publish/share your final product with your teacher, your family, your class, your school, and the

broader global community, using one of of the following platforms, or something similar:

● YouTube

● WordPress

● Weebly

● Twitter

● Tumblr

Paste the URL in the space below:

URL:

Celebrate! You’ve learned something new and shared your ideas with the world!







Assessment and reflection

Click on any hyperlink in the rubric to see an official MYP definition of the term, as well as our own

‘student-friendly’ definition.

Strand Level 8 - 7 Level 6 - 5 Level 4 - 3 Level 2 - 1 Level 0

Explaining how science is applied

explain the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specific problem or issue

describe the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specific problem or issue

summarize the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specific problem or issue

outline the ways in which science is used to address a specific problem or issue

does not reach a standard identified by any of the descriptors at left

Discussing and evaluating the implications of science

discuss and evaluate the implications of using science and its application to solve a specific problem or issue, interacting with a factor

discuss the implications of using science and its application to solve a specific problem or issue, interacting with a factor

describe the implications of using science and its application to solve a specific problem or issue, interacting with a factor

outline the implications of using science to solve a specific problem or issue, interacting with a factor


Applying scientific language to communicate

consistently apply scientific language to communicate understanding clearly and precisely

usually apply scientific language to communicate understanding clearly and precisely

sometimes apply understanding scientific language to communicate

apply scientific language to communicate understanding but does so with limited success


Documenting sources

document sources completely

usually document sources correctly

sometimes document sources correctly

document sources, with limited success


What the student did well to earn these marks:

How the student can improve these marks:







Term MYP definition on top Our definition underneath

Apply MYP definition : Use knowledge and understanding in response to a given situation or real circumstance. Our definition : Use what you already know in a new and/or different situation.

Cultural MYP definition: Patterns of knowledge, behaviour, beliefs, shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterize groups of people Our definition: The shared beliefs and values of different groups of people.

Describe MYP definition : Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process. Our definition : Tell how something happened (i.e. “first this, then that”). In experiments, identify the minimum and maximum values in experimental data and recount the overall trends between variables.

Discuss MYP definition : Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence. Our definition : Look at both sides of an argument or an issue, weighing the strengths and limitations of each side. Conclusions should be based on scientific evidence.

Document MYP definition : Credit sources of information used by referencing or citing, following the MLA system. References should be included in the text and also at the end of the piece of work in a bibliography. Our definition : Use in-text references & a bibliography to show where you found ideas and information.

Economic MYP definition: Production, distribution, and use of income, wealth, and commodities Our definition: Anything having to do with money, either personally or as a society

Environmental MYP definition: Circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded Our definition: Our surroundings, particularly the natural (not built) world

Ethical MYP definition: Process of inquiry to decide on issues as right or wrong, as applied to people and their actions Our definition: Determining whether or not an action is right or wrong

Evaluate MYP definition : Make an appraisal by weighing the strengths versus the limitations. Our definition : Look at how well something worked, whether it’s a hypothesis, method, or collection of info.

Explain MYP definition : Give a detailed account. Our definition : Tell how and why something happened and justify it with scientific evidence and/or reasons.

Moral MYP definition: Principles of right or wrong behaviour derived from a particular society Our definition: Relating ethical decisions to culture

Outline MYP definition : Give a brief account. Our definition : Briefly describe the major points or concepts.

Political MYP definition: Relates to government or public affairs Our definition: How different groups or countries have power under the law

Social MYP definition: Interactions between groups of people involving issues such as welfare, safety, rights, justice or class Our definition: The ways in which people interact with one another

Summarize MYP definition : Abstract a general theme or major points. Our definition : Distill a lot of information down to the key essential points.





genius hour for myp science

Education