4th Grade Genius Hour Project
Hello Parents!
Below you will find information regarding our upcoming Genius Hour project your child will be working on
over the next few weeks. This is a culminating research project in which each student selects a topic of their
own interest to research. This project is taking place of the Living Museum which you may be familiar with. As
part of this project, students will:
1. Research! ~ Students research the topic of his/her choice and create a PowerPoint Presentation
on the topic. Research and work on the presentation is largely completed at school. Students may work on it
at home if necessary, but will need a memory stick or use Google Drive if they will be working on it at home.
2. Create! ~ Students will create both a presentation and a poster highlighting the topic of study.
The poster will be completed at home; Your child may use a poster board (no neon colors please) or a trifold
to create their poster to hang at the museum on May 14th (Lindemann) and May 15th (Malone). PowerPoint
Presentations will be worked on at school, but they may also be worked on at home if your child brings a
flash drive or uses Google Drive to save his/her work.
3. Perform! ~ Students prepare a brief (2 minute) summation of their project on May 14th or 15th. On
Genius Hour day, students will dress as their famous person and perform for our museum "guests" (the other
grades in the school). If your child is not researching a person, but a topic, they need to be dressed
appropriately for presenting which may or may not be a costume. I do not expect anyone to go out and buy a
costume, instead I am encouraging students to use items that they have at home or can borrow to create
their costumes.
Please read the following carefully in regards to due dates and time frames. All research is expected to be
done at school. However, certain circumstances might have your child working on some items at home as
well. These circumstances might include, but are not limited to, not using time wisely, losing research
materials, having to start over, etc. All due dates will be written in their planners. Due dates are below in an
attempt to keep you in the loop as to what your child is working on at school.
Genius Hour Activity Descriptions / Due Dates:
Thurday, April 28th
Research begins at school
Students have already chosen what they would like to study, and tomorrow, April 28th they will begin
researching it. If they do not have a book yet, they will research online or go to the school’s library to find a
book. Because there are a limited number of computers, chromebooks and ipads, students may work on
their own devices to assist in the research process if they are allowed to bring them to school.
Thursday, April 28
PowerPoint Presentation outlines are due
The students will begin working on their Genius Hour PowerPoint outlines at school. During this first day, they
will be required to set up the title page and will be learning more about how to use PowerPoint.
Monday, May 4
Genius Hour book for research due
Your child and I have had numerous conversations about what type of book they need for research. I have
instructed them that they need to have a book which will take them approximately 5-7 days to read and
should be approximately 100-150 pages. They were given time at the school library today, April 29 th, to look
for a book, but might need to go to a larger library to find one on their particular choice of topic. I would like
all books here by Monday so they have enough time to read and take notes on them.
Monday, May 4
Poster board work should begin soon
Your child should begin working on their poster highlighting their Genius Hour project soon. The poster
must be completed at home, and is due on Monday, May 11. It may include images, facts, and interesting
trivia about your child's topic. Please make sure that everything that is included on the posters is school
appropriate for ALL ages. Kindergarten - 5th grade will be invited to the museum. Posters must be easy to
read and neatly done. The posters will be displayed next to, or behind your child at the Living Museum on
May 14th or May 15th.
Monday, May 11
PowerPoint Presentation Deadline
Presentations (4 slide minimum) must be completed. Please see rubric for assessment criteria.
Monday, May 11
Posters due back to school
Posters may be brought back prior to this date; however, the official due date is Monday, May 11th.
Monday, May 11 - Friday, May 15
PowerPoint Presentations given in class
Genius Hour PowerPoint Presentations will be given in class throughout the week. Students will show the
class their presentation.
Thursday, May 14th (Lindemann) & Friday, May 15th (Malone)
Genius Hour Project Day!
Your child will be presenting their Genius Hour Project to different grade levels. They will dress up as their
famous person or in appropriate clothing for presenting their information and "become" this person or the
expert on the topic. This includes an accent, costume, props, etc. to create a great learning experience for all
to see. Please keep in mind that no plastic weapons or anything that could be mistaken for a weapon
are allowed on the school premises. This includes knives and guns. We want to ensure that everyone feels
safe at all times and we adhere to our code of conduct here at LWE. Thank you in advance for being careful
of any props provided.
This is a wonderful learning experience for everyone and I cannot wait to see all of the Genius Hour Projects
we have here in 4th grade! 
Thanks for your support with this project. It will be a memorable experience for the students.