Students in my English 3 have been tasked with a project that I named, “Where Were Your People in the 1920s.” It’s a mini-research project, and I hope it will be engaging, reinforce some research skills students have, and illustrate that not everyone in the 1920s was spending their days/nights at glamorous parties; we’re reading The Great Gatsby. The project directions are pretty simple: interview a relative, find a primary source specific to your family (like an old photo), and research a world event inspired by your interview. Then, create a visual component using Adobe Spark that incorporates the research, interview, and primary source piece. I have never used Adobe Spark, but it receives great reviews regarding how user friendly it is.


When I introduced this project, the students did not budge. They were super reluctant to even begin, and when I asked them about this, they essentially said that it was too much work, there was too much ambiguity, and there were too many decisions to be made. They were reluctant to even open up the Adobe Spark app, which is free. I then asked if they would prefer reading questions, and they said yes.

I think that this response is normal, however. Whenever I have to learn something new or do something new or even start a new novel, I experience a desire to avoid the learning curve. Getting through the uncomfortableness of a beginning is tricky. So, I gave up on the project and gave them reading questions.

Just kidding! I’ll let you know how it goes.