Tired of the same old assessments? I might be able to help. Read on to get three reasons to use multi-genre projects with your secondary students.
Multi-genre projects were introduced to me several years ago and, to be honest, I wasn’t hooked on the idea at first. That was until I was finally convinced to try it out. Now, I’ll never teach another semester without assigning one.
Why is that? Well, before I tell you, I should probably explain what these projects are:
What is a multi-genre project?
A multi-genre project has two components: reading and writing. Some teachers focus on one or the other, while some require students to do both. With the reading MGP, students must choose (or be assigned) a topic like “identity”; then, they will read from a variety of texts (non-fiction, fiction, poetry, etc.) that explore the topic. They will reflect on what they learn about the topic in each text, come to an overall conclusion (a theme statement) and explain how they came to that conclusion in a “dear reader” letter. For the writing MGP, students create texts in a variety of genres that illustrate their exploration of a topic/theme.
Let me help you see it with an example: My students have been doing reading workshop as well as a full class study of Macbeth and Animal Farm. Imagine that a student in my class was interested in the way the concept of masculinity is explored in Macbeth. He makes connections to how Squealer plays on the other animals insecurities in Animal Farm, just as Lady Macbeth did with her husband, and he remembers that Simon, in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens’ Agenda, reflects on his masculinity and concludes that “being secure in your masculinity isn’t the same as being straight”(65).
After some brainstorming and thinking, this student decides to use his multi-genre reading assignment to explore how the meaning of masculinity has changed – or not – in our society. His initial theory is that it’s tied into image and the insecurities that go hand-in-hand with maintaining one. Since he has already collected some ideas from a play and fiction, he needs to read about the topic in other genres like on-line articles and videos. He finds an article on Psychology Today about negative body image for boys and a TedTalk called The Man Box.
Next, he writes a “Dear Reader” letter that explains his conclusions. This is followed by a reflection on each of the texts he read/viewed to help him inform his conclusions. Finally, he will continue to explore the topic and his ideas through his own writing or representing. He might write a series of poems, a diary entry, a news story and a fake Instagram account.
So why do I like these projects so much? There are three very compelling reasons:
1. Multi-genre projects require students to think deeply about a topic.
The very nature of a multi-genre project requires students to think about and synthesize information. There is no regurgitation of facts or parroting back what they did in class. Instead, they need to take what they have learned with you and extend and connect it to new texts and ideas. The beauty of it is that no two projects are alike because students are exploring something they are interested in, using not only class texts but also ones they find themselves. Therefore, not only will you be reading a lot of original and interesting writing, but your students will have had to do a great deal of independent work and critical thinking to put it all together. And if you’re wondering where literary analysis comes in, it is most definitely still there, as the kids need to explain how each text develops the theme they explore.2. They provide freedom and choice for students while allowing them to explore their own voice.
Apart from the criteria and guidance you give your students, they have the freedom to choose a topic that interests them. Even if you assign the topic, each kid can take it in a direction that interests them. For example, I ask my tenth graders to consider where intolerance comes from as we read throughout the semester. They also need to uncover, through their reading, ways that humankind can become more tolerant. Even though I’ve provided the direction, I get so many varied – and insightful – responses from students. The writing aspect of the MGP further allows students to use their voices to understand and explore their ideas. (If literary analysis is a requirement where you teach, you could require that one of the writing components is analytical).
3. They are really hard to copy.
Think about the example I used above with Macbeth and Animal Farm. Traditionally, I might ask a student to write about the concept of masculinity in the play, or about Squealer’s ability to play on the animals’ insecurities. Students can find a lot of help with those assignments on the Internet. However, if I ask them to explore the topic across multiple texts and then synthesize what they find…it’s a little more difficult to find that on Sparksnotes. When I assess their final work in the multi-genre project, I’m much more confident that it’s theirs.
So have I convinced you? If you’re curious and would like to explore the possibilities, I can send you a handout I’m using with my own students to help them start the process. Click here if you’d like to get it in your inbox and leave any questions or concerns you have in the comments. You can also access a ready-to-use resource here.
Click here if you’d like some tips for managing all of this!
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