Genius Hour Teaching Resource Pack

At Teach Starter, we appreciate that there are many ways to conduct Genius Hour. We have created a streamlined, six-step process for teachers and students to follow in the classroom. This teaching resource pack provides teacher notes that explain the process, as well as all of the resources you’ll need to support students as they work through this systematic inquiry-based learning process.

Genius Hour allows students to work on a passion project, idea or new skill during class time.  Genius Hour projects can be completed during a designated amount of learning time on a regular basis (such as one hour per week), or as a fast finisher activity.

How does Genius Hour work?

• During Genius Hour, students identify a topic or problem they are passionate about and form a deep, open-ended inquiry question to research, answer or solve.
• Students take a systematic approach to the formulation of their inquiry question and research.
• Towards the end of their Genius Hour project, students present or create a final product that communicates their findings and/or solution. Genius Hour presentations can take a variety of written, spoken or visual forms, such as a multi-modal presentation, a book, a script, a movie or a speech; through cooking, building or performing a community service (amongst other ideas).
• To conclude a Genius Hour project, students reflect on their experience of the Genius Hour process. They may even form new questions that could be answered in subsequent Genius Hour projects.

This teaching resource pack includes:

• Genius Hour Teacher Notes
• Six Steps to Genius Hour Posters
• Wonder Wall Display Banner
• Wonder Wall Brainstorming Display Template
• Genius Hour Parent Information Letter – Editable Template
• Introduction to Genius Hour PowerPoint Presentation
• Break It Down Poster
• Ask 3 Before Me Poster
• Genius Hour Project Half Size Notebook Template
• Genius Hour Project Full Size Notebook Template
• Identifying a Genius Hour Problem Flowchart Poster
• How to Write an Inquiry Question Poster
• Genius Hour Inquiry Proposal Template
• Genius Hour Class Progress Tracker
• Genius Hour Research Flowchart Poster
• Internet Research Skills PowerPoint
• Primary Sources Poster (Alternate Version)
• Secondary Sources Poster (Alternate Version)
• Tertiary Sources Poster (Alternate Version)
• What Makes a Credible Website Poster
• Research Notes Template
• Research Summary Template
• Genius Hour Presentation Ideas Poster
• Genius Hour Self-Reflection Template
• Genius Hour Project Assessment Rubric – Middle Years
• Genius Hour Project Assessment Rubric – Upper Years