So I find myself a little on the creative side and normally do not have a problem with making a very cool poster board however I am a little stuck on this one. My son (age 13) came home and has a project that he has to do. It is creating a help wanted ad for the President of the United States. It has to have the following: Qualifications, Term Limits, Salary, Benefits, and Duties. I immediately thought of a poster board but he said that his teacher wants him to be really creative. I very good poster board will probably give him a B grade, maybe an A. So I asked what would give him an A grade. He said his teacher showed him two examples. One was a two foot tall black hat that Abraham Lincoln wore and it had streamers of red, white and blue coming out of it with star shaped pieces of paper with words on it describing the Qualifications and so on. The other one was a wooden airplane with a large streamer attached to the tail with the Qualifications and so on, like it was flying in the air with a message attached.
I am still leaning towards making a poster board (because that is what I am comfortable with) but maybe more of a 3D one with pictures popping out on it, like the oval office or the white house, the US map and maybe a picture of Earth. Near each picture maybe place a card that states Qualification (white house photo), Balance Budget and Health Care (US map photo), and then Global Warning and War (Earth photo). I just don't know if that will get him an A. He really wants an A.
The paper that the teacher gave him states that he didn't want to show them too many examples just in case they just copied them so it states that we should help them with ideas and making the project. So my son is looking at me for some really good ideas and I am just stuck.
Need help from you guys! Please!
Thanks.
P.S. From some of the responses I guess I really worded this incorrectly. I have asked my son to go think about ideas on what he would like to do. I haven't spoken to him yet regarding my idea, it is just the first thing that I though of since I am comfortable with poster boards. I just wanted to know some other ideas so when he comes to me with his I can throw something out there and see where he takes it. I do not plan on doing the whole project or even having him do my idea. Sorry for the way I worded things.
I am really loving the map puzzle of the US with flags sticking up from it. That is really cool!!
My pre-schooler's been reading some flap books - where the answer is behind a flap that you pull down. I wonder if that could work. I'm thinking a poster board on top of a poster board. The top one has shapes cut out on all but one side, and you pull them open for the qualification for each area.
How about letting your child come up with the ideas instead of presenting him with these ideas? At that age, it's time to let his creativity shine and stop being the creativity crutch for him.
All of these are great ideas, but homework is for the kids to do -- and in this case it seems like you can help your child create the project, but that he needs to be the one thinking up what it should be.
I think you seem too involved. I have a 13 year old too and if she gets stuck on an idea for a project I tell her to "brainstorm", sit in a quiet place and write down everything that comes into your mind. Do it on and off for a couple of days. Then see what jumps out at you. Her Dad and I will toss out some ideas if she asks and then I'm happy to help with support for layout or execution but it is her project all the way. Honestly she comes up with more interesting and original ideas than we do most of the time.
If something seems off or too hard to express I'll ask her some leading questions like "How to you plan to express that idea?" or "What about this requirement, how are you going to meet it?".
When you say things like "I am still leaning towards a poster board, because that's what I'm comfortable with" it sounds like it's all about you. Help him to help himself, he'll care more about it and learn more if it's his project. Try not to focus on the grade as much as the process.
How about a voting ballot made from poster board?
Each one of those categories you mentioned would have it's own section with bubbles. For example:
Maximum total term per president:
O 2 years
O 4 years
O 8 years
Minimum age
O 35
O 40
O 45
You get the idea. Then have the answer be a slip of paper that is pulled out to reveal correct answer. This would encourage participation from the rest of the class as well.
You could have some fun "write-ins" too.
Hope this helps!
Idea #1:
I'm thinking of those table centerpieces that stand up with foil-like spikes (like a firework) and at the end of each, you could have a star with a detail.
I'm sure they ave them in red, white and blue. Here's O. from party City:
http://www.partycity.com/product/star+cascade+centerpiece...
Idea #2:
What about an Uncle Sam hat with a detail on each stripe?:
http://www.partycity.com/product/patriotic+glitter+top+ha...
Idea #3:
Make the poster board into a flag and put O. detail on each stripe!
Idea #4:
Make the poster board into a "Wanted" poster. Place a picture of Uncle Sam in the picture box, burn around the edges to make it look "old" and bullet point the qualifications and compensation with flags or a symbol for each (dollar sign for salary, etc.
Good luck. Sounds like a super cool, fun project!
Personally, I vote for something 3D rather than a poster board (#1 or #2 above) it will just make for a more interesting display. And interactive and walk-around is always a bonus!
Why are you researching this for your teenage son? He should be doing this. If anything, the only thing you should be doing is taking him to Hobby Lobby for supplies.
Give him the computer and tell him to start Googling. I'm sure he can find some great ideas on his own.
ETA: This website might help. http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/executive-branch...
Also, I did have one idea...how about a diorama of the Oval Office? He can incorporate the requirements into the room...like a calendar for term limits, a schedule/agenda book with duties, etc. Or just do a model of the President's desk and put all of those things on it.
Best of luck!
i like the 3d poster board idea. it doesnt have to stand up but can lay down so you get the full effect of the 3d aspect. maybe have him look at the qualifications of our past presidents - washington, lincoln etc.
What about getting a big puzzle of the US and gluing it together (I think you can modge podge it) and then adding the qualifications and other items on pieces of paper that look like each states flags then stick them up with toothpicks of Popsicle sticks? So you would have the map be flat but the flags be 3D...you could pick a few states and make them the staple ideas...I see it in my head Im not sure if it comes across as well typing out!! Good luck we are getting into project season here soon as well!
We would make a heck of a group project team! I love all these ideas.
You could print a large picture of the White House, maybe at Kinkos. Have him glue it to the poster board and cut the board out in the shape of the White House. Then, have him incorporate Stephanies ideas of the qualifications, benefits, etc sticking out of the windows - but use your idea of doing it in a 3d fashion and Lucias idea of putting a big bandaid on it somewhere. I also love Cheerfuls idea of doing it from the kids point of view. If he's a soccer player, you could put the White House inside a Soccer Net as the "goal" :) Just give him the supplies, suggest a direction to go in, and double check his facts. It's really obvious when parents do the projects instead of the kids!
What about making a 3 fold poster board and using that as the 'back drop' and then actually making 3D figures such as trees and light posts and whatever significant things around the white house you could think of to add the Qualifications, Term Limits, Salary, etc to?
Good Luck
How about something in the lines of a really big bandaid covering all the issues going on right now?
What about a doing a "help wanted" ad like you see in a newspaper? I know that sounds kind of obvious, but he could do small articles on other pages of the newspaper that describe current events (a little extra credit perhaps?). Maybe even have an article about him achieving his dream adult accomplishment: "Jhonny Doe wins Nobel Peace Prize!". You could also have some other jobs listed under the president's for his advising staff, like VP, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Press Secretary, etc.
I get that the other things look kind of cool, but what's more important, a kid who knows how to work streamers or a kid who understands the issues.
P.S. I like the bandaid idea, too.
I love the idea of a replica of the White House with the Qualifications etc.. sticking out of the windows!
One thing that always won me creative points in school AND made projects fun was I always centered the project around my interests. I was into cheerleading so if it was my project I would have made something to do with cheerleading.
What are your son's interests? Is he into soccer? Then I would make a 3-D soccer diorama and a little soccer ball with the qualifications popping out of the goal. Is he into martial arts? I'd make a martial arts ring with the president as the "announcer" and then each martial artist would have a qualification on his belt. Baseball? The qualifications are on the bases or balls and the names of the candidates are on the bats.
I think it's always best when kids come up with the project idea themselves and you guide them into it so they can begin creating, and the projects are always the most creative when its something the kid is interested in or knows a lot about.
Good luck!
