Travis hasn’t had to produce a research project for school yet, but the basics behind researching and presenting are great skills to teach young elementary school kids. They’ll enjoy the exploration, plus be prepared when the times comes for their first such future assignment. Here were two fun projects Travis tackled at home, one even complete with a final report!

Project 1: The State of Things

His first task was to use the internet to research our home state. Whatever state you live in, a great first resource is the Internet Public Library.

From here, Travis wrote Massachusetts on the middle of a piece of poster board. Whoops, the word is so long that it nearly didn’t fit! We then had fun printing images to highlight some of the fun facts he learned, like sports teams, sites to visit, and our state bird.

Gluing everything down was half the fun; even little sister Veronika wanted to join in!

Have your child “present” their poster to you as a final step in the lesson.

Project 2: International Cuisine

The second project had no final poster, but it did culminate with a culinary report! Travis’s task was to select a country and research its cuisine and he chose India. It was a great chance to check out a few library books and read together about common festivals and holidays.

We also checked out an Indian cookbook and had so much fun leafing through images and recipes together. Whatever country your child chooses, have him or her select a recipe that sounds appealing. In our case, Travis chose a red lentil coconut dal…

…and a kheer rice pudding for dessert!

Make sure to have your child present the meal to friends or family before everyone digs in!