Apart from spelling, geometry, science, literary analysis, and all of the other concepts you work on in 4th Grade, Southwest students have one additional requirement. Students in Mrs. Cihocki’s and Mrs. Stull’s classrooms engage in an ongoing project called Genius Hour. Genius Hour is a block of time that allows students to explore things they are passionate about. Students conduct research to learn about any topic of their choice. They then must decide how they will demonstrate their learning to their peers.

The concept of a “Genius Hour” is often attributed to Google. Google allows its engineers to spend a portion of their time working on projects that are interesting to them, regardless of whether or not it directly relates to their work. The idea is that allowing people to work on things they are passionate about will increase productivity and performance.

This group of genius hour projects encompassed a wide variety of topics. Among others, topics included stars, cookies, and how to use shading in art. Check out some pictures of the presentations below. Way to go 4th grade, we can’t wait to see what you come up with next!