The One Word project for kids originated from the book, “One Word That Will Change Your Life” by Jon Gordon, Jimmy Page, and Dan Britton, first published a decade ago. Since that time, this concept has inspired countless people of all ages around the world.
What is the One Word project?
The One Word project involves choosing a single word to simplify and focus your life for a given period of time. This could be over a school year, a calendar year, or any length of time you choose.
The One Word project is similar to a goal or resolution, only simpler and more broad in its application. It could relate to a change you’d like to make or a quality you want to emphasize.
Because it’s just a single word, it’s easy to apply “One Word” to a variety of situations. You can also create clever ways to remind yourself of your word with signs, notes, jewelry, and more.
The success of the authors’ first book inspired them to write a similar book just for kids. “One Word for Kids: A Great Way to Have Your Best Year Ever”, is written with a school-age audience in mind.
The One Word project for kids encourages them to become self-aware and helps them develop a growth mindset.
Well-meaning New Year’s resolutions are popular but often quickly abandoned. Goals can also be easily forgotten. Yet, without a specific intention to improve or grow, it’s easy to just maintain the status quo.
By focusing on a word that has special meaning for them, kids can affect changes in their attitude or behavior that may not have occurred otherwise.
How do you do the One Word project for kids?
Step 1. Read the book!
Reading “One Word for Kids” will introduce this project in a way young kids can relate to. For older kids, you might read excerpts from the original “One Word that Will Change Your Life” book.
Step 2. Brainstorm together
Have kids think about the kind of person they want to become and the words that might help them be their best. Have them make a list of as many words as possible. Some students may have some of the same words, but everyone’s complete list will look different.
Step 3. Have kids choose their “One Word”
There’s no specific formula for choosing a word. Most likely one word will stand out and just feel more meaningful than the others. Some people say that your word chooses YOU!
Step 4. Create some “One Word” reminders
This can be anything from a word written on a simple post-it note, to bookmarks, posters, placemats, and more. Kids will enjoy creating an art project with their word using Kaleidoscope Lettering, or other fun lettering styles.
Step 5. Live your “One Word”
Encourage students to keep their “One Word” in the back of their minds as they go throughout their day. They can be on the look-out for ways to live out their “One Word” in everything they do. Their “One Word” can motivate and inspire them to be their best!
an inspiring quote:
“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
~ Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh had plenty of experience with attempting new things. He failed at multiple jobs (art dealer, school teacher, lay preacher, bookseller, missionary worker) before becoming an artist.
It had to take great courage for Van Gogh to keep trying new things after failing so many times. He seemed to recognize that getting back up after failing was an important key to success in life.
If Van Gogh had chosen one word to motivate and inspire him, what word do you think he might have picked?
a question worth considering:
What “One Word” could inspire YOU to be the best you can be this year?
One of the challenges I faced this year in the Makerspace was that our classroom got double-booked for the second nine weeks during 7th period. This meant my Principles of Applied Engineering Class met in a Spanish classroom – and the students who were eager to use large tools like the saws were disappointed at the temporary change in venue. (We ended up doing a 3D Design project that nine weeks.) I knew when we returned to the Makerspace at the beginning of January that the students would not want to be put off any longer, and racked my brains the entire Winter Break for a project with a purpose that would finally allow them to explore the tools.
Our Makerspace is relatively new, set up in the school’s old Cosmetology classrooms, and it’s definitely a work in progress. With upcoming renovations we will be getting another space, but we’ve been trying to make this one functional and inspirational in the meantime. Other than tool storage, our walls are somewhat blank. With that in mind, and everyone’s New Year’s Resolution tweets about their “One Word” for their year flooding my Twitter feed, the idea came to me that the students could practice using most of our tools while creating signs to hang up on the walls.
The students brainstormed words that they felt represented the Makerspace, and each group of 2-3 students chose a word. They made construction paper prototypes of their signs, planning out the measurements of the letters and the plaques. In the meantime, they did some flipped learning with online videos and safety tests for each of the tools they would be using.
All of the students used the table saw and miter saw to make their plaques. I have to say that this is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my job. Like me, many of these students are fearful before they use these powerful tools. After watching a few people do it without chopping off any fingers, they hesitantly try. Their smiles afterward remind me of my daughter’s reaction the first time I convinced her to ride roller coaster. “Let’s do it again!” The female students, especially, seem the most empowered after they finish. There is a noticeable difference in their self-confidence as they continue with their projects – some of them asking to cut other people’s projects so they can repeat their experience.
Once the plaques were made, the students were required to learn how to use at least 3 out of 4 other tools for the more precise designs of their letters. Each tool requires different software for design, so that was a bit challenging. The students could use: 3d printer, laser cutter, Silhouette cutter, or CNC mill. I encouraged them to use different fonts and types of “stock” for each letter. They could use acrylic, plywood, vinyl, cardstock, copper, aluminum, and filament. (Students could “earn” access to more expensive materials by meeting certain benchmarks on time.)
One of the cons of this project was that many students needed my help or supervision for different things at the same time. If I do the project again, I will plan more “mini workshops” about the software and schedule times to use certain tools. Another con was that our brand new CNC mill has a huge learning curve, and we lost a lot of time and material to mistakes. I think I’m finally learning its idiosyncrasies, so that shouldn’t be a huge problem in future projects.
Despite those issues, I felt really good about this project when we finished. I decided not to assess the actual signs, or to give any kind of team grade. Instead, students were assessed individually on their safety tests and on their final reflections of the design process. These reflections, which required pictures of different stages of the project, will be included in the online portfolios our school is required, and were very informative about how much the students understood about problem-solving and learning from mistakes during a project.
Here is what one student wrote, after describing some of the challenges encountered during the project, “That was all fine because that is how life is. You never truly know what is going to happen next and it allowed me to think on my feet a little better and reevaluate my plans; it was a reality check between what was possible and what I could accomplish if absolutely nothing went wrong, which isn’t life. Life is messy and that is beautiful.”
Published by Terri Eichholz
Terri is a curriculum and tech integration specialist, speaker, and author with a passion for engaging and empowering learners. She delivers engaging professional learning, consultations on a variety of educational needs, and professional articles for various outlets . Find out more about Terri on the About page in the site menu.
View all posts by Terri Eichholz
Table of Contents
- What is another word for student?
- What is another word for a good student?
- How do you describe a student?
- How do you describe a good student?
- How would you describe an intelligent student?
- What do you call a smart student?
- How do you describe a smart girl?
- How do you call a smart girl?
- Who has 180 IQ?
- Is an IQ of 147 good?
- Is an IQ of 135 good?
The one word project can help you set a positive, creative tone for your classroom. It can also help you form stronger connections with your students as you learn more about their hopes and dreams. Perfect for the opening of term or of a new year, this project invites students to set their intentio.
What is another word for student?
What is another word for student?
| pupil | scholar |
|---|---|
| schoolboy | schoolgirl |
| schoolchild | senior |
| junior | learner |
| novice | undergraduate |
What is another word for a good student?
very good student > synonyms »great student exp. »brilliant student exp. »quick learner exp. »good student exp.
How do you describe a student?
Adjectives to Describe Students
| Attentive | Alert | Cheerful |
|---|---|---|
| Well-groomed | Coordinated | Animated |
| Spontaneous | Fluent | Thoughtful |
| Consistent | Determined | Courageous |
| Courteous | Ambitious | Resourceful |
How do you describe a good student?
A good student is the one who can work in a group, motivate others and yield productive output. Being positive, helpful, cooperative and friendly are all the traits of a good student. Such students become great team players and leaders when they grow up.
How would you describe an intelligent student?
Someone bright is intelligent and quick-witted. We often use this word to describe children or young people. “She’s a bright, ambitious student who will have no problem finding a job.” “Becky’s students are really bright.
What do you call a smart student?
intellect. noun. someone who is extremely intelligent.
How do you describe a smart girl?
To make sure this doesn’t happen in your writing, use the following words to describe an intelligent woman: Astute – She has clever solutions to problems based on her sharp perception. Quick-witted – She has a sharp intellect that helps her respond to situations deftly.
How do you call a smart girl?
[
- 1 acute, adept, agile, apt, astute, bright, brisk, canny, clever, ingenious, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, ready, sharp, shrewd.
- 2 as fresh as a daisy, chic, elegant, fashionable, fine, modish, natty (informal) neat, smart, snappy, spruce, stylish, trendy (Brit.
Who has 180 IQ?
130 to 144: Moderately gifted. 145 to 159: Highly gifted. 160 to 179: Exceptionally gifted. 180 and up: Profoundly gifted.
Is an IQ of 147 good?
An IQ score over 140 indicates that you’re a genius or nearly a genius, while 120 – 140 is classed as “very superior intelligence”. 110 – 119 is “superior intelligence”, while 90 – 109 is “normal or average intelligence”.
Is an IQ of 135 good?
A score of 116 or more is considered above average. A score of 130 or higher signals a high IQ. Membership in Mensa, the High IQ society, includes people who score in the top 2 percent, which is usually 132 or higher.
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One Word Project
Jon Gordon, author of the bestselling book, The Energy Bus, spoke with teachers at the opening assembly for the 2014-15 school year, passing along a message of positivitiy and prompting teachers to select one word to guide them through the new school year.
One Word is a movement. «It’s all about scrapping a list of goals that are easily forgotten. Instead One Word asks participants to choose just one word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. Choose one word that is the focus every day, all year long.»
Team 1 teachers knew it would be fun to involve students in the Energy Bus/One Word project. Mrs. Robinson, our principal, joined the team and read the student edition of the book to our classes.
After much discussion on the new school year and this project, students were challenged to choose a word.
The words ranged from silly and fun to quite thought-provoking.
Flip books were created to record each student’s word. The hope is students will discover the big impact one word can make.
We are trusting this one word will become the compass that directs our decisions and guides our steps.
The One Word project is giving us one more way to create a positive, productive environment at our school. Please take some time and ask your child about the word he or she chose and the reason why.
The One Word Project is a project that makes you reflect back in your life in 2018. It asks questions like ‘ What could you use more of in your life’, ‘How do you feel at the end of the day’ and also”How would you like to feel at the end of the day.’ For this project you answer a packet and I mostly wrote down that I would have liked feeling more peaceful in life. For example, at most day I felt tired and bored but mostly stress at the end of the day when i’m at home from school. Life would be so much better if I can have peace and quiet, but life isn’t fair. While I answer more of the question on the packet, I notice that I mostly chose words about being peaceful, but I just continue answering the questions. Finally, I chose a word that I thought would be easy to explain, but the project wasn’t done yet. I had to make a fancy and colorful poster. I did not like this at all. Lucky, my 10th grade teacher said we could have our name on the back of it and I was glad. I didn’t want to make conversation with people I don’t know and having to talk to them on why I chose the words.
The word “Patience” means the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. This is the word I chose for the One Word Project. Most of 2018, I would overthink things and become stressed. As a teenager working at McDonald, I have to deal with people and answering their question and taking their orders. I would only work in the morning on weekends, because that is the only time i’m free, so there are a lot of old people. I have to listen to their quiet voices and repeat their own orders back to them multiples times because of their hearing problems and I become easily frustrated. Then there’re are the people who are just the worse. For example, there some people who just flat out lie in front of me and the manager because of the mistake that they made. rather than admitting that it was their fault, they rather blame the ‘irresponsible worker.’ Those are the kind of customers I do not like. I hope that I can just be a little more patience with people so that I can become a better worker. That I can be more patience with the customers by just thinking and remember my One Word Project.
Published
January 17, 2019February 8, 2019