This book presents performance-based projects to provide elementary school students both the structure and the freedom to become actively engaged in their own learning. The approach is based on the concept of authentic learning, which advocates a relevant, real world experience to personally engage students in learning. The book is divided into four themes, each of which includes a project at three different levels: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. Each project begins with an introduction, outline of the assignment, a list of materials required, and a list of concepts students will study. A customized assessment form is included for each project. The theme of part 1 is living things; this section presents projects on seeds, zoo designing, and imaginary animals. The theme of part 2 is numbers and measurement; this part presents projects on distance, student census, and budgeting. The theme of part 3 is people and places; this part presents projects on home, American heroes, and famous people and places. The theme of part 4 is research; this part presents projects on educational collages, encyclopedias, and interactive educational software programs. The book concludes with a student resources section which addresses choosing a topic, finding resources, taking notes, planning the writing, editing, and finding resources. (SD)