Are your expectations clear to all students?
Do you have models of products you expect students to generate so they can make comparisons?
Do students feel responsible for assessing the quality of their own work?
How do they know when they have achieved quality in their work?
Can students use what they are learning in meaningful, real-world situations that will enhance their futures?
Do they know clearly how they will use the information they are gathering or studying?
Have your students mastered a skill or a concept in such a way that they know when and how to apply it outside the classroom?
Do you build in time for students to engage in meaningful dialogue, and then use their ideas and suggestions to steer the course of the project?
Do you build upon your students’ natural curiosity and inspire them to voice opinions and revise "old ways" of thinking as new insights are gained?
"Assessing the emotional impact of a lesson is just as important as assessing content. Feelings while learning something new become the attitudes we hold for the rest of our lives." (Susan J. Kovalik and Karen D. Olsen) According to Kovalik and Olsen, if your project generates feelings of indignation or outrage, it is time to get involved and let their opinions and concerns be heard. Social action or outreach activities provide a real audience and strong sense of purpose. A daily journal is another way for students to express an emotional response to learning. Two books by Barbara Lewis can inspire youngsters to act: The Kid’s Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People Who Want to Make a Difference and Kid’s Guide to Social Action: How to Solve the Social Problems You Choose --- And Turn Creative Thinking into Positive Action.
Finally, as you use these guidelines to make positive changes in structuring project-based activities, don’t forget the importance of making changes that build strong student-teacher relationships.

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