Set four controls, press New project, and get one project you can assign today, with a twist and a done-when check.
Read the project below with your group, then plan who does what before you start.
To get a project for your students, set the subject, grade band, project type, and group size in the random project generator above, then press New project. At Chalkbox, we build free classroom tools for K-12 teachers, and this one hands you one concrete project with a twist and a "Done when" check. If the first project does not fit your class, press the button again until one does.
The project generator needs four choices and one button to give you a project you can assign. Follow these steps in order:
The project generator runs in your browser with nothing to install and no account. Every project is assembled on your device from fixed lists written for classrooms. Nothing is generated by artificial intelligence (AI), and nothing you choose is sent anywhere.
Each control changes a different part of the project card:
| Control | Options | Default | Part of the card it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Science, Math, English, Social Studies, Art, Any subject | Science | The topic |
| Grade band | K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 | 3-5 | The topic |
| Project type | Build a model, Research and present, Make a video or poster, Write and publish, Collect and graph data, Any type | Any type | The product and the Done when line |
| Group size | Solo, Pairs, Small group (3-4) | Pairs | The twist |
Every result from the random project generator has four parts: a tag line, one bold project sentence, a Twist line, and a Done when line. The tag line names the subject, project type, and group size. The bold sentence is built from a product, then a topic, then the word "for," then an audience.
One possible result out of many:
Read the card from top to bottom and you have what students make, what it is about, who it is for, one constraint, and the finish line.
Each subject has five topics for each of the four grade bands. That makes 5 subjects × 4 grade bands × 5 topics = 100 topics in all. A sample from the lists:
| Subject | Grade band | Sample topic |
|---|---|---|
| Science | K-2 | the life cycle of a butterfly |
| Science | 3-5 | the water cycle |
| Science | 6-8 | cells and organelles |
| Science | 9-12 | the carbon cycle and climate |
| Math | K-2 | shapes found around the school |
| Math | 3-5 | fractions in a recipe |
| Math | 6-8 | ratios and unit rates |
| Math | 9-12 | compound interest |
| English | 3-5 | figurative language in a poem |
| English | 9-12 | a rhetorical analysis of a speech |
| Social Studies | 3-5 | a local landmark |
| Social Studies | 6-8 | trade routes and cultural exchange |
| Art | 3-5 | symmetry |
| Art | 9-12 | a design for a community space |
Each project type has three products, and the random project generator picks one of them at random. The Done when line is fixed for each project type. Once you pick a type, you know the finish line before you press the button.
| Project type | Products (one chosen at random) | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| Build a model | "a working or labeled 3D model of", "a diorama that explains", "a labeled sketch-and-model of" | The model has labels and its maker can explain in one minute what each part stands for. |
| Research and present | "a short presentation on", "a museum-style exhibit about", "a 'teach the class' lesson on" | The work names at least two sources and answers one question from the audience. |
| Make a video or poster | "a 2-minute explainer video on", "an infographic poster on", "a slide-free visual summary of" | A viewer who knows nothing about the topic can state the main point after one look. |
| Write and publish | "a newsletter article about", "a class book chapter on", "a student guide to" | The piece has a clear opening and a closing, and one peer has read it before it is handed in. |
| Collect and graph data | "a survey and graph about", "a data table and written conclusion on", "a class experiment log about" | The graph has a title and labeled axes, and one sentence says what the data shows. |
The audience comes from a list of five: classmates, a younger class, families at an open house, the school library display, and a class website or newsletter. One audience is chosen at random for each project.
For one fixed subject, grade band, and project type, the lists give 5 topics × 3 products × 5 audiences = 75 possible project sentences.
The twist on each project depends on the group size you pick, and each group size has four possible twists. Across the three group sizes, that is 3 × 4 = 12 twists in all.
| Group size | Possible twists (one per project) |
|---|---|
| Solo | Keep it to one page of notes. Use no more than three colors. Finish in three class periods. Explain it to a friend before you present. |
| Pairs | Each partner owns half and explains the other half. Finish in three class periods. Swap drafts with another pair once. Use no more than three colors. |
| Small group (3-4) | Give every member a named role. Hold one short check-in with the teacher halfway. Finish in four class periods. Each member explains one part during the share. |
The deadline twists set three class periods for Solo and Pairs and four class periods for Small group (3-4). If a deadline twist lands on your card, count the class periods you have free for the project before you hand it out.
The project generator gives you two ways to keep a project: the Copy project button and the Print button.
A generated project is ready to assign once it fits your unit, your calendar, and your groups. The three habits below are planning advice from teachers. They do not come from a study.
Before you hand out the card, run through four quick questions:
If any answer is no, press New project and read the next card.
Chalkbox has sibling tools and guides for the steps around the project itself:
The random project generator works from fixed lists and picks one project at a time, so it has four limits. Each one has a workaround:
The project generator is the wrong starting point if your unit needs a topic outside the lists or a project tied to a specific standard. In that case, write the project yourself using the same four parts: a product, a topic, an audience, and a done-when check.
Set four controls, read the card, and re-roll until the topic fits your unit and the twist fits your calendar. Decide the one thing you will grade, then print the "Our Project" page for each group. Pick your subject and grade band in the random project generator above and press New project to get your first project.
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A random project generator builds one project idea for students from lists of topics, products, and audiences. The one on this page also adds a Twist line and a Done when line to every project. Press New project to roll another until one fits your class.
Yes, the project generator is free. It runs in your browser with nothing to install and no account to create.
Yes, you can choose both. Subject offers Science, Math, English, Social Studies, Art, or Any subject, and grade band offers K-2, 3-5, 6-8, or 9-12. You can also set project type and group size, and changing any control makes a new project at once.
No, the project generator does not use artificial intelligence (AI). Every project is assembled on your device from fixed lists written for classrooms. Nothing you choose is sent anywhere.
You can print or copy a project, but the project generator does not save projects between visits. Print gives you only the project card on a page titled "Our Project", with Name and Date lines. Copy project copies the project sentence, twist, and done-when text so you can paste them into a document.