Learning from our mistakes - getting the boys back on track

The results of our first internal assessment are in and four of my nine boys passed.   Three of them started well but did not complete the assessment and the other two didn't even attempt it.  My hunch was that after 3 weeks of solid teaching about the context, introducing relevant guest speakers and a trip to a community exhibition, would mean that they were ready to write what was needed for their assessment.  I left them to it, expecting that they would be able to self-manage and ask for help when needed.  This was not the case and I realise that they lacked the motivation to stay focussed.  By me handing them the whole assessment, I didn't into account that maybe they would lose momentum.

Our new unit is around planning and participating in the 40 Hour Famine.  For this unit, I've decided to break down each task and do it as we go.  Students are in 4 groups and for each task, I've showed on the whiteboard each groups tasks, to motivate kids to complete them.

I have been doing this for a week and have found that the boys are responding really well to this method.  One of the boys has done more writing in the last two weeks then the whole of last term (that 10 weeks!).

I asked them why and they said it's because they could see that on the board, where their names are and if there was a gap, they didn't want to be left out or the only ones who have not done the work.  They also got ideas from each other and could see that they also had the same ideas.  I want to see how long this would work for before they got sick of it.