text: If teachers create summer projects, rather than students, it gives the students much more structure which is vital for kids, especially at a younger age. It is important for kids in elementary and middle school to have the leadership of a teacher to rely on. At that age, I hated when teachers gave us total freedom on projects because I would not know what they expected me to do. I needed them to guide me and tell me what the expected out of me, then I would go achieve that. But without explicit directions as a kid, I would struggle to decide what to do to please my teachers. However, in high school, it is better to give students more freedom because in their careers they will not always have someone telling them what to do every step of the way and they will have to think for themselves. But, it is not smart to give students complete freedom as they will have someone who wants something specific out of them when they get a job. For example, when I got my first job at an ice cream store I had to figure things out myself as I went, but I could not just do whatever I wanted. I had a task to complete that was specified by my boss, but he was not there every step of the way and left me to figure some things out on my own. That is what summer projects should emulate for high school students, while projects should be much more structured for younger kids.