Students Showcase Project-based Learning over Parent-Weekend

Last weekend we were pleased to have so many students’ families join us for parent-weekend.  On Friday evening, the seniors shared the spiritual lessons they learned from Senior Survival.  On Sabbath, the Music Department provided all the music for the church service and all groups performed at an evening sacred concert.  That night, the gym was packed for the annual Fall Festival.  On Sunday morning, parents had the opportunity to sit down individually with each of their student’s teachers.  The culminating activity was the showcase of student-projects from English, World History, Geography, Art, and Physics classes. 
 
For the first presentations, the students from Nate Marin’s Geography class performed traditional dances in costume from a variety of countries.  In Geography, students are divided into groups to do an in-depth study of one specific country throughout the semester.  They present their learning in multiple formats throughout the semester including dances, food, infographics, digital maps, and physical mobiles. 
 
Eloi Dos Santos, senior, commented on the work involved in creating these projects.  “In my group I am responsible for providing typical food from Venezuela, I’ve been working on the 3D-Printer, the clothing for our dance, and providing some ideas for our physical mobile. Studying about Venezuela wasn’t an easy job because their culture is quite contrasting, but it was interesting to learn about their lifestyles, religions, traditional foods, and dances,” he explained.

---

For the second set of presentations, the sophomore class had an opportunity to share what they have been studying. English students have been reading Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and World History students studied the social classes of ancient Rome.  Students shared a newspaper they had produced with articles they wrote on historical information, what daily life was like, and societal problems that needed correction. Finally, they wrote and performed satirical skits depicting some of those problems for the audience of parents and students.  Their understanding of ancient Roman societal issues and their sense of humor were clearly evident in their skits! 

---

"Fly Fishing" by Conner Cizek

Creative students’ artwork from Jim Hughes’ art class was on display in the Hankin’s Hall tower.  His class was asked to create visual puns; where each student chose a pun and had to communicate the idea through their choice of visual media.  Their work included many thought-provoking pieces with paintings and mixed-media sculptures.

---

  "Brainstorm" by Emily Zelaya                            "Think Outside the Box" by Faith Paden        "Butterflies in My Stomach" by Ashley Reyes

Finally, Kent Kast’s physics class tested their miniature bridge models.  The students were tasked with designing a mini-bridge from wooden popsicle sticks using the laws of physics to determine their potential strength and durability.  The structural integrity was tested by placing weights on each bridge until it collapsed.  The winning bridge, designed by Jordi, Caleb, and Nathaniel, held up all the weights available—about 150 pounds!

Each of these projects represented hours of deep academic content learned in classes and it was meaningful for the students to have the opportunity to share a small piece of what they have been learning with their parents.  As Dos Santos put it, “It was a great opportunity for the parents to spend time with their children and see the great things that they have accomplished.”
 
Article by Jill Harlow
Photos by Jill Harlow, Kent Kast, and Jim Hughes