Projected Learning in Burr Ridge IL
At our private school near Burr Ridge IL, students in grades two through eight are engaged in project based learning each day. This interdisciplinary class encourages in-depth and hands-on exploration of topics using relevant, real-world methods of research, preparation and presentation. These projects encourage creative thinking, independent learning, and the development of discipline-specific skills.
What are the Projects?
Half of the projects are linked to history, writing, literature, and the arts. The other half are linked to science, math, and engineering. Examples of student projects have included building and testing toothpick bridges, various historical expositions, the construction of dioramas, science fair experiments, writing screenplays, engineering catapults, writing creative stories and fairy tale variants, and planning trips around the world… just to name a few!
““Through an ongoing series of projects, teachers gradually teach each student to break down work into manageable tasks, stay focused, meet deadlines, and produce high-quality results.””
Is this an Elective?
Nope! Project based learning involves projects that are part of our core school curriculum. They intentionally connect to students’ studies in all subjects, including history, literature, math, and science. More importantly, this class is designed to teach critical areas of executive functioning through the planning and execution of these projects.
How do Projects Teach Executive Functioning?
By taking all the projects that students do across our curriculum and concentrating them in one class, our teachers have a unique opportunity to teach executive functioning skills. Through an ongoing series of projects, teachers gradually teach each student to break down work into manageable tasks, stay focused, meet deadlines, and produce high-quality results.
What about other students?
Our K-2 students prepare for this class through a fine-motor class that we call “finger games.” In that class, students develop their pincer-grasp and hand-eye coordination through work with beads, lacing, mazes, coloring, cutting and more. While the students feel like they are playing, they are actually setting a foundation for beautiful handwriting and project-making in the future.
Our high school students take a more advanced projects class. While younger students create dioramas, posters, and amazing creations out of popsicle sticks, our high schoolers work in the digital realm. Their class is heavily focused on practical writing and digital design, and their projects connect to their history course, practical psychology, or real world skills. In this class, high schoolers explore careers, read fascinating books that might not appear anywhere else in our curriculum, and use extend their knowledge of history.
What’s a Showcase?
About four times each year, we turn our school into a museum. We call this a showcase. Projects from all grade levels, written work, art work, and more are put on display all over Vine. Parents are invited to come and see what their child has produced. Siblings and grandparents often come to see the showcase too. Students see their own work on display as well as the work of others. They give each other structured feedback and gather ideas to incorporate in future projects.