As students become more proficient in the middle school classroom, ideas and concepts are often expanded for students to not only learn, but communicate their thoughts in a structured format. As part of this transition, projects are introduced that require students to begin ‘owning’ the information they are sharing in their respective words. This allows students to understand what the project is about and where the information comes from while gaining a better understanding of the lesson. These students spent a lot of time researching, learning about paraphrasing, and creating.
“During this stage of instruction, students at this level are asked to process the information being provided using their own thought process and words,” said RCS Middle School Social Studies Teacher Ms. Kemmer. “As they continue to develop in the classroom, it’s important for them to be able to understand and communicate ideas surrounding their curriculum to become stronger students. It’s interesting to see their learning grow, as they are more involved in their day-to-day curriculum.”
Recently, the RCS Middle School sixth grade history classes, led by Ms. Kemmer and Ms. Charafeddine, guided their classrooms through a project centered on the Ancient Egyptian pyramids. Students were learning about Ancient Egypt and its role in world history. Instruction for this type of project also created a different option for the students to have fun learning while understanding the importance of paraphrasing the information they find. For this project, students were asked to put themselves in the place of being an Egyptian architect to sell a potential customer on purchasing a pyramid or tomb. This allowed the students to show they understand the material well enough to entice a potential buyer with a high-quality product. In addition, students also got some additional creativity by drawing or building their pyramid to join their creative content.
This fun and engaging project continues to follow the district’s five-year academic plan outlined by Superintendent Brian Bailey, Ed.D., during the 2019-20 school year. That plan focuses on creating programs for RCS students to access the district’s four “C’s” initiatives, which are: creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.
