Rote memorization is quickly falling out of favor in education. Studies show that relying exclusively on repetitive recall limits the student’s ability to apply knowledge in a meaningful way and prevents long-term retention. More importantly, this approach often makes education dull and fails to spark the love of learning.
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| Nick Thacker and Drew Boulanger stand by a U.S. map that the Jordan-Small Middle School eighth graders created. In the project, students learned about teamwork, perseverance and the power of hands-on, real-life experiences. The whole map will be completed soon. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
Project Based Learning (PBL) is an educational approach that has become a staple in most schools across the U.S., including RSU 14. Recently, eighth-grade students at Jordan-Small Middle School (JSMS) participated in an interdisciplinary project that blended art, STEM, geography, and history while encouraging collaboration, real-world problem solving, and deeper learning in all four subjects.
JSMS STEM teacher Jennifer Beaulieu, who collaborates with Social Studies teacher Austin Carr, explained how the project works. “The students first meet with Mr. Carr to study the geography and history of each state with an emphasis on significant features and major historical facts,” Beaulieu said.
Carr said that the Social Studies perspective of this assignment comes from our year-long study of the geography of the United States. “Students have had to research both individual states and iconic locations all around the country. The hope is that assignments like this will help them understand the diverse country we live in and how much a person's home can influence them,” he said.
Once they learn about those details, they apply the knowledge they gain by first collecting facts that they determined to be significant for the state they chose.
“Then they created a design with at least 15 important features of the state they have decided to study,” Beaulieu said. “Once the designs are finished with images and facts, the students’ designs are engraved onto wood using the laser machine that the school’s Spirit Club purchased with funds they had saved last year. The students then used the scroll saws and sanders in the woodshop to cut out the shape of the state.”
Once completed, the wooden states will be assembled to scale to form a map of the U.S. About half of them are now hanging in the hallway known as “Sebago Lake Ave.” The remaining states are currently being processed and will be added to the map when they are completed.
As with most real-life experiences, JSMS students encountered some hurdles along the way.
"The most challenging part of this project was getting each state to be the right size," eighth grader Drew Boulanger said. “It is important to take your time and do it right the first time."
Classmate Nick Thacker agreed. "You shouldn't rush if you want it to be done right. It's not worth it."
Beaulieu explained that facing difficulty is a positive part of the educational experience. Both Boulanger and Thacker took the lead in ensuring that the states were all drawn to scale.
“Challenge is part of the learning process, and our students learned the ‘hard way’ that taking the time to problem-solve and persevere leads to deeper understanding and lasting skills,’” she said.
In addition to the challenges that were faced, humor and bantering between students and teachers played a role.
“The student who chose the state of Wisconsin jovially refused to put the Green Bay Packers on that state engraving because he knows I’m a Packers fan,” Beaulieu said. “But after a few jokes back and forth, he decided to go ahead and engrave the Green G emblem on Wisconsin. He is a Philadelphia Eagles fan. We had so much fun with this little banter.”
As an educator, creating a fun and engaging learning experience requires creativity, collaboration, and the sharing of ideas.
“I had the idea of creating the map of the United States, but I couldn’t envision the whole project,” Beaulieu explained. “So, I reached out to Mr. Carr and my husband, Alan, who like me retired from work at an expeditionary school. He was an instructional coach, and I thought the three of us could meet and discuss details.”
After that initial meeting the three of them developed this unique and active, hands-on project. “And the rest, well, is history,” Beaulieu said.
In the end, the students didn’t just learn about the history and geography of the U.S.
They also learned how to use the Canva platform, and the art and technology needed to create a puzzled map, but more importantly, they discovered the value of teamwork, perseverance, and the joy of learning by doing. <
Carr said that the Social Studies perspective of this assignment comes from our year-long study of the geography of the United States. “Students have had to research both individual states and iconic locations all around the country. The hope is that assignments like this will help them understand the diverse country we live in and how much a person's home can influence them,” he said.
Once they learn about those details, they apply the knowledge they gain by first collecting facts that they determined to be significant for the state they chose.
“Then they created a design with at least 15 important features of the state they have decided to study,” Beaulieu said. “Once the designs are finished with images and facts, the students’ designs are engraved onto wood using the laser machine that the school’s Spirit Club purchased with funds they had saved last year. The students then used the scroll saws and sanders in the woodshop to cut out the shape of the state.”
Once completed, the wooden states will be assembled to scale to form a map of the U.S. About half of them are now hanging in the hallway known as “Sebago Lake Ave.” The remaining states are currently being processed and will be added to the map when they are completed.
As with most real-life experiences, JSMS students encountered some hurdles along the way.
"The most challenging part of this project was getting each state to be the right size," eighth grader Drew Boulanger said. “It is important to take your time and do it right the first time."
Classmate Nick Thacker agreed. "You shouldn't rush if you want it to be done right. It's not worth it."
Beaulieu explained that facing difficulty is a positive part of the educational experience. Both Boulanger and Thacker took the lead in ensuring that the states were all drawn to scale.
“Challenge is part of the learning process, and our students learned the ‘hard way’ that taking the time to problem-solve and persevere leads to deeper understanding and lasting skills,’” she said.
In addition to the challenges that were faced, humor and bantering between students and teachers played a role.
“The student who chose the state of Wisconsin jovially refused to put the Green Bay Packers on that state engraving because he knows I’m a Packers fan,” Beaulieu said. “But after a few jokes back and forth, he decided to go ahead and engrave the Green G emblem on Wisconsin. He is a Philadelphia Eagles fan. We had so much fun with this little banter.”
As an educator, creating a fun and engaging learning experience requires creativity, collaboration, and the sharing of ideas.
“I had the idea of creating the map of the United States, but I couldn’t envision the whole project,” Beaulieu explained. “So, I reached out to Mr. Carr and my husband, Alan, who like me retired from work at an expeditionary school. He was an instructional coach, and I thought the three of us could meet and discuss details.”
After that initial meeting the three of them developed this unique and active, hands-on project. “And the rest, well, is history,” Beaulieu said.
In the end, the students didn’t just learn about the history and geography of the U.S.
They also learned how to use the Canva platform, and the art and technology needed to create a puzzled map, but more importantly, they discovered the value of teamwork, perseverance, and the joy of learning by doing. <
