PROJECT BASED LEARNING IN THE GEOLOGIC SCIENCES AT THE SOUTH SHORE CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL

The South Shore Charter Public School in Norwell, Massachusetts relies on project based learning in order to engage and enliven its students. These projects occur in regular classroom lessons, but also in a special class devoted to student created projects. The middle school science teachers find many ways to encourage the geologic sciences during class sessions as well as during the special projects time.

This year, we used the seventh grade science curriculum as the basis for a structural geology project showcasing the rock formations in the Norwell vicinity. Students designed and implemented a rigorous curriculum that allowed them to guide their learning, and allowed the teachers to support and nurture their lofty goals. The students will ultimately create a mural and children's book based on the information learned in seventh grade science, as well as the information obtained during mini-lessons in their geology projects class.