3 Projects from this year (that you can steal!)

Our mentors at Bramblewood led some pretty amazing projects this year - projects that not only were fun, engaging, and impressive, but also taught so much about physical science and the history of the Middle Ages. 

 

The kids came out with some great academic learning and also better collaboration and communication skills, not to mention some random fun experiences (like learning how model train hobbyists make their landscapes, or how to use a drill, or how to make soap)!

 

I wanted to share a few of the things we worked on - I know for me the most powerful way to learn about PBL when I was starting out was seeing examples! See if any of these would work for you in your home or homeschool co-op:

 

 

We have actually done this project before with high schoolers, but it was just as great this year with preK-1st graders! They learned the basic principles of physical science, mixtures, solutions, atoms, etc - from asking how they can "use science to create a skincare shop!" 

 

They made their own soap and lotion, and even worked some budgeting into the deal, deciding what to do with the money they earned, and writing a class letter to me to ask permission to use class budget for supplies! 

 

It's so fun to see how the same project can apply at various ages and skills, and how much they can all still get out of it! This would be a fun project to do as a family or small group of homeschoolers, as well. 

 

 

2. Nature Playground

 

Our 2nd and 3rd graders designed and built a nature playground for their friends to use at Bramblewood, based on physical science principles. Playgrounds have so much to offer in physics! There is force, motion, and simple machines all over the place! Plus the kids got to learn basic construction methods and, of course, lots of collaboration. 

 

There is something so motivating about creating something that will be immediately useful, especially something others are excited about. These kids knocked it out of the park! (pun intended)

 

 

3. Model Medieval Village

 

 

This would also be a great project for a family, and could fit with any time period! 

 

Our upper elementary class learned about life during the Middle Ages by constructing a scale model of a Medieval village. This meant they had to learn about various jobs, the feudal system, architecture, and even some math (scale and proportion is tricky!). 

 

Their big focus during this adventure was craftsmanship - they wanted their end product to be high quality and not settle for slap-dash. This involved a lot of feedback and reflection to make sure their village was up to the standard they wanted. An actual model train enthusiast came to class and talked to them about construction techniques for landscapes, and they used the actual methods used, which led to a very professional look! 

 

To top it off, when they had finished their model, they even designed little snippets about the different parts of the village and made a display with QR codes you could go to to learn more! What a fantastic experience! 

 

 

If you haven't seen, we are starting to host regular free webinars to teach people a little about project-based learning. We have some for homeschool parents and some especially for co-op and microschool leaders, so if that sounds interesting to you, be sure to send us a message and we'll let you know about the next ones coming up! 

 

Cheers,

Danika