Students begin by learning about issues such as food insecurity, fast fashion, sustainability, and global systems. They then choose a goal that matters to them personally and work in groups to design an action plan.
they learn that good intentions and plans do not always translate into straightforward solutions.
While Barkerville captures history, drama, social studies, collaboration, empathy, and problem-solving all at once, it is also a reminder that meaningful learning often begins when students feel the human weight of what they are studying.“ It felt really disappointing when we walked in after the imaginary fi re because we worked really hard on our signs,” said Ava, Grade 4.“ I could imagine how disappointed they must have felt because they must have worked so hard for everything they accomplished.”
As Ms Taylor, Teacher, Design & Drama, Junior School, observed, the project helps students see that, across time,“ human drive, ambition, needs, and connection have fundamentally stayed the same”.
Students begin by learning about issues such as food insecurity, fast fashion, sustainability, and global systems. They then choose a goal that matters to them personally and work in groups to design an action plan.
STUDENT-CENTRED LEARNING: TAKING OWNERSHIP THROUGH VOICE AND CHOICE
In Grade 7, the Discovery Project gives students a year-long opportunity to explore real-world challenges through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students begin by learning about issues such as food insecurity, fast fashion, sustainability, and global systems. They then choose a goal that matters to them personally and work in groups to design an action plan.“ Students feel inwardly, intrinsically excited about this project,” said Ms Taylor.
Students may record podcasts, build websites, plan community beach cleanups, or develop other action plans connected to the issue they have chosen. Along the way,
For example, one group wanted to collect school supplies for girls in Afghanistan, but then discovered the partner organization only accepted fi nancial donations. Because the Discovery Project rules prohibit fundraising, the group had to rethink their plan. Ms Taylor sees these roadblocks as part of the design cycle.“ If it doesn’ t work, you’ re looking for that in design,” she said.“ You want that because nothing works right away. Then what?”
Ms Hare, Coordinator, Ivy Compass Program, Junior School, puts it another way:“ There’ s often not one correct answer.”
That refl ection is central to the Learning Framework. Students are not only asked to complete a project; they are also asked to understand themselves as learners, including how they respond to frustration, how they work with others, how they recover from disappointment, and how they might try again.
For Ms Trolese, the framework serves as“ the North Star that helps us make all of the decisions around
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