Students often find it difficult to transfer what we teach, to the real world experience.  We at the Energetic Learning Campus have tried to bridge that gap with a PBL project that turns research into reality.  One of our cross-curricular PBL projects is a disaster – and that is a good thing!  This ‘Natural Disasters Project’ focuses on the essential question of “How do we make research a reality?”

Just like all of our projects, we must start with a ‘hook’!  Our school has cohorts of students in what we call Community Groups.  Throughout the year we have many fun competitions where the Comm groups compete for points.  These range from dress-up days, Christmas hamper fund raisers, rock paper scissor contests, to a Star Wars light sabre battle.  Using this fun competitive spirit we have a contest where students play a on-line natural disasters game that teaches them to use all the resources possible to defend a city from a natural disaster.  The teachers passion flows through the students and the excitement from this competition really hooks the kids.  After a couple days of competition, we dive into the project.  The first step for the students is to choose a type of natural disaster. They then research a natural disaster that took place any time in history.
They are given these guiding questions:
a) Where did it happen? Why did it happen there?
b) When did it happen? Why did it happen then?
c) How destructive was it? Why was it so destructive?
d) Scientific explanation of HOW it happened and why.  Draw a diagram to explain.  Must include all key terms provided.
e) Economic or environmental impact

Next they form a proposal on how they are going to recreate it with a  physical working model.  These creative innovative ideas that the students come up with are inspiring.

The hands on work of creating a mini testing model and then the actual working model is the catalyst to transferring what we teach, to the real world.  The students understand what, how, and why, and are very capable of explaining their knowledge.

A Survivor entry in either a journal, diary, or interview of someone that has survived the disaster is also a requirement.  This allows the students to touch on the emotions/feelings of the people who experienced the disaster.  The breadth and depth of this project hits all the core subject for our grade 10 students.  The staff of the ELC have done wonderful work with this project.  Their scaffolding and guidance along with their kind, helpful and specific critiquing brings student engagement to another level.  Our teachers are true facilitators of learning!

The final step of all PBL projects at the ELC is the presentation of learning (POL).  Through the POL’s the students share their passion of the project with their community groups. They present us with the facts and scientific explanations of the disaster, and show off their working models with immense pride.  However, most importantly, they reflect and explain their own learning during the process.  What you learned most? What challenged you? What you would do differently? Are just some of the reflective questions they share with us.

This passionate display of learning can only lead to success!  My hat goes off to our ELC staff and students for showing us all how transferring what we teach to real world doesn’t have to be a ‘disaster’ after all – or does it?

Sheldon Steele
VP ELC

Forces of Nature, natural disasters game via National Geographic
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/forces-of-nature/