The Mettawee fifth grade students experienced a case of sticker shock. “I had no idea a hotel room would cost that much,” said one student. “Can you believe it, one night for $119!” Said another, his voice alive with indignation.
These young classmates, and the rest of the fifth grade students, were booking a room for a mythical family holiday to a national park. It was all part of their project-based-learning, in which students demonstrate a wide range of skills, in addressing a real world situation.
“Every year we come up with a theme that forces our kids to showcase their learning in math, research, communications, and decision making,” said Mettawee fifth grade teacher Mandy Thomas. “I realized my students needed work with maps and learning the states. I started thinking about a project that would also include geography. I love the outdoors and decided why not let the kids explore national parks?”
The journey began. Thomas set the table with a presentation to her class that defined the scale of national parks. She noted the 429 parks within the 50 states and pointed out that 63 of the destinations included the words “National Park” in their name.
The challenge? Each student would first do extensive research and select one of the named parks best suited for the interests of their family. They then set out to make all the travel arrangements: transportation, gas, food, lodging, activities, and more. They created a budget for the entire vacation.
With no restraints on expenses, the option for first class air travel showed up on many of the proposed itineraries. Others chose to rent recreational vehicles (RVs), while some opted to drive to either hotels or campsites. No surprise that plenty of cash was set aside for meals. “We’ll eat steak,” promised one hungry planner.
As part of the project, students designed a travel journal to document their adventures and created postcards to send to friends. No (national park) stone was left unturned.
The final step in the project was constructing a physical presentation about their chosen National Park vacation to be delivered to their fellow classmates. In this test of their communication skills, they could either design a poster, produce a powerpoint presentation, or build a scenic diorama, the preferred option for 10 of the 13 fifth grade travelers.
Each diorama was complete with a three-dimensional miniature scene, complete with model figures and painted backdrops. The help of friends led to ideas like using pipe-cleaners for the cactus of Death Valley. Cardboard paper towel holders served as a stand-in for the majestic trees of the Redwood National Park. Aluminum foil came in handy in setting the scene for the famous Mirror Lake of Yosemite.
“The projects were all student driven, and they loved the opportunity to express their own creativity,” said Thomas. “They were given both voice and choice, and enjoyed every moment.”
(Photo above: Mettawee fifth graders proudly hold up their National Park presentations.)