Cameron's Final Project

The international school that the kids attend is an inquiry-based learner-driven program, so there is a big emphasis on the student creating the framework for learning and using what they've learned. Today Cameron's class are showing their final primary projects (they will all be in secondary school next year).
The project began with a central idea--"Humans have an impact on the world around them." From that the students had to develop their own research project and focus. Topics ranged from indiginous peoples farming to pollution. Cameron chose farming techniques and soil conversation, a topic that is very important here and one he knew nothing about. The key is that everything was student-lead. Other than meeting with him once a week and monitoring his progress, we were hands-off, as was his teacher. At the show this afternoon he displayed his work.

Cameron worked to develop his guiding questions that would direct his research efforts. This part was challenging for him, as he has been used to having a teacher tell him what to do or how to organize his project. It was frustrating for him when the teacher wouldn't tell him he was doing it "right" but would ask him questions designed to direct his next steps. But off he went to work!

His final display included a powerpoint presentation (which included information and photos taken around the Arusha area and on the PHA site of erosion and good/back farming practices) a science experiment writeup showing the amount of soil loss from different farming techniques (the jars in the photos show the soil runoff), a journal that all his work product and learning/planning, and his planner, his overall framework for the project. Yikes!

We are so proud of his effort and the level of work that he produced. It was an 8 week project and the biggest academic task he's ever tackled (and one that wouldn't be attempted in such an independent way at home until at least 8th grade). He spent at least 3 hours a day on it 6 days a week! Way to go Cam!