Chico Country Day School’s Project Based Learning

A public charter school, Chico Country Day School (CCDS) works with its students to put on a twice-yearly Exhibition of Learning, a vital component of the CCDS Project-Based Learning model. Held during the fall and spring semesters, the exhibition brings together students from each grade to present projects based on the current classroom learning units.

An Exhibition of Learning gives kids a chance to show their skills

Because the students are in charge of creating the projects and then presenting them to a live audience of fellow students, parents, staff and community members, the level of achievement is high. They also get the chance to show off and explain their techniques and the learning process.

After they finished their Toys and Play learning unit Last December, the CCDS kindergarten students created unique toys from donated cardboard boxes and other recycled materials. The resulting “Boxibition” was part of the fall Exhibition of Learning.

Chico Country Day School’s students at all grade levels get to show off their creativity and learning at the twice-annual Exhibition of Learning.

Melissa Anderson, mother to a CCDS kindergartener and second-grader, says, “I loved the Boxibition because the kids got to be creative with something they love — toys! They worked hard on their creations and presented their work brilliantly. They practiced public speaking, which is such an important skill for younger kids to practice in order to become confident speakers and leaders in the future.”

Some of the Boxhibition projects and their imaginative names included: Yomi’s Wind Tunnel, Braxton’s Super Jet, Tomi’s Mouse House, Meyer’s Car Chomp and a Gingerbread Playhouse. In the same Learning Exhibition this past fall, first-graders demonstrated their knowledge of the solar system with Sun, Moon & Stars; second-graders put on Schools Around The World, third-graders presented The Wild World of Amazing Animal Adaptations, fourth-graders had A Poetry Presentation, fifth-graders exhibited Esperanza Rising Monologues based on the book, Esperanza Rising and the eighth-grade English class created A Literary Food Festival. Sixth and seventh grades will present their own Exhibitions later this year.

Project Based Learning prepares students for the future

The Project Based Learning model used at CCDS is a framework of learning and teaching where students investigate and respond to a challenge, share their knowledge and skills, collaborate as a team, and incorporate feedback throughout the process. Teachers act as facilitators and lead students through inquiry projects based on open-ended, essential questions. According to CCDS Communication Manager Irene Henkens, Project Based Learning allows the school to focus on adapting to students’ needs and preparing them for the future. The educational program is designed to challenge, engage and empower students as they access content at different levels and explore real-world implications for their work.

“We aim to do work that matters in this world because our students are living life now, not merely preparing for something they will encounter once their formal education years have finished,” Irene says. “Students are routinely able to explain what they are learning, why, and how it connects to other areas of their lives.” Speaking of the latest Exhibition of Learning, she says, “The results were out of this world, incredible!”

Weather Wonders is coming this March

Anne Marie Chick, a CCDS kindergarten teacher, says, “It is exciting to see the pride on my students faces when their parents come to our classroom to see their creations. Our next project in March is called Weather Wonders. In this, the kindergarten students will become meteorologists, study weather, and exhibit their work to teach others about the different types of weather and how they affect us.”