Last month, 11th-grade students at DaVinci High brought back the roaring ‘20s. After creating a magazine showcasing the pivotal decade, teams of students welcomed the community to a publication launch party—think flappers and jazz—the culmination of months of teamwork signature to the school’s project-based-learning approach. This month, the 9th- and 10th-grade classes take the stage.
Project-based Learning (PBL) is learn-by-doing education: students create projects after researching topics of their own choosing, and share their learning with their peers through presentations. One of the things that sets DaVinci apart from other PBL-schools are these Signature project nights, when the community is invited to see what the students have created.
Each grade’s project is different, with a reveal held at different times over several months. 9th graders, for example, create evolved versions of the native animals from the Galapagos, while 10th graders construct an exhibit on an aspect of World War One. In teams of three to six, they’ve made everything from a Galapagos land octopus to a full-sized Supermarine Spitfire. The senior class project, Dragon’s Den, is particularly innovative. Each team creates a small start-up to benefit the Davis community, and pitches the plan to a panel of local business owners—potential investors or “dragons.” The investors’ votes determine which teams’ ideas are successful—and which won’t see their way out of the Dragon’s Den.
Community engagement is one of the most important aspects of the signature projects. Those in attendance can raise the stakes for students by voting on favorite exhibits, in turn earning those teams recognition from their peers, bragging rights, and all manner of awards and prizes. It’s a chance for everyone to learn something from one another—and it just happens to be a lot of fun, too.
Please join! WWI Museum Night, March 12, 6p-8p, @DaVinci High. Galapagos Night, March 19th, 6p-8p @ DaVinci Jr High. Dragon’s Den, April 3, 6p-8p @ DaVinci High.
Helen Fluetsch is a DaVinci High Sophomore and an intern for The Dirt.
