MANSFIELD — Andrea Murphy tells her students when the school year starts that it’s not her job to teach them.
It’s her job to create an environment where they can learn.
A third-grade teacher at Malabar Intermediate School, Murphy said an emphasis on hands-on learning over lectures and bookwork leads to more engaged and confident students.
Murphy regularly uses project-based learning to teach her students science, social studies and English language arts. One of her lessons, a unit on the water cycle, won her a national teaching accolade earlier this year.
In January, Murphy received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The awards are administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
According to a press release from the White House, nominees must demonstrate deep knowledge of the subject they are teaching and an ability to adapt to a broad range of learners and teaching environments.
Students began the unit by reading books about third-world countries that lack access to clean drinking water. The class learned about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
Then, they created their own wells with plastic cups, rubber bands, balloons, masking tape and straws.
“The idea was that they had to stretch the balloon over, but make sure that they cut holes just big enough for whatever straws they were using. Then when they would push on it, it would prepare the water,” Murphy explained.
Murphy said project-based lessons are an opportunity for students to put what they’re learning into practice and problem solve with their peers.
“One group said, ‘We have one straw, but what would happen if we put in two straws? Could we have a more powerful pump?'” Murphy said. “I encourage those kinds of things.”
Murphy said her favorite unit is on Earth resources. Students learn about various energy sources. They write argumentative essays on whether or not the United States should lay pipelines and drill for oil.
Then they’re paired up with students who took the opposite viewpoint to build a pipeline that moves oil (or in the students’ case, water) three yards.
“I partner them up in groups where there’s two people who are for it, two people who are against it, because I want them to know you don’t have to like everybody, but you have to respect everybody,” Murphy explained.
“You’re going to work with people that are going to have opposing views than you. That’s just a real world skill.”
One student became so invested in the project that when their pipeline sprung a leak, they briefly forgot it was only water seeping into the schoolyard.
“One of the kids was like ‘Oh no, we just killed thousands of wildlife!” Murphy recalled. “They get so engaged in what they’re doing.”
Murphy isn’t the only one using project-based learning methods.
“I’m just a teacher that got nominated for an award,” Murphy said. “There are other teachers that are just as, if not more, deserving than I am.”
Down the hall from Murphy’s class, Andrea Gibson’s students were building replicas of Native American housing. Stephanie Uhde’s students were making 3D models of cells.
“When you learn about it and see it physically, it’s a lot easier to remember and take in that information, especially when its a hands-on project,” said Aliya Auger, one of Uhde’s students.
Teachers say project-based learning ties subjects together
Murphy said another benefit of project-based learning is the ability to incorporate information from multiple subjects.
During a “STEM fails” unit, students research ways that historic events like the sinking of the Titanic and Great Molasses Flood could have been prevented.
A biography science fair involves a report on an inventor and accompanying science project related to their work.
Rachelle Schwall, who teaches agriculture and culinary arts at Malabar, said that project-based learning allows teachers to “tie together” curriculum from multiple subjects.
Schwall’s class is classified as a “special,” along with music, art and gym. In her room, students learn how to can jelly. They make butter and cheese. They grow carrots, sweet peas and bok choy.
“Everything they learn in math and English and social studies, it puts all of that into a real-life scenario,” Schwall said.
“Everything outside is measuring, planting things specific distances apart. They learn how to use rulers.”
Regardless of its benefits, project-based learning comes with challenges as well. It’s time-consuming. It takes resources. It requires teachers to manage a classroom where students are moving around and working in groups, rather than seated quietly at their desks.
Murphy said successfully managing a project-heavy classroom requires setting expectations for students at the beginning of the year.
She tells students her class will involve lots of trial and error — and that’s OK. It’s something students often struggle with at the beginning. Straight A students are used to knowing the right answers. Students who struggle are used to being penalized for mistakes.
Exploratory learning requires a mind shift.
“They have to understand that they learn more from being wrong than they’ll ever learn from being right all the time,” Murphy said.
“It’s fostering that community of being willing to make those mistakes and learn from them.”
Once the tone is set, Schwall said project-based learning can be a great fit for kids who struggle with traditional learning methods.
“They learn so much team building and leadership,” she said. “You see the craziest, quiet kids come out of nowhere as the strongest leaders. It’s really cool to see them shine.”