A new methodology for studying living things.

The study of living things has been an exciting challenge in Primary school during the past months. Thanks to the cooperative work by project methodology, these Edelweiss students age groups develop a theme by term, through a meaningful learning in which they are the main characters.

Teachers have accompanied students in the entire process of working and learning – personal and group work – developing various actions: search for information, workshops and team work (assuming different roles), preparation of a portfolio, cultural excursions (farm, zoo, Oceanographic…), self-assessment and final oral presentation to peers, etc. In addition, as the project development takes place in English, students made a Spelling of vocabulary related to the chosen topic, so they are learning fluently in the course of the weeks.

As the finishing touch, the day before Christmas children exposed to some teachers and other students from different levels their projects through the “Project cEDELbration”.

We saw them very safe in subjects dealing with, and very excited to know all what they had learned. One theory says that if you know how to explain a theme, that´s because it has been understood and learned. And this went so abundantly demonstrated by them that day! Congratulations to our students.

At the end of the work, both parents – who have followed the learning process of their children – and the students expressed their views on the diary and portfolios.

To make this learning through projects possible, Primary teachers work previously as a team, so that students acquire the intended content and live certain experiences associated with themselves, so that they can work enjoyable and participatory. It is a comprehensive work  done by teachers, that should set carefully all the stages of the project and its different activities. The different learning abilities of a same class students require a flexible curriculum planning and adjusted to them, combining the personalized teaching and autonomy of the students with the cooperative structure of learning.

We are especially proud of how  our Primary teachers have worked together, so that they have coordinated and actively involved to children in the project, coming even to surprise students dressing up for it. They have shown a great ability for work and adapt to new methodologies. Congratulations to them again!

This new term theme will focus on the story. Plotting a timeline, students from different levels will make a trip from prehistoric times until the Renaissance, through the Roman Era and the Middle Ages.