We are writing to tell you about an exciting project we are about to do in fifth grade.
The fifth grade at Mill Pond School is integrating Project Based Learning, or PBL, into our curriculum, to help students learn better. A project motivates students to gain knowledge and they remember it longer. Projects give students the chance to apply the skills they learn in school to personally relevant and real-world situations. Your child also learns skills in PBL such as how to think critically, solve problems, work in teams, and make presentations. These skills will help students succeed in the future, both in school and in today’s work world.
Our project is called The Wellness Project. Students will learn about personal wellness, research, and reading and writing expository texts. The project’s Driving Question, which focuses our work, is: How can I improve my personal wellness and how can I teach others about wellness? Students will be involved in researching on the Internet, interviewing community members, sharing in focus groups, and creating a workshop for peers. Your child will work individually for a part of the project and in a team, guided by fifth grade teachers, for another part. We are excited to be working with other teachers and classes.
To learn more about this project, please visit our Wellness PBL website:
https://mpsgrade5wellness.weebly.com/
At the end of the project students will share workshops they created during a fifth grade Wellness Day. During this day fifth graders will both teach and attend wellness workshops. Kids will be teaching kids.
We will focus on 6 dimensions of wellness: social, emotional, physical, intellectual, spiritual, and environmental. Part of PBL is bringing the community into the classroom. If you are an expert in any of these fields or have connections to people or groups that would be interested in presenting to classrooms or the entire fifth grade we would love to hear from you. Please fill out the following form if you can contribute in any way:
Wellness Expertise Parent Survey
Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions about the project!
Sincerely,
Fifth Grade Teachers