Last Friday Hamlin held an incredible interdisciplinary learning extravaganza called 5th Grade Forum. The event was well-attended by Hamlin parents who were eager to learn.

5th graders were divided into 4 groups based on geographic regions of the United States: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West. Once in their groups, students set out to become regional experts through a project based learning approach. The Forum incorporated various facets of the following disciplines: Humanities, Math, Science, Art, Music. During the month-long exploration, students had the opportunity to create collages, websites, plays, and magazines.

The following is some of what the girls showcased:

-Two plays (based on the books Home of the Brave and The Circuit) were performed in the spirit of word-for-word works, first created by Seattle’s Book-It Repertory Theatre, a theater company which believes that great books make great theater. The plays delved into understanding immigration and refugee experiences in the United States.

-Four regional magazines with featured articles on various topics, created through Lucidpress technology

-Region-based landscape collages that demonstrated an understanding of scale and proportion

-Websites and posters about water conservation and understanding one’s own water footprint

-A student performance of Faith Hill’s song, American Heart

Special thanks to all of the faculty members who made this Forum possible: Nick Wilsey, Lauren DeLisle, Rachel Kerkhoff, Jackson Blum, Maggie Jo Feldman, Heidi Abbott, and Will Skaff.

Watch the short video below to hear a student reflection about the Forum:

To learn more about Lucidpress, please visit: https://www.lucidpress.com/pages/usecase/education