Fernald School PBL

By: Ms. Lily Rabinoff-Goldman
from Gann Academy

Category:
Real-World Learning

Subject(s) of entry:
History

Pedagogy:
PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

Grade(s) to which this was taught:
11, High school

Grade(s) for which this will be useful:
9, 10, 11, 12, High school

Students in our 11th grade US History classes researched the Fernald School, a defunct school for students with
disabilities right next door to Gann! They did 2 site visits, developed strong historical questions, and did research in both primary and secondary sources to learn more. Rather than "learning" history, they "did" history, and produced an excellent website documenting their work, which will hopefully be used to lobby the city of Waltham regarding how best to use the site.

Entry Narrative