The 7th and 8th grade middle schoolers are currently working on a PBL project (Project Based Learning). The purpose of this project is to create small libraries around the middle school building in different genres to provide the students with books that support their learning and interests. It also provides the teachers with resources to support their classes. The 7th and 8th graders have been split into teams of 4 students, based on their expressed interest in certain genres. Each group has been assigned a genre and a faculty mentor to guide them. The 7th and 8th graders are put together in the teams to build communication skills and bring students with similar interests together. The goal is that by spring break each group has created a list of books to buy, and a wishlist to be looked at later.
How are we financing this? The STEM department, Humanities department, and the EJC have each given a sum of money that is being distributed evenly between each group. A part of the money will be given to the groups whose genres have the highest interest level. The genres are: history, poetry, math, science, realistic fiction, graphic novels, historical fiction, fantasy, mystery / horror, art, world religions, Wooster authors, science fiction, sports, periodicals / fun books to flip through / Libros en espanol, and nature. Groups may come up with additional ways to collect books or raise money for their topic.
How can you help support the project? Each group has been given enough money to allow them to buy a few good books that will help form a library. However, most groups have decided to expand upon the original budget. All of the groups have taken inventory of the books already available in the middle school building, so they can decide on which books they still need or would like to purchase. We are both in the Nature group, and for our group there are not many resources already available to us. We know that other groups are experiencing this too. If anyone has old books at home in good condition that you would be willing to donate, it would be greatly appreciated. We did have a budget originally set in place, but if you would like to, small financial donations would help greatly as well. We will put a marked bin outside of the office in the middle school for book donations.
Feel free to stop by the middle school to see what progress is being made by the students, as we try to create beautiful libraries.
If you have any questions feel free to contact us here:
ivy.masotta@woosternet.org elena.kraus@woosternet.org
