Photo: The Sons of the Revolution visit PPOS students to share historical knowledge about the American Revolution.
“Does a person’s perspective influence their opinion?”
Fifth- and sixth-graders at Pagosa Peak Open School grapple with this question during their current American Revolution project.
How do perspectives on history shape a story?
Why is it important to view history through multiple lenses?
Students compared and analyzed literary and informational texts, and listened to experts from the Sons of the Revolution in order to better comprehend the foundations of our country.
Additionally, students are being given the opportunity to attend a performance of the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton”, performed live in Denver November 20, due to the generosity of multiple donors who support the performing arts in our community.
“We are going to ‘Hamilton’ in Denver to encourage students to see history come alive and be inspired by professional performers,” Project-based Learning Advisor Rue Graham said. “Social studies and history can be colorful, loud, and exciting. I prefer to offer learning opportunities to students that are lasting memories of experiences rather than exclusively from pages of a textbook.”
Integration of the arts is a crucial component to Project-based Learning (PBL), whether it be a fieldwork learning opportunity or an end product of a project. Providing students multiple modalities to think about the same academic concepts makes learning equitable and pushes everyone as an individual learner.
“Students who do not normally see themselves as an artist or performer have opportunities to try new things through these opportunities,” Graham said. “Experienced performers or confident artists get to share their strengths, and have opportunities for leadership in the learning community.”
Students will then create a product that shares a perspective of the American Revolution, and develop their own opinions on the Loyalists and Patriots.
Pagosa Peak Open School is a free, K-8 district charter school focused on implementing a project-based learning (PBL) curriculum in a Restorative Practices environment. Field work and interviewing experts are foundational to project-based learning. PPOS aims to foster academic excellence, and support our students in contributing to an evolving world through community participation and civic engagement.
To learn more about PPOS, visit pagosapeakopenschool.org.
Emily Murphy is School Director at Pagosa Peak Open School, the first District-authorized charter school in Archuleta County. Prior to her appointment as School Director, Emily filled various roles at PPOS including Project-Based Learning advisor, instructional coach, and assistant director.