iAcademy innovates with emphasis on project-based learning

iAcademy is rocking it again. They’ve been “Cookin’ Up the Government.”

Recently sitting down with secondary social studies teacher Judy Williams, a veteran teacher with the district, I learned about an innovative project her secondary students just completed.

Our iAcademy is a blended learning facility, housed at historic Lincoln Jackson. It was created to meet the needs of students (second through 12th grades) and parents seeking an alternative to the traditional academic environment. Principal Petie Davis is at the helm and, using innovative teaching strategies, embedded technologies, and flexible scheduling, this unique learning environment combines regular face-to-face instruction, online digital learning, and small group tutoring to support student academic success.

With an emphasis on project-based learning, at the end of a government unit Williams and her students came up with some clever culminating activities for reviewing and sharing what they’d learned.

Williams described their process: “We got to mulling over what we’d just covered, and students asked if they could do a cooking project to represent the branches of the government. We decided to make a cake for the Supreme Court, which we decorated; we decided on Congressional cupcakes, iced with representational colors; we had cookies with ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ and ‘maybe’ on them, to which we ‘glued’ a picture of each president with icing.”

Many of Williams’ students had never baked, so they enlisted the help and advice of the school’s “cafeteria lady,” Chris Weber, who contributed tips and pointers.

In addition to the baking portion of the project, Williams’ students created hand-drawn and hand-written children’s books depicting the various branches of the government and their functions.

When all was completed they invited the younger grades into the cafeteria, and, dividing up little ones in small groups with one of the secondary students, the big kids read their books to the little kids and answered questions. Then, all the tasty government treats were brought out, and all students celebrated by sharing the cake, cupcakes, and cookies with the whole school.

“We brought out Ms. Weber to acknowledge her in front of all the students,” Williams continued, “and the kids loved it. Also, we couldn’t have done it without the support and flexibility of Matthew McDaniel and J.T. Berry” (Williams’ fellow secondary teachers).

“And,” she continued, “when it came to clean up, my students were great, extremely thorough with their cleaning.”

What a tasty, I mean, great way to learn about government.

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the instructional technology coordinator for Clovis Municipal Schools. She can be reached at:

[email protected]