On October 4th, four HNMCS science teachers - Dr. Kozma, Ms. Mathews, Ms. Leon and Mr. Skinner - visited Hillfield Strathallan College (HSC), an independent school in Hamilton. The visit provided authentic experience with Project Based Learning (PBL) in science generally, and in utilizing natural surroundings specifically. Meeting with three separate HSC science teachers who have adopted Project Based Learning as part of their programming, our teachers saw it in action.

Meeting with HSC senior school teacher Dr. De Lazzari, our teachers saw how a biodiversity PBL was integrated into the Grade 9 science curriculum. They also learned how in a grade 11 Biology class Project Based Learning was utilized in student generated field guides and inventories for native trees, in determining factors that affect seed germination in native wildflowers, and how animal systems work.

Our teachers also connected with HSC Junior School teacher Ms. Collins who went over how Project Based Learning allowed for an authentic, hands-on junior and middle school science unit where student gardening allowed them to learn about plants that they grew from seed.

Middle School teacher Mr. Hannah, and HSC’s natural education lead, spent a great deal of time with our teachers showing the projects his classes have completed and were currently working on to contribute to HSC’s campus naturalization project and how that fit with the Middle School science curriculum.

Our teachers received lots of great takeaways and ideas to begin implementing here at HNMCS to expand the Project Based Learning we currently offer, such as: the dice exercise Ms. Mathews had her Grade 9 science class do to learn about the reasoning used in the scientific method; integrating First Robotics into the Grade 12 Physics curriculum that Dr. Kozma carries out.

We look forward to continuing sharing knowledge with other independent schools to make the HNMCS student experience as valuable and exciting as possible.