Featured Story

Fifth Grade Students Discover a Passion for Learning

S.A.
See sample Passion Projects here.

Empowering students to forge their own paths is the hallmark of an exceptional education. With the guidance of skilled and caring teachers, St. Luke’s students are challenged to stretch themselves intellectually, study with heart, and find purpose in knowledge. Inspiring a deep love of learning is central to our school’s mission.

Understanding that each student is unique, Fifth Grade English Teacher Elaine Juran created the Passion Project, where students research topics that are personally meaningful and develop their reading, writing, and communication skills. Elaine shares her inspiration and approach below:

It is so essential to make time for students to pursue their own projects. I saw the excitement as students gleefully followed their own interests outside of class, and I wanted to find a way to bring that positive energy into the curriculum. Over the summer, I attended the designLab Institute, which was led by Michael Mitchell. This program educated teachers on how to integrate design-based learning into their curriculum and teach the research process to their students. Through that course, I observed that students are okay with messy, iterative, inquiry-based learning. That’s when I got the idea to connect the process of research-based study with the passions of my students.

Students were asked to select a topic they were interested in learning more about, research as much as they could on the subject, and then choose from a variety of ways to present their findings. Projects could include video, song, formal papers, poetry, art...the sky was the limit.

During the unit, I provided not just sources and models but also “in the moment” lessons tailored to address the literacy and executive functioning skills the students needed to complete such a massive project. If a student created a project that was appropriate for an audience beyond their classmates and left them asking even more questions, the project was a success.

“I was moved by what Elaine and her students accomplished together,” said Head of School Mark Davis. “This is exactly the kind of project that engages and empowers students. Learning becomes more personal, more self-directed, and, in important ways, more challenging.”

St. Luke’s students showed off their incredible talents at the end of the unit and went above and beyond to deliver their Passion Projects. Click here to view samples of their incredible work.
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St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.