Classroom Spotlight: Longterm Research Projects in 6th Grade Social Studies

The spring semester is a busy time for 6th graders in social studies. Students have been working on a semester-long research project on virtually any topic of their choice and they have really stepped up to the challenge of independent decision-making, research, time management, and long term planning! Some of the topics that have been chosen by this year’s cohort include the history of chocolate, the Salem witch trials, the Gold Rush, signed languages, Israeli innovation, pirates, the Inca empire, the Civil Rights Movement, and the history of video games (to name only a few!). If you know a 6th grader at Brandeis, ask them about their Multi Genre project and they will be eager (and very capable) of telling you all about their topic in depth.

 

In addition to this ongoing project, the students have also been putting their creative minds to work in our study of ancient history. We’ve dug into ancient Chinese history over the past few weeks, learning about the geography of the region and the first dynasties, from the mythical Xia to the accomplished Han dynasty. Along the way, we’ve had illuminating discussions about three philosophies with

 origins in the Hundred Schools of Thought period of ancient China: Taoism, Confucianism, and Legalism. To demonstrate their understanding and deep thinking, they have each designed a school based on one of these philosophies. Then, they created a piece of promotional material to advertise their school to the world! Some have created pamphlets or brochures, and others have created posters outlining their school’s name, mission, values, required courses, and more. From the strict rules in their Legalist schools, to the focus on balance and nature in the Taoist schools, to the emphasis on respect and education in the Confucian schools, students have done a wonderful job of demonstrating both creativity and understanding of their chosen philosophy in this project.

 

Brandeis 6th graders are awesome!