Learning Math with Big Buddies


_By Heidi Blokland_

Our school recently embarked on a journey called Project Based Learning, or simply “PBL.” PBL is an inquiry approach to education which uses a project as the central context for student learning. Our topic of study was the St. Lawrence Seaway Project. In the late 1950s the St. Lawrence river was widened and a power dam was built. Six thousand five hundred people people were forced to relocate and a number of villages were lost. The site of these lost villages is a 20-minute drive from our school.

After watching a video and giving the students time to wonder and ask questions, we took all our students to visit the lost village of Aultsville. Usually it is under water but the St. Lawrence has been exceptionally low this year, revealing roads, sidewalks, tree stumps, house foundations and many other treasures of the village that once existed there.

Read the rest of Heidi Blokland’s article The Lost Villages: A Project Based Learning Journey at [The Christian Courier.](http://www.christiancourier.ca/news/entry/the-lost-villages)

![foundations](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/foundations_y1rgoc)

Kindergarten students took photos of old house foundations that are usually buried under water.

![417679-blokland-dean-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/417679-blokland-dean-pbl-2015_nv7knp)

![113000-havenaar-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/113000-havenaar-pbl-2015_cirewr)

![959068-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/959068-vandenbroek-hawkins-pbl-2015_mbshzh)

![919215-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/919215-dejong-schuler-pbl-2015_gwikq0)


Treasures Revealed


### What is Growth Mindset?

The mindset of an individual, whether a child learning in school or an adult with career goals, can change how one handles disappointments. If abilities are defined as something that needs to be demonstrated, or that intelligence and gifts are fixed from birth, there is no reason to try on things that seem to not come easy.

In a growth mindset, **abilities are attainable** and not fixed. Intelligence can be developed with learning, and setbacks are opportunities to grow further.

![image source: http://www.coaching2empower.co.uk](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/growth-mindset_kmwxdk)

It is common sense that ability in subjects inspires self-confidence, but when a child lacks confidence in a subject, that subject becomes more difficult to learn. By changing the language used, and praising efforts and hard-work instead of solely praising passing grades, we can encourage children that **all things are able to be learned**.

Mathematics is a subject that many children can get discouraged with, and may lead them to believe they are simply not math people. But by changing our mindset as we teach and learn math, we can see more confidence and greater understanding. **All students are capable, and everyone can understand and succeed in math**. As students set learning goals, they believe that intelligence is not fixed, but something that can be developed.

Growth mindset proves highly successful not only as subjects are learned, but as students continue with further education and careers.


Positive Learning Environment


Our first ever school-wide Project-Based Learning! The driving question behind this project is: How has the Seaway Project been helpful and harmful to the community?

The primary grades have been learning about the St.Lawrence River with their stream table. A stream table is like a sandbox with running water, allowing students to create streams, rapids, and canals to better understand how a river can be changed.

![872910-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/872910-pbl-2015_mei8hn)

![151938-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/151938-vangilst-dejong-pbl-2015_t37lcl)

Grades 3-8 were divided into groups, and learned about the St.Lawrence Seaway by buildings replicas and models. They presented their work to the classes, and will later present to an authentic audience made up of members of the Lost Village Historical Society.

![977766-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/977766-biemond-hawkins-dean-pbl-2015_bssolh)

![85640-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/85640-dean-pbl-2015_vntat3)

![224220-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/224220-vangilst-biemond-terhorst-pbl-2015_tfxjkj)

![854041-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/854041-biemond-geertsema-pbl-2015_khivoc)

![918993-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/918993-dean-hawkins-pbl-2015_flvqnu)

![282806-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/282806-luchies-procter-pbl-2015_tjbisy)


Learning About the St.Lawrence Seaway Project


A fun day for all students is the math fair. The students are divided into teams and travel from room to room to try fun math games. The senior students help set up and lead each game. The math fair is a fun and interactive way of learning, and is always a big hit among the students!

Learning Math is always fun when you get to buy candy!

![12045484_410801322444221_786655333668672105_o](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/12045484_410801322444221_786655333668672105_o_tgobo0)
![12184052_410802739110746_4303334571441015038_o](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/12184052_410802739110746_4303334571441015038_o_fl5vgc)

![12186669_410801799110840_892372675585637774_o](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/12186669_410801799110840_892372675585637774_o_vgpxmh)
![12184086_410802085777478_3101097694673629056_o](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/12184086_410802085777478_3101097694673629056_o_ppqckq)

![12185198_410801749110845_3259434482753027959_o](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/12185198_410801749110845_3259434482753027959_o_unld2x)
![12182834_410801905777496_9060251412208503588_o](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/12182834_410801905777496_9060251412208503588_o_gfdli8)


Math Fair 2015


TCS students in grades 3-8 presented what they learned so far about the St. Lawrence Seaway to members of the Lost Villages Society. Afterwards, each member shared their personal experiences with a small group of students.

![638026-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/638026-pbl-2015_tnsfyb)

David Hill sharing some personal memories. Of the students, “They were very involved, very interested. The cross-grade grouping worked very well. An older student would ask a question, and the younger ones would continue.”

![682986-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/682986-pbl-2015_j1rcxa)

Japke Tibben: “I told some of the students in the groups that my dad was busy at that time \[late 1950’s\] driving back and forth from Aultsville to meetings here, as he was one of those who started Timothy Christian School and the Williamsburg Christian Reformed Church. I really enjoyed talking with the kids. I think it’s amazing that you’re doing this \[project\] with the kids.

![289570-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/289570-pbl-2015_dsvrir)

Gord Summers sharing childhood memories of the project that forever changed his life.

![497926-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/497926-pbl-2015_fmm9xi)

Tom Brownell holding the attention of a group while telling stories of how the Seaway flooding affected his family.

![430695-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/430695-pbl-2015_pilqc7)

Alan Daye was impressed with our students. He commented that they were “Intelligent, interested and involved. I am very proud of these young people. They’re keeping it \[the memories\] alive. Somebody told me the other day that we’re not dead until people stop talking about us.”

![129780-pbl-2015](https://res.cloudinary.com/tcs-williamsburg/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/website/129780-pbl-2015_abhcm6)

Jim Brownell voiced the concerns of many that the memories of lives affected by the Seaway flooding might be forgotten, so he was pleased that TCS was working to ensure that that doesn’t happen. “They’ll \[the memories\] will never be forgotten when you have educators and kids working so hard on a project like this. Today was just amazing, and to see the older students teamed up with the younger ones to work on this project was fantastic. As a retired educator, when you see that, you can’t help but get excited. This is a great learning experience for the kids. Learning about an aspect of history, an aspect of life that I’ve overheard kids say, ‘This was rather sad…’ they got the feeling of it!” Regarding our school’s visit next week to the Lost Villages Museum, of which Mr. Brownell is the president, he remarked, “Your students are going to be walking by and entering the train station that I walked by every day on my way to school!”

Students were very engaged and able to connect with the human side of the story. “I would feel devastated if I had to go through the same experience as the people from the Lost Villages,” reflected Gr.8 student Elizabeth T.

We are continuing to explore other aspects of the Seaway Project. We will be making a book with all what we’ve learned when the project is complete, that will be on display at local libraries and the Lost Village Museum.


Stories

Learning Math with Big Buddies

Treasures Revealed

Positive Learning Environment

Learning About the St.Lawrence Seaway Project

Math Fair 2015

Presentation of Learning: St. Lawrence Seaway