Fifth Graders Discover Their Passions

For the final writing and research unit of the year, fifth grade students in my English class embarked on a project that taught them critical research skills while allowing them to dive into a personal passion. Students chose a topic they wanted to study deeply, learn to do, or make. Topics included: Anatomy, chemistry of the ocean, inclusivity in ballet, arachnids, starting a business, video editing, Serbian traditions, dreams, horror movies, the modeling industry, kangaroos, trees, World War I, movie making, CGI, evolution, Mayan mythology, Roman mythology, Sanrio Co., constellations, dinosaurs, climate, artificial sweeteners, ancient libraries, animal testing, Legend of Zelda, ramen, the Hindenburg Disaster, 3D scanning, history of ship model making, Taylor Swift, and dog training. This list of diverse topics is proof of the curiosity of the Class of 2030 and their desire to take ownership of their research.

I defined the project, shared an overall “road map” visual and various examples my students had completed in past years, and modeled the research steps they would follow with my sample “Passion Project” about therapy dogs. Middle School Librarian Jean Myles worked with the students during library time to assist them in their research. She also acquired new books for them.

Students worked through the following process, checking in with me after each step:

Once a researcher was done gathering information, they used their notes to write a TIDE piece. TIDE is a research-backed method to support students as they elaborate on their analytical thinking in a cohesive composition. Students will continue to use the TIDE format to structure their thinking and writing in sixth grade literature classes. After completing their TIDE pieces, students presented the information they learned with their classmates. 

The fifth grade English students have shown great enthusiasm and dedication in exploring topics that spark their curiosity. The research process involved multiple steps, and some students had the opportunity to interview subject matter experts, gaining valuable insights and specialized knowledge. To that end, I express much gratitude to our resident experts, Head of Middle School Amber Berry, Upper School Science Department Chair Janet Jochem, Audio-Visual Specialist Bryan DeVissiere, Josephine DeMarco ‘23, the designLab, the Technology Department, and Jean Myles for their support in helping the students with their projects.

Research is a form of inquiry and a process for continuous questioning. When students conduct research, they aren’t just learning content; they are finding answers to their questions and sharing the information in ways that they find meaningful. I love how curious students are about the world around them. Their ability to ask a million questions about everything never ceases to amaze me!