Alamance Community School
Find meaning, develop empathy, create solutions
A Tuition-Free NC Public Charter School
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Project Based Learning (PBL) at ACS
Project Based Learning (PBL) at ACS takes many forms. Grade level projects are aligned with the NC Essential Science and Social Studies standards, encompass many subject areas, connect fields of thought, and span most of a trimester. Field experiences and guest experts are key components of ASC’s Project Work curriculum. Children are engaged in meaningful work that matters to them through tasks and inquiries designed to meet educational standards. Students practice and develop the habits of mind and characteristics of life-long learners including persisting, thinking flexibly, striving for accuracy and precision, questioning and posing problems, creating, imagining and innovating, and thinking interdependently. The following is offered as an example of a rich learning experience you may expect for your student.
KINDERGARTEN PROJECT EXAMPLE - All About Me & Community Helpers Project
Kindergarten students will explore themselves in relation to their family, peers, and community, presenting their self-discovery to family and friends via the “All About Me & My Community” Project Celebration showcasing students’ self-portraits, community maps, and other project work. Students may take a trip to the Greensboro Children’s Museum and attend the “Shades of Us” Program which helps students recognize and celebrate differences. Students will observe traits that make people unique and explore how individuals work together.
Social Studies
Students will explore how people change over time and how to use maps, geographic representations, and terms to describe surroundings.
Language Arts
Students will appreciate what makes us unique by reading books that foster empathy, including The Colors Of Us, Jack’s Talent, My Name Is Johari, Leo the Late Bloomer, and Will I Have a Friend?
Math
Students will perceive the relationship between numbers and quantities as they relate to families and the community.
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PE
Students will practice different locomotor movements, cooperative games, and making good choices.
Art
Students will employ the art of “Critique” in Art and during Project Work as they draw their self-portraits.
LEGO/Engineering
Students will construct buildings from their communities.
Music
Students will sing songs about about themselves and incorporate creative movement for expression.
Science
Students will learn about the five senses and healthy bodies.
THIRD GRADE PROJECT EXAMPLE - Our Community Project
Students will explore the many cultural, geographic, economic and historical aspects of Alamance County beginning with a field experience to Alamance County destinations where they will view the buildings, art, and maps that highlight the historical and economic diversity of the community. Guest experts will provide opportunities for growth in questioning and listening skills. Students will display their work in a “ Living Timeline of Alamance County Museum”. This may include a Living Timeline of Alamance County and/or a Wax Museum that showcases historical figures that were important in the county. Just like in a real museum, project designers are available for customer questions and comments. Through their projects, students will investigate many aspects of Alamance County including education, railroads, tobacco, food, music, and culture.
Social Studies
Students will visit historical sites and read primary and secondary sources to investigate the growth of Alamance County from its beginnings to the community we live in today. Students will create and investigate current and historical maps, learning valuable representation and navigational skills.
Language Arts
Students will read non-fiction materials related to the history of Alamance County. Students will conduct in-class research, write accounts, and present conclusions about their field experiences.
Math
Students will represent and interpret scaled picture and bar graphs after collecting important data about Alamance County.
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LEGO/Engineering
Students will research and construct structures to represent different sites in Alamance County.
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Art
Students will make observational drawings notating and remembering important aspects of their research. They will apply lessons in critique and beautiful work to create their project displays.
Music
Students will perform an original song featuring the many unique aspects of Alamance County.