There’s something special about entering the Museum of Inspired Learning at the da Vinci Academy at South Hall Middle School. The air crackles with energy as seventh-graders who designed museum exhibits share their wealth of knowledge with elementary schoolers — for free.
On Monday, 140 fifth-graders from Martin Elementary School soaked up lessons taught by da Vinci Academy students. The elementary students’ field trip marks the inaugural showcase of the museum to other Hall County students.
Seventh-graders at the academy spent the last month researching the world’s different biomes. They created multimedia exhibits on rainforests, deserts, grasslands, the tundra and the ocean, for example. The result is a technology-infused, student-led learning museum that encourages kids to take the reins of their own academic curiosities.
Sarah Hodge, a seventh-grader at the academy, studied the ocean biome and presented her group’s project to Martin students as they rotated learning stations. Martin paraprofessional Elizabeth Ledford said the lessons supplemented the plant and animal cellular unit fifth-graders are studying.
“It’s been a long, grueling task,” Hodge said of the preparation. “We’ve done so much research on the ocean. ... I’ve learned the scientific name of the Mako shark. I’ve learned there’s 230,000 species in the ocean, and if you times that by 10, that’s how many species we don’t know of yet.”
Martin students were drawn into the lessons by iPod quizzes and video footage of sea life. The young da Vinci Academy docents also incorporated matching games or interactive dioramas, such as an ocean abyss made from a camping tent, to pique the interests of elementary schoolers.
Ledford said she was awed by the depth of the da Vinci students’ knowledge and their patience with teaching younger kids.
“We have special-ed kids in this group, too, and they’re really taking their time with them,” she said.
Autumn Hutto, a fifth-grader at Martin, said learning about biomes was “really neat.”
“You’re learning from your peers and not your teacher,” she said. “It’s kind of cool. I like this.”
Cindy White, lead teacher at da Vinci, said the Museum of Inspired Learning, like the academy itself, was designed to make the most of student creativity using less money. The museum provides an outlet for free elementary field trips as well as an opportunity for students to learn with intent and share their findings with an authentic audience.
White said the school worked with geographic information system students and an archaeology professor at Gainesville State College to complete this fall’s exhibit. In January, students will showcase a human body and forensic science exhibit at the museum, she said.
“I’m very pleased with how they’ve handled it,” White said of da Vinci kids.
“They have worked through lunch. It’s just amazing. It’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as I’m concerned.”
On Monday, 140 fifth-graders from Martin Elementary School soaked up lessons taught by da Vinci Academy students. The elementary students’ field trip marks the inaugural showcase of the museum to other Hall County students.
Seventh-graders at the academy spent the last month researching the world’s different biomes. They created multimedia exhibits on rainforests, deserts, grasslands, the tundra and the ocean, for example. The result is a technology-infused, student-led learning museum that encourages kids to take the reins of their own academic curiosities.
Sarah Hodge, a seventh-grader at the academy, studied the ocean biome and presented her group’s project to Martin students as they rotated learning stations. Martin paraprofessional Elizabeth Ledford said the lessons supplemented the plant and animal cellular unit fifth-graders are studying.
“It’s been a long, grueling task,” Hodge said of the preparation. “We’ve done so much research on the ocean. ... I’ve learned the scientific name of the Mako shark. I’ve learned there’s 230,000 species in the ocean, and if you times that by 10, that’s how many species we don’t know of yet.”
Martin students were drawn into the lessons by iPod quizzes and video footage of sea life. The young da Vinci Academy docents also incorporated matching games or interactive dioramas, such as an ocean abyss made from a camping tent, to pique the interests of elementary schoolers.
Ledford said she was awed by the depth of the da Vinci students’ knowledge and their patience with teaching younger kids.
“We have special-ed kids in this group, too, and they’re really taking their time with them,” she said.
Autumn Hutto, a fifth-grader at Martin, said learning about biomes was “really neat.”
“You’re learning from your peers and not your teacher,” she said. “It’s kind of cool. I like this.”
Cindy White, lead teacher at da Vinci, said the Museum of Inspired Learning, like the academy itself, was designed to make the most of student creativity using less money. The museum provides an outlet for free elementary field trips as well as an opportunity for students to learn with intent and share their findings with an authentic audience.
White said the school worked with geographic information system students and an archaeology professor at Gainesville State College to complete this fall’s exhibit. In January, students will showcase a human body and forensic science exhibit at the museum, she said.
“I’m very pleased with how they’ve handled it,” White said of da Vinci kids.
“They have worked through lunch. It’s just amazing. It’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as I’m concerned.”