RMCNews with Michael Cookenmaster – Cheyenne, Wyoming …Students in grades four through nine at Laura E. Mason Christian Academy in Cheyenne, Wyoming have been busy for the past nine months planning and designing an eight-foot long, five-foot wide paper city.

The project, entitled “One World: Share the Dream,” was part of their social studies theme of world history. Dr. Michael Cookenmaster, head teacher at Laura E. Mason Christian Academy, explained the project: “This hands-on project is meant to make students understand the constructivist approach to learning.” The constructivist approach to learning holds that people actively construct or make their own knowledge and that reality is determined by the experiences of the learner.

Students held planning meetings and “everyone pitched in to cut, fold, glue, and design layouts of neighborhood quarters based in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Students determined building structures, names of corporations to be represented, parks and recreational areas, entertainment space, and the airport environs.”

Why the hands-on approach? For Cookenmaster the answer is simple, as “children learn best when they are building something.”

The extensive undertaking allowed students to use cross pollination of core content. Cookenmaster described cross pollination learning. “As they built the city, not only were students learning social studies, but they were also having to incorporate environmental science, geometry, and virtual and creative literacy skills all incorporated to support their unique Seventh-day Adventist world view.”

“Most importantly, the project taught students about humanity, the environment, and the biblical injunction to be stewards of the earth,” he added.

Part of completing the project includes students planning to premier a video of their hard work. To watch the video click here: https://youtu.be/se-10IcwmcE

RMCNews with Michael Cookenmaster, head teacher at Laura E. Mason Christian Academy in Cheyenne, Wyoming; photo supplied