When you ask students what their favourite subject at school is, the vast majority will say PBL (Project-Based Learning). It is a subject where the energy in the room becomes palpable and where student engagement skyrockets.

What is PBL?

Science, History, Geography, Economics, Civics and Citizenship are not subjects you will hear students talk about here at Living Faith. Instead, these subjects are combined into meaningful real-world projects taught under the banner of PBL. Students drive their own learning through inquiry and work collaboratively to research and create projects that reflect their knowledge. These projects allow students to develop deeper understanding and helps the brain build lasting connections. Students are able to problem solve, collaborate, draw knowledge and understanding from multiple sources and apply this knowledge to something meaningful. Not only are they learning skills from multiple subject areas, but they are also practising key soft skills that will benefit them throughout their life. These include communication, teamwork, innovation, reasoning, leadership, initiative, self-direction and emotional intelligence.

Our PBL projects are designed to be as real-world as possible so that students can make important connections and see the value of what they are learning.

Why do we do PBL at Living Faith?

• Student engagement and enjoyment;
• Meaningful real-world learning;
• Development of twenty-first-century skills (contemporary competencies);
• Community connection and service; and
• Collaboration.

We have seen significant growth in both student engagement and academic success since the implementation of PBL, particularly with students achieving above or well above the achievement standard.

What projects can we look forward to this semester?

• Prep: Students will be learning about living and non-living things with a focus on plants. They will design and build a plant enclosure, where they select suitable waterproof materials. They will then participate in a ‘Better Homes and Gardens’ television segment where they are interviewed about their material choices.
• Year 1: Students will explore ‘what is happening to the bees?’ They will research the vital role bees play in our eco-systems. Students will then design and create a perfect hive to put out into the community to help protect our native bee populations.
• Year 2: Students will investigate the forces that help objects move on land, in the air and on water. Students will learn to conduct, record and evaluate experiments using assorted everyday items. They will then prototype and build their own balloon-powered vehicle.
• Year 3: Students are exploring Australian celebrations and cultural commemorations. They will then research a country of their choice and develop a tourism expo to be presented at Exhibition Evening.
• Year 4: Students will be learning about the First Fleet and the impact of settlement on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students will then use virtual and augmented reality software to create a virtual experience to demonstrate their knowledge.
• Year 5: Students will launch their own business venture by prototyping and marketing a product to sell at HUB Market. Students apply for a loan as part of a ‘shark’ tank’ proposal with the school’s Business Manager. If successful, they develop and produce their product. Profits go towards a selected service organisation.
• Year 6: Students will be exploring refugees and human rights and the concept of global citizenship. Students will investigate how they can create change in their communities and design a service project to make meaningful change.

We look forward to showcasing our amazing PBL projects at our end of year Exhibition Evenings later in the semester.

- Bianca Ravi, Director of Learning