Tackling Toronto's Water Issues

Taking place during the week of December 19, the integration project incorporated elements from math, science, social studies and English. Grade 8 teachers created a problem-based learning activity that required students to examine a water issue in Toronto, and to pitch their proposed solutions to politicians.

Cross-curricular integration supports the development of students’ critical thinking and collaborative skills by demonstrating how knowledge can be applied across disciplines. This project was a meaningful and rich experience that connected to real life, gave students choice and provided time for experimentation. Our new Learning Communities - large rooms that easily reconfigure to support different types of learning - provided the perfect space for this project, with several teachers on hand to support students as needed.

Students kicked off the week with a trip to a water treatment plant, which helped them to build their understanding of where Toronto’s water comes from and how it is treated. They then selected a water issue they wanted to investigate. Options included:

Students worked in groups to identify the various ways in which people impact their chosen issue.They developed and investigated research questions, created a hypothesis and crafted recommendations for future actions based on their findings.

On the project’s final day, students had an amazing opportunity to present their proposed solutions to Toronto City Councillor Jaye Robinson and MP Julie Dabrusin. Councillor Robinson and MP Dabrusin listened to each group speak passionately about their chosen issue; once they had heard all of the presentations, both politicians explained how what they learned from the students will affect their decisions in the future. Councillor Robinson, who also joined us in December 2015 for our first Grade 8 integration project, explained that what she learned last year inspired her to take action on the presence of microbeads in Toronto’s water supply.

Students’ enthusiasm throughout the week made it clear that they really enjoyed the project - especially its encouragement of flexible and innovative thinking. Congratulations to all of our Grade 8 students on their wonderful projects, and a big thank you to Councillor Robinson and MP Dabrusin for joining us!