A Personal Approach to Science

By Jessica Russell, Upper School English Teacher

This Fall, the entire 9th grade, along with several 10th graders, embarked on a Project Based Learning (PBL) experience about cancer, exploring the topic through scientific, medical, and personal lenses. The project built on the summer reading book, Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. The book personalizes the science behind cancer and cancer research by telling the story of Henrietta Lacks, who died in 1951 of cervical cancer, and of her family as they struggled to cope with her death and with the news that scientists had been using her cells in experiments without their knowledge.

Over the course of the PBL experience, students learned about the causes of cancer at the cellular level, as well as current research into treatment, in biology class. Meanwhile, in their English classes, they practiced creating effective interview questions and met with Director of Couseling & Wellness Traci Fairchild for lessons in grief sensitivity. In the days before Thanksgiving break, students interviewed members of our community about their personal experiences with cancer; some spoke of friends and family who had succumbed to the disease, while others were cancer survivors themselves.

After the break, students researched the specific cancer types their interviewees had spoken to them about and drew on their interviews to craft creative nonfiction pieces in which they shared their subject’s story. In the week before winter break, they put together a public presentation showcasing what they had learned about cancer from the scientific and personal perspectives. read

The project was a goldstandard example of the impact cross-disciplinary, real-world projects can have on learning. The students were able to bring together the complex science of cancer and cells with the uniquely human side of this devastating disease. What resulted was a project that honored victims, brought awareness to the issue, and provided students with an opportunity to practice good citizenship, among many other student competencies.