Healey students design dream homes
7th graders at the Healey are learning math while they learn real-world lessons about cooperation and perseverance, and develop a sense of accomplishment. Starting in September, students in Steve Stephano’s math classes sat down and imagined their dream homes. Would it have a game room? A beautiful kitchen? A big yard? Every student started with a pencil, a piece of graph paper, and their imaginations. After plotting out a bespoke design, students scaled their designs onto boards and built three-dimensional architectural models. Their construction materials are paper and glue guns, mounted on a board.
7th grader Maria Luisa pointed out that you learn how scaled copies are important for building a house and even though all the students were allotted the same square footage for their lots, everyone used their drawing to make their own house shape. Through project work, students organically developed an understanding of how to calculate and use scale and how to measure accurately.
As the project built momentum, students started asking each other questions. Some students progressed faster; they were able to help out peers. Mr. Stephano says that project-based learning is about learning material related to curriculum, but there are other significant lessons, like sharing tools and asking for help. He also wants students to understand that you have to work hard to make something that matters. Toward the end of the project, he says “a bunch of kids walked out of class and said I’m so proud of myself.”
Before the project’s start, Mr. Stephano’s took his students to visit the Northeastern University School of Architecture. In his words, he “wants the kids to see that architecture is something people do in college.” The dream home is the type of project-based learning that builds a bridge between a student’s professional future and their classroom work.
Each student's dream home boasts different amenities. One student left significant garden space in his plot because “he wanted to keep costs down.” Another had a master bedroom with a walk-in closet and bathroom. Seventh grader Oren added a home theater and swimming pool, saying “it was cool to explore and document what you want in a house, especially since homes here tend to be smaller.”
Beyond designs, students engaged in their own ways with the project. One student humorously said “you can lose your sanity doing the [paper] cutting and trying not to lose the parts.” But this same student was working quietly and diligently with a glue gun and all those little parts for the entire class. In contrast, another student said that glueing the pieces together was actually the best part of the project. Another student said that he enjoyed designing the house, but he particularly enjoyed changing the design as he built it and saw ways to make design improvements.
The dream home project culminates in a family night in the Healey School cafeteria. Mr. Stephano expects nearly full family and student attendance, based on past experience. He gives plenty of advanced notice and many parents take time off work to be there for their children. This is not just a community event, it’s a target for the kids. The presentation gives students an authentic reason to do their best work. He tells students that anyone who finishes their project will get a good grade, but he finds that they are highly motivated to present a model home to their families that shows off their hard work and creativity. He warns them during the project to put in the hard work so they don’t find themselves presenting to their parents and wishing their projects were better. Students are so motivated, Mr. Stephano has had 20 students voluntarily stay after school to work on their projects. “This happens if the students are excited about the work,” he says.
