This year, 6th graders engaged in hands-on learning and design thinking through the first-ever BRIDGE Week, an experience 6th grade faculty created to help students build connections with one another, their teachers, and their new Middle School community.
BRIDGE Week—which represents an approach to learning that encourages students to Build, Research, Imagine, Design, Grow, and Evaluate—was held the week of Sept. 21, with a kickoff on Friday, Sept. 18.
“We decided as a 6th grade team that we really wanted students to focus on having an authentic learning experience,” explained Ms. Kara Makohon-Moore P’37, 6th Grade Science Teacher. “In doing so, we decided to kick off something literally called BRIDGE Week, where it became more of a metaphor, a bridging of the connections for the students, where the students are actively learning, actively engaging in design thinking... The whole point is for them to be creative and problem solvers.”
The acronym for BRIDGE represents “the cornerstones that we want students to experience,” said Ms. Makohon-Moore. “We want them to be authentic… Sixth grade is such a sweet spot where we want them to really engage with the real world.”
Throughout the week, students participated in a variety of interactive experiences that integrated science, engineering, mathematics, humanities, and game design while developing important skills such as teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and perseverance.
One workshop, for example, had students create a mural, piece by piece, of the George Washington Bridge. Each workshop offered a different modality of student learning. “We were literally trying to think of the whole-souled citizen when we were creating this,” said Ms. Machon-Moore. “And so we wanted a humanities piece. We wanted something completely out of the box.”
“In addition to serving as a design-thinking framework, the theme of bridges also reflects our local community and the important role connections play in our lives,” remarked Ms. Machon-Moore. Students explored how bridges connect people, places, ideas, cultures, and opportunities while considering how thoughtful design can help make our communities better.
On the first day of BRIDGE Week, students traveled to Fort Lee Historic Park, where they observed the George Washington Bridge and investigated how this and other bridges connect our local and greater communities. The idea for the field trip stemmed from the classic picture book, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, by Hildegarde H. Swift, and D-E’s proximity to these landmarks solidified the plan.
The park itself is also rife with history and opportunities for reflection. Students were asked to consider the engineering aspects of the bridge, which communities the bridge is connecting, and what cultures are being brought together. “We left it very open for the students, but we really want them to be able to come up with these ideas on their own,” said Ms. Makohon-Moore.
The rest of the week consisted of team-building activities and collaborative challenges designed to strengthen relationships, foster a sense of belonging, and build a positive 6th-grade community.
“There are academics there, but this is really a different way of thinking,” said Ms. Makohon-Moore. “And we are hoping that then we take this thinking further into the classrooms for the entire year.”
BRIDGE Week concluded with a bowling event at Bowlero in Fairlawn, providing students with an opportunity to celebrate their hard work and the connections made throughout the week.
Students spoke positively about the experience, with many of them noting the team bonding as a highlight. One student said, “I think I learned that bridges mean more than just connecting two places. They could connect people.”
