Learn more about the Project- and Problem-Based Learning courses offered within NT@G and some of our current and previous projects.

Courses OFFERED IN 2023-24

READING & RIGHTS

Facilitator: Tina Arrington (2022-Present), Eric Weber (Present), Ashley McKelvey (2022-2023)

Reading & Rights combines English 8 and Civics & Economics in an interdisciplanary year-long course. Students will utilize the New Tech Learning Outcomes of Agency, Written & Oral Communication, and Collaboration to develop leadership traits which will help them succeed in life. Students will explore different leadership types and how effective they are in certain situations and will also learn how to plan and conduct meetings, motivate self and others, and develop a professional profile.  The course will allow students to work with others while developing self-confidence and public speaking skills in addition to honing their problem solving abilities. Students will take the Writing SOL test in the spring and the Reading and Civics & Economics SOL tests at the end of the school year.

DeclarNATION of Independence

If you were in charge of a brand new country, what would be the 10 laws you would establish first? While studying our country's founding principles and documents (Social Students SOLs: CE 2.a, b & c), students in Reading & Rights are tasked with creating their own country with its own unique symbols, founding principles, flag, and documents. Students read The Shadow Club by Neal Shusterman and build their understanding of literary elements during this project (English SOLs: 8.5 b, c, d, h, i, l).

Creepy Cribs

Students collaborate to develop their haunted houses' back stories, construct models, and craft sales pitches while using primary and secondary sources to research U.S. locations that are said to be haunted (Social Studies SOLs: CE.1a, i, j; CE.4f) and reading short stories by Ray Bradbury, William Sleator, Roald Dahl, W.W. Jacobs and Edgar Allan Poe (English SOLs: 8.1 a-g; 8.4 a-c; 8.5 a-j; 8.6 i; 8.7 d-f, k-l; 8.9 b).

In this cross-curricular project through Reading & Rights and Pre-Algebra, students create scale floor plans of their houses. Each "Creeby Crib" has a caretaker which is actually a proportional "mini-me" of one of the house's creators (Math SOL 8.4), with the added requirement that the caretaker's appearance must tie into their backstory and house design.

Prior to the display, students had the opportunity to seek and receive Critical Friends feedback from classmates and make any final improvements to their haunted house designs.

BFMS seventh grade students will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite design this week by placing a "bid." Each design includes a QR code so that "prospective buyers" can learn more about each house's backstory and design (English SOL 8.2 b).

Community Partner: 

• Benjamin Franklin Middle School West Hall Media Center

Mock Government

While reading the junior edition of the memoir Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (English SOLs 8.4, 8.5 8.6, 8.9), students engaged in a simulation to participate in our system of checks and balances to better understand the powers of the three branches of government. Challenges included completing a responsibility or power of the assigned branch, engaging in a check on another branch, and debating on behalf of the assigned branch.

Game of Life

In this cross-curricular R&R and Math project, students are assigned to "families" and work to create budgets based on real-world expenses. The project integrates English 8 Standards of Learning, Economics, and the consumer math skills taught and assessed in Pre-Algebra. Students read the novel Nothing But the Truth by Avi.

Politics & Public Policy

Students explore the driving question, "how can we as citizens participate in the political process and influence public policy for our fellow Americans within our Federalist system?" Students take on the role of engaged citizens, candidates, and campaign staff in this simulation of our political system as they develop a presidential platform, create campaign advertisements, and prepare questions for a presidential debate.

Patriotic Play (2021-22)

While reading the junior edition of the memoir Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (English SOLs 8.4, 8.5 8.6, 8.9), students studied American citizenship and designed game-based educational experiences that could help refugees who have resettled in our area understand the information necessary to become naturalized citizens. This information included the principles of American Democracy, the Colonial period and independence, the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, and the structure of the American national government (Social Studies SOLs CE.1a, c, e, g, i, j, CE.3a, c, d, e, CE.4a-g, CE 6a-d, CE9a, b, d). Students also composed an essay about one place in the world they would like to visit as part of this project (English SOLs 8.7, 8.8)

Community Partner: 

• Roanoke Refugee Partnership

problem-based Pre-Algebra

Facilitators: Amanda Scott, Maureen Roma, Angela Hatchett (2022-23), Tarah Sherr (2021-22), Jessica Mullins (2017-2020), Stephanie Cook (2018-2020)

In Pre-Algebra 8, students gain proficiency in computation with rational numbers and use proportions to solve a variety of problems.  New concepts include solving multistep equations and inequalities, graphing linear equations, visualizing three-dimensional shapes represented in two-dimensional drawings, and applying transformations to geometric shapes in the coordinate plane. Pre-Algebra students take the Grade 8 Math SOL test at the end of the year.

Ordering Fractions and Decimals

Students are presented with a scenario in which three 5K judges recorded times at the finish line using different methods. Students are challenged to determine which racers were in the top ten.

Real Number System Board Games

Students collaborate to design their own games that could be used by their peers to practice classifying numbers using the real number system. 

How Tall Is Mini-Me?

Students explore ratios, probability, and proportional reasoning. In the 2021-22 school year, Pre-Algebra and Reading & Rights facilitators collaborated to tie students' mini-me designs into the "Creepy Cribs" project as haunted house caretakers.

Home Sweet Homes!

Students draw floor plans and use their consumer math skills to calculate the cost to build a gingerbread house. 

The Pirate Life is the Life for Me

Students explore equations, inequalities, and the Pythagorean Theorem.

Business Venture

Students apply their understanding of percent change, writing checks, balancing checkbooks, and calculating sales tax, discounts, and interest to writing a business plan. Each group's business proposal includes their marketing plan as well as estimates for revenue, expenses, and how to make a profit. (Math SOL 8.4)

Slope-Intercept "TikToks"

Each group will create an in-person or video lesson to teach graphing using the slope-intercept form.  y = mx + b. Each lesson must include a description of slope and the y-intercept and how to identify each.  (Math SOL 8.16)

Frequent Flyer Miles

Students use linear equations to "earn a free flight."

NT Pre-AP Algebra i

Facilitators: Maureen Roma (2022-Present), Jessica Mullins (2017 - 2020)

Algebra is the sequential development of concepts and skills by using concrete materials to assist students in making the transition from arithmetic to the symbolic. Students will make connections and build relationships between algebra and arithmetic, geometry, and probability and statistics.  Students are awarded high school credit for the course, and take the Algebra SOL test at the end of the school year.

Bus Tour (Fall 2019)

Students were tasked with designing a bus tour of Franklin County, Virginia that would showcase our community’s assets in order to increase visitors to our attractions and small-businesses. The tour designs were required to remain in Franklin County, Virginia and be completed in a two-hour time period. To accompany their tour designs, students were required to include a brochure, website, or other promotional document explaining their bus tour including the theme, how the tour showcases our community’s assets, and what attractions tourists will experience. After planning the route and choosing coordinates, students identified each location by ordered pairs and calculated the slope between locations. Finally, students used their points and slope to write linear equations for each stop transition. Students presented their tour proposals to a panel of professionals from our community.

Community Partners:

• Franklin County Historical Society

• Franklin County Parks and Recreation

• The Franklin News-Post

Media Coverage:

• "Students get to know Franklin County by using Algebra" - The Franklin News-Post

NT PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Facilitators: Shannon Barker (Present)

Students will be introduced to the basics of chemistry and physical science through hands-on, problem-solving activities. Students use instructional activities, laboratory experiments, and appropriate technology to master the standards for Physical Science 8, the study of physics and chemistry.  At the end of the school year, students take the Science 8 SOL test.

Mystery Machine

Fred is dead! Students work in groups to investigate a mock crime scene.  Student conduct various forensic tests, interview a local police official regarding crime evidence collection, and analyze quantitative and qualitive data in order to draw a conclusion. Groups create an investigative report and summary presentation to explain what happened to Fred before a grand jury of adults.

Community Partner: 

• Franklin County Sheriff's Department

Pseudoscience Fair

This project runs concurrently with the "Creepy Cribs" project in R&R and Pre-Algebra. Students learn to conduct scientific research and cite sources while researching practices or beliefs commonly mistaken for being based on the scientific method (hypnosis, astrology, paranormal activity etc.) Students present a Pseudoscience Fair to educate classmates, younger students, and community members about the history of their selected pseudoscience topic and why their chosen topic is not verifiable or consistent with existing scientific knowledge.

Community Partners:

• Benjamin Franklin Middle School West Hall Media Center

Headquarters (Advisory Program)

Each NT@G staff member serves as an advisor to a small Headquarters group of 9-12 students and has a role in developing our advisory curriculum. Headquarters provides students with time and space to learn about and reflect on the shared values that support success in PBL classrooms and skills that foster college and career readiness in a non-academic setting. Headquarters ensures that each student has the ability to play a role in developing our school culture.

Successful advisory programs yield measurable results, including improved student-teacher relationships, higher academic achievement, fewer discipline referrals, improved attendance rates, and lower dropout rates (Hopkins, 2004 and College Board, 2006).

Mission: Identity

During the first weeks of school, we focus on building a strong culture of trust, respect, and responsibility. Students participate in cross-curricular activities and build a Personnel File in Google Drive that becomes a growth portfolio over the course of the eighth grade school year.

Shared Blessings

This year, New Tech @ Gereau students designed handmade ornaments and sold them at Come Home to a Franklin County Christmas to benefit Shared Blessings, a local organization serving people experiencing homelessness in our community. Learn more on our Community Service page.

Logo Design Challenge (2019-20)

Students collaborated to design an original logo for New Tech @ Gereau.

Honoring Our Heroes (2018-19)

Students planned an event to recognize local first responders and other heroes in our community.

Media coverage:

• "New Tech students honor local heroes" - Leigh Prom, The Franklin News-Post

Previous Courses

Sci-Tech 

Facilitators: Eric Weber (2021-23), Shannon Barker (2022-23)

Sci-Tech combines eighth grade physical science with a Biotechnology elective. Students will learn the fundamentals of collecting, processing, and analyzing evidence while using real scientific techniques and equipment.  Students will assess evidence such as hairs, fibers, fingerprints, blood, bones, DNA, insects, and motor vehicle collisions.  Students will become familiar with the many different careers associated with forensics and learn how they all work together to solve crimes.  In an effort to utilize more modern technologies, students are taught to use software and online tools to collect and analyze data, communicate and collaborate with peers, and present investigation findings. Students use instructional activities, laboratory experiments, and appropriate technology to master the standards for Physical Science 8, the study of physics and chemistry.  At the end of the school year, students take the Science 8 SOL test.

The Invisible Made Visible

Students are challenged to design and build museum-quality models of atoms. For several years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, we had the oppotunity to collaborate with the Science Museum of Western Virginia at Center in the Square in downtown Roanoke for this project. One of the initiating events for the project has been a Google Hangout with museum staff members who help students understand what standards museum staff must meet in the exhibits they create, what materials can make a model more durable, and how to make displays more interactive for museum visitors. Museum staff chose outstanding models to be displayed in the museum. Through grants from Target in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school year, NT@G students and facilitators were able to visit the museum as a team to see the models installed. In the 2020-21 school year, we are collaborating with the East Hall Media Center at Benjamin Franklin Middle School to display our atomic models to the sixth grade students. We hope that our models will enhance the younger students' understanding of SOL 6.4.

Community Partners:

• Science Museum of Western Virginia

• Benjamin Franklin Middle School East Hall Media Center

Media coverage:

• "Elements of Science: New Tech students show off work at Science Museum in Roanoke" by Briana Barker, The Franklin News-Post

Hot Dogs and Cool Cats

According to the ASPCA, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year but only 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted. This imbalance results in many stray animals being turned away due to shelters being at full indoor capacity. But what if shelters could safely expand their outdoor capacity? Students take on the role of engineers to apply what they have learned about heat and energy transfer in the design on an economical, eco-friendly pet structure that protects animals from extreme winter and summer temperatures. 

Energy & Human Impact

Students take on the role of representatives at the United Nations COP27, summit. Students have been tasked with presenting information about a major impact caused to the environment by humans. They deliver presentations in which they explain their group's problem in depth, discuss its specific impacts on the environment, and discuss who is helping to solve the problem as well as what they are doing to solve it. These presentations both educate the audience on an important issue using accurate and well sourced information, and persuade them to take action (Science SOLs: PS.1f, PS5.a-c) 

Science & Forensics

Facilitators: Shannon Barker, Eric Weber, Denise Nolan (2017-2022), Melissa Broadstreet (2017-2021)

Students use instructional activities, laboratory experiments, and appropriate technology to master the standards for Physical Science 8, the study of physics and chemistry.  Through Forensic Science, students will be introduced to the basics of criminal investigations through hands-on, problem-solving activities.  At the end of the school year, students take the Science 8 SOL test.

The Innocence Project Project (2020-21)

The Innocence Project is an organization that re-examines post-conviction cases and then works to exonerate those that have been wrongfully convicted. Students learn more about the organization and what they do, select one wrongfully convicted person and their case study to research, and digitally present their story, highlighting information about their case.

Carnival of Chemistry (2017 - 2020)

Students create interactive stations to help fifth graders from local elementary schools understand the periodic table, states of matter, and chemical reactions. The carnival includes an interactive periodic table "table" as well as demonstrations that explain chemical reactions, physical reactions, and basic properties of matter. 

Community Partners:

• Rocky Mount Elementary

• Lee M. Waid Elementary

Media Coverage:

• "New Tech @ Gereau presents Carnival of Chemistry" - The Franklin News-Post

Energy Ingenuity - Shark Tank Style (2017 - 2020)

In our Shark Tank project, students use Makey Makey circuitry kits and Scratch programming to create products that express their understanding of scientific concepts. In the 2017-18 school year, students were challenged to use the needs of our society as they relate to energy use to drive imagination and inspire an invention that could address an issue with energy conservation or promote individual physical activity. As a culminating event for the Shark Tank project, students present their inventions to a panel of adult and peer representatives and, just like in the Shark Tank show, the panel decides whether or not to "fund" each invention.  

The Cold War (2017 - 2020)

Students create a plan for a challenge in which they have one class period to keep ice frozen the longest AND force ice to melt the fastest. Students investigate heat transfer and its impact on the phase changes of water, interview local engineers who work with conductors and insulators, and conduct research to learn how to slow down and maximize the transfer of heat energy.  

Community Partner:

• Ply Gem Industries

Play - the Work of Childhood (2017-18, 2020-21) 

Students were given the task of creating a playground design for Jamison Mill Park.  In addition to investigating the features community members would like to see in a potential playground and the setting and history of the park, groups were required to include at least five simple machines and two compound machines in their designs. Students used a computer program to create 3D models to represent their playground design in a presentation to community stakeholders.  

Community Partners:

• Franklin County Parks & Recreation

• Franklin County Board of Supervisors

Visit the Sci-For Course Website for more information.

E.D.I.T. / English & digital input technologies

Facilitators: Tina Arrington, Darnell Moore (2017-2021), Tarah Sherr (2020-2021), Stephanie Cook (2018-2020)

EDIT (English & Digital Input Technologies) offers students hands-on opportunities to study writing, public speaking, literature, reading, and vocabulary development. Students practice various methods of gathering and recording information to create a variety of media productions while operating studio editing software and video and audio equipment. Students conceptualize, plan, and contribute through all production phases. 

Students take the 8th grade Writing SOL test in the spring and the Reading SOL test at the end of the school year.

Shadow Club

It is no secret that being a middle school student is hard.  Research suggests that a large percentage of middle school and high school students feel like misfits among their peers.  This can be a reality, a perception, or a combination of both. However, the impact can be long-lasting. In Neal Shusterman's novel, The Shadow Club, a group of students band together as a way to alleviate the feeling of being humiliated by other students.  This project looks at the impact of bullying on children and how it can be prevented. Students learn important research skills including choosing reliable sources and citing resources using MLA format as they create an anti-bullying video, brochure, or website that can be shared with elementary/middle school students. Student groups develop a proposal for a new school club with the purpose of including students who may not feel included in other ways. 

Peace & Still (2018-2020)

Drawing on the background knowledge built through reading Black Duck, engaging with guest speakers from the Blue Ridge Institute and the Franklin County Historical Society, and interviewing relatives about their families' oral histories, each student writes a narrative set in Franklin County during the Prohibition era. Student groups collaborate to create a collaborative historical narrative, capture the tale as a podcast, and design a barn quilt with elements that represent the plot of their story. In the 2018-19 school year, the students' barn quilts and podcasts were presented to the public at the Franklin County Public Library in Rocky Mount on the evening of December 18th and displayed in businesses along Franklin County's Crooked Road from January 16, 2019 (the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment) through the end of May 2019. They were also displayed at the Franklin County Agricultural Fair in September 2019.

Visit the project website for more information and to listen to the podcasts.

Community Partners:

• Blue Ridge Institute at Ferrum College

• Franklin County Historical Society

• Virginia Cooperative Extension

• Franklin County Division of Tourism & Film

• Franklin County Public Library

• Franklin County Agricultural Fair

Media coverage:

• Student television appearance on Cable 12's "Rise & Shine Franklin County"

• "Students use barn quilt project to partner with local businesses" - The Franklin News-Post

• "Behind the big reveal: it all started with LOVE" - The Franklin News-Post

• "New Tech @ Gereau students to unveil barn quilt show" - The Franklin News-Post

• "New Tech students present barn quilt show" - The Franklin News-Post

• "A 'shining' spin on a successful slogan" - The Franklin News-Post

Gereau Street (2017-18)

Based on students' desire to work with younger students, EDIT facilitators developed a project in which students created an educational program for the 51 students at our neighboring YMCA's Land of Wonder Preschool. Our students had to create a short story, skit, or song based on an age-appropriate life or academic lesson like sharing, friendship, numbers, or colors. Each group's presentation was required to incorporate figurative language and poetic sound elements from the eighth grade Standards of Learning.

Community Partner:

• Franklin County YMCA Land of Wonder Preschool

Media Coverage:

• "Yuletide Celebrated on 'Gereau Street'" - The Franklin News-Post

Relay for Life (2017-18)

EDIT students helped design their final project of the school year, in which they read the novel A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. In the book, the main character’s mother is battling cancer. Along with reviewing elements of fiction and vocabulary skills, students formed a Relay for Life fundraising team and created gift bags for cancer survivors. 

Community Partner:

• Franklin County Relay for Life

Media Coverage:

• "New Tech students rally for Relay for Life" - The Franklin News-Post

PBL CIVICS & ECONOMICS

Facilitators: Ashley McKelvey (2019-2022), Adam Bennett (2017-2019)

Our Civics and Economics course incorporates the major themes of active citizenship, politics, the rights of individuals vs. the rights of society, social interaction and change, and a study of economics.  At the end of the semester, students take the 8th grade Civics and Economics Standards Of Learning (SOL) test. Pre-AP credit is offered through a differentiated rubric and additional assignments.

If I Ran the School

If you could create the perfect school, how would you organize it, what rights would you include for students and staff, and how would you convince people to attend? While studying our nation's foundational documents, students took on the role of school founders to create a better, more equitable school envioronment. Students identified their grievances with the current school environment and developed a written charter including a preamble, article, and bill of rights, as well as a visual presentation to share with visitors on Back to School Night.

A Union with a Purpose

Students consider whether the goals of the government of the United States of America, as stated in the US Constitution, are being upheld and fulfilled by our nation as our Founding Fathers intended them to be. Students choose a constitutional goal to focus on as they explore our country's foundational documents through interactice texts, research, and discussion in order to write and present an analysis and argument.

Let's Make a Law!

Students use their understanding of civic responsibility, our National Government, and the lawmaking process to research, identify, draft, and propose a bill to serve the public good. Each student group followed their bill through the process of becoming a law, including a presentation to a congress of their peers.

Community Service (2018-19)

One of our civic responsibilities is that of volunteering to help address the needs of our community and serving the public good. It is also imperative to do this through participation and not just through discussion. Students learned about the numerous service organizations in Franklin County who benefit our community through their outreach, how these organizations help those who need it most, and how we too can help these organizations help our community.

A Case for Revolution (2018-19)

Students compared the American Revolution with historical and modern revolutions around the world, exploring how those examples led to real change and evaluating whether those leading the revolutions found success. Student groups identified circumstances and reasons in which they felt revolution could be justified and created a declaration stating their causes, reasons, and how their revolution will be the change necessary to benefit the people.

Jefferson vs. Hamilton (2018-19)

Should the national government step in and run things, or should the states be left to do as they believe is best? Do you identify as a Jeffersonian or a Hamiltonian? Pre-AP AmGovEcon students created "political performances," including raps, skits, and comedy routines about current issues, inspired by the Broadway musical Hamilton. 

Zombie Outbreak (2017-19)

Students took on the roles of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches to gain a deeper understanding of our local, state, and national government. The twist? They played these roles in the scenario of a zombie outbreak. For extra credit, students had the opportunity to record press releases using the resources in the Gereau Center's multimedia recording studio.

Visit the Civics & Economics Course Website for more information.

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