Can you design a boat that is seaworthy AND so appealing that a national toy store chain agrees to sell it? With this challenge, Teresa Kester’s fourth graders at Galatas Elementary School in The Woodlands, Texas are launched into learning. Through many experiments in density and buoyancy, students learn what it takes for a boat to float reliably. Next, they practice the art of persuasion as they develop a winning marketing campaign for toy conglomerate “We B Toys”.

Float that Boat! Is just one example of how project learning is on the move at Galatas Elementary. A school of 800, Galatas serves students in kindergarten through fourth grade. The fourth grade is departmental, with some teachers responsible for language arts instruction, and others focusing on science and social studies. Ms. Kester and her colleagues have been using technology and project learning in their instruction for quite some time. Several years ago, students used Hyperstudio to author “All About Me” projects. Since then, twenty Galatas teachers have participated in the Intel® Teach to the Future training, and are integrating technology in a myriad of new ways in their classrooms.

In a recent project addressing 4th grade geography standards, students studied the major regions of Texas. A Texas Regions Webquest gave kids entrée into the topic, and the teachers focused online research by packaging relevant Web page links into folders. Students used Publisher to produce enticing travel brochures that informed visitors about Texas landforms, rivers, cities, climate, and more.

Teresa says new methods of research and communication bring the work to life for students. “Kids can’t get excited about traditional research. Once they get to the computer they’re really happy.” She says students work longer at hard tasks when they are aided by technology. Teresa recognizes that students who find pencil and paper activities difficult often find it easier to produce their work on computers. She also sees an increase in motivation and cooperation among all her students.

Teresa enjoys the change in her role as well. “When kids work together on projects I assign a facilitator to each group to solve immediate problems. I also assign an editor, who checks through the work to make sure it is complete and polished.” Having students in these roles frees her up for other tasks, such as monitoring progress and solving the most difficult problems.


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