Reduced anxiety.
Students feel less anxious about subjects. PBL reduces the subject-specific anxiety that students face and develops concepts better by consolidating conceptual understanding.
Central School International
Project Based Learning · Pedagogy & Method
Project Based Learning
Learning, by doing. the quiet, year-long pivot from knowing to making.
The learning environment shifts when children begin asking their own questions and are given the opportunity to seek answers through inquiry, resilience, and patience. This is Project-Based Learning at CSI.
PBL engages students in creating, questioning and applying knowledge, while developing their skills in critical thinking, collaboration, communication, reasoning, synthesis, and resilience (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008).
Benefits of PBL
Increased relevance.
Students see subjects as being relevant to their daily lives. According to the latest research, learning is maximized if the context for learning resembles real-life situations that students face (Brown, Collins & Duguid, 1989).
Positive attitude.
Students approach subjects with a positive attitude, and learning that is approached with a positive attitude is more likely to be retained and applied.
ii · The Working Method
Six disciplines,
one working method.
Every project at CSI is built around the same six components, thoughtfully woven together in different ways each year.
Inquiry-Based Learning.
Each project begins with an essential question or a problem to explore, fostering critical thinking and curiosity. Students are encouraged to investigate and come up with solutions, leading to hands-on, inquiry-driven activities that make learning interactive and student-centered.
21st-Century Skills.
Skills like creativity, communication, self-management, and research are integral across projects. These skills are essential in a globalized world, enabling students to be effective learners and collaborators.
Hands-On Practical Skills Development.
Activities across the projects are hands-on, from rolling experiments and gardening to spacecraft design and architecture modelling. This tactile, practical learning approach helps students connect theory with practice, developing skills they can use in real life.
Cross-Disciplinary Integration.
Each project draws on concepts from different subjects and brings them together to create meaningful learning experiences. This approach helps students develop a deeper understanding of each subject individually while also building the ability to connect knowledge across disciplines and apply it to answer complex, real-world questions.
Awareness
& advocacy.
Students learn to present and defend their projects, ideas, and understanding with confidence and clarity. Each project encourages them to identify and understand a problem, explore meaningful solutions, and advocate for their ideas through informed discussion and thoughtful reasoning.
Use of Technology and Digital Skills.
Through each project, students engage with a range of technological tools and develop essential digital skills. This approach ensures they remain familiar with evolving technologies while strengthening their ability to use digital tools confidently, effectively, and purposefully.
iii · The Sustainable Development Journey
A curriculum that begins at home,
and aims for the long horizon.
Mapped to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Five years · five worlds · the same child, growing in confidence.
Five years · five worlds · the same child, growing in confidence.
Class 1
Class 1
Class 2
Class 3
Class 4
Class 5
Class 5
i.
Class 1 · Ages 5 to 6 · young explorers
Our World, and Sky.
Observe, explore, and investigate the Earth and the sky.
SDG 13
Class 1 explores what the Earth and sky are, how they are changing, and how young explorers can investigate those changes through inquiry, observation and careful reporting.
Project I
Our World and Sky.
Inside Class 1 →
Students ask meaningful questions, investigate Earth's changes, and report their discoveries to the world.
ii.
Class 2 · Ages 6 to 7 · material scientists
Space Survival Kit.
Choose and use Earth's materials to survive in space.
SDG 12
Class 2 steps into the role of space material scientists, using inquiry, research, experimentation and problem-solving to design practical solutions with limited resources.
Project II
Space Survival Kit.
Inside Class 2 →
A resource-management challenge where students choose materials, reduce waste and build survival strategies for an unfamiliar environment.
iii.
Class 3 · Ages 7 to 8 · young scientists
Mission Matter.
Particles, materials and useful products for everyday life.
SDG 12
Class 3 investigates matter, particles and forms of energy through hands-on experiments. Children explore physical and chemical properties, compare materials, manage resources responsibly and create practical products for everyday use.
Project III
Mission Matter, from particles to products.
Inside Class 3 →
A science-led project where students investigate states of matter, research particle theory, explore changes and energy transfer, and prototype useful solutions.
iv.
Class 4 · Ages 8 to 9 · the engineering studio
Green Wheels.
Young engineers design better cars for today's needs.
SDG 9
Class 4 explores materials, technologies, and design solutions that can be used to create environmentally friendly vehicles. Children investigate transportation's environmental impact, evaluate sustainable alternatives, and develop prototypes for a greener future.
Project IV
Green Wheels, engineered as a prototype.
Inside Class 4 →
An innovation project where teams research transport, analyse pollution and noise, design eco-friendly cars, build and test prototypes, then present solutions and reflect on learning.
v.
Class 5 · Ages 9 to 10 · sustainable urban spaces
Future Care: Smart Spaces.
Young planners design spaces that serve the community and protect the environment.
SDG 11
Class 5 explores how environmentally responsible infrastructure can be designed in an urban setting. Students research sustainable planning, community needs, resource use, and environmental impact, then turn their thinking into a sustainable infirmary proposal.
Project V
Future Care: Smart Spaces, a sustainable infirmary.
Inside Class 5 →
A design-and-prototype project where teams study urban systems, research environmental and resource needs, analyse data, develop sustainable designs, test solutions, and showcase their final proposals.
iv · The Granular Classroom · step inside
From the journey,
into a single day.
Each class is a chapter of its own. Step inside any one of them, meet the teacher, read the project briefs, see the room, find the rhythm of the week.
i.
Class One
Ages 5–6 · Climate Action
Our World and Sky - young explorers investigate Earth's changes and report their discoveries.
Inside the room → ii.Class Two
Ages 6–7 · Responsible Consumption
Space Survival Kit - material scientists choose and use Earth's resources to survive in space.
Inside the room → iii.Class Three
Ages 7–8 · Mission Matter
Mission Matter - young scientists investigate particles, materials and energy, then design useful products for everyday life.
Inside the room → iv.Class Four
Ages 8–9 · Green Wheels
Green Wheels - young engineers research transportation, design eco-friendly vehicles, and prototype better cars for today's needs.
Inside the room → v.Class Five
Ages 9–10 · Future Care: Smart Spaces
Future Care: Smart Spaces - sustainable infirmary design, urban planning, environmental responsibility, data analysis, digital models and tested prototypes.
Inside the room →vi · Roles inside the work · students become practitioners
Every project gives a child a role to own.
Our project-based learning programme provides the opportunity to engage in multiple project-based roles all designed to improve cognitive, social, and emotional intelligence. These roles include:
Young Journalist.
Find the story, tell it well.
Young Creative.
A piece of art: drafted, shared, refined.
Young Philanthropist.
Service as relationship, not an activity.
Young Chef.
Kitchen practices, cooking techniques, and regional and international cuisines.
a small invitation
Come and watch a child defend her work.
Every term ends in a public exhibition. Bring your child along, take a seat in the back, listen for an hour. The rest of CSI will make sense after that.
Plan An Exhibition Visit →