9th Grade Integrated Studies Project

 

Every Dexter High School freshman takes a year-long class called Integrated Studies. The goal is simple: to help ninth graders succeed in high school. According to the course catalog, “Integrated Studies supports 9th graders by building a solid foundation of academic and social-emotional skills in students.” In class, students practice skills such as writing, creative thinking, and study habits, while also building communication, teamwork, and confidence. Teachers act as mentors, and give students a place to ask questions, talk through challenges, and get support. The Dexter Board of Education approved the addition of the class in 2021. This year, two sections were taught by Katey Robinson and Murphy Hansen.

 

Integrated Studies is also designed to meet students’ needs as they arise. DHS freshman History and English teachers work together to connect lessons and assignments across subjects. One major ninth-grade topic is World War II and the Holocaust. Through group activities, simulations, and writing assignments, students explore the connections between literature and history. Integrated Studies helps students process what they are learning and strengthen the skills needed for current assignments, such as writing essays or organizing research. Integrated Studies can also create projects that combine academic and social-emotional skills around topics students are already studying. 

 

In mid-March, Ms. Hansen’s Integrated Studies students expanded on their World War II and Holocaust units by creating projects for a Gallery Walk in the DHS Media Center. Called The Unspoken Narrative, the project challenged students to create a visual piece that captured “a truth that words might fail to express.” When learning about difficult topics such as the Holocaust, typical lessons tend to focus on facts and dates instead of the human experience behind them. Activities such as reading Night by Elie Wiesel, visiting The Zekelman Holocaust Center, and completing World War II research projects encourage students to think more deeply about the Holocaust’s impact. Hansen asked students to take what they learned and express it without using words. Instead, students communicated only through visual symbols, something Hansen said challenged students to think outside of their comfort zones.
 

After choosing a theme and medium for their projects, students created detailed five-week plans that included paper calendars. They started with the final deadline and worked backward to organize tasks, mini-deadlines, and work time. Students also added school events, personal activities, and other commitments to their calendars so they could manage their time effectively. To develop ideas, students created “mind maps” of symbols connected to their themes. They used metaphors to communicate meaning in a deeper way, such as a discarded boot representing a soldier or a single lit match symbolizing hope. The final project included the visual piece shown in the Gallery Walk, the planning materials, and an artist’s statement that explained the meaning behind the symbols used in the artwork.

 

The Gallery Walk gave students a chance to share both their creativity and their understanding of an important period in history. Students moved through the DHS Media Center, viewing projects that used powerful visual symbols to communicate ideas about loss, hope, survival, and remembrance. Photo examples in the slideshow below show the wide range of student work, from detailed drawings and paintings to mixed-media pieces. Together, the projects highlight how Integrated Studies helps students build academic skills while also encouraging deeper thinking, empathy, and personal expression.