"Queens Gateway Teacher Lets Students take Charge"
Month-long research projects have exciting results
By Jessica Arnold, Literacy Director, Gateway Institute for Pre-College Education
March 9, 2005

Marc Greenberg teaches social studies at Queens Gateway to Health Sciences Secondary School in Jamaica, Queens. He stresses research and writing every day in his ninth and tenth grade Global Studies classes. Recognizing February’s Black History Month and March’s Women’s History Month, Greenberg asked his students to select an historically significant black or woman in whom they were interested. Students then researched their historical figure, wrote an essay and created an oral presentation that was accompanied by a creative display.

Greenberg’s design focused on the full range of literacy skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) and put considerable responsibility for teaching and learning on the students. With the help of Gateway Literacy Director, Jessica Arnold, Greenberg created guidelines and a timeline for each component of the project starting with the research and writing assignments up through draft writing, in-class writing workshops and peer review. Greenberg remarked, “students need to be constantly developing their writing skills, so a writing component is an essential part of all the projects I assign. The beauty of projects like this one is that the work is self directed and the motivation comes from the students’ own interests.”

On the day of the fair, March 7, 2005, Greenberg’s classroom was alive with students buzzing around the room sharing and collecting information with their peers. Every surface of the classroom, from the walls to the tabletops, was covered with posters, dioramas, laptops displaying PowerPoint presentations, sculptures, and other unique displays. A student, who researched Duke Ellington, played the saxophone in one corner of the room while the music of Billie Holiday spilled from another. Students shared their presentations in groups, explained the historical context in which their figures lived and the significant impact they made on the world, and fielded eager questions from their peers with aplomb.

Ninth grader, Tasfia Tamana researched Amelia Earhardt. She said, “I liked learning from other people, and I really liked that even though I researched one person in depth, I got to learn about all these other people from the rest of the class.” Fellow ninth grader, Sharon Basdeo, who researched Locusta of Gaul, concurred, “I found out about a lot of important people, but I got to choose my own project and be creative, not just write an essay.”

Mr. Greenberg watched his classes proudly. He noted that the creative format of the projects engaged even the kids who are sometimes resistant to research, and that the conference style of the presentations was less intimidating for students who fear making a formal oral presentation to the whole class.

Queens Gateway Principal, Cynthia Edwards walked around the room asking students about their research and their displays. She beamed as she watched the productive bustle of the crowded room. “This is the kind of classroom I dream of seeing in my school; it is so exciting to see teachers taking the risk of turning control of teaching and learning over to the students. We are so lucky to have teachers like Mr. Greenberg here.