Lower School science teacher David Beshk connects months of learning into the lighthouse project, which is the formative project where grade 4 students study electricity, circuits, light waves, and lenses. Additional learnings include electrical concepts, series circuits, how conductors and insulators are used, open-versus-closed circuits and how a switch can govern the flow of electricity. Moreover, students applied the concepts of refracting and reflecting light using both mirrors and lenses.

Mr. Beshk remarked, “There are many aspects of the lighthouse project that are fun, but seeing the grade 4 students ‘light up’ when they solder their circuits and the LED begins to shine is the best. They are so proud of the fact that they independently built a functional electrical circuit, they can’t contain the excitement.” 

The lighthouses also demonstrate how light is used to communicate. These glowing towers are valuable to navigation and identifying dangerous objects in waterways. However, the distinctive patterns, day marks, on lighthouses also communicate information. These multi-colored stripes and patterns are part of the lighthouses each student builds and designs. In addition to learning about how daymarks were used as navigational aids to sailors, students also learned about the lifestyles and challenges faced by lighthouse keepers.

Mr. Beshk points out that the lighthouses spark students beyond the classroom. “The sense of joy, pride and accomplishment from the students resonates the most. Students will spend weeks planning, researching, designing and building projects like this, and that’s no small task. In the end, they’ve constructed such a deep, visceral connection with the concepts, and that’s my goal as an educator, to create constructivist opportunities for learning.”