Thematic and Project-Based Learning

Thematic Learning at Advent

Thematic and project-based learning are cornerstones of the Advent experience. By integrating subjects within an overarching theme, students explore history and science, build knowledge, ask questions, and develop academic skills far beyond their grade level. Literacy and math skills develop alongside social justice concepts such as community, perspective, equity, and independence. Students construct ideas and theories based on authentic experiences, observations, and research.

In alignment with Reggio-inspired principles, project-based work at Advent fosters a holistic understanding of the curriculum by allowing students to explore ideas and concepts through interdisciplinary, real-world experiences. It combines writing, reading, science, and math as tools for exploration and uses art, music, language, and movement as means for students to express their knowledge and beliefs. 

Integrated, thematic learning is foundational to Advent’s definition of academic rigor. It challenges students to connect ideas across subjects, apply knowledge in meaningful contexts, and think critically. By exploring big questions through multiple disciplines, children deepen understanding, strengthen problem-solving skills, and engage in authentic, complex work that mirrors how learning happens in real life.

Classroom themes by grade level

Expand each theme to read a project example from a previous school year

  • Each fall, Advent’s Pre-K students embark on a joyful and immersive exploration of monarch butterflies and their incredible life cycle. This annual project invites curiosity, observation, creativity, and care for the natural world—core values of our Reggio-inspired approach.

    This year’s journey began with a renewed excitement for butterflies. Children explored the science of insect life cycles through books, drawing and writing about the details that fascinated them most. Through this, students posed questions, made predictions, and expressed wonder about the stages of transformation.

    A highlight came when three of our classroom caterpillars formed chrysalises. Children noticed subtle changes, such as darkening colors, and eagerly shared their thoughts and predictions about what might happen next. These observations were paired with stories and discussions about life cycles—not only of butterflies, but of other animals as well.

    As part of our ongoing tradition, we participated in Journey North’s Symbolic Migration Project, which connects classrooms across North America and Mexico in a symbolic exchange of paper butterflies. Students learned how real monarchs migrate to Mexico each fall and return north in the spring—and how their paper butterflies would make a similar journey to another classroom.

    We imagined how our butterflies would travel, discussed monarch sanctuaries in Mexico, and even watched a video about scientists using a robot hummingbird to study monarchs up close. Students then created their own butterflies and signs with powerful conservation messages like “Keep Butterflies Safe” and “Plant Milkweed.”

    The project culminated in our annual Butterfly Parade, where students proudly wore butterfly masks, carried their handmade signs, and symbolically said goodbye to the monarchs.

    This beloved tradition continues to inspire wonder, stewardship, and global connection—year after year.

  • Social-emotional learning (SEL) helps children develop the skills to manage emotions, build relationships, and make responsible choices—essential tools for success in school and life.

    Kindergarteners explored SEL through beloved classroom characters: Sloth, Otter, and Hammerhead—our “Slumberkins.” These animal friends help students navigate new routines, understand emotions, build community, and resolve conflicts.

    Throughout the year, students designed inclusive play spaces for the Slumberkins, creatively solving how animals from land, water, and both could live and play together. This hands-on project encouraged collaboration, empathy, and fine motor skills.

    For their final project, students created their very own Slumberkin plush and built a custom habitat using wood and other donated materials. They began by choosing colors and styles, sewing their plush toys, and writing about their Slumberkin’s traits. They also designed maps and models of their habitats, blending creativity with early engineering skills.

    To bring it all together, students wrote original stories featuring their Slumberkins, complete with characters, setting, and a plot that included a problem and solution that their Slumberkin encountered.

    The excitement and imagination they’ve brought to this project beautifully reflect their SEL growth this year.

  • In First Grade, a simple question—Where does our food come from?—sparked a year-long Research & Investigation project. Guided by their teachers, students explored food, farms, and the broader idea of access to basic needs.

    Their study began with farms—rural and urban—and quickly expanded to questions such as: How does access to food shape communities? Do all people have equal access to basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter? Why or why not?

    To deepen their learning, students studied changemakers who worked toward food justice and equity, including Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, Will Allen, Wangari Maathai, Sandor Katz, and Dr. Temple Grandin. These stories inspired rich discussions about advocacy, fairness, and community impact.

    For their culminating projects, each student chose a topic that inspired them most. With guidance, they planned, organized, and created projects in a medium of their choice—posters, models, graphic novels, or stories. At the end-of-year Project Showcase, families explored everything from cardboard rooftop farms to moving food trucks to layered paper displays of recycled clothing.

    This joyful celebration highlighted curiosity, creativity, and a deep understanding of access and equity.

  • What does it mean to be a changemaker?

    Second Grade students at the Advent School considered this question as they began their investigation into their classroom theme, “Changemakers and Social Movements.” During the course of the year, they studied a series of historical movements, from the abolition of slavery and women’s suffrage to Black Lives Matter.

    As part of their exploration of the Abolitionist Movement, the students visited the African Meeting House on a field trip. They stood at the same podium as Frederick Douglass, viewed a genuine copy of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and saw the first public school room in the country for Black children.

    The kids were so impacted by its rich history that they were motivated to act when, months later, they learned that the Meeting House had lost a significant federal grant.

    In addition to meeting with Representative John Moran (Suffolk 9th District), the students used their collective voices to write a letter appealing to the broader community:

    We are Second grade students at the Advent School in Boston. This year our class has been studying Changemakers and Social Movements. We have learned all about how social movements are formed and groups of people can come together to make change happen. We are writing to you with a big problem that you may be able to help with. The African Meeting House in Beacon Hill is losing much of its federal funding which is critical for the museum to stay open and be able to share the important history of the Abolitionist movement with the public and kids like us.

    On our visit to the meeting house we learned so much about the people and artifacts that were such important parts of this movement. We saw a real copy of the Liberator newspaper and stood in the same room that housed the first public school in the country for African American children. We walked parts of the Black Heritage trail and even had the chance to stand on the same pulpit as Fredrick Douglass and share what freedom means to us.

    This field trip made a huge impact on us and helped us better understand this important part of our country's history. We think it's really important to do what we can to help support the African Meeting House and use our voices to ask for your help.

    Here is the link to support this important place: https://htru.io/SPiK

    Thank you!

    The 2B classroom at the Advent School

    Word quickly spread about their efforts, gaining the attention of CBS News and the wider Advent Community. To honor these Second Grade changemakers, The Advent School was able to donate $1,500 to the African Meeting House.

  • Places are physical spaces where elements gather, unique events unfold, and stories linger. Quests are a kind of “treasure hunt” that celebrate community history, teach about specific places, and foster stewardship of the natural and cultural environment.

    Last year, Advent Third Graders combined history, natural science, and Spanish in a questing project inspired by Boston’s iconic sites, all within walking distance of the school: the Boston Common, Charles River, State Houses, North End, Faneuil Hall and the Waterfront, and the Granary Burying Ground.

    Guided by the question “Why do people tell stories?”, students learned to see maps not only as tools for navigation but also as records of shared memory, marking events and landforms significant to Boston’s past.

    Through reading, research, and field trips, students examined Boston’s colonial history and natural landscape. They explored which animals lived here before English settlers arrived, which live here now, and how human activity changed habitats over time. They also compared the role of animals in Indigenous and settler communities and reflected on their meaning in local statues. Each quest incorporated an animal for families to notice while exploring the city.

    Using a 1722 map for inspiration, each student chose a landmark’s story to tell and created a detailed map for Questers. After weeks of research and route-making, the class launched a website offering a fun, informative walking tour of historic Boston—an extension of their classroom into the city itself.

  • Fourth Grade Advent students spent the fall researching and investigating (R&I) ancient Egypt, artifacts, and archaeology as part of their classroom theme. The deeply engaging topic wove together history, writing, technology and presentation skills in a meaningful, fun, and hands-on way.

    During R&I classroom time, students explored how artifacts and archaeology help uncover details about these civilizations. They studied hieroglyphs as a form of writing and communications, created their own cartouches, and discussed the significance of the Rosetta Stone. They also embarked on field trips to see real artifacts on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Pequot Museum in Mashantucket, Connecticut. 

    At Pequot, students explored a series of artifact boxes, and were challenged to figure out which time period each box was from. Through this activity, students were inspired to create their own artifact box, with five objects that they felt represented their identity and their unique experiences. 

    The process included thoughtful discussion and brainstorming around what artifacts each student and why, and led to the creation of a seven paragraph essay that explained each artifact in detail and its significance in their life. Students were excited to practice their design and animation skills in Canva as they created slideshow presentations showcasing their artifact box.

    The artifact box project culminated in the Artifact Museum, a gallery-style exhibit open to the Advent community. Fourth Grade students staffed “stations” that held their artifacts, essay, and digital presentations, and were on hand to answer questions and provide more information. It was a proud moment for our Fourth Graders, and a fascinating “museum” visit for parents, faculty, and other Advent students!

  • At Advent, Fifth and Sixth Grade students learned about government, elections, and U.S. history through a series of interactive mapping projects. The work has combined research, art, and critical thinking, helping students connect historical events with the present-day democratic process.

    One of the first projects focused on the Boston busing crisis. Students researched how different groups—including Latino, Black, and Chinese children—were reassigned to schools in new neighborhoods during the 1970s. As they created maps of these changes, students also discussed the fears families had at the time, especially regarding the safety of their children. This project tied directly into broader lessons about the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle for equal educational opportunities.

    Alongside this historical study, students explored how U.S. elections work. They began by learning about the three branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial—and how each plays a role in making, carrying out, and interpreting laws. They also studied the Electoral College system, which determines how votes in each state translate into results in presidential elections.

    To put this knowledge into practice, students each researched a state. They identified how many senators and representatives it has, how many electoral votes it receives, and details like the state bird, flower, or famous landmarks. 

    Using this research, students built large collaborative maps of the United States. The first map displayed states with their landmarks and political representation. The second tracked the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. 

    To deepen understanding, students read related articles, played state identification games, and discussed key documents like the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and historic compromises that shaped the nation. These activities tied together civics, history, and geography, giving students a hands-on way to see how American democracy has evolved—and how it continues to shape daily life.