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In a sixth grade classroom at North Shore Country Day, topics like macaroni and cheese, chocolate, fashion and even hockey legend Jeremy Roenick become the foundation for something much deeper: research, storytelling and self-discovery.

Each year, students in Sarah Walsh’s humanities class take on the Museum Project, an interdisciplinary experience that begins with a simple premise — choose any topic — and evolves into a rigorous exploration of research, writing and creative expression.

“They can pick anything,” Sarah said. “But it has to be something they can research.”

Building the Foundation
Before students ever begin designing their exhibits, they start with the fundamentals: how to find, evaluate and use information.

“We talk about what makes a good source. What is a reliable source? What is credible?” Sarah said. “That’s actually how we start off — evaluating sources and what is trustworthy. So it’s kind of like building in media literacy, which is really important.”

Working with Jared Branahl, the middle and upper school information and media literacy librarian, students learn to navigate databases, track sources and cite their work properly. Along the way, they practice paraphrasing, identifying main ideas and distinguishing between strong and weak information.

“A lot of the project is about how to do the research, how to cite research, how to paraphrase,” Sarah said. “How do you know if something is trustworthy and reliable?”

From Interest to Inquiry
What begins as a personal interest often becomes something more complex. 

“I’m always impressed by how once they start doing their research, they find an avenue or a subtopic that they are particularly interested in,” Sarah said. “They become experts by the end.”

That process isn’t always easy. Students are often challenged to rethink their approach, narrowing or expanding their focus as needed. This year, a student interested in chocolate ended up drilling down and exploring the history of hot chocolate as a beverage. Another student who initially planned to research the Chicago-style hot dog broadened their scope to compare regional variations across the country.

“That kind of meta-level thinking — ‘Is this going to work? Do I need to zoom in or zoom out?’ — that’s a really important skill,” Sarah said. “It’s a hard thing to do, especially for a big project, but this is a safe place for them to say, ‘I need to start over.’”

Even projects that seem simple at first can quickly become more demanding. Two students chose to create museums about each other, thinking it would be easy, but they soon realized they still needed to conduct in-depth research, exploring family histories and cultural backgrounds.

“I expected them to quit,” Sarah said. “But they didn’t. They were really creative and found ways of getting the information. I was actually really impressed.”

Telling a Story
After completing their research, students shift their focus to storytelling. Each museum includes a curator’s statement and a carefully selected set of artifacts — images, maps and objects — that work together to communicate a central idea.

“We talk about how you’re going to tell a story,” Sarah said. “What do you want your visitor to come away with?”

That storytelling extends beyond writing. In the Live+Serve Lab, students spend a week bringing their ideas to life, working with Live+Serve Lab Director Drea Gallaga and middle school digital media and design teacher Gerald Daye to design and build their exhibits.

“It’s where the fun stuff starts,” Sarah said. “The kids have a vision, but they don’t always know how to make it happen, and Drea and Gerald help them with that.”

The results are as varied as the students themselves: an Indian restaurant complete with a spice cabinet of labeled ingredients, an interactive Rubik’s Cube challenge and even a special guest appearance from Jeremy Roenick, arranged through a family connection.

A Creative, Collaborative Process
Unlike more traditional assignments, the Museum Project is intentionally open-ended — and a bit messy. “It’s noisy, there’s a lot of movement,” Sarah said. “But it’s because they’re collaborating and talking to each other and giving each other ideas.”

That environment requires a shift in mindset.

“It’s a process that I don’t have very much control over,” she explained. “As a teacher, it’s really hard sometimes to give up control of a classroom. But when you see what they come up with in the end, it’s so clear that giving up control is really important sometimes.”

At its core, the project connects directly to the sixth grade humanities curriculum, which emphasizes identity development.

“This is a chance for them to start figuring out who they are and what is important to them,” Sarah said. “It might sound silly to say macaroni and cheese is part of your identity, but if it’s something your family makes together, that matters.”

Student choice plays a critical role in that process.

“They get to be an expert in something that matters to them,” Sarah said. “They get to show off who they are.”

Sharing Their Work
This year, students were so excited about their projects that they asked to share them beyond their own grade. The result was a middle school-wide gallery walk, where older students stopped by to ask questions and explore each exhibit.

“They’re proud of their work and they want to show it off,” Sarah said.

For many students, that moment of sharing is transformative.

“When seventh and eighth graders are walking around asking them questions and they can say, ‘Yeah, I am an expert in that,’” Sarah said, “that builds confidence.”

For Sarah, the most meaningful outcome isn’t just the finished product—it’s the sense of ownership students feel along the way.

“They always say, ‘I think I’m done,’” Sarah said. “And I say, ‘Are you proud of it?’ And when they say yes, that feels so good.”

It’s a project students remember long after it’s over, not just for what they created, but for what they discovered about themselves.

“I hope a parent would see how unique each project is,” Sarah said. “Every student does something so wildly different, but they’re still enthusiastic and engaged. This is a space where we encourage kids to explore their passions, to be creative and to figure out who they are.”