(March 9, 2023) PBL9 students recently tackled power dynamics of individuals, groups, and organisms in modern and historical settings through “The Power Project.

In the Power Project, students analyzed student-directed case studies, identifying the participating parties and how power shifts between them. Students also analyzed power dynamics and shifts between populations of organisms, and within symbiotic relationships. Through these exercises, students answered the essential question “How does power  shift?”

During the development of their final presentation, students discovered power shifts in Social Studies through the historical periods from The American Revolution through the Civil Rights Era, as well as case-studies observations of real-life interactions.

Students utilized skills learned in English to choose a common text in their assigned group that mirrored the relationship dynamic their group explored. They also prepared written and verbal assignments that examined the power dynamic in their text with a focus on character development, conflict, and theme.

Each group used biology to focus on species interactions, as well as dominant versus recessive genetics. The concept of “power” and “power shifts” was more abstract and required out-of-the-box thinking. Groups focused on symbiotic relationships, populations, genetics, and evolution to define the power shift in their assigned species.