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Fifth Graders Bring Nature to Life Through Capstone Design Thinking Project

This spring, our fifth-grade students wrapped up a transformative Capstone experience that combined research, creativity, and collaboration to make a lasting impact on our campus. As part of a year-end design thinking project, students were challenged to imagine, plan, and prototype a nature trail for their school community—an initiative that exemplified both hands-on learning and real-world application.

The Capstone experience began with inquiry, a key tenet of the design thinking process. Students interviewed members of the school community—including teachers, younger students, and facilities staff—to better understand how an on-campus nature trail might be used, and what features would best support learning, exploration, and wellness. 

Guided by their research, students collaborated in small groups to analyze feedback, identify patterns, and brainstorm solutions. They studied examples from parks, museums, and other schools, and considered how their ideas could be tailored to the unique environment of their own campus.

Throughout the process, students practiced essential academic skills—writing, presenting, and problem-solving—while also learning how to navigate teamwork, give constructive feedback, and iterate on ideas. The experience culminated in a showcase event, where students presented their proposals to peers, teachers, and administrators.

“This was such a unique opportunity for students to learn and put into practice real-life skills,” said the fifth grade teachers Ms. Diaz. “They learned how to effectively interview clients, how to transform clients' wishes into realistic plans, how to identify important commonalities in the data they collected, and how to do an advanced search for images they could legally use on our signs. In the future, I hope walking through the trail will bring back memories of time spent with their friends working to build this together, and that it will inspire students to believe in all they are capable of achieving in the future.” 

As the school begins to explore ways to bring aspects of the students’ vision to life as they work together to build up the Ranney community, the fifth-grade nature trail project stands as a powerful example of how experiential learning can inspire agency, innovation, and a deep connection to the world around us.

“I am beyond proud of our fifth grade students,” said fifth grade teacher Ms. Wolkomir. “They worked hard all year collaborating and thinking deeply about how to successfully complete this project. Our students especially showcased wonderful public speaking skills. They rocked it!” 

See the slides that the students presented here.
See photos here.
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.