Hinsdale Middle School students present interactive WWII inquiry projects
Hinsdale Middle School’s eighth-grade social studies students are engaging in a new approach to learning about World War II through the "WWII Inquiry Project." Guided by Ms. Scacco, this project encourages students to act as independent historians, selecting topics that interest them and presenting their findings in creative, interactive formats.
The assignment aims to move beyond standard textbook learning. Students can work individually or with a partner from any of Ms. Scacco’s classes. The process involves choosing a topic, developing a research question, conducting detailed research, and creating a project that reflects their understanding. The culmination of the project is a showcase event where students display their work at stations, each featuring an interactive component for their peers to engage with.
"This project not only reinforces research and historical analysis skills but also encourages creative problem-solving and peer-to-peer education. Students in Ms. Scacco’s class enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their projects and learn from their classmates' projects!" according to the school.
Hinsdale Middle School is part of Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181, which serves areas in DuPage and Cook counties. The district includes several schools such as Clarendon Hills Middle School and multiple elementary schools. More information about the district's composition can be found on the Illinois State Board of Education’s report card website: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/
District 181 had an enrollment of 3,743 students during the 2019-2020 academic year and serves grades pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Clarendon Hills and DuPage County (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to state data, 69.8 percent of its student population is White, 1.1 percent Black, 6.8 percent Hispanic, and 15.4 percent Asian (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
The district employs 282 teachers who earn an average salary of $94,227 before pension contributions; 90 percent are women and 10 percent are men (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). No teachers have more than ten absences per school year.
In terms of spending, District 181 spent $31,308 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $117 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). Chronic truancy rates remain low compared to state averages: only four students were classified as “chronically truant” during the same period—a rate of just 0.1 percent—while the statewide average is significantly higher at 9.6 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).