PVC Students Make Science and Social Studies Connections Through Creativity and Individuality

Whether you’re a student or a teacher, when you love what you’re doing, it makes all the difference. Research has long shown the link between enjoyment and engagement in learning—but what about teachers and teaching? Two Pierre Van Cortlandt fifth-grade teachers are proof that the hypothesis holds true.

Erica Camilo and Kimberly Gallina are a team in every sense of the word. Together they teach the core subjects—math and science, and ELA and social studies, respectively—to their fifth-grade class. But that’s not where their collaboration ends. This year marks their appointment as Instructional Coaches, a role in which they provide support, mentorship, and inspiring ideas to help fellow teachers make content engaging and exciting for students.

“We’re always looking for ways to refresh how we teach the curriculum,” said Ms. Gallina. “This is our passion—approaching lesson planning as a creative process that keeps both teachers and students inspired.”

Before offering suggestions to colleagues, the duo first puts them into practice in their own classrooms. Recently, during a unit on Earth Systems and landforms, the fifth-grade team introduced a project-based activity that combined research, writing, and multimedia creativity. Students worked in small groups to produce both breaking news segments and podcasts on topics ranging from hurricanes to islands.

“Using natural disasters as a lens, students explored how the Earth's four spheres—geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere—connect and interact to shape our planet,” said Ms. Camilo. “From shifting land that causes earthquakes to the interaction of air and water that creates hurricanes, students investigated how these dynamic systems work together. It was a hands-on way to see science in action, and it allowed them to take risks and be their authentic selves.”

During Ms. Gallina’s day of podcast presentations, students shared their learning with confidence and creativity. Their branded podcasts featured clever titles such as Coasts with the Mosts, Mountain Dudes, and Desert Discussions. Ms. Gallina selected a few projects to share with the class during a feedback session—and when she asked if others wanted to present, nearly every hand shot up.

“I learned that to make a podcast, you really have to understand your topic and all the steps that go into creating it,” said Mia. Her partner, Madeline, added, “I learned how animals adapt to the heat in desert environments.”

For Oscar, the challenge was part of the fun. “You don’t usually get to make a podcast in school—it was so much fun and so different from working from a packet,” he said. “If it’s fun, I’m actually more interested.”

Meanwhile, students in Ms. Camilo’s class were busy scripting and filming their Breaking News! segments. Using the PVC green screen, iPads, and tools like Canva, students created multimedia reports on natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, volcanoes, and tornadoes—exploring their impact on the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.

“We chose the Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii,” said Mia. “We learned how it affected the geosphere and biosphere because of the damage to land and the destruction of plants and animals.”

The creative component of the project resonated with students across both subjects. “It was fun to write our own scripts and act like news reporters instead of just learning about landforms,” said Alex. “This didn’t feel hard because it was so much fun.”

“Projects like these keep students engaged in the content,” said Ms. Camilo. “It’s exciting to see them make real-world and relevant connections to past and current events to deepen their knowledge. That they’re able to express themselves creatively and let their personalities shine through just reinforces their learning experience.”