The Manual Cinema Project

Students create cinematic shadow plays based on the work of the Chicago-based performance collective called Manual Cinema. This project was awarded an Avalon Foundation Design Fellowship in 2020 and is featured on High Tech High’s Unboxed website to share innovative PBL curriculum with public schools around the country.

Shadow Puppets? Really?

Some 7th graders are hesitant when they hear a project involves “shadow puppets” but you can hear in their own voices below how engaging the project is. Students learn about plot structure, conduct research, and collaborate in a hands-on Project Based Learning environment.