Quest Learning: An Overview for Families

For each quest at Steins Pillar, teachers will utilize the Scottish Storyline Method of instruction. The Scottish Storyline method, with origins in Scotland, is an innovative approach to curriculum integration with proven success in use worldwide. The Storyline Method is based on the theory that knowledge is complex and many-layered, that learning is guided by one’s prior knowledge and experience, and that learners construct their own meaning through action and experience. Students are actively involved in their learning as tasks and incidents arise within the “story” which the students see as significant and meaningful in a real-world context. Opportunities are provided for students to meet state benchmarks through meaningful activities that provide for authentic assessment.

The essential elements of a Storyline are setting, characters, and events or incidents. The unfolding of the story in the classroom provides a structure and logical connection to the curriculum. The difference between thematic teaching using a topic web and Storyline is the presentation of key questions which move the story along. In a topic web the activities are random, while the investigations that take place during a Storyline are in a logical sequence that builds on the preceding episodes.