Schools That Work

Normal Park Museum Magnet School

Public, Urban
Grades K-8
Chattanooga, TN
  • Integrated Studies

    Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls

    By integrating visits to local museums and community organizations into the school day, students experience real-world connections to the curriculum.
  • Integrated Studies

    A Tool for Documenting Understanding

    Travel journals—a mix of notebook and portfolio—allow students to chart and take ownership of their learning.
  • Integrated Studies

    Travel Journals: Student-Created Textbooks

    Each student at Normal Park Museum Magnet School creates a unique “travel journal” to explore the themes of science and social studies units.
  • Assessment

    Using Exhibits as Assessment

    Students at Normal Park Museum Magnet School create various types of museum-style exhibits to demonstrate their understanding of academic topics.
  • Assessment

    Creating Academic Exhibits

    A museum magnet school uses student-created interdisciplinary exhibits to assess learning.
  • Community Partnerships

    Learning Expeditions: Rethinking Field Trips

    For Normal Park students, the entire community of Chattanooga, Tennessee -- from museums and cultural centers to local businesses and natural areas -- provides opportunities to make real-world connections to curriculum.
  • Community Partnerships

    Learning on the Go

    Frequent, focused field trips that connect to the curriculum show students how learning continues outside of the classroom.