The Middle Grades Research Project: Four Ways to Challenge and Inspire

The middle schooler is in a particularly special and challenging time in their development.

They are undergoing great change in the physical body, and also cultivating their own inner world as an individual. 

Research projects create space for students to draw on existing skills, cultivate new ones, and immerse themselves in a subject more deeply than ever before!

The middle schooler is ready for new challenges and approaches to learning.

As the educator gently guides the process, the student becomes the driving force behind the learning - perfectly suited to the middle grader, who is beginning to experience themselves as a more independent individual. Many schools introduce such projects in sixth grade, though they can be utilized throughout middle school. 

Research projects may include some or all of the following components, each requiring unique skills:

• Written portions that include summaries and detailed descriptions. 

• Artistic components that portray the subject at hand through the students’ own work.

• A physical representation, which could be in booklet, poster, or other form.

• An oral presentation, which asks the student to be well-versed in their subject.

• A social component, which asks others to assist in their learning. This could be an interview, written letter, or some other form of person-to-person communication. 

Putting all of these elements together is certainly a challenge, and it provides an opportunity for the middle grader to experience and learn in new ways.

Here are a few examples of learning opportunities offered by a research project:

1. Discovering the Greater World 

• A project allows the student to connect with a topic outside of what they currently know; something brand new and unfamiliar! This awakens inspiration, and a curiosity about what else there is to know and explore. 

• Students learn from authors through research materials, such as guide books, biographies, articles, and more. As well, this is the perfect opportunity to discuss the importance of citations and bibliographies! 

2. Skill Building and Application 

• Projects require the student to apply many skills at one time: reading comprehension, note-taking, the ability to summarize, provide detail, and much more. They also need to communicate their findings to others in a clear and dynamic way: a new challenge in itself.

3. Awakening New Artistic and Presentation Skills 

• With a research project, the students are not working out of their own creative imaginations. Instead, they are using the power of observation and artistic representation to illustrate and portray the beauty of their subject. For example, students may be asked to draw a state flag, a specific animal, or a recognizable landmark- all requiring attention to detail, careful drawing, and other artistic skills.

• Some projects may require a poster, booklet, or other display. It is the students’ job to present their information clearly, and also make things balanced, colorful, and eye-catching. 

4. Stepping into the Social Realm 

• The middle school student is ready for a challenge, and is ready to communicate in a more mature, focused, and purposeful way. A research project is the perfect time to introduce an opportunity to speak to and ask questions of a professional, either in oral or written form. Learning from experienced professionals is a direct and personal way to learn, and also asks middle school students to be prepared with their questions, respect others’ time, and be in charge of the conversation. 

A charcoal drawing lesson of Half Dome is included in our Geology course.

If you’re feeling called to offer your middle schooler a thoughtful research experience - but aren’t quite sure where to begin - our Geology course would be a gentle place to start.

Included is a carefully structured research journey called The National Parks Project, designed to support both student and educator every step of the way.

You’ll find language arts components, artistic extensions, clear outlines, citation and note-taking guidance, and even optional interview questions for a park ranger or other professional in the field.

With these pieces already in place, you’re free to spend less time planning and more time learning alongside your child!

Together, you can choose a national park that sparks curiosity and allows the project to unfold naturally, guiding your student into a deeper understanding of geology, flora, fauna, and the living landscape as a whole.

And if questions arise, you’ll have access to the course instructor, Caitlin Amajor, one of our trained Waldorf teachers, offering steady guidance and support along the way!

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More from Waldorfish!

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About the Authors

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and also a course instructor for Simple Season, Waldorf Art for Beginners, and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers. Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children for some of that time. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

Caitlin Amajor is Waldorfish’s course instructor for Geometry grades 5 & 6, Botany, and Geology as well as our Administrative Assistant. From a young age, Caitlin has been immersed in Waldorf education, attending a Waldorf school from K-8. After receiving a BA in History, Caitlin gained her certification in Waldorf teaching, and spent seven years as a Waldorf class teacher in the upper grades. With a special fondness for watercolor painting and geometry, Caitlin loves bringing Waldorf education to her students all over the world, and seeing their own individuality and style bloom from the curriculum! 

The Beauty and Challenge of Eighth Grade Geometry

Waldorf eighth grade geometry works with forms from different points of view.

Eighth grade marks the culmination of the middle grades in Waldorf education, and the curriculum is designed to meet students with new levels of challenge - both intellectually and artistically.

In the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades, the Geometry curriculum evolves beautifully: students move from freehand geometric drawing, to using tools to create foundational forms, and then to exploring analytical concepts intertwined with patterns and artistic expression.

By eighth grade, something new and exciting begins - students step into the world of three-dimensional geometry, working with the remarkable Platonic Solids.

These are five perfectly symmetrical 3D shapes - the tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron - each with its own unique combination of faces, vertices, and edges.

Why Eighth Grade?

At this age, students are ready for new kinds of thinking. Their capacity for abstract reasoning is growing rapidly, and they’re able to hold complex forms and relationships in their minds in a way that wasn’t possible just a year or two earlier.

From the perspective of brain science, this is no coincidence.

Platonic Solids are the focus of Waldorf eighth grade geometry.

During adolescence, the prefrontal cortex - the area of the brain responsible for reasoning, planning, and seeing patterns - undergoes major growth and rewiring. Engaging with geometric concepts like the Platonic Solids helps strengthen these neural pathways through the very process of visualizing, planning, and constructing something that bridges the abstract and the concrete.

Becoming the Mathematician

In eighth grade, the geometry curriculum moves fully into the realm of thinking.

Armed with skill and confidence in the tools of the geometer - and the experience of studying form and proportion in both nature and the human body - students begin to take on the mantle of mathematicians in the truest sense of the word: those who study the underlying forms of all things.

Enter: The Platonic Solids!

Students engage with these shapes on many levels - philosophically, artistically, and mathematically. Plato himself associated each solid with one of the classical elements and the twelve constellations, inspiring students to consider the harmony and order inherent in the universe. They explore the qualities of numbers, the relationships between shapes, and the ways these solids appear in nature - from crystals to flowers to the structure of the human body itself.

Art, Math, and Mind in Motion

As in all Waldorf geometry, art and math work as one.

Students draw the Platonic Solids with compass and straightedge, then design 2D nets to construct 3D models. Through this process, they experience how geometry moves from the abstract to the tangible.

Each step requires spatial reasoning, careful observation, and meticulous craftsmanship - skills that mirror the kind of focused, flexible thinking adolescents are developing neurologically at this stage. This hands-on work not only refines fine motor control but also helps balance the maturing adolescent brain, which thrives when both analytical and artistic processes are engaged together.

Class is in session: A chalk drawing from a Waldorf eighth grade geometry block.

A Classroom Alive with Form

There is no single way to approach the Platonic Solids. Walk into an eighth-grade classroom, and you might see these geometric wonders transformed into mobiles, centerpieces, or softly glowing lanterns. However they appear, they are always the result of deep thought, patience, and a growing sense of inner order.

Looking Beyond What Meets the Eye

By the end of eighth grade, students begin to recognize that there is always more than meets the eye. The geometry curriculum has given them not only tools for measurement and observation, but also for seeing the world as a place of underlying harmony and structure.

Through their study of form - both beautiful and precise - they learn to describe what they can see, and to reason about what exists in the unseen, abstract world of ideas.

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About the Authors

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and also a course instructor for Simple Season, Waldorf Art for Beginners, and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers. Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children for some of that time. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

Caitlin Amajor is Waldorfish’s course instructor for Geometry grades 5 & 6, Botany, and Geology as well as our Administrative Assistant. From a young age, Caitlin has been immersed in Waldorf education, attending a Waldorf school from K-8. After receiving a BA in History, Caitlin gained her certification in Waldorf teaching, and spent seven years as a Waldorf class teacher in the upper grades. With a special fondness for watercolor painting and geometry, Caitlin loves bringing Waldorf education to her students all over the world, and seeing their own individuality and style bloom from the curriculum! 

Waldorf Geology: Adapting the Curriculum to Your Region

In Waldorf education, the curriculum really shines when we adapt it to our local regions.

Use your observation skills and senses to explore geology where you live!

This encourages students not only to connect with the material and the greater concepts, but also to deepen their relationship with the land on which they live.

When we teach through the lens of place, we invite students into a living relationship with their surroundings. This is especially true in the Geology block, where children begin to explore how the Earth was formed, how landforms came to be, and how the very ground beneath our feet tells a story about time and transformation.

In the Waldorf Geology curriculum, we explore many facets of the Earth - the formation of rocks, mountains, and valleys; the work of glaciers and volcanoes; and the long arc of change that shapes the landscape. These are big, sometimes abstract ideas. But when we connect them to what’s right outside our door, they become tangible and meaningful.

Pedagogically, this connection is vital. Around ages 10 to 12, children are moving from an imaginative, story-based way of knowing to a more observational, cause-and-effect understanding of the world. Geology meets this developmental moment beautifully: it offers real-world evidence of forces at work, while still appealing to the child’s sense of wonder.

When students can see, touch, and question the rocks in their own landscape, learning becomes personal.

Here are five simple ways to make the Geology curriculum come alive where you live:

Our course creator for Geology grew up in Northern California, and was inspired by nearby Half Dome in Yosemite National Park!

• Keep it simple- go outside!

  • Go on a hike for the day, walk around your neighborhood, and notice the rocks around you. Even landscaping stones, rock walls, or architectural features can become starting points for observation and conversation. Ask: What might this rock have looked like before it was shaped or moved? Where might it have come from?

• Go to your local library and explore books about your region.

  • Even tourist-focused resources may be helpful.

• Do some internet research around local mineral, rock or geology clubs.

  • You may be surprised at how many active groups are nearby! 

• Go to your town’s local visitor center and explore the history of your town.

  • See how you can connect the vast world of geology to your region. Remember: Geology is connected to everything! Industrial history, rivers/lakes/water usage, city planning, etc. 

• Visit a Natural History Museum.

  • Many museums have geology or rock exhibits that tie local formations into larger geological stories. Seeing specimens up close helps students link their personal observations with the broader scientific picture.

Enjoy exploring the beauty of the natural world, and find geology all around you.

Overall, enjoy weaving the curriculum with where you live, and keep it simple. The act of observing, discussing, and connecting the material to what is around you is one of the most important and valuable activities your student can engage in.

When children experience that the land they live on is part of a great, unfolding story, learning becomes not just academic - it becomes soulful. This is meaningful learning, rooted in place and alive with curiosity.

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About the Authors

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and also a course instructor for Simple Season, Waldorf Art for Beginners, and Weekly Art Foundations. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers. Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children for some of that time. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world. 

Caitlin Amajor is Waldorfish’s course instructor for Geometry grades 5 & 6, Botany, and Geology as well as our Administrative Assistant. From a young age, Caitlin has been immersed in Waldorf education, attending a Waldorf school from K-8. After receiving a BA in History, Caitlin gained her certification in Waldorf teaching, and spent seven years as a Waldorf class teacher in the upper grades. With a special fondness for watercolor painting and geometry, Caitlin loves bringing Waldorf education to her students all over the world, and seeing their own individuality and style bloom from the curriculum! 

Michaelmas: Meeting the Dragon in Today’s World

Michaelmas inspires us to meet our own dragons.

As the days grow shorter, many Waldorf families turn their attention to Michaelmas.

For those new to the tradition, Michaelmas is a festival celebrated around September 29th, honoring St. Michael, the archangel who brings courage, strength, and the will to do good in the face of challenges.

In Waldorf circles, this festival marks a turning point in the year - a time to gather our inner strength as the outer world moves into darker days. Just as nature shifts toward winter, we too are called to look inward, to ask: What is my dragon, and how will I meet it?

Two Ways of Meeting the Dragon

In stories of St. Michael, the dragon is a central figure, and how we think about the dragon can shape the way we celebrate.

Overcoming the Dragon
Some traditions emphasize Michael as the conqueror of evil. Here, the dragon represents all that is destructive: fear, greed, hatred, selfishness. In this telling, Michael defeats and kills the dragon, freeing the land and people from its shadow. The lesson is about courage - facing darkness directly and not letting it rule over us.

Michaelmas can be a time for transformation and facing challenges.

Transforming the Dragon
Others in the Waldorf community lean toward a gentler perspective: the dragon is not annihilated, but rather subdued and transformed. This view sees the dragon as our inner challenges - anger, laziness, pride, or despair - that can, if harnessed, become forces for good. Instead of banishing the dragon, we bring it into balance, learning self-mastery and compassion.

Both perspectives offer valuable lessons for children (and for adults, too). Sometimes we must confront destructive forces directly, with a firm “no.” Other times, we are called to listen, understand, and work with the dragon, recognizing that within struggle lies the seed of transformation.

Michaelmas Messages for Our World Today

Looking around us this year, it’s not hard to see dragons. They may not be literal beasts with scales and fire, but they show up in many forms. You hardly need me to list them for you, but the writer in me feels compelled to provide examples - here are a few:

• Global uncertainty and conflict

• Environmental challenges

• The pull of fear and division in our communities

• Even the overwhelm of modern life

So how can we bring the spirit of Michaelmas into these realities - and into the lives of our children?

• Cultivating Courage: Michaelmas reminds us that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the strength to act even when we’re afraid. Children can learn that bravery doesn’t only mean big heroic deeds; it can also mean telling the truth, being kind when it’s difficult, or trying something new.

• Facing Our Own Dragons: Each of us can ask: What dragon am I facing right now? Is it exhaustion, discouragement, or maybe comparison? Naming the dragon is the first step to transforming it.

• Working Together: In the stories, Michael doesn’t fight for glory; he acts for the good of the whole community. That’s a message our children deeply need - that our choices and actions ripple outward and can bring light into the world.

• Strengthening the Will: Autumn is a time for establishing rhythms - schoolwork, household habits, even seasonal crafts and cooking. Each small act of discipline builds the inner strength that Michaelmas calls forth.

Bringing It Home

Celebrating Michaelmas doesn’t require elaborate pageantry. You might:

• Tell or act out a dragon story with younger children.

• Bake dragon bread and let the kids “slay” it by pulling it apart.

• Take a nature walk, noticing the shift toward autumn, and talk about the courage we can draw from the turning of the year.

• Invite older children to reflect on their “dragons” and set an intention for the season ahead.

Michaelmas can inspire reflection for parents and children alike.

Ultimately, Michaelmas is less about what we do and more about what we carry: the will to meet challenges with courage, compassion, and light. In a world that often feels uncertain, the image of Michael standing tall with sword and scales can inspire us all - not to escape the dragons, but to face them, and perhaps even learn from them.

A Reflection for Parents

As we move into this season of Michaelmas, take a quiet moment for yourself:

• What “dragon” feels most present in your life right now?

• Does it need to be bravely overcome with a firm boundary, or gently transformed with patience and understanding?

• How might you model that process for your children in simple, everyday ways?

You may even wish to light a candle one evening after the children are in bed, hold that image of Michael with his sword of courage, and ask yourself: What small act of bravery can I carry into tomorrow?

A Reflection for Children

You might ask your child:

• “If you had a dragon living nearby, what do you think it would look like?”

• “What dragon do you think lives inside of you? Is it a dragon of fear, or of grumpiness, or maybe of not wanting to try something new?”

• “What would it feel like to be brave in front of that dragon?”

• “Do you think your dragon needs to be tamed, like a pet, or defeated, like in a knight’s story?”

Encourage your child to draw, tell a story, or act it out - it doesn’t need to be serious or “right.” The goal is to help them imagine courage in a playful way that they can carry into real-life challenges.

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About the Author

Robyn Beaufoy is Waldorfish’s CEO, and a course instructor for some of our courses - Waldorf Art for Beginners, Weekly Art Foundations, and Simple Season. You’ll find her intuitive touches and influences throughout everything Waldorfish offers! Robyn has been in the world of education for over 25 years, with an MA in Education and a certification in Waldorf teaching - she also homeschooled both of her children. In 2012 Robyn co-founded Waldorfish.com, creating it with the vision of making Waldorf inspired-art and pedagogy more accessible, joyful, and doable for homeschoolers all over the world.