Chapter 12: Engaging New Americans in Steam: Project-Based Learning Using Genre-Based Pedagogy

This chapter describes how the iLab academic program at Winooski High School integrates genre-based pedagogy in a project-based learning environment for students to investigate STEAM topics. The iLab is a high school course that allows students to explore their interests in STEAM related projects, work with community experts, and share their learning. While topics focus on STEAM related projects, the work involves literacy instruction in all four domains: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Using a genre-based pedagogy approach, we examine student work of new Americans, who are English learners, to understand how authentic learning opportunities in a project-based learning environment allow students to become conversant in the language of STEAM while learning the professional skills needed to become career and college ready.