Academic Projects

English

La Salle Academy is registered with the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest. Each English class completes a unit on poetry each February. Students study various poems and poets, choose a poem to memorize and recite/perform it in front of their class. The best performance in each class will compete in the school-wide competition in April, which is National Poetry Month. The winners of the school-wide contest can participate in the regional Poetry Out Loud competition.

World Language

In learning a second language it is not only important to learn the mechanics of the language itself but also to understand the culture of the people who speak the language. Students in our language classes will choose one of three topics (food, music, dance) and do research on the topic. They may work in pairs or alone and will create a report that describes the history of the topic chosen (where it originated, ingredients, methods of cooking, beats and rhythms, background of the music or composer, etc.).

History

Every student at La Salle Academy will be engaged in a HISTORY PROJECT during the 2019-2020 Academic Year. Students are given a list of topics to choose from.
Freshmen choose topics such as the Neolithic Revolution, Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age or the Byzantine Empire.
Sophomores complete projects on various topics such as the French Revolution, World War I and Apartheid.
Junior students taking U.S. History and Government choose from topics such as the Declaration of Independence, World War II and the Civil Rights Movement.
Finally, students taking Government in their senior year choose from topics the role of government in economic systems, the Judicial System in our democracy and social security.
Each project contains two parts: an individual written paper and a group presentation. Each part of the project will receive a major grade during the period of completion (3rd Marking Period).

Science

Biology: Students complete a leaf identification project that they must collate in a creative binder. They will use a dichotomous key to identify the leaves.
Biology students will also complete a planaria regeneration project to observe stem cell regeneration. Students will make daily observations and use drawings to demonstrate the new growth. These observations and drawings will be collated and key questions regarding how the regeneration process occurred will be answered.
Chemistry: Chemistry students will utilize the Scientific Method to conduct an experiment and write a lab report. Each project should contain a title, abstract, hypothesis, materials, procedure, results and discussion.
Earth Science: All students are required to complete a weather PowerPoint presentation project. Students must track a weather system from the West Coast and the South, explain why and how they move and what the eventual outcome will be when they meet. This project takes place over the course of two weeks.
Anatomy/Physiology: Students keep an ongoing journal, documenting their progress and feelings as they proceed through the course.

Art/Technology

Each May, La Salle Academy hosts an Art Expo. This is a city-wide art competition for elementary and high schools. New York City schools submit their students’ best work in various categories. This work is displayed throughout LSA and is assessed by a set of judges. The work is then displayed in the gym on an afternoon in May and all participating schools are invited to attend the expo and awards ceremony held that afternoon. It is a wonderful affair with hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. La Salle’s students submit their work, as well. This is a culmination of the work that they complete throughout the year. The La Salle Academy Band performs throughout the Art Expo. Student graphic art projects are displayed through a visual slide show. Click here to view entries from the 32nd Annual Art Expo, held in May 2020.

Math

Every student at La Salle Academy completes a grade-level appropriate project. Geometry students become Jedi Trainees in “Jedi Academy.” Students use right triangle trigonometry to solve a variety of problems. Geometry students work in teams and “use the force” to complete a variety of more challenging trigonometry problems that culminate in a face-off against Darth Vader.
Algebra 1 students make a fitness plan and practice linear inequalities. Students look at meals and exercise in a completely different way as they help a cast of characters make dietary choices, plan meals and choose physical activities to remain fit.
Other Algebra 1 students will calculate the cost of smoking using linear linear functions and scatterplot. Students find out the startling truth behind the amount of cigarettes a smoker may use in their lifetime, the financial cost of the habit, as well as he foretold effect on their health. Students compare the costs between states and draw conclusions about differences across the country.
Algebra 2 students calculate the true cost of their dream college. They are guided through the process of researching options for private student loans and computing the interest cost of their loans. The project includes a written reflection and opportunities for deeper thinking.
Trigonometry students examine the changes in the average monthly sunlight over the course of a year. They use actual sunrise and sunset data in order to calculate the length of an average day for the chosen city, modeling the data with a sine curve. They then analyze their data and connect to the real world.

Religion

Each Religion project will include a mini tri fold presentation based on individual research completed by the student. Each grade level presents on a different topic.
Freshmen students present on the life of Saint John Baptist de la Salle, the founder of La Salle Academy, and Lasallian values. Students incorporate a global dimension to their project by referencing the larger Lasallian community and learning about other Lasallian schools.
Sophomore students research and present on the life and attributes of a Catholic saint and how we can continue to follow in their footsteps today.
Juniors complete twenty hours of community service and present on the history and mission of their service site, their experiences and their impact on the community.
Senior students taking Social Justice research a modern social justice issue and present its connection to Catholic Social Teaching and a solution or response to the issue.
Senior students taking World Religions present on another religion other than their own and visit that religion’s place of worship.