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Project-based learning is the easiest way to get kids to buy into working in the classroom because they love to do it! Learning doesn't feel like work and instead feels like real-world problem solving. Kids get to collaborate and have a voice in how they learn. It's awesome! How is this accomplished?
Begin with a real world problem or question
To begin, one of the features of PBL is students have voice and choice in what they study. As a teacher you may decide (or the curriculum may dictate) that you are studying a particular topic, but students will have a wide range of ideas stemming from a topic. Before getting into a unit you may have a class meeting to figure out what students know about a topic as well as generate questions that they'd like to learn more about. This is where pushing kids to think deeper is great! Push their thinking here and encourage them to go deeper into real world problems. What problems exist that could be solved? What could be focused on to really make a difference in the lives of others? Their question should be something that I call a burning question, one that catapults their learning forward and pushes them to go deeper. A question they really want to stay focused on and find answers to, something they are passionate about.
Brainstorm ways to find answers
Next, using your burning question as a starting point, kids should work together to think of ways to find their answers. They will need to bounce off ideas including where to find sources, what sources will help most, what topics will need to be researched to find real answers, and how information will be gathered. If you are in need of great graphic organizers, you may want to visit this post on reading comprehension (great for research) or this post with loads of free organizers.
Research is key
While sometimes students dread researching topics, if they are invested in research to find an answer to their burning question, there will be so much more buy in. Research can look different depending on what their question is. For example, if students are researching how to become a successful entrepreneur, then likely they will be spending time online, but perhaps more importantly using personal interviews, listening to podcasts, and even creating a website themselves or test out a product they've designed, followed by a marketing campaign. In any kind of learning there must be knowledge gained. In PBL knowledge is gained more by doing, but there is still research involved. Surveying others, examining data, conducting experiments, or studying different architecture or even fashion design could all be examples of research in a PBL unit.
Design engaging activities that show learning
What hands-on activities can students design to show their understanding and answer to their driving question? How can they teach their new knowledge in an inspiring way? What format will they choose? Who will their audience be and what type of platform will they have to share it? Will it be an open classroom with visitors filtering through? Will it be a digital/online platform? Will students be making a project to better the school community like a garden, bird boxes, a picnic table, blueprints for a new community space? Will they be creating a school gala fundraiser highlighting various classroom learning experiences? Will they be creating a school newspaper or a school-wide time capsule? Will they be creating an informative exhibit on the benefits of composting that will be displayed at the town library? There are endless possibilities of showcasing students' learning. Students have great ideas and can sometimes benefit from a list of suggestions if they get stuck. Please visit this post to see PBL ideas for the ELA classroom and for a free PBL unit and lesson planner.
Presentation is next
We are not going for the mundane google slide type of presentation here, but something creative, something that the kids can really be proud of. Something they've accomplished to solve a real problem, whether it be put together a new piece of playground equipment that they researched and fundraised for, or a book they designed of hand-illustrated geographical features and maps comparing the earth's formations and how geography correlates to the wealth of a country. The way students present their work should really be planned from the beginning. How should my research be presented for the fullest impact for my audience? How can I make the biggest difference with my work?
Evaluation
This doesn't have to be super formal but can be something like a personal or team reflection. It can involve a rubric or not. Perhaps an annotated description would be effective, or a portfolio of the project from beginning to end. Evaluating helps students to grow, and perhaps more importantly, it helps them see the growth they've made during the project. I love meeting with my students to showcase "glows and grows" where I highlight some ways in which I've seen the student glow throughout their project as well as areas that they could grow (and ways in which I've seen them grow throughout the assignment). Kids just love that one-on-one feedback and attention!
What are some of the best project-based learning that you've seen in your classroom or other teachers? What are some topics that you have used for PBL? Jot down your ideas in the chat.
If you love the idea of project-based learning, but don't love al the hours that go into preparing for a unit, try 30 days of my membership for free!
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