Child-Centered Curriculum Corporation Melissa Farrish, Allison Pyle, & Jill Wood

Philosophy Problem-based learning (PBL) modules Progressive philosophy

Rationale Learning is rooted in the questions of students that arise as they experience the world. –Promote active experimentation; students learn by doing –Students are problem-solvers –Stimulate student’s interests through thought-provoking activities

Goals Teachers will know how to guide their students learning without giving them the “answers” Students will know how to solve authentic problems through research, collaboration & active experimentation

Objectives Use resources other than the textbook and teacher Be able to communicate results Develop work-based skills such as time-management and teamwork

Selection of Content Significance Utility Validity Learnability Feasibility

Significance PBLs focus on prioritized standards of curriculum Consider the importance of these essential, enduring understandings to students and their lives

Utility Topics in PBLs have both immediate and future usefulness Makes the learning meaningful to students

Validity All content will be valid at time of instruction Must understand that validity to every individual student may be impossible

Learnability PBLs are tailored for individual strengths and weaknesses of students Different learning styles and modes considered Content is aligned and sequenced so students should have prior knowledge to be able to proceed

Feasibility PBLs can be done in a timely manner Units or Projects may be simplified into individual lessons if sufficient class time is not available If content is mapped out you can adapt to fit your timeline

Curriculum Design Child-Centered Design –Curriculum is focused on child’s needs and interests –Curriculum is pre-planned before child’s arrival –Integrated subject matter –Focused on social skills, construction, inquiry and expression

Organization of Content Scope Sequence Integration Continuity

Scope PBLs provide students with a variety of educational experiences Allows students to create meaning through questioning and exploration Content is cross-curricular Students gain the ability to solve problems, work together, and communicate clearly.

Sequence Curriculum is developed in response to student inquiry It is presented in a manner which is most logical to the learners PBL lessons become more complex as you proceed through each activity

Integration Activities or presentations are the culminating event Students synthesize and make meaning of all of the information which they have learned Students use their collaboration and communication skills to present their findings to their peers.

Continuity Major ideas reappear in the curriculum allowing students to revisit crucial concepts and skills –Bruner’s spiral curriculum Students understand how to inquire and obtain new knowledge

Assessment Students will be assessed on each aspect of the projects –Group Work –Products –Presentations Rubrics will be provided to students so they know their expectations

Community These students will be better citizens as a result of –Being informed about real-world problems that they will face as adults –Learning by doing –Acquiring work-based skills –Finding personal meaning in content

Change We would like to field-test our PBL modules at an elementary and secondary school with a variety of teachers After field-test, teachers will be able to recommend our product or suggest possible revisions

EXAMPLE: 1 st Grade Curriculum Project based learning module presented near the beginning of the year Driving Question: How can we show the importance of being respectful citizens to make our school a better place to learn?

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: We Rule The School The students in the 4 th grade classrooms are unruly and out of control. I need your help to create some order. Remember that these are older students so it will take some convincing to get them on board. (Presented as a mission impossible theme by local law enforcement or school administrator).

The Project Concept Within groups, students will create a solution to address the problem posed. They will create a final presentation (in the media of their choice) to demonstrate their understanding of the importance of respect and good citizenship. Their presentation must show how they will convince the older children to follow the set of established rules.

EXAMPLE: High School Math Consumer mathematics and financial management unit for 10 th grade Conceptual Algebra course

Rationale The purpose of this lesson is for students to understand how installment credit works and how to calculate the loan amount, interest, total cost and monthly payments when financing a car.

The Concept Students will be assigned to groups and given car advertisements from the local newspaper. Students will be given a worksheet with three different interest rates to determine the total cost and monthly payment for three different vehicles.

The Concept (cont.) Students will be asked to find their dream car in the advertisements and calculate the monthly payments. Students will then be given a monthly budget and will have two more opportunities to find a car they can afford based upon their monthly budget.

Example: High School Biology Biology unit on Ecology: Ecosystem Interactions

Rationale The purpose of this lesson is for students to understand how invasive species impact both the ecosystems and the economics of WV

The Concept Students will work in groups Students will understand the ecosystems of WV, invasive species, and their cost to WV, both ecologically and economically Students will understand how the WV government develops eradication programs for invasive species

The Activities Groups will be responsible for making brochures, posters, blogs, and presentations concerning the topics Rubrics will be provided so students know what will be expected