Problem Based Learning In a nutshell

What do I need to know about PBL to get started? 1.Don’t think too “big”. 2.Stay focused on the science and math 3.Plan carefully 4.Limited technology

Why the district supports students engaging in PBL  Think of something you’ve learned well. Write what you learned and how you learned it.

Why PBL?  Activities are focused on real world problems.  Teaching and learning is collaborative.  Activities are relevant, practical and transferable to the classroom.  Content is focused on big ideas, fosters scientific and mathematical attitudes, and develops skills.  The process is a hands-on/minds-on instructional approach.  Teaching strategies, perspectives, and materials show sensitivity to diversity.

PBL provides the skills students need to succeed  To get and hold a good job according to leading companies requires that you be able to do seven basic things:  Learn to learn  Communicate and collaborate with others  Think creatively to solve novel problems  Be technically competent  Understand the opportunities and constraints of the global economy  Lead as well as follow, always taking initiative  Manage your career to develop new skills and knowledge.

Overview of the sequence of PBL

Meet the Problem  Students encounter a messy problem that engages their interest and compels them to need to know more.  In the Ready Set Discover program the problem is centered on amphibian conservation in our region.

Know/Need to Know  The group generates lists:  What We Know  What We Need to Know  What We Need to Do  This chart is left up during the PBL so it can be refined and added to as the unit progresses.

Problem Statement  Students list the Task to be completed and the Factors for successful completion.  One possible way of writing the problem statement is:  How can we (state the task here) in such a way that we consider (the factors )  Example: How can we ( protect salmon while promoting growth in Kent) in such a way that we consider (geographic factors, laws, impact of humans and animals, and all the stakeholders’ needs).

Additional Resources: Possible Literature Resources  Clarke, B. (2005). Amphibian. NY, NY: D.K. Publishing. ISBN:  Crump, M. (2011). Amphibians and Reptiles: An Introduction to Their Natural History and Conservation. Newark, OH : The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company. ISBN:  Markle, S. (2011). The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs: A Scientific Mystery. Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook Press. ISBN:  Turner, P. and Comins, A. (2011). The Frog Scientist. Boston, MA: HMH Books for Young Readers. ISBN:

Science Disciplinary Core Ideas LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems  The food of almost any kind of animal can be traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plants parts and animals) and therefore operate as “decomposers.” Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem. (5-LS2-1)

Science Disciplinary Core Ideas 5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment. ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems  Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments. (5-ESS3-1)