1. Project-based Learning Gier Park Elementary Resource Room 3 rd Graders

2. What is Project-based Learning? Project-based learning (PBL) is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate, research and explore real-world topics and challenges. With this type of active and engaged learning, students are inspired to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they're studying. The creation of a final project helps students remember what they have learned and retain it longer than is often the case with traditional instruction.

3. Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5-Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7-Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.3.3-Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.3.3 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2- Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.5- With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.6- With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.6 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.7- Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.7 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.4- Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.4 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2

4. Topic: Ocean Animals Upon creating lists and voting on a topic, the students were interested in many animals, such as sharks, dolphins, and jellyfish. As a result, we narrowed our topic down to Ocean Animals. Below you can see the list of questions we had about different ocean animals we are interested in studying.

5. Researching Eels The first ocean animal we chose to research was eels. Students were taught to extract facts from books, magazines, and the internet. They were also taught how to navigate the internet (as shown in the image on the right). As they located facts about eels, they wrote them, into complete sentences, on sentence strips.

6. Writing an Informative Text As a class, we shared our facts one-by-one, organizing them into different categories, such as eating habits, reproduction (eggs), electric eels, moray eels, etc, in order to plan the organization of our writing piece. Together, we then created an informative piece of writing all about eels: planning, editing, and revising as a group. (An example of our writing organization can be seen in the picture below.) The students were required to type a final draft of this.

7. Final Projects Eel Illustrations Paper Machete Eels Final writing piece: What I have learned about eels.