1. Project Based Learning
Engaging Students in the 21st Century

2. Why PBL Works
Overcomes the dichotomy between knowledge and thinking, helping students to both “know” and “do.”
Assesses performance on content and skills using criteria similar to those in the work world, thus encouraging accountability, goal setting, and improved performance.
Meets the needs of learners with varying skill levels and learning styles.
Engages and motivates bored or indifferent students.

3. Project Based Learning Explained
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4. 8 Essentials for Project-Based Learning
1. Significant Content
2. A Need to Know
3. A Driving Question
4. Student Voice and Choice
5. 21st Century Skills
6. Inquiry and Innovation
7. Feedback and Revision
8. Publically Presented Content
Read the article and discuss.

5. BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
First Steps

6. 1. DEVELOP A PROJECT IDEA Work backward from a topic
Use your Standards
Find projects and ideas on the Web
Map your community
Match what people do in their daily work
Tie the project to local and national events
Focus on community service

7. 2. DECIDE THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
Duration
Breadth
Technology
Outreach
Partnership
Audience
SMALL PROJECT
5 to 10 days
One Topic/standard
Limited
Classroom-based
One Teacher
Classroom/School
AMBITIOUS PROJECT
Most of semester
Multiple
Extensive
Community-based
Expert panel

8. Student Autonomy PROJECT DESIGN AND THE STUDENTS’ ROLE
Limited Student Input
Maximum Student Input
Teacher selects topic
Teacher solicits student input
Students select topic
Teacher defines learning outcomes
Teacher and students negotiate learning outcomes
Students define learning outcomes

9. Student Autonomy (cont.)
PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND THE STUDENTS’ ROLE
Limited Student Autonomy
Maximum Student Autonomy
Teacher defines products and activities
Teacher solicits student input
Students define products and activities
Teacher controls timeline and pace of project
Students determine timeline and pace of project

10. 3. SELECT STANDARDS
Key questions: “What do you want your students to know and be able to do?” or “What topics would you be embarrassed about if your students couldn’t discuss them intelligently at the end of the project?”
Be selective: do not try to meet too many standards in a short project. Three or less is best.
Literacy as a core standard: Include at least one literacy outcome in your project-along with a major product (writing, speaking).

11. 4. INCORPORATE SIMULTANEOUS OUTCOMES
Work together in teams to discover projects to incorporate across the curriculum.
How can “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” produce simultaneous outcomes at Bertie Academy?

12. “CRITICAL FRIENDS” ACTIVITY
Watch the following YouTube clip. qo
Discuss in groups of 2-3, how this issue can produce simultaneous outcomes in your school.
Use chart paper to write your ideas, post.
Gallery Walk

13. GALLERY WALK PROTOCOL
Visit each posting. You are now “critical friends.”
Using Post it notes, leave feedback with statements that begin with “I like…” to express the things you like about the idea, and “I wonder” for things you have questions about or things you think can be done differently or better.

14. Skills Communication Technology Group Process Design
Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
Task- and Self-Management
Workplace Skills
21st Century Skills

15. 5. WORK FROM PROJECT DESIGN CRITERIA
Does your project…
Meet standards?
Engage students?
Focus on essential understanding?
Encourage higher-level thinking?
Teacher literacy and reinforce basic skills?
Allow all students to succeed?
Use clear, precise assessments?
Require the sensible use of technology?
Address authentic issues?

16. 6. CREATE THE OPTIMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Give your project one or more connections beyond the classroom.
Alter your classroom’s look and feel.
See the whole before practicing the parts.
Study content and apply it to authentic problems.
Make schoolwork more like real work.

17. PLANNING A PBL PROJECT
THE BIG PICTURE

19. PLANNING: The Gender Project
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What did you notice about the diversity of the student population?
What did you notice about the professionals who collaborated on the project design?
How do those entities compare with those of Bertie Academy?

20. Planning Steps Select significant content for your project
Develop a project idea
Decide on major student products
Involve a public audience
Write a driving question

21. PLANNING PRACTICE
Go to and use the Project Search feature, or use one the examples provided. Choose two projects that might be of interest to you and complete the form.
Brainstorm about potential project ideas for your content area.
Select significant content for your project. List the general topics you plan to teach for the semester and circle content that jumps out as potential starting points for project ideas.
Think about which standards are the most important in the academic content areas you teach.
Decide the major products (Written, Presentations, Media and Technology, Models, Planning).
Decide on the public audience for your project.

22. Crafting the Driving Question
Driving Questions Are:
Provocative and engaging
Open-ended
Go to the heart of a discipline or topic
Challenging
Generated from real-world dilemmas that students find interesting
Consistent with curricular standards and frameworks

23. Refining the Driving Question
GOOD DQ
BETTER DQ
Was Truman’s decision to drop the bomb justified?
Can the use of nuclear weapons be justified?
What is global warming?
Should we be worried about global warming in our town?
What have been the most popular novels among teenagers in the last 30 years?
How has reading changed for teenagers over the last 30 years?
Activity: Refine the DQs. Share (p. 23 PBL 101)

24. PBL Project Planner
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25. RESOURCES www.bie.org www.edutopia.org
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