Designing a Plan for a Desired Outcome
Do you ever feel that you are working harder than your students? Want to have your students synthesize their learning while providing them purposeful work? PBL is the answer, but first you have to have a question. What is it you hope the students to accomplish? I wanted several things out of my PBL unit.
I designed a PBL unit that integrated ELA, Social Studies, Art, P.E., and provided the opportinuty to invite professionals into the school from our community to share their expertise. The end result from the students was not only active engagement and increased unit test scores, but ownership and personal responsibility in their product.
I designed a PBL unit that integrated ELA, Social Studies, Art, P.E., and provided the opportinuty to invite professionals into the school from our community to share their expertise. The end result from the students was not only active engagement and increased unit test scores, but ownership and personal responsibility in their product.
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Tableau Pictured here, the students are seen working with Greg Hardison from the KY History Center. His instruction and knowledge was imperative for this PBL units success. Mr. Hardison began by teaching the students, and me, how to examine a picture and identify details. Next, he focused on how to give those details more thought. By having the students pose like the characters in the photo, they learned how to identify with the characters and determine what that person might be thinking or feeling. This type of assessment was extremely helpful. It provided a lot of insight on the students prior knowledge, as well as any content knowledge they might have. Being able to determine the depth of their content knowledge through this activity was so engaging for the students, and allowed them to speak openly with their peers. | Storyboards Next, the students began creating eight-pane story boards. These storyboards were the foundation of the scripts the students would eventually write. Every student in each group had to create their own storyboard from an image of their Revolutionary War topic. After that, students met in their groups, and discussed their story boards. They identified the major characters in the scenes, and described the thoughts and feelings they gave to the people depicted in their work. Finally, the students began to form one final story board for each group. At this point the students had to begin working together to decide what stayed and what was eliminated. Finally, together in their groups, they began writing scripts that would ultimately be acted out for a large audience. | Time for Reflection Students are currently recording their thoughts about the personal experience with PBL and it is being sent for publication. The book contains a collection of what had the biggest impact on the student during the project. The book also contains drawings students' made depicting their event. Parents will be able to purchase this 64 page, hard- back treasure, through Scholastic for $19.00. This final, additional project was also a student created idea. They wanted a small treasure of their creation to keep forever. Pictured here is Mackenzie, the illustrator of the cover. |
Tableau
Pictured here, the students are seen working with Greg Hardison from the KY History Center. His instruction and knowledge was imperative for this PBL units success.
Mr. Hardison began by teaching the students, and me, how to examine a picture and identify details.
Next, he focused on how to give those details more thought. By having the students pose like the characters in the photo, they learned how to identify with the characters and determine what that person might be thinking or feeling. This type of assessment was extremely helpful. It provided a lot of insight on the students prior knowledge, as well as any content knowledge they might have. Being able to determine the depth of their content knowledge through this activity was so engaging for the students, and allowed them to speak openly with their peers.
Mr. Hardison began by teaching the students, and me, how to examine a picture and identify details.
Next, he focused on how to give those details more thought. By having the students pose like the characters in the photo, they learned how to identify with the characters and determine what that person might be thinking or feeling. This type of assessment was extremely helpful. It provided a lot of insight on the students prior knowledge, as well as any content knowledge they might have. Being able to determine the depth of their content knowledge through this activity was so engaging for the students, and allowed them to speak openly with their peers.
Storyboards
Next, the students began creating eight-pane story boards. These storyboards were the foundation of the scripts the students would eventually write. Every student in each group had to create their own storyboard from an image of their Revolutionary War topic.
After that, students met in their groups, and discussed their story boards. They identified the major characters in the scenes, and described the thoughts and feelings they gave to the people depicted in their work.
Finally, the students began to form one final story board for each group. At this point the students had to begin working together to decide what stayed and what was eliminated. Finally, together in their groups, they began writing scripts that would ultimately be acted out for a large audience.
After that, students met in their groups, and discussed their story boards. They identified the major characters in the scenes, and described the thoughts and feelings they gave to the people depicted in their work.
Finally, the students began to form one final story board for each group. At this point the students had to begin working together to decide what stayed and what was eliminated. Finally, together in their groups, they began writing scripts that would ultimately be acted out for a large audience.
Time for Reflection
Students are currently recording their thoughts about the personal experience with PBL and it is being sent for publication. The book contains a collection of what had the biggest impact on the student during the project. The book also contains drawings students' made depicting their event. Parents will be able to purchase this 64 page, hard- back treasure, through Scholastic for $19.00. This final, additional project was also a student created idea. They wanted a small treasure of their creation to keep forever. Pictured here is Mackenzie, the illustrator of the cover.
An unexpected tribute to their hard work
When the production made it onto the front page of the newspaper, the students couldn't beleive it! Seeing their faces light as they read the article was an amazing feeling. The students knew this was their hard work that was being reconized outside of the school building.
