Free Tools Aim to Help Teachers Implement PBL in the Classroom

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 03/13/19

An organization that promotes project-based learning has launched a free set of "idea cards" for teachers to help them implement PBL in their classrooms. The Buck Institute for Education's new PBLWorks features 63 downloadable projects for K-12 in English language arts, math, science, social studies, world languages, fine arts, health and physical education and other STEM topics. The organization said it expected to add new cards to the collection over the year.

Each project card includes a "driving question," a project description, the learning standards the project addresses, the anticipated outcomes and reflection questions to help educators bring the learning to life in their own settings.

Among the projects, which have been tried out in classrooms before being published on the site, are these:

  • "Community Heroes," a social studies project for grades K-2 that poses the question, "What makes someone a community hero?" Students research and create portraits of community heroes that are assembled into a gallery for public display.
  • "The Scoop on Our Stuff," an ELA project for grades 11-12 that asks, "What is the true cost of the things we buy?" Students research the origin of popular brand name products and the related labor, environmental and political facets of manufacturing and distributing these products. They turn their research into expose-style articles to share.
  • "Crash Course!" a physics/engineering project for grades 9-12 that wonders, "How do we protect the things and people we care about from collisions?" Students identify possible collision scenarios and then design and build protective solutions. The work includes conferring with experts to gather feedback on their product designs. Work includes writing a design brief for a manufacturer that includes an analysis of the problem (with the math).

"By offering ideas for high quality projects, we hope to help and inspire teachers to get started with or grow their use of PBL in the classroom," said Bob Lenz, executive director of PBLWorks, in a statement. "Each project represents an authentic challenge, and student work is structured to promote academic mastery and development of 21st century success skills such as critical thinking and teamwork."

The library can be accessed with site registration on the PBLWorks website.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • classroom scene with students gathered around a laptop showing a virtual tour interface

    Discovery Education Announces Spring Lineup of Free Virtual Field Trips

    This Spring, Discovery Education is collaborating with partners such as Warner Bros., DC Comics, National Science Foundation, NBA, and more to present a series of free virtual field trips for K-12 students.

  • glowing padlock shape integrated into a network of interconnected neon-blue lines and digital nodes, set against a soft, blurred geometric background

    3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year

    In an annual survey from education identity platform Clever, 74% of administrators admitted that they believe a security incident is likely to impact their school system in the coming year. That's up from 71% who said the same last year.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • pattern of icons for math and reading, including a pi symbol, calculator, and open book

    HMH Launches Personalized Path Solution

    Adaptive learning company HMH has introduced HMH Personalized Path, a K-8 ELA and math product that combines intervention curriculum, adaptive practice, and assessment for students of all achievement levels.