Buck Institute for Education

Project Based Learning: What Feedback Would You Give?

#1 The Debate

Students in the 9th grade Humanities Core (English and Social Science) are told that they will be doing a 2-week unit of study designed to build their oral language skills (use of persuasive arguments, evidence to support an opinion, rhetorical devices, etc.). They are divided up into teams to prepare for a debate on one of three topics: school uniforms, curfews, and homework. Each group does research and prepares arguments for both sides, since they will not know which position they will take until the day of the debate. Their performance in front of the class is scored with a rubric and their written notes and arguments for both sides are turned in for grading.

#2 The Rocket Launch

Students in 8th grade science class are excited. Today, Friday, is the day they will test their rockets as part of the unit on motion. They have spent four days building rockets from kits provided by their teacher, after learning the principles of motion the week before and taking a test last Friday. After launching their rockets and gathering data about its flights, students will compile their notes and observations in a report to be turned in Monday.

#3 Evolution

In a core program for high school freshmen, a team of three 9th grade teachers from Science, Social Studies, and English have decided that they will develop a one-month project on evolution. The project will address content standards for genetics and evolution, patterns of global change in an era of imperialism, and literary response and analysis. The team settles on the Driving Question: “Is Evolution a Positive Force for Change and Progress?” For curriculum, students in the science class will study Darwinism, natural selection, and Mendelian genetics. In Social Studies, students in a World Cultures class will examine theories of evolution and mythology in India. In English, students will read and discuss the novel Lord of the Flies. The products will be a fruit fly experiment in Science, a visual essay of Indian mythology in World Cultures, and a literary response paper in English. The three products will be posted on a digital portfolio of work collected by students over their four years, under the title “The Evolution Project.” #4 Ancient Civilizations

Tenth grade World History teacher, Bill Mason, has designed many projects for his students and considers himself a veteran project-based teacher. In his most recent project, students did intensive research on one ancient civilization of their choice, wrote an eight- to ten-page research report, and gave an oral presentation to the class. Bill used rubrics to grade the paper and the presentation. The project lasted for two weeks, and was highly praised by several parents, who were glad to see that writing and research were still important in school.

#5 California

The fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Kralick, is feeling a bit grouchy. Her principal informed the staff yesterday that he wants to see increased emphasis on meeting content standards. As she plans her next project focused on California geography and history—a project in which students create a sugar cube model of a California mission—she decides to include an oral presentation in which students present their research findings on a selected topic in California history. She also adds a short story and a book report on Ishi, one of the last California Indians representative of old Indian tribal culture. In her planning book, she lists the following standards to be met in the project.

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the physical and human geographic features that define places and regions in California.

2. Students describe the social, political, cultural, and economic life and interactions among people of California from the pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish mission and Mexican rancho periods.

She notes in her book that Standard #1 has five benchmarks related to grid systems and geographical coordinates, regions of California and physical environments, the locations of major landforms that affect location of towns, and the use of maps and charts to show how communities differ in land use, vegetation, climate, and population density. Standard #2 has seven benchmarks related to California Indians, Spanish exploration, the mission system, daily life in early California, the role of the Franciscans, the Mexican War for Independence in Alta California, and land grants and the rancho economy.

That should satisfy him, she thinks.