Raising The Rigor!

An Approach to Project-Based
Learning

KWL

What do you Know about PBL?

What do you Want to know
about PBL?
And
What have you Learned about
the benefits of PBL?

PROJECT BASED LEARNING

What is Project-Based Learning?

shifts away from the classroom practices of
short, isolated, teacher-centered lessons and
instead emphasizes learning activities that are
long-term, interdisciplinary, and studentcentered.

What does PBL look like?

Academically rigorous

Students

use prior knowledge and research skills

Students

engage in higher order thinking skills

Teachers

encourage work that is complex and

draws on a full range of students abilities

Fosters
Allows

creativity and originality

students to collaborate and share ideas

How Does Project-Based Learning Work?

Question

Plan

Schedule

Monitor

Assess

Evaluate

Question

Start with the essential question

Take a real-world topic and begin an indepth investigation

Make sure it is relevant for your

students

Plan

Plan which content standards will be addressed while

answering the question.

Develop the project guidelines and differentiate for all

learners.

Design performance tasks and learning activities that are

interdisciplinary and support the inquiry.

Provide students with choices that support their individual

learning styles

Schedule

Establish a timeline

Set benchmarks/checkpoints

Monitor

Facilitate the process

Model the process

Allow students to use the

rubric to monitor their
own work

Assess

Make the assessment authentic

Utilize rubrics

Inform the students how they will be assessed

prior to beginning the project

Provide feedback and teacher commentary

Evaluate

Allow students to present individually and as a

group.

Allow students to self-evaluate

Allow students to evaluate their peers.

How does PBL compare to

teacher-centered instruction?
Traditional Learning

Project-Based Instruction

Short-Term

Long-Term

Isolated Skills

Interdisciplinary

Teacher-Centered

Student-Centered

Effective Projects Have

Common Elements

Standards drive the project

21st century skills are developed
throughout the project
Important questions focus the project
Ongoing assessment informs the
teacher
Varied instructional strategies engage
all learners
The needs of students with varying
needs and abilities are met

What 21st Century Skills are Promoted

Through PBL?

Read critically
Write persuasively
Work collaboratively
Think creatively
Inspires Innovation
Solve complex problems
Manage information
Using digital technology
Using communication tools
Real-World Connections

Questions to ask before

starting a class project

What do you want your

students to learn in
alignment with
curriculum standards?

What project will

accomplish this goal?

What 21st century skills

will be integrated into
this project?