Project Based Teaching by Suzie Boss

Project Based Teaching by Suzie Boss

Author:Suzie Boss [Boss, Suzie; Larmer, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781416626763
Publisher: ASCD
Published: 2018-09-02T00:00:00+00:00


Be Transparent About Criteria for Success

When Rebecca Newburn was planning a project about climate change, she knew she wanted her middle school students to come away with two enduring understandings: how humans affect Earth's climate, and what humans can do to mitigate climate change.

Those learning goals align with the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards, making them a good fit for an in-depth inquiry project. They also reflect Newburn's desire to help students make personal connections to science and work toward solutions. "When planning a project, I think, how does this content relate to students' lives? After they learn about this, how can they feel empowered to make a difference?"

Newburn makes those goals transparent to students in a number of ways, starting with the driving question. At the start of the project she called Face, Place, Story: The Science and Stories of Climate Change, Newburn's driving question pointed to the applied learning ahead: How are different communities affected by climate change, and what can we do to make a positive change? Throughout the project, the learning activities, student research, expert consultations, fieldwork, and reflections all connected back to that driving question, which helped students stay focused on the learning goals and prepare to take action.

At each stage of the project, students understood the criteria for success, which were clearly spelled out on Newburn's class website. The teacher informed students in advance of milestone assignments and deadlines. They also understood that, by the end of the project, they would need to apply their understanding and propose a climate change action plan that would have a real impact. By providing students with the big picture of the project and assessing and guiding their learning along the way, Newburn was setting up her students for success.

As the project was coming to a close, Newburn joined a team of students for a critical review of their climate change action plan. They had chosen to create a video campaign to reduce food waste. "They explained why this is such an important issue. They had good data," she said, and they presented their arguments using academic vocabulary. They cited sources. Newburn suggested a few minor edits to improve the production but had only positive feedback about students' understanding of key concepts.

"They understood that reducing food waste is something that they as kids can do to make a real difference. That was exciting," and it shows what students can accomplish when they tackle a goal that matters to them. To make sure your students understand—and buy into—the learning goals of PBL, share your assessment plan with them soon after the entry event.

Unpack the rubric: Depending on your PBL experience and school context, you may be creating a project rubric from scratch, repurposing one you have used in the past, or using a common rubric that is shared across your grade level or school system. Whatever the source, make sure that students understand the assessment language and know how to use the rubric to guide their growth as learners.



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