Project Based Learning Discussion Forum

Let’s Make World A Better Place

2012-06-26T02:13:20-08:00

Subject/Course:Business/Commerce/Management/Marketing

Grade Level:11-12

Project Idea:Let’s Make World a Better Place is a competition which takes place among Business Students of Grade 11-12 of The Galaxy Education system ( India) every year. The main idea behind the project is to make students think critically and come up with an innovative product, which is socially useful. Students have to work in group of 5-7 and they have to create an entire marketing plan ( Newspaper and Magazine advertisement, radio jingle, television advertisement, website) to launch their product in front of fellow students, teachers and judges in an auditorium. Students are encouraged to make a working model of their innovative product. This project has integration of subjects - Language, ICT, Product Engineering, Law (Intellectual Property Rights), Consumer psychology, Marketing, Business, Business Ethics, Film making etc.
The main driving idea behind this project is to make business students aware about the possibility of creating products which can help make world a better place. I call them ‘Creative Capitalists’.

Major Products:
Students will be coming up either with the product idea( if the product is complex and they cannot convert the idea into a working model of the product) or the working model of the product which is socially useful. Moreover, Each team will have an entire marketing plan to launch the product. Students will write the scripts and record their own jingles and shoot their own advertisement for television. (They write the script, dialogues, act, shoot, edit , add audio to the advertisement)

Driving Question:
As Business students, how can we make this world a better place?

Content:
For example, last year one of the teams had come up with a product idea - Chalkster which absorbs and coverts the chalk dust into reusable chalk again. ( In my country, many rural area schools are still using chalk and blackboard and many teachers are suffering from asthma or bronchitis because of the continuous inhaling of chalk dust)

This year one of the product is a software which converts any laptop screen or white board into an interactive one ( touch screen) This idea can change the rural school scenario.The cost of the product was 1/100th of the interactive boards/smart boards.

21st Century Skills:Students have to look around their environment and convert the problem into a solution by thinking innovatively.Team of 5-7 people will bring in variety of skills and they will have to collaborate and work in teams in order to come up with the best product. Creativity, collaboration and critical thinking are at the core of this project.

Entry Event:
The entire project and the expectation out of this project are narrated to the students. The deadlines are given. After that students are given the freedom to choose their own team mates. Mixed teams ( seniors, juniors, boys and girls) are encouraged. Students will have to register their team through online form which is available on teacher’s E-classroom.

Public Audience:
Students will be presenting their project to their fellow students, teachers and judges. Usually judges are the experts representing various areas like Marketing and Advertising, Engineer, Young Entrepreneurs etc.

I would to know more about how can I be rich?

2012-09-21T22:57:53-08:00

I would like to know more about how can I be rich. If anyone know about this please help me to know about the topic.
how can I be rich

Running on Empty

2012-07-15T18:48:37-08:00

Subject/Course: Energy Systems Engineering Technology - Technical Communications & Computer Essentials

Grade Level:1st Year College

Project Idea:

Currently in Charlottetown, all of the wells which supply the town water are running at 90% capacity or greater. There has been very little rain this summer in Charlottetown and hotter than normal temperatures which are resulting in lower water levels in the wells than normal.
Students will prepare a multi-media presentation for members of the City Water Board on their recommendations for reducing water consumption and engaging community members in conservation.

Major Products:

Multimedia Group Presentation
Promotional item to encourage and motivate reduced water consumption
Progress Memos weekly reporting on project
Individual Recommendations Report for the Water Board.

Driving Question: How can we motivate and encourage Charlottetown residents to waste less water?

Content: The main content of the courses I teach relates to how to communicate in a professional manner and the types and styles of writing required in this context. Through Computer Essentials, students are expected to become proficient in the use of Microsoft Office as well as online tools including internet research.

21st Century Skills: PowerPoint presentation / Word processing skills / Collaboration and teamwork / Internet research and citing sources

Entry Event: Show the video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfVD4NnnMeg&feature=plcp followed by a class discussion/brainstorm of potential solutions to this problem.

Public Audience: Members of the City Water Board, other program faculty

Project Outline located at: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8NHHWkmIPE6NmoxV0JVQ2tzWkk/edit#

We Like to Move It, Move It!

2012-06-24T11:35:44-08:00

Subject/Course:Science

Grade Level:Kindergarten

Project Idea: Students will compare position and movement of various objects and organisms

Major Products: Book with a page describing each movement/position or video storybook where students demonstrate actions (This is an area of concern because of age of students)

Driving Question: How can we describe objects/organisms in our environment using position/movement words? (Area of concern)

Content: K.P.1.1 Compare the relative position of various objects observed in the classroom and outside using position words such as: in front of, behind, between, on top of, under, above, below and beside.
K.P.1.2 Give examples of different ways objects and organisms move (to include falling to the ground when dropped ):
• Straight
• Zigzag
• Round and round
• Back and forth
• Fast and slow

21st Century Skills: Asking questions: How do these things move? Zigzag or straight? Fast or Slow?
Students also will practice using oral language to describe position of an object. Students also use communication through pictorial representations of how things move and positions.

Entry Event: Groups of 3-4: Give each group a toy (i.e. car, ball, zooble doll, block). Each group plays with toy and comes up with two to three words to describe how the toy moves and its position in relation to another object or themselves.

Public Audience: Class

Robotics

2012-03-11T04:27:09-08:00

Project Idea: Students will investigate how robots are programmed to perform specific tasks. Their challenge will then be to design and build a robot to perform a simple task such as retrieve and place and object.

Major Products: Students will create a simple robot.

Driving Question: How does the engineering and technology of robotics enhance our lives?

Content: Science: 6.1.2.1. 1. Engineers create, develop and manufacture machines, structures, processes and systems that impact society and may make humans more productive. Math: 6.3.3.2 Estimate weights, capacities and geometric measurements using benchmarks in measurement systems with appropriate units. Writing: 6.7.2.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

21st Century Skills: Students will need to work together in teams to research and analyze how robots work. They will need to collaborate to design and build their own simple robot and program it to perform a task. Students will need to write a report that explains their learning and communicate their design and build process. Finally, students will need to verbally communicate what they learned and explain to others what their robot does and how they were able to program it to perform the task.

Entry Event: Students will be asked to make a list of how robots are used in our everyday lives. I will share the report on small robotics: http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/robot-farmers/. We will then view videos of small robots at work such as: http://youtu.be/VIdKYCD77GE.
Students will be encouraged to revise their lists. Then the driving question will be posed.

Public Audience: Students will present their robots and findings at a school-wide project fair.

Wanted Dead or Alive

2012-04-12T13:10:32-08:00

Subject/Course:Science

Grade Level:3rd

Project Idea:Students will collaborate and learn together to distinguish between living and nonliving things.

Major Products:Mobile with living and nonliving examples, along with a T-chart, Word Sort, and paragraph citing examples of living things.

Driving Question:Is it alive?

Content:Science, with Language Arts and Fine Arts

21st Century Skills:Brainstorming, Collaborating, and using internet sources to gain knowledge.

Entry Event:Students will brainstorm with their group to complete a T-Chart listing 5 living and 5 nonliving things.

Public Audience:Class

Living VS. Nonliving

2012-04-11T09:24:36-08:00

Subject/Course: Wanted Dead or Alive!

Grade Level:3rd

Project Idea:Students will learn to distinguish between the characteristics of living and nonliving things. Students will use books, a nature walk, peers, vocabulary, and art to investigate and demonstrate their understanding.

Major Products:Group T-Chart; Individual Word Sort; Living Things Web and Essay; A Mobile demonstrating their understanding of living vs. nonliving

Driving Question:Is it alive?

Content:Science, with Language Arts and Art

21st Century Skills:Students will collaborate with their peers in pairs and small groups. A student lesson will be given through a website.

Entry Event:Group T-Chart listing living and nonliving things.

Public Audience:Whole class presentation

What can the NCAA basketball tournament show us about the the world around us?

2011-02-15T08:40:27-08:00

Subject/Course:Math/Social Studies/LA

Grade Level:6

Project Idea:Use a current event to get students to be engaged in learning. To expose them to a world outside their own immediate educational world.

Major Products:An advertisement for a college in the NCAA tourney.

Driving Question:What can the NCAA basketball tournament show us about the the world around us?

Content:1) Coordinates.(Using Minutes and Seconds of the Arc)
2) City and State location.(Include Distance from DCHS to college)
3) Climate and Geographical information of the area.
4) Local attractions.(Include how college impacts local economy)
5) A picture of the team logo or mascot.(Include a history of the mascot)
6) The year the school was founded.
7) Student enrollment
8) Short history of the founding of the school.(1/2 page)
9) What is the school known for in education. Example: Purdue-Agriculture and engineering (Include most recent graduation rate.)
10) NCAA tournament history. When was the first time this team made the tourney? How many times? What is the farthest the team has gone in the NCAA tourney?

21st Century Skills:Research online, create a product using prezi or powerpoint, public speaking.

Entry Event:

Public Audience:High School Jr and Sr

We Don’t Need No Education

2011-08-22T14:13:45-08:00

Subject/Course: Intervention (homeroom/study skills support class for high school freshman with a history of poor grades and/or test scores)

Grade Level: 9th

Project Idea: Students work in teams to research and prepare a motivational presentation on why students should work to graduate from high school. They use various reference materials (books, Internet, etc.) to research their reasons and organize their answer. They give a motivational presentation to other freshman classes that includes at least one visual aide (power point, poster, video, etc.). They write short, individual opinion essays that encompass their personal opinion and how being a high school graduate will affect their life.

Major Products: Motivational Presentation, Visual Aid, essay

Driving Question:Why should high school students work hard to earn a high school diploma?

Content: Students will be able to:
• Explain their opinion of the value of a high school diploma in a way that motivates others.
• Clarify benefits of being a high school graduate, and consequences of not graduating.
• Knowledgeably reference economic, social, and/or political facts about high school graduation.
• Describe common obstacles that prevent successful high school graduation.
• Relate general benefits of high school graduation to personal life goals.

CA Content Standards:
English: Reading-2.0, Writing Strategies- 1.0, Writing Applications- 2.3, Listening & Speaking- 1.0
Health: Mental, Emotional, & Social Health- 1.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0; Personal & Community Health- all

2 Century Skills: Collaboration, communication, and critical thinking directly taught and assessed

Entry Event: Pink Floyd song, You Tube videos (value of education), Black Star Project contract, article re. prison building on reading rates

Public Audience: 9th grade classes invited to presentation during 1st period, counselors, administrators invited. Opinon essays submitted anonymously to newspaper.

Many Parts Make a Whole

2012-02-29T10:08:06-08:00

I’ve tried several times to upload the planning forms. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

Subject/Course: English III AP

Grade Level: 10th & 11th

Project Idea: Students work to create a synthesis essay modeled after the one they’ll take on the AP exam.

Major Products: a teaching tool (presentation, poster, etc.) and a synthesis packet

Driving Question: What is the most effective way to respond to the AP synthesis question?

Content: writing a synthesis essay – analytical writing, synthesis of materials and incorporation of those materials into students’ own writing, MLA citation

21st Century Skills: collaboration, teamwork, critical thinking

Entry Event: dissect several previous synthesis exams.

Public Audience: another English III AP class and a social studies class