Project Based Learning to Inspire

Young Writers

Cayley GarnerSpartanburg Writing Project

2013

Instructional Roadblock

As a future kindergarten teacher, I am faced with the question of what I can do to ensure that my students are engaged with our content and that it is meaningful to them. Secondly, I wonder about the best way to address all of the new Common Core standards. Third, I focus on the fact that in the real world, we learn everything together at the same time. This shows me that an integrated curriculum is the best option for my teaching style. Combining all of those items, I have become really interested in Project-Based Learning.

AgendaWhere are we going on this workshop

journey?

Research that supports PBL

My kindergarten example on Community Helpers

How can you apply this to a unit that you teach?

When you hear the words Project Based Learning, what comes to mind? Inquiry

Real-world

Authentic

Collaboration

Engagement

Communication

Integration

Critical-thinking

Creativity

21st Century Skills

Meaningful

Ownership

Student Driven

What is Project Based Learning?

In Project Based Learning, students are pulled through the curriculum by a meaningful question to explore, an engaging real-world problem to solve, or a challenge to design or create something.

Before they can accomplish this, students need to inquire into the topic by asking questions and developing their own answers.

To demonstrate what they learn, students create high-quality products and present their work to other people. PBL in the Primary Grades

History of PBL

Dates back as early as the 1900’s

John Dewey supported the learning by doing model which is an essential element of project based learning.

http://www.nea.org/tools/16963.htm

Why should we use PBL?More effective than traditional instruction for

long-term retention.

Prepares students to integrate and explain concepts.

Improves student’s mastery of 21st century skills

Especially effective with lower-achieving students

More effective with skill development and satisfaction of students and teachers.

http://www.bie.org

How can I apply Project Based Learning in my classroom?

Design a realistic problem or project

Provide Structured Group Work

Many different types of AssessmentProvide multiple opportunities for students to

receive feedback.Multiple learning outcomes (problem-solving,

content, collaboration).

Participation in a Professional Learning Network

http://www.bie.org

Tips for avoiding Pitfalls

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

Model Active listening and full group attention

Encourage students to explore discrepancies

Be realistic and flexible in planning.

http://www.bie.org

The 4 C’s of Project-Based Learning

Collaboration

Communication

Critical Thinking

Creativity

Enthusiasm alone isn’t enough of a justification

to advocate project-based learning, but the

results of that enthusiasm argue in its

favor.

http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-student-motivation

-Diane Curtis

Community Helpers: What Would We Do Without Them?

In Kindergarten, students are asked to become more familiar with local community helpers.

Driving Question: Which community helper is the most important and why?

Standard’s Addressed South Carolina’s Social Studies Standards

K-2.2 Summarize the roles of people in authority in a child’s life, including those of parents and teachers

K-2.3 Identify people in the community and school who enforce rules that keep people safe, including crossing guards, firefighters, and police officers.

K-6.3 Match descriptions of work to the names of jobs in the school and local community, in the past and present, including jobs related to safety

 

CC Reading Standards Craft and Structure

6. With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

Range of reading and level of text complexity 10. Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and

understanding.

CC Reading Standards For Informational Texts K-5 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

8. With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.

Standards Continued… 15 total CC Writing Standards

Text types and purposes 1. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a

reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book.

2. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge 7. Participate in shared research and writing projects 8. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from

provided sources to answer a question.

 

CC Speaking and Listening Standards Comprehension and Collaboration

1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas 4. Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and with prompting and support provide additional

detail. 5. Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail 6. Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

 

CC. Language Standards Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

6. Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

Parallel ExperienceWhat do you know about this

community helper?

What experiences have you had with this community helper?

Why is this person important to society? *City Planner

Schema(What we think we know)

Wonderings (Questions that we have)

Misconceptions (What changed from previous Knowledge)

New Learning (What did I learn that I didn’t know before)

City Planner

Our ExperienceOur class will begin by drawing on students’ prior

knowledge about community helpers in our area and listing any wonderings they may have.

Throughout the unit we will read books, research, and have speakers come and speak to us about their occupations.

Mini lessons will be about characteristics of community helpers, features of literary non-fiction ABC books, persuasive writing to model our writing after, research skills, and speaking skills.

*Lessons subject to change based on students’ needs.*

A few of our speakers Administrators- Dr.

Patterson and Mrs. Skinner

Custodian- Mrs. Debbie

Cafeteria Worker

Librarian- Mrs. Kanipe

Doctor- Dr. Kunda

Mail Carrier- Rusty Tucker

Chef-

Farmer- Cooley’s

Engineer- Mr. Pattillo

Police Officer

Fire Fighter

We will provide the speakers with a list of guiding questions to ensure they address everything my learners need to know.

1) Please take us through a typical day on your job.

2) What tools do you use to complete your tasks?

3) Why is your job important to society?

*Students will help me design questions for the speakers that they think are important and they will ask the questions*

Our Projects/Performance Tasks

Students will begin making a literary nonfiction A,B,C book based on mentor texts as a class.

Second, students will design and conduct a Public Service Announcement (PSA) about the importance of a community helper of their choice to our society. We will begin researching different occupations.

Lastly, students will continue the research process based on the community helpers the children have chosen. Students will write their own persuasive piece about which community helper is most important to them and why.

Now, It’s Your Turn!

How could you apply these strategies to

your students?

Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to

meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself and then do what is necessary to make it a

reality.

~Ralph Marston

ResourcesLarmer, John. PBL In The Elementary Grades. N.p.: Buck Institute for Education, 2011. Project Based Learning for the 21st Century. Buck Institute for Education. Web. 12 June 2013. <http://www.bie.org/store/item/pbl_elementary>.

"Project Based Learning (PBL)." TIDEs. Project Lead The Way, n.d. Web. 9 June 2013. <http://www.tidesinc.org/resources/project-based-learning-pbl/>.

"Research Spotlight on Project-Based Learning." NEA Association. National Education Association, n.d. Web. 7 June 2013. <http://www.nea.org/tools/16963.htm>.

Vega, Vanesa. "Project-Based Learning Research Review." Edutopia. The George Lucas Educational Foundation, n.d. Web. 7 June 2013.

"What Is PBL?" Project Based Learning for the 21st Century. Buck Institue for Education, n.d. Web. 6 June 2013. <http://www.bie.org/>.