Sample project-based learning (PBL) activity for use in middle-school social studies classrooms.

1. Combating Bullying in Elementary
Schools Using Cold War Strategy: a
Project-Based Learning Proposal

2. Project Goals/Outcomes
- 8th grade social studies
students learn about
Cold War strategies of
engagement with Soviet
Union
- Students create a project
to teach ways of
addressing bullying and
soliving conflicts using
Cold War strategy to
elementary school
students

3. What is Project-Based Learning?
• A teaching strategy which
engages students in meaningful
real-world work which fulfills an
academic purpose. It must
include:
• A "need to know"
• A driving question
• Student voice/choice
• 21st Century skills
• Inquiry and innovation
• Feedback and revision
• Public presentation Larmer, John and Mergendoller, John.
"Seven Essentials for Project-Based
Learning." Educational Leadership.
September 2010, Volume 68, Number One

4. Source: Kris
Posavec, "Project-
Based Learing
(PBL)" available at:
https://www.emaze.c
om/@ALZZWTWZ/P
roject-Based-
Learning

5. Student Profile
• Students attend a charter
middle school in South
Phoenix, Arizona. 97% of
these students qualify for
free or reduced-priced
lunches. Many speak
another language besides
English, and all face
conflict in their lives either
at school or at home.

6. Why Use Project-Based Learning?
• Middle school social
studies students may
tune out information
which does not seem
relevant to their
experiences. Applying
knowledge to real-
world topics in
project-based
learning piques their
interest

7. Why Use Project-Based Learning?
• Choice gives
ownership to middle
learners who like to
feel in control of their
lives and educations

8. Why Use Project-Based Learning?
• Middle learners are
very social creatures,
but are still
developing 21st
century skills like
collaboration and
communication which
they will need in
school and life

9. The Content - Cold War Strategy

10. Detente
• Talking to and making
deals with the Soviet
Union to increase
dialogue

11. Rollback
• Attack and destroy
the Soviet Union
using any means
necessary

12. Containment
• Limit the spread of
communism to
where it currently
exists

13. Phase One: Instructional
Component
• In a traditional
classroom format,
students learn about
three Cold War
philosophies of
engagement with the
Soviet Union: detente,
rollback, and
containment

14. Phase Two: Inquiry and Innovation
• Students watch case
studies and videos,
read articles, and
interview teachers
and students to find
out how bullying
impacts academic
learning, school
culture, and the
mental health of
victims and
perpetrators

15. Phase Three: Design, Adaptation,
and Execution
• Students design and
execute a project
(coloring book, play,
leaflet, poster, seminar or
class, etc.) to teach Cold
War strategies of
engagement to
elementary school
students and use these
strategies to help combat
bullying in schools.

16. Phase Four: Present Projects
• Students present
projects to
groups of
elementary
school students

17. Why I Chose This Project
• Bullying is an unfortunate
reality at many schools.
Student engagement in
teacher-centered
classrooms, including my
own, can be lower than a
teacher would hope. This
project allows me to
address both of these
concerns by harnessing
the creative power of my
students.