1. Project: What makes science and math matter?
Big ideas: Math and science
Essential questions:
How would you go about solving the problem of disinterest in Maths and Science?
Preparation Checklist
A variety of items need to be considered when you embark on a Challenge Based
Learning experience. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your challenge, you may not need to
consider all of these items or may need to add others.
Read the Challenge Based Learning Classroom Guide and explore the website.
Identify partners in other academic areas to work with. Meet with them to review
the CBL process and discuss how to work together.
Discuss the CBL process with your supervisor.
Secure the needed permissions if your students will be leaving the school or
working with community partners.
Present the concept to parents.
Set up or identify the online collaborative environment your students will use
during the process.*
Complete a timeline and student contract documents.
Analyze your curriculum scope and sequence and standards to determine how
the challenge could fit.*
Analyze your schedule to determine how time will be used.
Research potential big ideas from a local and global viewpoint.*
Determine how to introduce your students to the CBL process.
Provide students with skills they will need for the challenge (group work,
research, technical).
Determine the potential student deliverables and how they will be assessed. *
Determine what technology is available for your students:
Computer (MacBook, iMac)
Video camera (iPod touch, iPhone, or built-in iSight camera on MacBook or
iMac)
Digital camera (iPod touch or iPhone)
Audio capture (iPod touch and earphones with microphone)
Online research (iTunes U, iPad, apps)
Identify the big idea.*
Identify the essential question.*
Identify the challenge.*
2. CBL Timeline Template
Stage 1 – Foundation
Big Idea and Essential Q
Start & end: 25 Jul - Complete
Accept the Challenge
Start & end: 25 Jul - Complete
Challenge Proposal video
Start: 10 Sept
End: 14 Sept
Create solution team/roles
14 Aug - Complete
Stage 2 - Setting the foundation
Develop guiding questions/activities
Start: 19 Aug
End: 25 Aug
Activities:
- Basic info
- Issues
Answers to questions
Start: 28 Aug
End: 9 Sept
Progress discussion - Meeting 1
29 Aug
Interviews
Between: 3-9 Sept
Meeting together and interview
Interviewees planned:
- 1 expert
- 1 businessperson related to the topic
- 1 person's opinion
Meeting 2 (Planning - How to answer questions)
4 Sept
Progress Discussion - Meeting 3
15 Sept
Compiling knowledge/Brainstorming
Start: 14 Sept
End: 21 Sept
Brainstorming - Meeting 4
20 Sept
Stage 3 - Identifying the Solution
3. Testing of solution prototypes - Group meeting
Start: 28 Sept
End: 1 Oct
Progress discussion - Meeting 5
27 Sept
Solution Presentation - Meeting 6
4 Oct
Stage 4 - Implementation and Evaluation
Implementation Plan
Start: 12 Oct
End: 16 Oct
Planning discussion - Meeting 7
18 Oct
Solution
Start: 19 Oct
End: 29 Oct
Progress meeting - Meeting 8
1 Nov
Data Analysis - group meeting
Start: 30 Oct
End: 2 Nov
Stage 5 - Publishing results and reflections
Solution video - Finishing
Start: 3 Nov
End: 7 Nov
Video progress - Meeting 9
6 Nov
Reflection videos
Start: 9 Nov
End: 11 Nov
Overall finished and submitted
12-16 Nov (est. 14th Nov)
Final meeting - Submission and presentation
14 Nov
CBL Rubric
Area of Satisfactory (1-3) Developing (4-6) Advanced (7-10)
4. Examination
Big Idea Has significance to Is significant to the Is significant to the challenge on a
the challenge. challenge, on a global and global and local scale, and is
local scale. meaningful to its participants and
their surroundings.
Essential Question Several questions. Questions that identify the Questions that identify, clarify and
important facts about the simplify the big idea.
big idea.
The Challenge Related to the Related to the essential Related to the essential question,
essential question. question and can be used can be used to answer it and is
to answer it. presented well in a short video.
Guiding Questions A set of questions. A set of questions that can A set of questions with a wide
be used to solve the coverage of topics that can be used
challenge. to solve the challenge.
Guiding Activities Activities arranged Activities inside and Activities inside and outside the
inside the classroom. outside the classroom that classroom that help to answer the
help to answer the guiding guiding questions and benefits the
questions. local environment.
Guiding Resources Large set of accurate Large set of accurate Large set of accurate resources
resources. resources that contain that contain multiple perspectives
multiple perspectives. and includes interviews with a
range of people.
Solution Presents a way to Presents a way to Presents a way to complete the
complete the complete the challenge. challenge. Careful research and
challenge. Research Careful research and consideration evident, and can be
and consideration consideration evident. implemented by other students in
evident. the community.
Implementation Solution is Follows an Follows a thorough
implemented and implementation and implementation and evaluation
involves an audience, evaluation plan. Solution plan. Solution is implemented with
with data collection. is implemented with an an audience for a specific amount
audience with more data of time, with extensive data
collection. collection.
Evaluation Conclusions Conclusions generated Conclusions generated from data
generated from data from data collected in the collected in the implementation
collected in the implementation phase. phase. Presented in a clear written
implementation Presented in a clear report and in a video.
phase. written report.
Reflection Clear perspectives on Clear perspectives on the Clear perspectives on the topic,
the topic, researched topic, researched material researched material and the
material and the and the process presented process presented in both written
process during in a written format. and video format.
classroom
discussion.
Guiding questions, resources and activities matrix
5.
6. Group Challenge Guide
The Big Idea: Maths and science
The Essential Question: How can maths and science affect global warming
The Challenge: How to build excitement in maths and science
Group Members and Roles/Responsibilities
(Possibilities include project manager, product manager, public relations, media specialist,
documentarian, add any other jobs that our group will need)
Name Roles/Responsibilities
1. Product manager: Responsible for managing the final deliverables including presentations, print
materials, web products, videos, and so on.– Caryn
2. Public relation/Marketing director: Keeps all of the stakeholders informed about the CBL process.
Keeps the school, home, and local community up to date on progress and events. With the assistance of
school officials handles any inquiries from the community. Creates any necessary marketing materials for
the solution. – Caryn
3. Media specialist: Manages the production process for all of the media captured during the process.
Plans how best to capture, edit, organize, and distribute the media assets. – Austin
4. Documentarian: Develops a structure and strategy for documenting the entire CBL experience through
text, audio, and video. Works closely with the production team to capture key events. – Phoebe
5. Researcher: Works with the Research Librarian to identify activities and gather resources for
answering the guiding questions. Assists with documentation and sharing of the answers.– Phoebe
6. Research Librarian: Manages the development of guiding questions as well as the process and
resources necessary for answering them. Collects and organizes content from the researchers. Works
with the teacher to organize directed learning experiences and guest lectures when appropriate. – Caryn
7. Social media/collaboration director: Manages the private and public online communities for the
project. Works closely with the teacher and other directors to ensure that an online space is available for
collaboration and documentation. Recommends, approves, and manages the use of public environments,
including social networking and video distribution sites. - Austin
Our Guiding Questions
(Questions we need to answer—what we think we need to know to find a solution)
- What are the causes of disinterest in Maths and Science?
- What is interesting?
- What is motivation?
- What do most people think about Maths and Science?
- What are the significance of Maths and Science?
- How important is Math and Science?
- How do we change people’s mindsets about Maths and Science?
- What keeps us motivated?
- What is inspiring?
- What is difficult?
- Who inspired Maths and Science?
- How many ways of teaching are there?
7. Our Guiding Activities
(Learning activities, research, experimentation, interviewing, exploring—how we will get information)
- Interview students about their opinions of Maths and Science
- Study the impact of Maths and Science in our life
- Study people’s way of thinking
- Research on people’s hobbies
- Take pictures of roles of Maths and Science in real life
- Study most people’s activities
- Interview workers about their opinions of Maths and Science
- Study the most inspirational people
- Examine different approaches to learning about Maths and Science
Our Guiding Resources
(Websites, podcasts, movies, people, tools—sources we can access to find information)
- http://www.dow.com/louisiana/stories/twenty-first-century-learning.htm
- http://www.dow.com/louisiana/stories/twenty-first-century-learning.htm
- http://www.challengebasedlearning.org/challenges
- http://www.wikipedia.org/
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/
- http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/
- http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/
- http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn
- http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-23/politics/obama.science_1_science-education-math-and-
science-president-obama?_s=PM:POLITICS
- http://public.web.cern.ch/public/
- http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,2111975,00.html
- http://www.go8.edu.au/__documents/go8-policy-analysis/2010/go8mathsreview.pdf
- podcasts
- tedtalks
- youtube
- books
Training
(Skills we need and our professional development plan—could include video production,
interviewing techniques, and so on)
Video editing, Gantt chart making, motivation skills, interviewing techniques, teaching skills,
psychological evaluation techniques, research skills.
Our Production Schedule
(Events we want to record, what format, necessary resources, and dates)
- Record: Interviews
- Record: Group meetings
- Record: Observations
8. Format
Windows media player
Tools:
- Camera
- Laptop
- iPhone
Dates:
- 3-9 Sept
- 28 Sept-1 Oct
Things We’ve Learned—and How We Learned Them
(Important information about the big idea and the challenge—keep a running list on
another sheet or on a wiki )
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Challenge Proposal Storyboard
In progress.