The document provides an overview of the key steps and considerations for designing a project-based learning (PBL) unit, using the example of a unit on Great American Authors of the 1950s. It outlines the 5 steps as: 1) begin with the end in mind by defining the essential learning outcomes; 2) craft a driving question; 3) plan assessments; 4) map out the project; and 5) manage the process. Sample activities, assessments, and resources are presented for each step to illustrate what a PBL unit following this framework may include.

1. FOUNDATIONS OF PBL WORKSHOP

2. “ Doing Projects” vs. PBL Projects: Large activities completed after the students have been pushed through homework assignments, lectures, and readings. Usually a culminating event for a unit or semester. Textbook Activity Lecture Lecture Writing Exercise Writing Exercise Peer Edit Textbook Activity Culminating Project Teacher-directed Activity

3. Know/ Need to Know Presentation/Product In PBL, the “Problem” is front-loaded Rubric Workshop Workshop

4. 5 STEPS FOR DESIGNING A PBL UNIT: Begin with the end in mind Craft the driving question & Entry Event Plan the assessment Map the project Manage the process

5. STEP 1 - BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND History Content – Essential Learning Outcomes Trace the origins and geopolitical consequences (foreign & domestic) of the Cold War and containment policy, including: The era of McCarthyism, instances of domestic Communism (e.g., Alger Hiss) and blacklisting The Truman Doctrine Atomic testing in the American West, the “mutual assured destruction” doctrine, and disarmament policies 21 st Century Learning Outcomes Written Communication Oral Communication Critical Thinking Collaboration Project Concept English Language Arts Content – Essential Learning Outcomes Analyze recognized works of American literature representing a variety of genres and traditions: Trace the development of American literature from the colonial period forward. Evaluate the philosophical, political, religious, ethical, and social influences of the historical period that shaped the characters, plots, and settings. Relate literary works and authors to the major themes and issues of their eras.

6. PROJECT CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT CHART Standard Student role Scenario Product Standard WHO might need to have this knowledge? WHY might they need this information? What might this person DO with this knowledge? SAMPLE: Analyze the effects of the Industrial Revolution on England, the United States, Japan, etc. -Environmentalist To identify the effects of industrialism on a developing nation Create ways to prevent the negative effects of industrialism, share with government or people these effects - Economist To make current market predictions according to previous trends Share the information with stockholders or businessmen looking to do business in industrializing nations - Politician To make political arguments for or against international tariffs or ethical labor laws Create a bill or modify voting, work on a committee or push an issue with other politicians SAMPLE: Organisms have a variety of mechanisms to combat disease (human immune response). - Doctor To diagnose patients and share information with patients about their diseases Inform patients or share knowledge with other doctors - Drug company, marketing department To understand how their product can effect people Explain to doctors or clinics how this drug can help patients in a pamphlet or other written work (drug rep could verbally share this information with potential clients as well) - Center for Infectious diseases, military specialist, or other government representative To understand what the potential dangers are of disease on the health of the nation Create an information packet or pamphlet about dangers of germ warfare or other publication

7. STEP 2 - CRAFT THE DRIVING QUESTION Driving Question: What does it mean to be a Great American Author, and more specifically, a Great American Author of the 1950s?

8. OTHER EXAMPLES OF DRIVING QUESTIONS: To what degree should World War I be praised or condemned? (World History and 10 th Grade English) How is biological evidence of a crime collected and processed to identify the perpetrator? (ROP CSI and Biology) How do people from different countries and cultural groups see the world? (World Languages)

9. DRIVING QUESTIONS ARE… Provocative Open Ended Aligned to standards Challenging Arise from real world situations Act as a lighthouse to keep you on course

10. ENTRY DOCUMENT & PROJECT GUIDELINES Great American Author Entry Document & Project Guidelines Link to Google Doc!

11. PUT YOURSELF IN THE ROLE OF A STUDENT… We know… We will be choosing an American author Author must have been writing in 1950s We will be on a panel to figure out what is means to be a “Great American Author” Our panel will be competing to determine what the guidelines should be for a new award called “Great American Author” We will need to decide if our individual author meets the criteria that our panel decides on The country is in confusion and there may be spies or enemies within the country We are experts in American Literature & History We will be presenting our recommendation to a committee in one month Etc. We need to know… How will the panels be formed? Will we have a list of authors to choose from? Who is Senator Joseph McCarthy and why is he important? Who is Joseph Pulitzer & why is he important? How will we be assessed? What kind of writing will be doing? Essay? Letter? What is the proper format? What will the final product look like? What was going on in the 1950s in America? How were authors significant during the ‘50s? What is the literary landscape of America? Research on one author and his/her impact? Guidelines and requirements for other literary awards that already exist? Etc.

12. STEP 3 - PLAN THE ASSESSMENT Research Journals History Textbook Assignments Literature Readings & Assignments Journal Reflections & Check-ins Film Worksheets & Reflections Quizzes & Tests Additional Individual Formative & Summative Assessments: Great American Author Project Rubric Great American Author Presentation Rubric Links to Google Docs!

13. PLAN THE ASSESSMENT (CONT) Don’t forget to plan formative assessments & analysis into your project calendar so that you can… Assess the data to determine student learning Embed re-teaching opportunities for those students who did not demonstrate proficiency on the formative assessment Note: PBL works great for re-teaching activities, as students can have project work time and project-related tasks occur during re-teach workshops/activities

14. USING EFFECTIVE RUBRICS Importance of rubrics in a PBL environment When given to students early in a project, it sets the expectations for student achievement Clarifies performance expectations in both content standards and 21 st Century skills Crafting an effective rubric Focus on the standards being assessed Be specific, using objective language when possible Make sure there isn’ t one right answer or “right way” for students to address each requirement If something isn ’t on the rubric, it will not be assessed

15. District 21 st Century Skills Rubric: Presentation/Communication Communication- Presentation Skills Advanced 4 Proficient 3 Basic 2 Not Yet Proficient 1 Stage Presence Students will articulate ideas and solutions clearly to an audience. Students use techniques to keep audience engaged.  Clothing was very professional  Strong eye contact with the whole audience throughout the whole presentation  Tone and enthusiasm was very appropriate to the topic  Stood up straight and no fidgeting throughout the presentation  Speakers were easy to hear by all and easy to understand  No verbal fillers  Clothing was appropriate for audience and purpose  Strong eye contact most of the time with most of the audience  Tone and enthusiasm is mostly appropriate to the topic  Stood up straight and did not fidget for a majority of the presentation  Speakers are easy to hear by most and easy to understand most of the time  Uses very few verbal fillers (“um”, “yeah”, “so”…  Clothing was a mix of appropriate and inappropriate for the audience and purpose  Eye contact was limited and/or was not with most of the audience  Tone and enthusiasm was sometimes appropriate to the topic  Stood up straight for part of the presentation and/or fidgeting was distracting  Speakers were not always easy to hear or understood  Many verbal fillers used  Clothing was inappropriate for audience and purpose  Little to no eye contact  Tone and enthusiasm inappropriate for topic  Did not stand up straight and/or fidgeting for most of the presentation  Speakers were not heard by most and not easy nor understand  Verbal fillers were a major distraction

16. QUICK NOTE: All of the pieces of ELO Unit Outline are still used when creating a PBL unit – the structure and wording just looks a bit different! Select Standard & Unit Name Write Essential Learning Outcomes List Prerequisite Skills Select Content and Academic Vocabulary Develop Timelines Unit Start Date Summative Date Formative Date Re-teach Date Extension Date Assessment Analysis Write Summative Assessment Write 1 or 2 Formative Assessments Teach, Give Formative Assessment Analyze Formative Assessment Results Develop Re-Teach and Extension Plan Re-teach/Extend/Continue Teaching Give Summative Assessment Analyze Summative Assessment Results ~ Decide what to build into next unit based upon results

17. STEP 4 - MAP THE PROJECT Sample Scaffolding Activities from Great American Author Project: PowerPoint Presentation, Lecture & Discussion on American Literary Periods Annotated Bibliography Workshop & Sample Entry Scholarly Article Workshop History Films, Discussions & Reflections Journal Check-ins & Progress Reports Guided Literature Circles What will scaffolding activities look like to support students in their understanding of both the content and the key skills necessary to complete the project?

18. Quick Tip: Draft a Tentative Project Calendar Helps you to visually map out the course of the project Allows you to plan project activities, assessments, and re-teaching opportunities effectively and in the appropriate timeframe Once the project rolls out, it will help students manage the project for themselves and plan ahead Link to Google Doc with Great American Author Project Calendar!

19. STEP 5 - MANAGE THE PROCESS Questions to consider… What ’s the role of the students during the project? What are the different stages of the project? What does a typical day look like? How will individual student accountability be ensured? What ’s the role of the teacher during the project?

20. Group Contract Why do we need a contract? Hold group members accountable for work within a project Divide up responsibilities Set due dates within the project to make sure work can be turned in on time

21. NEW ROLES Teacher Project manager Coach Guide Advisor Mentor Students Team members Active learners Researchers Investigators Apprentice Teachers and students are working collaboratively to complete the task

22. HERE ’S WHAT THE PROJECT MIGHT LOOK LIKE OVER THE COURSE OF THE UNIT: Beginning Stage Middle Stage Final Stage Read entry doc and create know/need to know list Problem statement development / prioritize tasks Establish group roles and write group contracts Review rubric and fill out project pacing chart Begin preliminary investigations Group meetings / progress checks using pacing chart Research Warm-ups / Journals Class discussions Workshops and mini-lessons Reading assignments / skill building practice Guided activities Quizzes Collaboration evaluations Rough drafts Rough drafts Peer reviews Self evaluations Practice presentations Presentations Practice tests Tests Collaboration evaluations Reflection and debrief

23. HERE ’S WHAT A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT MIGHT LOOK LIKE: 1. Silent Reading (10 min) 2. Digitally Submit Yesterday ’s History Assignment (5 min) 3. Literature Circles (30 min) 4. Workshop: Writing an Effective Nomination Letter (30 min) 5. Project Work Time (40 min) - Individual Research Journal due Today - Rough Draft of Nomination Letter due Tomorrow

24. Here is an example of a student’s final product for Great American Author Project:

25. HOW WOULD YOU RATE THIS PROJECT? The Six A ’s of PBL Authenticity Academic Rigor Applied Learning Active Exploration Adult Connections Assessment Practices Link to The Six A ’ s Project Idea Rubric

26. A quality project will… Establish a Need to Know or Do Students are brought into the project by an entry event that captures interest, and begins the inquiry process Develop Learning Outcomes Project activities invoke, teach, and assess skills like collaboration, oral communication, and other learning outcomes adopted by your school Engage Students in Inquiry Students ask questions, consider several options, and proceed with answering questions independently and interdependently. Require Innovation Students generate new answers to complex, open-ended questions or problems. Organize Activities Around a Driving Question or Challenge Students find the Driving Question a meaningful focus for their work Encourage Student Voice and Choice Students, with teacher supervision and guidance, make decisions that affect the course of the project Conclude with a Public Presentation Students explain their findings an activities to others and respond to serious content- and process-focused questions Confront Significant Content and Authentic Issues Students focus on content centered around state standards and address problems and issues from the world outside the classroom Incorporate Critique and Revision Students use feedback to improve their work and create high quality products.

27. LAST THOUGHTS? Did we answer your need to knows? Additional questions or comments? What “ah-ha” or “take-away” do you have from this workshop?