This document provides a template for planning a project-based learning unit. It includes sections for drafting an essential question, describing the common intellectual mission for all students, making real-world connections, and allowing for personalization and support for different types of students. Tips are provided such as using benchmarks to track progress, avoiding group grades, assessing learning rather than just responsibility, and keeping parents informed of student progress. Example essential questions are also given to provoke inquiry on topics like maritime discoveries, environmental protection, poverty issues, ancient civilizations, election campaigns, green building design, war, and cross-border differences.

1. Project Planner
What will the students learn? (content/skills) What will the students create? (products)
What is the Essential Question(s) that will drive this project? Draft here.
• Should be open-ended and provocative
• Begin with end in mind
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Common Intellectual Mission
• What content/skills will ALL students learn (regardless of role or other student choices)?
• What individual roles/jobs will students take on in this project?
Adult World Connection
• What is the real world application for this project? Why is this work important?
• Who is the audience for the project? How will work be displayed publicly?
• How will you connect adults and professionals from outside of school to the project?

2. Personalization
• How will you incorporate student choice into the project?
• How will you challenge more advanced students?
• How will you support IEP students?
• How will you support ELL’s?
• How will you assess and evaluate each student’s effort and work?
Tips
• DUE DATES: Beware of extending due dates!
• USE BENCHMARKS: Use project benchmarks/tasks/drafts to keep track of student’s progress
and help them keep up with the project work.
• Avoid group grades!
• Assess LEARNING not just responsibility.
• Allow students a role in developing rubrics(?)
• Allow access to rubrics ahead of time; post on DP
• Keep parents posted on progress during project so there are no surprises with grades at the
end!
Example Essential Questions
• How have maritime discoveries, advancements, and events shaped our world?
• Why do humans need to protect the earth, and how can we as six graders play a role in this?
• How can high school students help to address issues of poverty and hunger, in both our local
and global communities
• How have ancient civilizations influenced each other?
• How can an election candidate effectively persuade voters to elect her/him?
• How can a home be designed to have little impact on the environment?
• How have the simple inventions of the past helped to create the complex life of today?
• Is war ever justified?
• How are things different when you cross the US-Mexico border, and why? (sub-questions below)
o Why is a McDonalds so hard to find in Tijuana?
o Why do the living conditions in Mexico seem poorer than in the U.S.?
o Why can’t I drink the water in Mexico?
o Why do people illegally cross the border into the U.S. from Mexico but not vice versa?