Designing any quality instruction, units and lessons, starts with what outcomes we expect of students.

What should students know, understand, and be able to do?

As you begin developing a Standards Focused Project Based Learning experience, let's explore the first steps to PBL development AND simultaneously, build your own. Moving forward, if you have a project in development, use this module to evaluate your progress. Make edits along the way.

Action Steps

1. Complete PBL assessment
2. Read and explore the Online Module: Design Principle #1: Begin with the End in Mind
3. Review and set up your copy of the PBL Template
4. Complete Module Reflection

Complete PBL Assessment

KWL is a great strategy for getting data on what students know about a unit prior to instruction, what they want to learn more about, and, to track their learning growth during the experience. Take this assessment for Principle 1. Each assessment page has a self checker for you to do prior to moving on to the next assessment part. Take notes on questions you develop as a result of the assessment results. This will be important for later, when you explore the module.

=>Assessment for Principle 1<=

Design Principle #1: Begin with the End in Mind

As you develop the first part of your project (PBL Template: Part I Define), this material will help deepen and expand understanding of where to begin, while helping generate the scope of your planned PBL. There are three parts to this learning piece that you will explore. As you do each:

• Consider the questions you've listed from doing the assesment
• Add to the list
• Note which ones get answers from the content

Overview: What should you consider before planning a project?

• Great projects begin with planning for the end result. Learn to design engaging, standards-focused projects that help students develop in-depth knowledge and important skills.

Explore: Learn how to develop project ideas and themes.

• Review the seven steps in planning a rigorous, engaging project.

Practice: Recognize the difference between traditional "activities" and well-designed standards-focused projects.

• Take what you have learned from your exploration and apply it here.

Retake the Assessment for Principle 1

• Hopefully some or many of your questions were answered. Take this short test again. Having gone through the module, you will pick up nuanced insights about PBL which could answer all your questions and, quite possibly, hopefully, create more questions.

=>Start Principle 1: Begin with the End in Mind<=

PBL Template

If you have not already done so, this is the time to set up your project template. Three options are provided for you.

• Download the Word Template

  If you prefer to work offline, this option is for you. If the project is handwritten, it will eventually need to be entered into this template for posting.

  =>PBL Word Template<= 

• Upload the Word Template into Google Docs

  Here's the best of both worlds. Work on the Word doc on any computer or send a copy to any location for offline work. Then you can upload the updates for access remotely at home, work, or any beach location. A free Google Account is required.

  =>Google Docs<=

• Create a wiki page in the Workspaces

  Work inside this website for the duration of this experience. After creating a page, and saving it inside your cohort folder you can copy and paste the PBL Wiki Template into your page. From there, edit online from any computer location, including beaches.  Click here for more details on how to create pages using templates, or visit the PBworks Help Page.

  Note to Wiki aficionados: A select group may want to create a second page for their project template, and link it to the first page. This way the first page can be used of links and embeded videos related to their project.  Click here for more details on how to link pages.

  =>PBL Wiki Template<=

Module Reflection

Answer one of the following questions in Reflection 003

• Using your KWL, what new learning occurred? What important questions remain?
• What factors are most important to consider as you develop your PBL?
• Based on this module experience, what project ideas are you considering?