By: Creative Caterpillars
What is a PBL?
Project Based Learning (PBL) creates a
real life, hands-on learning experience for
students.
Why use PBLs?
It has been proven that students learn
better from the PBL approach vs the
traditional way of teaching. It gives
meaning to what the students are
learning and makes connections to real
life experiences.
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PROS CONS
The students gain so A PBL takes a lot of
much knowledge and time in planning
real life experiences.
They cover many
state standards
You can collect a lot
of grades
The students become
excited to learn
Getting Started
Planning for PBLs can be extremely
overwhelming. That’s where we come in.
We specialize in creating lessons for
PBLs. We will plan the whole PBL unit for
you. If you have an original idea you
want us to plan for you we will be more
than happy to do that. We will be putting
our own PBL lessons up as well.
The 6 Components of a PBL
1. Meaning
2. Entry Event
3. Driving Question
4. Scaffolding
5. Project
6. End Product
1. Meaning
The lesson needs to have meaning for the
students. Your students are more likely
to retain the information they’ve learned
if the lesson has meaning and the students
can relate to it with their own real life
experiences.
Ex. Have you ever been to the beach?
Tell me about your experience.
2. Entry Event
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An entry event is something the teacher
uses to engage the students (a hook) that
leads them into the driving question. It
can be a letter, a field trip, a walking field
trip, or a visitor.
Ex. Receive a letter from the Governor
saying he needs a plan in the case of an oil
spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (This would be
a letter the teacher types up.)
3. Driving Question
The driving question is the foundation for
the PBL. It’s what leads the students
into their research.
Ex. How could you create a rescue and
clean-up plan for the oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico?
4. Scaffolding
Make a Know/Needs to Know chart or
Know/Hmm.. chart. The children aren’t
going to know how to fill out the “needs
to know” or the “hmm…” This is very
important that the teacher plans ahead
for questions that will guide the students
into asking the questions of things they
need to know. Each class’s answers will
vary.
Know Need to Know
The Gulf of Mexico Where is the Gulf of
is a body of water. Mexico?
Fish, sharks, and Where did the oil
other animals live spill?
there. What kind of things
People swim in the will we need to clean
water. up an oil spill?
Will it hurt the
animals?
5. Project
The students will be placed in groups. Each
student will have a job. The students will sign
their name on a contract next to their job.
This is very important because it holds each
student accountable. Also, you won’t have the
one student who does most of the work.
They will all have an equal share. Projects
can last anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. The
students will start out by doing research
that the teacher has already found and put
together for them. Then the students will
start making their projects that they will
present as their End Product.
Ex: The students research how an oil spill
affects the water and the wildlife. The make
a plan of materials they will need. The
students could create their plans on a poster
board.
6. End Product
You can invite the principal, other classes,
or members of the community to come to
your classroom for the student’s
presentation. Have each group get up and
present their project that they created.
The day before presentations you will
spend your PBL time having them
practice.
Ex: Invite a younger or older class to
come sit in while the students present
their posters on how they would help in
the case of an oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico.
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