Region+1

Region 1 Participants: After reading the article, you were asked to answer several questions that are intended to foster reflection on your own pbl unit. Please answer the questions in MS Word, and save the file to your computer. You may post your responses to this wiki by following the directions below, or you may email your responses to your coach.

Posting Directions:

PLEASE DO NOT POST TO THE DISCUSSION BOARD. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO UPLOAD A FILE. You may want to print a copy of these directions before you begin, as they will be covered by a new window that will pop up during the process.


 * 1) Answer the questions related to the article and save your responses to a location on your computer.
 * 2) From this page, please click "Edit This Page." found in the top right corner of this page.
 * 3) Type your first and last name
 * 4) Next to your name, click on the "File" tab at the top of the editing menu bar.
 * 5) Click on "+ Upload Files"
 * 6) Select the file you saved on your computer.
 * 7) The file name will appear.
 * 8) Double click on the file and it will be inserted onto the wiki page.
 * 9) Click "Save" on the editing toolbar.

Thank you! **Click here to return to module** __ Patrick Todd Shaffer
 * Please type your name post assignment below (following the instructions above):**

Amy Burgess

Sandra Baluch Jon Nazelrod [|7 Essentials for PBL Questions.doc]

Jessica Mellon

Melissa Tarburton Please read the article, “7 Essentials for Project-Based Learning,” by John Larmer and John Mergendoller. This article can be found on the Wiki and will be available from December 1st – January 28th. Teachers may print one copy of this article for their own use. Please reference the article in your responses to the questions below. 1. A well designed PBL unit must be perceived by students to be “personally meaningful.” How will you design your “entry event” to ensure that students believe that the information they will learn in the unit is information that they “need to know?”

A PowerPoint presentation was given to each level of student (elementary, middle, and high schools) The presentation will focus on endangered and extinct organisms. The presentation will explore organisms including, but not limited to; polar bears, passenger pigeons, mammoths, komodo dragons, mountain gorilla, black rhinos Bengal tigers, Californian condors, trilobites, dusky seaside sparrows, dodo birds, and dinosaurs. The presentation will include a section which will focus on how satellite technologies have assisted in tracking organisms in order to better analyze the population and formulate propagation plans. Finally, the presentation will introduce the American chestnut tree and review its rich history within Garrett County, Maryland. The students will be shown how the loss of this organism has and will continue to have a direct impact on where they live.

2. A good driving question is clearly stated and allows students to develop a solid understanding of their purpose while simultaneously challenging them to high levels of thinking. It also should be open ended and linked to the core of what you expect your students to learn/ connect to “problem”

Please state your driving question, and justify why it meets these criteria. // What is the current condition of the chestnut trees in the area and how can the local trees be assisted to increase the population? // The posed question challenges the students to analyze the organism and formulate their own proposal. 3. To what extent do students have “voice and choice” regarding the following: a. The design of the driving question: The students first investigate to see if there are any American chestnuts remaining in the Garrett County forests. b. Products they will create: The project will be “kick-started” by the teacher, but the students will design a plan which will be carried out from elementary grade levels through high school years. c. Resources they will use: Upon designing a proposal, the students will brainstorm as to the resources which are necessary to carry out the plan. d. How their time is structured: The teacher will need to act as a facilitator when it comes to time structure (setting deadlines).

4. 21st century skills are skills, knowledge, and expertise that students are expected to develop in order to be successful in the 21st century. Please see the link below if you are not familiar with these skills.

[|Link to 21st century skills]

Evaluate how effectively you have considered these skills in designing your unit.

The American chestnut tree project integrates the science curriculum, collaboration, technology skills, and skills which may be valuable within careers. The chestnut tree and its unique history is a natural fit with both life and environmental sciences. The students were required to collaborate while using the GPS and GIS technology as well as formulating a proposal. The skills which learned while using the various technologies can easily be transferred into job settings involving geospacing.

5. How will your unit provide students with an opportunity for inquiry and innovation as student’s progress through the project? Will their investigations lead to new questions they will pursue? If not, how can you re-structure your plan to allow this opportunity?

The project is designed to continue throughout the public school career of the student (Elementary through High School). With each additional grade level, the student will be able to further explore the topic in greater detail. As a result, the students will become experts with even more developed questions.

6. How will you ensure that the product students create will be high-quality and pertinent to the problem? In your response, please describe the criteria that you feel should be included on the rubric you will use to assess your students. (Please see the optional resources on the assignment page of this course to access links to rubric resources).

Because the students will be developing their own proposals for the American chestnut project, a full rubric cannot be completed in advance. Criteria which can be prescribed in advance are subjects such as proper use of technologies (GPS, GPS, Excel, etc.).

7. How can you ensure that this project and its presentation are authentic for the students?

The American chestnut project requires the students to analyze a real life situation within their own backyard. The project requires the student to make judgments as to what can be done to assist the chestnut tree, and to actually perform tasks using cutting edge technologies. It is an Authentic project.