PBL Launch - Constructing your Entry Event
The launch is the opening event that grabs the attention of your students. It should be a call to action, something novel, where students will want to start immediately.
UNIT
Pet Adoption Kit Children's Hospital Needs and Wants Energy Conservation |
LAUNCH
Photographs of pets at shelter, Skype call with the head of the animal shelter Fictitious student story about a child who has an extended stay in the hospital presented by a nurse Principal tells students that they need to turn off lights, no air conditioning, no use of technology all because of the electrical costs. They also look at photographs pertaining to pollution. You might simulate a "brown out" |
Elements in the launch:
- Relevant context of an event
- Artifacts for students to view
- Personal connection with someone from the field
What you might consider in your opening day(s)
1. Entry Launch Event(s):
2. Need to Know
- Engages the students
- Provides context for the PBL unit
- Affords insight into the purpose on the unit what learners will produce at the end
2. Need to Know
3. PBL Team Announced - Team Red, Team Blue, Team Yellow, etc
4. Warm-up Team Activity
5. Team Feedback
6. Put together team folder
- Create teams of three or four students. Five or more means the work could be spread too thin and difficult for the students to also manage the teamwork. Heterogenous teams are the best, for it gives every student the opportunity to flex their muscles in different ways. You wouldn't want all of your rock stars together in one group. You would want varied strengths in each group.
4. Warm-up Team Activity
5. Team Feedback
- Agree to team norms
- Identify team roles - teacher or student selected
6. Put together team folder
- Give them the basic material. Do not overwhelm by giving them all material at once.
PBL Focusing Question
The driving or focusing question is introduced to the students during the launch of the project-based learning unit in a way that builds curiosity as well as a context for the student work. Driving questions answer the following:
Avoid:
- one answer questions
- easily researchable questions
- too focusing
- too general
Examples:
- How can we evaluate current energy uses in our school to propose a possible solution to our district energy committee?
- How can we identify and propose ways to help reduce the over crowded pets at the local animal shelter?
- In what ways can we make a long term stay at the children's hospital more tolerable for kids?
- How can we help others understand the challenges children face with medical issues?