SciTech - Teen Issues Project - ME - US
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Summary
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Project Title: Teen Issues: Me - Us Teacher(s): Elizabeth Lonnecker and Kara Potter School / Academy: SciTech Grade Level(s): 9th Core Subject(s): English and Math Career Technical Education (CTE) Class(es): Biotech |
Project Theme
In three or four sentences, summarize the theme and the ‘big ideas’ of this project.
Students start the semester learning about themselves. The focus is on their own thinking, feeling, and learning in different life situation as they study and write about books and articles. The second part of the year turns to more teen issues and students take a leadership role in training younger students how to deal with teen issues.
Using an additional three of four sentences, summarize how the project is linked to the theme of your school or the CTE class represented.
As a small school, SciTech focuses on science and technology across all subjects. This project incorporates statistical analysis of scientific research found in related articles, as well as the use of technology at all stages of the project. Students will use laptop computers to research and create presentations, reports, and brochures. As a small school, SciTech is also focused on getting to know students on a personal level and allowing them to realize that what they do individually is important, and this project supports that small schools goal.
The Project
In three or four sentences, describe product being produced or the problem being solved.
Students will work in groups to prepare their final exhibition. They will chose a prevention topic (pregnancy, depression, cutting, etc), write a lesson plan and presentation and create a brochure on their topic. Their projects will be targeted at a middle school age audience.
The Culminating Event/Public Exhibition
In three or four sentences, describe the high stakes, significant event that will showcase the project and give your students the opportunity to demonstrate their in-depth learning to an outside the classroom audience.
Students will take a leadership role in educating their peers by presenting their lesson for a class at our feeder middle school, Roosevelt. These original lessons will cover a wide variety of prevention issues and will be based on the public health model of prevention. They will also share their prevention brochures with all guest speakers and field experience hosts with whom they have come in contact throughout the school year.
Beyond the Classroom
List, by name, the connections to the workplace included in this project (e.g., college, university, community based organization, civic group, company, local government agency or department)
Students will have field experiences outside the classroom. Some of these field experiences will focus on the pathway of finding a fulfilling career, and some will focus on teen issues. Possible field experiences include:
Speakers: Planned Parenthood Garfield teens AA/NA Ronald/Mcdonald charities Architect Construction manager
Visits: Individual interviews: to be decided with student input Balboa Park museums
Students will also visit Roosevelt Middle School to present lessons to younger students.
Project Driving Question
Me
The 1st theme is "Me" with a driving question "Who am I?" Based on student input, the one-word theme "Me" is more inspiring than the question, "Who am I?"
Us
The 2nd theme of the year, "Us" reflects that students are using their knowledge to educate younger students on prevention issues. The accompanying driving question is "How can I inspire others to prevail in the face of adversity?"
Project Subquestions
Me (i.e. Who am I?)
How does my brain work? How is my brain different this year than it was last year? What are the work habits off effective teens? How do I learn best? How can I stay organized? How can I best manage my time? What are my strengths/intelligences? What are my talents? How can I effectively deal with stress? How can I effectively communicate my ideas and feelings with others? What are my interests and how can I turn them into a career? What is happiness?
Us (i.e. How can I inspire others to prevail in the face of adversity?)
How can I overcome teen issues, like depression, violence, pregnancy, cutting...? How can I deal with life? How can I help others to overcome teen issues? How can I take a leadership role in influencing peers?
Content Standards
Literacy as a Core Standard: The literacy of all of our students is a central concern. Including at least one literacy outcome in your project – along with a major product that can be used to assess writing, speaking, or reading strategies – is recommended for all projects…whether or not your team includes an English teacher.
Core Subject Content Standards
For each core subject, identify three or four content standards that students will learn and that will be assessed during this project. Identify how each standard will be assessed.
For English class, students cover standards in all areas, including reading, writing, written and oral, and listening and speaking. Standards covered are listed below. For math class, students work on problem solving and critical thinking skills by constructing arguments and giving supporting proof for the conclusions. Standards and framework covered are listed below. All of the SciTech ESLR's are covered.
ELA Standards
Reading 2.3 Generate relevant questions about readings on issues that can be researched.
2.4 Synthesize the content from several sources or works by a single author dealing with a single issue; paraphrase the ideas and connect them to other sources and related topics to demonstrate comprehension.
2.8 Evaluate the credibility of an author's argument or defense of a claim by critiquing the relationship between generalizations and evidence, the comprehensiveness of evidence, and the way in which the author's intent affects the structure and tone of the text (e.g., in professional journals, editorials, political speeches, primary source material).
3.3 Analyze interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary text (e.g., internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, influences) and explain the way those interactions affect the plot.
3.4 Determine characters' traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration, dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy
3.6 Analyze and trace authors development of time and sequence
Writing 1.2 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, appropriate modifiers, and the active rather than the passive voice.
1.3 Use clear research questions and suitable research methods (e.g., library, electronic media, personal interview) to elicit and present evidence from primary and secondary sources.
1.4 Develop the main ideas within the body of the composition through supporting evidence (e.g., scenarios, commonly held beliefs, hypotheses, definitions).
1.5 Synthesize information from multiple sources and identify complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium (e.g., almanacs, microfiche, news sources, in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, technical documents).
1.6 Integrate quotations and citations into a written text while maintaining the flow of ideas.
1.7 Use appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and bibliographies by adhering to those in style manuals.
1.8 Design and publish documents by using advanced publishing software and graphic programs.
2.1 Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories: a. Relate a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience. b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places. c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the characters; use interior monologue to depict the characters' feelings. d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood. e. Make effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting perspectives, and sensory details
2.5 Write business letters: a. Provide clear and purposeful information and address the intended audience appropriately. b. Use appropriate vocabulary, tone, and style to take into account the nature of the relationship with, and the knowledge and interests of, the recipients. c. Highlight central ideas or images. d. Follow a conventional style with page formats, fonts, and spacing that contribute to the documents' readability and impact.
Written and Oral English Language Conventions 1.3 Demonstrate an understanding of proper English usage and control of grammar, paragraph and sentence structure
Listening and Speaking 1.1 Formulate judgments about the ideas under discussion and support those judgments with convincing evidence.
1.3 Choose logical patterns of organization (e.g., chronological, topical, cause and effect) to inform and to persuade, by soliciting agreement or action, or to unite audiences behind a common belief or cause.
1.4 Choose appropriate techniques for developing the introduction and conclusion (e.g., by using literary quotations, anecdotes, references to authoritative sources). proof (e.g., statistics, testimony, specific instances) that meet standard tests for evidence, including credibility, validity, and relevance.
1.5 Recognize and use elements of classical speech forms (e.g., introduction, first and second transitions, body, conclusion) in formulating rational arguments and applying the art of persuasion and debate.
1.6 Present and advance a clear thesis statement and choose appropriate types of aids, graphs, and electronic media to enhance the appeal and accuracy of presentations.
1.7 Use props, visual aids, graphs, and electronic media to enhance the appeal and accuracy of presentations.
1.8 Produce concise notes for extemporaneous delivery.
1.9 Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience and choose effective verbal and nonverbal techniques (e.g., voice, gestures, eye contact) for presentations.
2.3 Apply appropriate interviewing techniques: a. Prepare and ask relevant questions. b. Make notes of responses. c. Use language that conveys maturity, sensitivity, and respect. d. Respond correctly and effectively to questions. e. Demonstrate knowledge of the subject or organization. f. Compile and report responses. g. Evaluate the effectiveness of the interview.
2.5 Deliver persuasive arguments (including evaluation and analysis of problems and solutions and causes and effects): a. Structure ideas and arguments in a coherent, logical fashion. b. Use rhetorical devices to support assertions (e.g., by appeal to logic through reasoning; by appeal to emotion or ethical belief; by use of personal anecdote, case study, or analogy). c. Clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including facts, expert opinions, quotations, expressions of commonly accepted beliefs, and logical reasoning. d. Anticipate and address the listener's concerns and counterarguments.
Math Standards:
SDUSD Framework: Number Sense and Operations Students develop number sense as they learn to think and reason flexibly, make sound numerical judgments and are able to judge what's numerically reasonable in various situations.
SDUSD Framework: Measurement and Geometry School experiences provide opportunities for students to build and manipulate mental representations of two- and three-dimensional objects. They work with concrete models, drawing and dynamic computer software. Visualization, spatial reasoning and geometric modeling are strategies that help students analyze and solve problems.
SDUSD Framework: Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability Data analysis, statistics, and probability develop students' ability to understand, analyze and evaluate statistical information, an important skill for an informed citizen, employee, and consumer. School experiences provide students opportunities to formulate questions, collect, organize and display relevant data. They learn methods of analyzing data and ways of making inferences and drawing conclusions. Students learn basic concepts and applications of probability, with the emphasis on the way that probability and statistics are related.
SDUSD Framework: Problem Solving Problem solving means that students can engage in tasks for which the solution is not known in advance. Problem solving is both a goal and a means of learning mathematics. Problem solving helps students learn to deal with unfamiliar situations and develop habits of persistence. It requires that students explore, make conjectures and question one another. Students who are adept at problem solving can analyze situations in mathematical terms. Throughout the grades, students develop and expand a more complex set of tools such as using diagrams, looking for patterns or working backwards, and they learn to monitor and adjust strategies as they solve a problem.
SDUSD Framework: Using Representations Representations enable students to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas to themselves and to others. Students who understand representations can select, apply, and translate them when solving problems. Students learn and use conventional forms of mathematical symbolism, and develop the ability to represent their own mathematical ideas in ways that make sense and clearly communicate them to others. Forms of representation such as diagrams, graphical displays, and symbolic expressions are acquired as powerful and useful tools for learning and doing mathematics and for communicating the results of problem solving, reasoning, and proving or verifying results.
SDUSD Framework:
Using Reason and Proof
School experiences in reasoning and proof build from early experiences using inductive arguments to later work with deductive argument. Throughout secondary school, students deepen their understanding and use of mathematical proofs. K-12 experiences with reasoning and proof help students develop the skills necessary to evaluate mathematical arguments, and make and investigate mathematical conjectures.
SDUSD Framework: Communicating Communication is an essential part of mathematics and mathematics instruction. Through communication, students organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking. When students are challenged to think and reason about mathematics and to communicate the results of their thinking to others, they learn to be clear and convincing. Discussions about mathematical ideas help students learn to analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others. Communicating clearly, whether orally or in written form, requires that students use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely.
SDUSD Framework: Making Connections Focusing on the connections among mathematical ideas helps students understand that mathematics is a coherent whole, rather than a collection of isolated skills and arbitrary rules. Students who use connections recognize how ideas in different areas are related, and are able to use insights gained in one context to verify conjectures in another. Students who make connections see and experience the interplay among mathematical topics, between mathematics and other subjects, and between mathematics and their own interests.
NCTM: • understand the differences among various kinds of studies and which types of inferences can legitimately be drawn from each; • know the characteristics of well-designed studies, including the role of randomization in surveys and experiments; • understand the meaning of measurement data and categorical data, of univariate and bivariate data, and of the term variable; • understand histograms, parallel box plots, and scatterplots and use them to display data; • compute basic statistics and understand the distinction between a statistic and a parameter.
NCTM: • evaluate published reports that are based on data by examining the design of the study, the appropriateness of the data analysis, and the validity of conclusions; • understand how basic statistical techniques are used to monitor process characteristics in the workplace.
NCTM: Problem Solving • Build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving • Solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts • Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems • Monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving
NCTM: Connections • Recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas • Understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole • Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics
NCTM: Representation • Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas • Select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve problems • Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena
CA State: Algebra 1: 24.0 Students use and know simple aspects of a logical argument: 24.1 Students explain the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning and identify and provide examples of each. 24.2 Students identify the hypothesis and conclusion in logical deduction. 24.3 Students use counterexamples to show that an assertion is false and recognize that a single counterexample is sufficient to refute an assertion.
CA State: When students delve deeply into mathematics, they gain not only conceptual understanding of mathematical principles but also knowledge of, and experience with, pure reasoning. One of the most important goals of mathematics is to teach students logical reasoning. The logical reasoning inherent in the study of mathematics allows for applications to a broad range of situations in which answers to practical problems can be found with accuracy.
SciTech ESLR’s: - Applies to all subjects
Technological Producers Who:
* Create projects which reflect originality and high standards * Use appropriate technology to research, create, and present projects
Problem Solvers Who:
* Demonstrate critical thinking skills * Apply skills to various situations
Effective Communicators Who:
* Use verbal, written, artistic, and technological forms of expression appropriately
Responsible Learners Who:
* Set and pursue personal and professional goals * Abide by school and community rules, laws, and regulations
Collaborative Workers Who:
* Fulfill requirements of a defined role of leadership or of a team member * Demonstrate leadership skills and the ability to work as part of a team
CTE Standards or Frameworks
For each CTE class, identify three or four CTE standards or CTE frameworks that students will learn and that will be assessed during this project. Identify how each standard or framework will be assessed.
Biotech Standards are addressed by way of English standards (Biotech section 2.0). Career standards are also addressed with speakers, field experiences, and class readings and discussions. Responsibility standards are addressed through students' readings and interactions with businesspeople and younger students. Students will work in teams and study group roles and conflict resolution.
3.0 Career Planning and Management Students understand how to make effective decisions, use career information, and manage personal career plans: 3.1 Know the personal qualifications, interests, aptitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to succeed in careers. 3.2 Understand the scope of career opportunities and know the requirements for education, training, and licensure. 3.3 Develop a career plan that is designed to reflect career interests, pathways, and postsecondary options. 3.4 Understand the role and function
7.0 Responsibility and Flexibility Students know the behaviors associated with the demonstration of responsibility and flexibility in personal, workplace, and community settings: 7.1 Understand the qualities and behaviors that constitute a positive and professional work demeanor. 7.2 Understand the importance of accountability and responsibility in fulfilling personal, community, and workplace roles. 7.3 Understand the need to adapt to varied roles and responsibilities. 7.4 Understand that individual actions can affect the larger community. 7.5 Know how to interact appropriately and respectfully in various employment situations that involve persons from diverse ethnic, generational, cultural, religious, and economic groups and persons of different genders and sexual orientation.
9.0 Leadership and Teamwork Students understand effective leadership styles, key concepts of group dynamics, team and individual decision making, the benefits of workforce diversity, and conflict resolution: 9.1 Understand the characteristics and benefits of teamwork, leadership, and citizenship in the school, community, and workplace settings. 9.3 Understand how to organize and structure work individually and in teams for effective performance and the attainment of goals. 9.4 Know multiple approaches to conflict resolution and their appropriateness for a variety of situations in the workplace. 9.5 Understand how to interact with others in ways that demonstrate respect for individual and cultural differences and for the attitudes and feelings of others.
The SCANS List
The SCANS list – from the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills – was developed by the United States Department of Labor and Education as a guide for educators who want to help students prepare for the workforce. Identify the key Workplace Skills and Foundation Competencies needed for success in both college and the workplace. Identity how each skill and competency will be assessed. (Refer to Project Based Learning Handbook, p. 26)
Interpersonal Skills - Students will work on teams on various projects throughout the year and for all of their presentations, including their final project and presentation. They will teach others with their presentation to younger students. They will be assessed on this skill by fellow team members as they grade each other. They will also self-assess their interpersonal skills, and they will be assessed by their teachers throughout the project.
Information - Students will gather information on their chosen topic and organize it to make their presentation, and interpret and communicate it through their lesson and brochure. They will be assessed on their ability to work with the information mostly by the teacher based on rubrics. They will also self-assess in this area.
Technology - Students will be able to use a wide variety of technology throughout their project, including the internet, power point, and video and still cameras. They will be graded on their use of technology by the teacher through rubrics. They will also self-assess in this area.
Basic Skills - Students will read, write, speak, and listen throughout the school year. They will use their basic skills to fulfill all assignments throughout the year, including journals, reflections, quick-writes, essays, research projects, power point presentations, and their final lesson and brochure. They will be assessed based on their ability to complete these assignments and activities.
Thinking Skills - Students will be required to design their lesson based on what they have learned. They will have to reason about the best way to make their point, think creatively to make it engaging and interesting, and make decisions and solve problems as a group throughout the process. They will be assessed based on rubrics by peers and teachers.
Personal Qualities - Students will spend time at the start of the year learning about personal qualities. They will read and write about their own personal qualities. They will write a personal narrative reflecting on these qualities, but they will not be given a grade on their actual self-esteem or integrity. Instead, they will be encouraged to self-assess and realize how their personal qualities affect the work that they prouce and how well they work in their group.
Project Design
Answer each question associated with and adapted from each of Adria Steinberg’s Six A’s.
Authenticity
Where in the real world outside the classroom might an adult tackle the problem or question addressed by the project?
Because the teen issues addressed are the same as issues adults deal with, they are applicable to life on a daily basis. As adults, we all deal with how to stay organized, learn new things, be happy, successful, and fulfilled. Adults also deal with depression, suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, unwanted pregnancy, and other life issues.
The project also has applicability in the work world because it is based on the Public Health Model of Prevention. The students will be learning and applying concepts that adults use in the Public Health Field.
How do you know the problem or question has meaning to your students?
We have done activities in the past related to what we are doing this year, and students have always been very positive and receptive to the lessons. We have also discussed the project with many adults and students, and one of the common pieces of feedback is that this project will be very relevant to students; it will capture their interest.
According to Public Health Model of Prevention, a lack of positive role models and a lack of leadership roles can be a causal factor in some teen issues, such as teen violence. This project provides students with authentic opportunities to be a leader in their community by being role models to younger students, which addresses two causal factors. Studies have shown that the best way to produce positive behavior change in young people is by having strong role models.
Who might be an appropriate real world outside the classroom audience for the students’ work?
The target audience for the students' original lessons is middle school students. Our students will be presenting for Roosevelt Middle School.
Academic Rigor
What is the central problem or question is addressed by the project?
Central question: Can we learn enough about ourselves and life in order to make decisions that will make us happy people?
What knowledge areas and enduring understandings will it address?
Students must be able to read, write, and communicate in order to successfully complete their project. They must be able to think critically about their topic and develop a logical argument to present to an audience.
What habits of mind will students develop? (Refer to Project Based Learning Handbook, pp. 30, 31)
Students will learn about being persistent, managing impulsivity (specifically how it related to brain function and stress management), thinking flexibly, questioning and posing problems, applying past knowledge to new situations, creating, imagining, and innovating, taking responsible risks, thinking interdependently, and learning continuously. Students will cover so many of these habits of mind because they will be learning how to best learn for themselves personally.
Applied Learning
What will the students do to apply the knowledge they are learning to a complex problem? (Are they designing a product, improving a system, organizing and event?)
Students will apply their knowledge to create a lesson plan, power point presentation, and brochure, and will have the opportunity to present for an audience of middle school students.
Which of the competencies expected in college and high-performance work organizations does the project provide opportunities to develop? (Refer to Project Based Learning Handbook, p. 25)
This project provides opportunities to work on the following competencies:
speaking, presenting, writing, note taking (note making), using technology, working in groups, resolving conflict, communicating, designing a project, setting goals, and critical thinking skills to create their original lesson.
Which self-management skills does the project require students to use? (Refer to Project Based Learning Handbook, p. 25)
Student will use time management skills on short term assignments to complete benchmark assignments and portions of the larger project and will study time management at the start of the school year. Students will use resource management skills throughout the project, and will study and work on organization skills from the beginning of the year. Students will use feedback forms to self assess throughout the project. Students will self regulate, self monitor, and generally self manage by writing a plan for the project in general as well as a daily plan at the start of each day - a task list.
Active Exploration
What outside the classroom field-based activities does the project require students to conduct?
Students will visit about 6 places outside the classroom on field experiences. One focus will be how the individual worker hosting actually got to where they are - their life path. Another focus will be how the organization or person helps others deal with life issues.
Students will also be interviewing someone and writing a paper based on this interview. Their focus, again, will be the path that their interviewee took to get to this place in their life.
Which methods and sources of information are students expected to use in their investigations? (e.g., interviewing & observing, gathering & reviewing information, collecting data, model-building, on-line services)
Students will be mostly observing and interviewing in order to gather this information.
Adult Connections
Will students have access to at least one outside the classroom adult with expertise and experience relevant to their project who will ask questions, provide feedback, and offer advice?
Students will have interactions with professionals working with teens, as well as teens who have personally overcome difficulties in their lives. Once students are working on their own projects, they will be encouraged to contact professionals who deal specifically with their chosen topic.
Will the project offer students the opportunity to observe work alongside adults during at least one visit to a worksite with relevance to the project?
This year, students will not necessarily be working alongside an adult that works specifically on their chosen project.
Will at least one outside the classroom adult help students develop a sense of the real-world, industry standards for this type of work/project?
Students will be in contact with guest speakers in the classroom, and then will work as guest speakers in younger students' classrooms.
Assessment Practices
Do students prepare a culminating exhibition or presentation for outside the classroom people that demonstrates their ability to apply the knowledge they have gained?
Students prepare a lesson plan, presentation, and brochure to demonstrate their ability to apply learned knowledge. They actually present their lesson to a middle school audience, and share additional brochures with speakers and field experience hosts.
Will students receive timely feedback on their works-in-progress from teachers, mentors, and peers?
Students will receive timely feedback regularly from all those involved in the project process based on feedback forms and comment cards. They will also give themselves feedback, through self-assessment reflections.
Are student involved in reviewing or helping establish the project criteria?
Students are involved in establishing the project rubric based on English - language arts standards and the public health prevention model.
What are the criteria for measuring desired student outcomes?
Students and teachers will use rubrics to assess the student final project. Teachers will also assess student work leading up to the project throughout the school year with various rubrics and feedback forms.
Plan the Assessment: Step 1
Define the products and artifacts for the project. (Refer to Project Based Learning Handbook, pp. 49, 50, 59)
Depending on individual group decisions, the project products may vary slightly.
Early in the Project:
Journals, paragraphs, personal narratives, power point presentations, short and long-term goals, business letter, 7 Habits Project, guest speaker reviews, expository essay, interviews - road trip nation reports, short essays, research papers, reading logs, edited drafts, revised drafts, outlines, final versions of papers.
During the Project:
Checklists, graphic organizers, proposals, reflections, plans for the day (as a warm-up), statistical analysis, self and group monitoring assessments, group presentations, research paper on project topic.
End of the Project:
Brochure, lesson plan, power point presentation, actual presentation for middle schools, written reflections, feedback for group members, feedback on the project in general, self-assessment.
Plan the Assessment: Step 2
State the criteria for exemplary performances for each product being produced. If using a Rubric, provide link. (Refer to Project Based Learning Handbook, pp. 51-57, 61)
Product: Brochure
Criteria: Current research-based information, clear, accessible design layout, effective use of technology, local information, use of at least 3 different resources properly cited, effective editing. Group feedback also a factor.
Product: Lesson Plan
Criteria: Application of the public health model, current research-based information, evidence of understanding of differentiating instruction, effective use of technology (power point, digital photos, music, etc), local information, use of at least 3 different resources properly cited, effective editing. Group feedback also a factor. Individual research papers contribute to the overall lesson plan.
Product: Presentation
Criteria: The presentation aids facilitate engagement, presentation conveys deep understanding of the topic, maintain eye contact, clear speaking voice, speakers convey confidence and are thoroughly prepared to present, all members work together as a team. Group feedback is also a factor.
Product: Reflection/Feedback
Criteria: Students provide specific examples of how they contributed to the project, students give positives and negatives of the project and give concrete examples for each, students evaluate their own contribution and growth, students comment on their functioning in the group based on their personal learning styles/intelligences.
Map the Project: Part 1
| Look at one major product for the project and analyze the tasks necessary to produce a high-quality product. What do students need to know and be able to do to complete the tasks successfully? How and when will they learn the necessary knowledge and skills? | |||
| Product: Students' Original Lesson | |||
| Knowledge and skills needed | Already have learned | Taught before the project | Taught during the project |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health Prevention Model Lesson | x | ||
| lesson planning | x | ||
| note-making | x | x | x |
| evaluating sources | x | x | |
| presentation skills | x | x | x |
| group work habits | x | x | x |
| group assessment | x | x | |
| individual assessment/reflection | x | ||
| web tools | x | x | |
| editing | x | x | |
| time management/organizational skills | x | x | |
Map the Project text: (Refer to Project Based Learning Handbook, pp. 83, 84)
Map the Project: Part 2
Insert (link) a PowerPoint that shows the timeline for this project. Include activities, resources, and milestones. Create no more than one slide per week. (Refer to Project Based Learning Handbook, p. 86)
Media:SciTech_Project_Explanation.ppt
Critical Friends
Critical Friends, a protocol used to give and receive feedback in the project design process, was helpful in our development of this PBL project. We did Critical Friends with some great students who said they really liked the overall idea and remembered doing similar projects in their high school years which had certainly made an impact and stuck with them. They also suggested using the work "me" instead of coming up with a driving question because the "me" was more inspirational. It really brings the focus to the students. From that, we developed "us" for the second part of the project. Students also suggested our kickoff be bringing other students in as guest speakers, students who had overcome the problems that we were studying.
Differentiated Instruction
The following accommodations and/or modifications will need to be made to address our ELL students, special-needs students, or students with diverse learning styles:
As always, we will be mindful of students learning styles and multi-leveled abilities, as well as English learner or special education needs. We will make the following accommodations or modifications:
Students will have multiple entry points for lessons and activities, depending on ability.
Students will have the opportunity to work in groups, interacting with students with various abilities and talents.
Assignments and activities will be presented in different ways bases on all the learning modalities, and the final products can be expressed in various ways as well. Students will see, hear, write, and communicate verbally.
Assignments and activities will be relevant to students' lives and will add another element to encourage student involvement.
Reflection
How will you, your students, and your project colleagues reflect on and evaluate the project?
All individuals involved in the project, including SciTech students, SciTech teachers, SciTech administrators, classroom visitors, field experience hosts, Roosevelt students and staff, and SciTech advisory board members will be asked to provide feedback about the project. Participants will be asked about their specific roles in the project, what went well and what should be done differently to maximize learning and the effectiveness of the project.
2008 Summer Institute Photos
Media:SciTech_TeenIssues_FinalPresentation.ppt
1st Quarter Update
1. What challenges did you encounter while trying to launch the project? If the project hasn’t begun: What challenges are you expecting to encounter as you prepare to launch the project?
Challenges we have encountered include: guest speaker cancellation the day before the presentation (without rescheduling) running out of time getting everything in that we planned realization that we'd like some way to link our separate units about "me" into a culminating project for 1st semester figuring out how to coordinate our lessons between math and English, perticularly because not all of our students have both of us
2. How did you overcome the challenges? If the project hasn’t begun: How do you expect to overcome the challenges?
Guest speaker - working with other people, trying to figure out who's going to keep the schedule and make an impact on the students. Time - just plugging along cutting things that are less important and trying to fit in as much as possible. 1st semester project - working together as teachers to plan something (still in progress).
3. What revisions have you made to the project since the Summer Institute?
We've decided to create a first semester project. We've rearranged the order of units. We've solidified lessons based on students' levels and class dynamics.
4. Summer Institute participants: What is it like working with your PBL team?
Wonderful! We love each other. We haven't spent as much time together as we would have liked. Finding time to meet has been a bit of a challenge.
5. Has the plan for the Culminating Event/Public Exhibition changed? If, yes, please explain.
Not yet. Plans are going ahead to visit and present to Rosevelt. Initial contact has been made, and they're planning on having us.
6. What has been the students’ response to the project?
They are really interested in the subject matter. They also really feel how much their teachers care about them and their life learning (not just their academic learning).
2 more photos coming on Thursday 11/13
