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"Our next project of the year focuses on our school garden and World Food Day in coordination with National Farm to School Month. Each group is assigned a plot in the school garden to grow their choice of vegetable. They are then asked to research a piece of the larger topic of sustainable food, as well as the care and maintenance for their crop. In years past, their informative or argumentative essays have been published in Farm Indiana, a monthly insert in our local newspaper. Everyone reads Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman, a novel about how a community garden can bring a diverse group of people together, and some of our advanced readers will tackle The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, which is a journalist tracing four meals from the farm to the table. Our fall harvest is then used to throw a feast for our community where students cook the food, provide demonstrations, or inform the audience on sustainable living."

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"We launch our Dystopian Masterpiece Theatre Project. We use this project as an introduction to theatre, as well as practice in verbal and nonverbal communication. Each group will write their own five-minute dystopian themed skit and perform it at a local theatre run by our community partner, Robert Hay-Smith. We review plot again, discuss character development, and introduce irony and the strange twist. Students get a choice between four different dystopian novels: The Circle by Dave Eggers, Anthem by Ayn Rand, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. We also supplement with short stories by Ray Bradbury, Shirley Jackson, and Kurt Vonnegut. Through this project, students explore ways literature is used to criticize society and affect change, as well as how to be a more effective communicator. "

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"The mock trial project focuses on a key legal, social, environmental, or moral issue that is relevant to that year. In the past, we have hosted mock trials over the use of Native American culture as mascots, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and sanctuary cities. Students audition for a role in the court case, such as the judge, the defense team, witnesses, or the jury. They then prepare for their part through research, persuasive writing, informative writing, or practice listening and note-taking skills. As with other projects, we offer novel choices that highlight similar themes with the case. For our sanctuary city project, we read Little Bee by Chris Cleave, A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. All of these novels focus on characters that must escape violence and sometimes persecution, becoming refugees and immigrants. This project focuses on research and argumentative writing. Students are asked to not only understand their side of the argument but to be able to respond to the other side. Our judges work on taking on more authority during the project, while our witnesses get to work on improvisation and acting. The members of the jury have a chance to develop stronger observational skills, while also learning how hard it is to be unbiased and objective. The best part of this project is the fact that our county courthouse gives us the use of one of their courtrooms for the whole day."

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By: Veronica Buckler, High School PBL Facilitator

Columbus Signature Academy New Tech High School

Columbus, IN
@bucklekat13
The root of Project Based Learning is the authenticity of the content. This is true in any subject area and in any classroom. When a teacher finds a way to show the students that what they are learning directly ties to something in "real life" the students are that much more engaged and purposeful in their learning. When our classroom launches our garden and feast project, students know exactly why we are learning the content and how they may use it in the future. When it comes to an English classroom, authenticity and PBL fit naturally.

Even before I started at CSA, my teaching practices had started to move towards PBL practices like community partners, student-driven lessons, and a culminating event/product that served a purpose. However, it may seem daunting to fully shift a classroom from traditional means of language study to a project-based, student-driven classroom without any guidance. Some of the struggles may come from the need for basic grammar lessons or even the idea that classics need to be taught. Another challenge could possibly be finding the authenticity in the lessons a teacher already uses. Either way, once an authentic outcome is developed, all of the pieces fit in according to the students' knows (what students already know about the subject/topic of study) and need to knows (the questions students have about the subject/topic of study). By letting the students drive the content, a teacher is better able to facilitate the necessary learning to accomplish real-world tasks. Through using specific structures in each project that reinforce the basic ELA standards, project-based learning brings an English Language Arts classroom to the next level in terms of engagement, application, and authenticity.

Each project in our integrated Global Science Perspectives (Environmental Studies and English 9) course follows a basic structure which ensures that English content is included. GSP, as it is known, is a combination of English 9 and Environmental Studies which focuses on topics that range from the environment to community involvement to city planning. In every project, students have either a choice of novels to read, or they are given nonfiction information and argumentative writings. A large written piece is assigned, along with daily writing assignments, which also prompt grammar lessons according to workshop requests. There are always discussions about the readings to work on reading comprehension and application of specific themes. Here are five projects we've done in GSP that incorporate English standards into an authentic product.

The first project of the year for my classroom is a "get to know you" type, while also gently introducing the students to a project-based learning (PBL) format. Titled " A Walk in the Woods ", students are challenged to find a memory connected to nature that made an impact on their life. Using this memory, they will write a narrative story in the style of a memoir. To demonstrate what a nature memoir is like, we give them a choice of four different memoirs to read and explore. This past year we offered A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson , A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah , The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls , and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer . Throughout the project, we have workshops focused on observation skills, storytelling, writing dialogue, plot, and character development. We hold a literature circle discussion every week, and quiz students on their reading comprehension weekly, too. Our goal for an authentic outcome is for the students to learn how to reflect on their lives, learn from previous experiences, and share their stories with an audience in a format similar to The Moth Radio Hour , a radio program that showcases storytelling through the life experiences of everyday people.

Our next project of the year focuses on our school garden and World Food Day in coordination with National Farm to School Month . Each group is assigned a plot in the school garden to grow their choice of vegetable. They are then asked to research a piece of the larger topic of sustainable food, as well as the care and maintenance for their crop. In years past, their informative or argumentative essays have been published in Farm Indiana , a monthly insert in our local newspaper. Everyone reads Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman , a novel about how a community garden can bring a diverse group of people together, and some of our advanced readers will tackle The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan , which is a journalist tracing four meals from the farm to the table. Our fall harvest is then used to throw a feast for our community where students cook the food, provide demonstrations, or inform the audience on sustainable living.

During the second semester, we launch our Dystopian Masterpiece Theatre Project. We use this project as an introduction to theatre, as well as practice in verbal and nonverbal communication. Each group will write their own five-minute dystopian themed skit and perform it at a local theatre run by our community partner, Robert Hay-Smith . We review plot again, discuss character development, and introduce irony and the strange twist. Students get a choice between four different dystopian novels: The Circle by Dave Eggers ,, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood , and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins . We also supplement with short stories by Ray Bradbury, Shirley Jackson, and Kurt Vonnegut. Through this project, students explore ways literature is used to criticize society and affect change, as well as how to be a more effective communicator.

Our last project of the year is one of the most favorite freshmen projects at our school. The mock trial project focuses on a key legal, social, environmental, or moral issue that is relevant to that year. In the past, we have hosted mock trials over the use of Native American culture as mascots, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and sanctuary cities. Students audition for a role in the court case, such as the judge, the defense team, witnesses, or the jury. They then prepare for their part through research, persuasive writing, informative writing, or practice listening and note-taking skills. As with other projects, we offer novel choices that highlight similar themes with the case. For our sanctuary city project, we read Little Bee by Chris Cleave, A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah , The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini , and . All of these novels focus on characters that must escape violence and sometimes persecution, becoming refugees and immigrants. This project focuses on research and argumentative writing. Students are asked to not only understand their side of the argument but to be able to respond to the other side. Our judges work on taking on more authority during the project, while our witnesses get to work on improvisation and acting. The members of the jury have a chance to develop stronger observational skills, while also learning how hard it is to be unbiased and objective. The best part of this project is the fact that our county courthouse gives us the use of one of their courtrooms for the whole day.

Having PBL in an English classroom has really opened up my understanding of the application of language arts standards in the real world. We really have a chance to introduce a wide range of topics and skills to our students through the flexibility of our standards. When planning projects for the students, it's really about engaging them in today's world. It might take retiring some of the classics while digging for a different classic or a more modern novel. It might be rethinking the purpose of the assigned essay, but in the end, project-based learning (PBL) allows facilitators and students to find a more engaging and purposeful dive into English Language Arts. So start exploring your community and identify those authentic problems that your students can take charge of with excitement.

Veronica Buckler is an English and social studies teacher at Columbus Signature Academy in Columbus, IN. She is a five year teacher, with three of those in PBL. Veronica's favorite part of facilitating in a PBL environment is the creativity and ingenuity displayed by her students as they work through and complete projects in multiple ways.

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Tagged: English, project based learning, 2019 Jan.-May

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English in a Project Based Learning Setting - Magnify Learning

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By: Veronica Buckler, High School PBL Facilitator Columbus Signature Academy New Tech High School Columbus, IN @bucklekat13 The root of Project Based Learning is the authenticity of the content. This is true in any subject area and in any classroom.

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/inquiry-based-learning-english-classrooms

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When our Ontario school district told us we'd be continuing remote learning until the end of the term, I turned to the most student-focused, engaging assignments I could focus on to rekindle some kind of life in my ELA students-inquiry-based learning (IBL).

The IBL projects turned out to be a resounding success. One ninth-grade English class went from a third of the students failing to only two. Students really connected with the conference-focused structure of the unit, and they finally seemed to be enjoying our time together. IBL projects were my Hail Mary pass, and they paid off.

Inquiry-based learning projects fit well with all English curriculum skills: reading, writing, oral communication, and media. Additionally, these projects nurture personal responsibility, abstract thinking, organization, and collaboration.

IBL and English Language Arts

IBL projects in the English classroom have five steps: project proposal, research and learning, creating or doing, reflecting, and sharing. Depending on the ability and level of your students, as well as the topics you may want to guide them toward, these steps are quite malleable. The projects can focus on general, student-centered topics (e.g., inquiry question) or more teacher-directed topics (e.g., understanding the world and language of Shakespeare).

Regardless of the level of inquiry, teachers should strive to use IBL projects as a method of engaging students in active learning, while becoming the guides on the side.

Step 1: Project Proposal

Offer students the opportunity to shape their focus questions(s) and projects via a project proposal. Here are two examples in past courses: What is the easiest way to build a computer? What are the best fitness apps for teens?

At this point, I usually do a series of short lessons about asking good questions, as well as talk through formulating my own possible IBL project questions via a completion of a project proposal of my own. One example I often use is from my experience as a coach: How can I train high school-level middle blockers more effectively?

I conference with each of them about their ideas, and we work through any possible kinks. If, after a couple of days, students don't have a proposal, I'll start working with them from scratch to move them into a direction that holds some engagement and purpose for them.

Step 2: Research and Learning

The next step is the research and learning phase, which fits beautifully into any language curriculum, as mini-lessons on proper research techniques, bias, gathering and documenting sources, etc., can take place at a grade- and skill-appropriate level.

Offer students parameters regarding the number and types of sources appropriate for their project, as well as specifics about documenting information and sources. I often give students a simple handout to help with organizing information and support them with documenting sources via a website such as Citation Machine.

Teachers should once again conference with students, supporting them with finding or evaluating sources.

Step 3: Creating or Doing

This is where IBL projects differ from traditional research projects. Ask students to either create, experience, or do something with their learning. The beauty of IBL projects in English language arts is that the project topic and physical result don't have to have anything to do with English class. It's the process that effectively reflects multiple ELA curriculum expectations, such as listening and/or reading and summarizing, documenting and assessing research sources, writing, and so on. This past term I had a student build a bicycle from used parts, another create a Twitter account of instapoetry, and a third attempt to fabricate a mechanical heart.

Conferencing is once again an essential part of this step, as many students will require teacher support to see what possibilities exist in terms of an "action" phase of their project.

Step 4: Reflecting

The goal of this step of the IBL project is to have students reflect on their methods, research, actions, and next steps. This process can take place in a variety of ways. I try to focus the medium on something I need to assess in my curriculum, whether it's a writing task, media product, or oral communication presentation.

Regardless of the medium of communication, I give students a bulleted list of items they should complete as part of their reflective process:

Discuss your project focus question and why you chose this topic or why it was important to you as a learner.

Review the research you conducted regarding your focus question, as well as the most important or interesting things you learned.

Explain how you used your research to create an action or experience, and the process of that experience and its result.

Reflect on whether or not your project was a success in your eyes, as well as what-if anything-you would have done differently.

What are your next steps regarding your project?

Will you continue working with your driving question or some aspect of that topic?

Step 5: Sharing and Assessment

The final step of the IBL project is for students to share their entire project with their teacher, peers, and/or the world at large via social media as a video, post, or website.

Once again, depending on the age or skill level of students or the teacher needs regarding assessments, students can complete this step of sharing the project overview through writing (a written report), media (a video or infographic), oral communication (conferencing with their teacher), or a combination of all three (a multimedia project overview).

Final Step: Reap the Rewards

I started using IBL projects in my language arts classes some 10 years ago in a number of different grades (7-12), and I've never been disappointed in the results. Time and time again, students tell me that it's been their favorite part of the course.

Make it your own, and give it a try. You'll reap the rewards of student engagement, project completion, and the sneaky assessment of a variety of language curriculum expectations associated with the four key strands of any ELA course: reading, writing, oral communication, and media.

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Inquiry-Based Learning in English Classrooms

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When our Ontario school district told us we'd be continuing remote learning until the end of the term, I turned to the most student-focused, engaging assignments I could focus on to rekindle some kind of life in my ELA students-inquiry-based learning (IBL). The IBL projects turned out to be a resounding success.

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Provide students with a few lines from a poem or a brief excerpt from a book. Ask them to read their piece and ponder how the author is making use of symbolism. (A case study from one of our teacher friends in Melrose illustrates this beautifully.)

Have them create a list of possible meanings for the symbols and why the author may have selected them. With only a small part of the author’s work, it may be hard for the students to determine the overall picture being created, which presents the opportunity to paint one of their own.

Pro-Tip: Have students share their interpretations with others to discuss possible meanings. This activity utilizes inquiry-based learning as your class explores how symbolism is used to represent the main themes found throughout human existence regardless of race, culture, or beliefs.

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Inquiry-based learning works across multiple disciplines. It encourages learning through personal experience and guides understanding through practical application. These ten activities can be used in your classroom to explore the many uses of inquiry-based learning in high school English.

Throughout these activities, we'll use the Wabisabi Inquiry Learning Process. You may be familiar with this from our posts on features of inquiry-based learningand using inquiry-based learning in Kindergarten. Here's a brief breakdown of how it works.

The Wabisabi Inquiry Cycle: An Overview

The Global Concept

The Global Concept is the "big idea" or focus of inquiry. This is usually summed up in just a few words or even only one (e.g. Sustainability, Inclusion, Tolerance).

Learners should be encouraged to pursue these concepts in ways that speak to them personally, creating a stronger connection to the material.

The 4 Cs

Curious: This is about the concepts embedded in the content that learners can think about and discuss to drive their curiosity forward.

Connect: Bringing the content to learners by making relevant connections to different concepts inspiresreal learning.

Communicate:Here we state precisely what message and essential learnings we want our students to gain.

Create:This is what learners will present to demonstrate their understanding of, and appreciation for, what they've learned.

It's important for students to find their own ways of expressing themselves in any grade, of course. The earlier we encourage this in their formative years, the better. However, reinforcing this idea in high school with inquiry-based activities like these is always a good thing.

For all of these activities, we're going to make things easy to help you get your feet wet with the process. We'll be using the overarching Global Concept of "Voice." We chose this one because you'll find each of these activities exercises student voice in its own unique and relevant way.

Secondly, we'll provide an all-inclusive line of inquiry using the 4 Cs for you to consider. You could easily create a 4 C line of inquiry for each of these tasks, but this one covers all of them:

Learners are inspired to be about how text structures can be used in innovative ways by different authors. They the choice of language features, images, and vocabulary to the development of individual style and voice, and communicatehow the selection of language features can achieve precision and stylistic effect by experimenting with language features, stylistic devices, text structures and images. They will be creatinga wide range of texts to articulate these complex ideas.

As you go through the activities, think about what would be worthwhile Global Concepts and lines of inquiry for each one. This will give you some decent practice in formulating ideas for how to express your own insights. Now, onto the activities.

1. Sensory Writing

This poses a real challenge for students. They must describe a setting you provide with only sensory information-dialogue is not allowed. For example, if the background is an abandoned graveyard at night, your students must write about it without using any characters or conversation.

They must describe the sounds, sensations, tastes, sights, and smells that are present. For example, they can talk about the sound of dry branches rubbing together in the wind or the feel of damp earth between their fingers.

They should paint a picture that makes you feel as if you were there. The students will all have the same setting, but each will interpret it differently and describe sensory information without a character speaking it.

2. Mad Libs with a Twist

Even in high school English, reinforcing the parts of speechis essential. This gives your students a chance to take it to the next level. Divide your class into 6 or 7 small groups and provide each group with their own unique Mad Libs page. If you're not familiar with Mad Libs, it's a word game where one player prompts others for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story. The result can be hilarious!

Commonly used parts of speech like nouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives aren't allowed here. Instead, students will improve their vocabulary and understanding of the language by coming up with nuanced versions of frequently-used terms.

Pro-Tip: Students should find different ways to express a common word. For example, appallinginstead of awful, bewilderedinstead of confusing, or effortlesslyinstead of smoothly. Have each group read their finished version to the class and vote on which one showed the best use of creative terms.

3. Genre Bending & Blending

For this activity, your students will have to take a book excerpt from one literary genre and re-write it to fit into another style. For example, if you provide your students with an excerpt from a fantasy book, they may re-write it as science fiction.

This means they will have to ponder plausible ways to re-create the material. As an example, if a character uses magic to make themselves invisible, your students will engineer a credible, science-based approach to make him invisible instead.

Pro-Tip: This activity can be used with any two genres. Fiction can be re-written as a biography, romance can be converted to horror, and non-fiction can be turned into humour. Be creative in selecting the excerpts for this activity and encourage learners to be bold in contrasting their pairings of genres.

4. The Old-School Game of Taboo

This activity will force your students to rethink the way they see the things around them by making them think of new ways to describe each item. It's based on the popular game Taboo. The objective is for a player to have others guess the word on their card without using either that word or five other additional words listed on the card.

If you have a set of Taboo cards, they will work perfectly. If not, you can make your own by choosing random items and making cards that contain words that are commonly associated with that item. These words can't be used when a team member is trying to get their team to guess the word on the card.

As they play, students will realize how much we depend on words to convey our meaning in all our interactions. They will also begin to incorporate less common words into their vocabulary as they expand their understanding of the English language.

5. Random Word Strips

Cut pieces of blank paper into strips and write random words on each piece. You should include words from each part of speech that are required to form a proper sentence. Mix these words together randomly and separate them into 6 or 7 different groups. Place each group of words in a sealable bag.

Next, divide your class into 6 or 7 groups and give each group a bag of word strips. Their job is to come up with as many plausible sentences as possible from the random words they've received. This activity encourages creativity and more profound thought as students try to organize words into sentences that make sense.

6. Symbolism

Provide students with a few lines from a poem or a brief excerpt from a book. Ask them to read their piece and ponder how the author is making use of symbolism. (A case study from one of our teacher friends in Melrose illustrates this beautifully.)

Have them create a list of possible meanings for the symbols and why the author may have selected them. With only a small part of the author's work, it may be hard for the students to determine the overall picture being created, which presents the opportunity to paint one of their own.

Pro-Tip: Have students share their interpretations with others to discuss possible meanings. This activity utilizes inquiry-based learningas your classexplores how symbolism is used to represent the main themes found throughout human existence regardless of race, culture, or beliefs.

7. Headlines

This activity works well with nursery rhymes or fairy tales. It requires a student to re-phrase a story in the form of a news headline. For example, "Three Blind Mice" can be turned into "Trio of Visually-Impaired Rodents Injured During Encounter With Bride of Agriculturalist." Perhaps "Little Red Riding Hood" could become "Brave 'Girl in Red' Survives Attack by Wolf Masquerading as Her Grandmother."

Students will create several headlines based on different stories and then trade papers with classmates to see if they can guess the original title. This activity once again pushes students to find new ways to express an idea through a unique arrangement of words. It also encourages vocabulary expansion as students discover new terms to replace commonly-used words.

8. Figure of Speech

Give students a list of familiar figures of speech such as "raining cats and dogs" and "a howling wind." Talk about how we use these phrases in our everyday conversation without thinking about where they originated. Have students write down what they believe each figure of speech means and speculate on its origin. Then have students look the phrases up to see if they're hypotheses were correct.

Have students come up with some figures of speech of their own and share them with the class to see if anyone can guess their meaning. This inquiry-based activity encourages students to think consciously about the words and phrases that are often used carelessly in conversation.

9. Gossip Game

This elementary school game can teach a valuable lesson about word usage, and also the importance of listening in proper communication. Split students into groups of at least six individuals each. Provide one person in each group with a written phrase. You can be creative with similar-sounding words or repeating letters.

Allow the person to read this phrase to themselves before turning and whispering it to the person sitting beside them. Each person can only hear the phrase once before passing on to the person next to them. Compare the phrase spoken by the last person with the one originally written on the slip of paper.

Pro-Tip: Have students evaluate how the phrases changed and what new meanings might have evolved from the original. This activity helps students understand that word choice affects both the purpose of the sentence and the understanding of the listener.

10. Crossword Puzzle

This activity is actually a great inquiry-based learning opportunity. Crossword puzzles require logic and knowledge as well as an understanding of word usage and spelling. They can also be created on almost any topic imaginable and are a great way to combine two different subjects. For example, a crossword puzzle can be created on science concepts or vocabulary.

In this activity, students will be creating their own crossword puzzles and connecting the words they use to reveal a specific concept or subject. Next, have them partner up with a classmate. They will then do each other's crossword puzzles to try and determine the message hidden within.

Students must first correctly identify the word or concept and then accurately spell it on the crossword board.

This type of learning activity involves multiple thought processes and can pose a challenge if students answer incorrectly or misplace words.

This is a great activity to use when reinforcing vocabulary from any subject or when introducing a new concept.

Inquiry-Based Adventures Await You

Though it may seem that inquiry-based learning is an approach that only works in the sciences, the examples above show it's a perfect method for instilling an intelligent approach to the English language as well.

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10 Activities for Inquiry-Based Learning in High School English

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Inquiry-based learning works across multiple disciplines. It encourages learning through personal experience and guides understanding through practical application. These ten activities can be used in your classroom to explore the many uses of inquiry-based learning in high school English. Throughout these activities, we'll use the Wabisabi Inquiry Learning Process.

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"One suitable topic for a jigsaw activity is to give information on different aspects of a person’s life to the expert groups, which can then be pooled in the jigsaw group so that the second task can be biographical in nature, e.g. producing a PowerPoint presentation giving information about the person or a short TV style documentary. This could be a real person or a fictional character. An example of this is given in The Life and Works of Charles Dickens, where (after doing a Dictogloss about Dickens’ life) the different expert groups find out about the names of Dickens’ novels, some of his most famous quotes and important characters from the books. They can then be re-organized into jigsaw groups to produce mini posters about Dickens’ life and work."
https://www.bell-foundation.org.uk/eal-programme/guidance/effective-teaching-of-eal-learners/great-ideas/jigsaw-activities/

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Great Idea: Jigsaw Activities Play What are jigsaw activities? Jigsaw activities are a specific type of information gap activity that work best when used with the whole class. The class is first divided into groups of four to six learners who are then given some information on a particular aspect of…

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https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr324.shtml

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Sixth-grade teacher Ellen Berg desperately wanted to show her students the true meaning of a fairy tale, but how could she organize an activity that would encourage them to develop their own definition of the term, willingly? A technique called the "jigsaw method" provided the backdrop for the dynamic and engaging lesson that her students still recall! Included: Berg's students' reactions to a teaching method that challenges them to create their own learning and tips for using the jigsaw technique.

Tips for Using the Jigsaw Technique

Teacher Ellen Berg offers three tips to educators who are new to the jigsaw method.

* Prepare, prepare, prepare.
"When you decide to use a jigsaw activity, you need to know what you want the kids to get out of it and then structure the activity so you will get the outcome you want. You want the kids to "discover" a concept on their own, through connections they make themselves. That takes a lot more work than simply asking leading questions with predetermined answers or lecturing to them. The questions need to be open-ended. Usually, students will discover those things you want them to as well as other things you had not even thought of yourself. For me, that is the most exciting part because I am learning to see the topic of study in a new way and learning along with the kids."

* Think through the management of the activity.
"How will groups be put together? How will you be sure that each jigsaw group will have one of each of the home groups? Who is doing what during the activity? How will the class move when it is time to switch groups? Thinking through the organization and being sure there is something for each member of the group to do is essential."

* Do not give up after the first time you try jigsaw.
"Jigsaw is an intricate technique that takes some practice from you and your students before it seems to gel. Since many students, unfortunately, are not used to tasks where they are responsible for their own learning and making their own connections, they may react negatively or become frustrated the first time or two you use this. You must circulate, listen to the groups, and give them a lot of support at first. You aren't giving them the answers, but you are asking them questions that help direct their thinking. After you use jigsaw a few times, you will see your students need you less and less. Stick with it!"

"I never have been someone who relied on or believed in passing out dittos, using the textbook exclusively, or giving long lectures," sixth-grade teacher Ellen Berg told Education World. "My biggest mistake in my early years was not giving my students enough choice in designing our assignments or at least trying to tie it in to their interests and experiences."

Berg teaches communication arts at Turner Middle School, a magnet school with a computer animation and Schools for Thought focus. Though the school possesses a computer lab with cutting-edge software, at least one computer in every classroom, and a PC lab for basic computer instruction, it is not a traditional magnet school.

Turner is located in the inner city of St. Louis, Missouri, and was established in the fall of 1999. At that time, any student who attended one of four magnet cluster schools had the option of remaining in his or her neighborhood school; the additional students were recruited from across the district. The school's student population is primarily African American; 85 to 90 percent of its students receive free or reduced-price lunches.

"I tried literature circles in my first year as well as a reading/writing workshop, but because of my struggles with classroom management skills, I was largely unsuccessful," explained Berg. "I also tried reading novels with students and having them answer questions I made up -- definitely at the top of Bloom's [Taxonomy] -- but I always got those canned answers. No deep learning was taking place with that activity!

"No, I've always known that skill-and-drill lecture-type classrooms were ineffective, but it wasn't until I developed good management skills that I was able to concentrate on how to put together really effective lessons," added Berg.

THE 'JIGSAW METHOD'

Berg encountered an approach called the "jigsaw method" as a first-year teacher during a special training session in another school within her district. She was among five teachers who were sent to learn more about the Schools for Thought program and philosophy, and jigsaw was a part of the training. Schools for Thought is an inquiry-based program that involves students in an interdisciplinary theme. Students conduct research in "pods," groups that are responsible for collecting information about a given area of that topic. Students are the ones who generate the questions to be researched after experiencing an "anchor" activity that is designed to bring forth the questions teachers want them to ask.

"I began to use jigsaw more frequently because of my interest in inquiry-based instruction in the language arts classroom," said Berg. "After an Eisenhower-funded teacher trip to Costa Rica for two weeks with other teachers from Missouri to learn inquiry, I knew I wanted to figure out how to apply inquiry to my own content area. When I began to learn about constructivism, that added another piece to the puzzle. The final piece was my participation in a class through the Gateway Writing Institute, where I read Nonfiction Matters, by Stephanie Harvey, and conducted an action research project on inquiry-based instruction in my classroom. As I watched my students take control of their learning, I saw them become more responsible, more involved, and more successful. Since then there's been no looking back."

Jigsaw is a group structure that can be used across all content areas. Students start with a home group. That group is responsible for learning an assigned portion of a task that is prescribed by the teacher. Then the teacher separates students into new groups -- jigsaw groups -- by assigning one member from each home group to a new group. If an activity begins with groups A, B, C, and D, the jigsaw groups have a member from A, B, C, and D. In the jigsaw groups, students share information and complete some sort of project or product.

FAIRY TALE FUN -- JIGSAW STYLE!

When Berg wanted her students to grasp the concept of the definition of a fairy tale, she decided that it was the perfect opportunity to incorporate the jigsaw approach.

Berg began by having her students divide into five equal groups. Each group got one fairy tale to read. The stories were "The Ugly Duckling," "Snow White," "Hansel and Gretel," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and "The Three Little Pigs." Each group was responsible for collecting the following information:

Who are the characters in the story?

Where does the story take place?

What are the major events of the story?

Are there any magical or supernatural events? If so, what are they?

After the students read, discussed, and recorded the above information, Berg split them into jigsaw groups. One person from each fairy tale assembled in a new group. (She assigns the jigsaw groups because it is difficult for her students to create these new, blended groups quickly.) In their new groups, students were each given three minutes to tell the other group members about the story they had read as well as the information they had collected. After that, the group had to create a poster and give a presentation that addressed two points:

1. What do all five stories have in common?

2. Using what you found in common, write your own definition for a fairy tale.

"They started out trying to find simple commonalities like characters, but that did not work," said Berg. "They had to dig deeper to get any real commonalities. For example, some of them pointed out that men were usually the heroes, that there was usually a battle or conflict between good and evil, and that the good guys always won. They touched on ideas that the stories were timeless and could have happened at any time in history. They also said the stories tried to teach a lesson about how you should act -- a moral lesson."

Not until after the presentations did Berg discuss the definition of a fairy tale according to the literature textbook. The students were excited to see that they really had developed a very accurate description of the concept, and they were more open to Berg's mini lesson that followed.

"Other activities I connected to this unit included a compare-contrast essay comparing 'The Three Little Pigs' and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs [by Jon Scieszka] told from the wolf's point of view," Berg stated. "I also did another jigsaw activity for the final leg of the unit in which students read and compared five different versions of 'Cinderella' and then defined what a 'Cinderella story' was using the commonalities among the stories. Some groups chose to present their information in play form, and they were fantastic!"

NO KIDS 'SAWING LOGS' DURING JIGSAW

When Berg first used the jigsaw structure this year, her students panicked!

"They were not used to the structure, and they were not used to having to think on their own. They were afraid of being wrong," she explained. "However, with my facilitation as well as seeing that I was not looking for right or wrong answers, just well-supported ones, my students began to enjoy the activity.

During my fairy tale unit, I actually had two students argue about a concept -- Do all fairy tales have happy endings? -- complete with tears. My students were engaged in their learning, they cared about what they were learning. It cut down on the discipline problems and the rolling eyes as I gave them their assignments. Students were coming in and asking, 'Are we working on the fairy tale project today? Good!'"

When asked about the jigsaw activity, Berg's student Lisa said, "We read all different kinds of fairy tales. Sometimes Mrs. Berg read fairy tales to us, but we read them on our own too. We read a fairy tale in groups, then we went to a new group. We had to talk about our fairy tales and come up with what was the same about them. Then we had to make up our own definition of a fairy tale. We put all that on a poster and gave a speech to the class about it.

"We got to work together and be creative," she continued. "I like that the ideas came out of my own mind. I like to work with my friends. We get to talk, but we are still working on our project. Working by yourself is boring. Mrs. Berg does lots of group projects where we have to give presentations about what we figure out, and I hope we keep doing more."

Alexandria shared Lisa's enthusiasm for the activity. "This activity was a good one because Mrs. Berg didn't talk to us for a long time," she said. "I got to work in a group instead of working by myself. Working with a group is easier because you can ask others for help if you don't understand, and sometimes you are the one with the answers.

"We worked in groups to make up our own definitions of a fairy tale," Alexandria explained. "Mrs. Berg wouldn't let us use a dictionary. We had to compare our stories to see what they all had in common and then decide what parts would go in the definition. It was interesting to see how fairy tales are all sort of the same but still different."

JIGSAW PUTS THE PIECES TOGETHER

Berg uses the jigsaw method to cover a large amount of material quickly, to introduce students to different perspectives on a topic, to introduce topics and create interest, and as a research strategy. She feels that the technique has numerous benefits.

"First of all, the students are the ones doing the work; they are making the meaning, so they are doing the learning," the teacher explained. "When designed well, these tasks are challenging and engaging, and my students enjoy wrapping their minds around a problem. Since they are working in groups, no kids have to sink or swim on their own, they have the help of their peers.

"However, since they know they are moving on to a new group where they are the only one with that piece of the information, they rarely sit back and let other group members do all the work," Berg continued. "Every student is essential to the jigsaw group's success, so every group member is held accountable. At the beginning of the year when I first use this activity, I always have a couple in every class who don't do what they need to. I never have to say a word; the reaction and censure of their jigsaw members solves that problem."

Berg feels that the most important plus of jigsaw learning is that the students are creating their own meaning and proving that they really have learned the material. Months after she did a myth unit that included a jigsaw activity in which her students talked about and investigated myths, some of Berg's students were doing a synonym project. They used Medusa as an example of a synonym for ugly. Others went on to write their own myths. To Berg, this was proof that the activity encouraged the class members to develop a fuller understanding of the concept of a myth.

"I do believe this method is especially good for middle school students and high schoolers too," said Berg. "Adolescents love their peers. They are very social, active people, and jigsaw activities feed into their developmental needs. I cannot imagine making my students sit quietly in straight rows all day long!"

Although this method has strong positives for students, Berg recognizes that it isn't a cure-all. "Jigsaw is just one teaching method out of many," she shared. "It will not solve all the ills of public education, but it is one tool that helps our students make their own connections while we observe their thinking. Understanding the way our students think through a problem is as important -- probably more important! -- as what they think the answer is. If we know how students think, we are better able as teachers to correct any misconceptions they may have."

Education World®
Copyright © Education World

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'Jigsaw' Approach Boosts Learning | Education World

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Sixth-grade teacher Ellen Berg desperately wanted to show her students the true meaning of a fairy tale, but how could she organize an activity that would encourage them to develop their own definition of the term, willingly? A technique called the "jigsaw method" provided the backdrop for the dynamic and engaging lesson that her students still recall!

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https://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/jigsaws/examples.html

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Jump down to a variety of types of jigsaws
Using graphs and equations : Using objects for analysis : Using data sets : Jigsaws and reading in the literature

The long and the short of it

The following two jigsaw examples lie at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of length and complexity and also illustrate just how versatile the jigsaw technique is. Following these two examples, you will find examples of many different types of jigsaws that can be adopted, adapted or simply serve as catalysts for your own thinking.

The long: Discovering plate boundaries

One of the best known and most widely used jigsaw activities for geoscience courses is the Discovering Plate Boundaries exercise developed by Dale Sawyer at Rice University. The exercise is built around four global data maps: 1) earthquake location and depth, 2) location of recent volcanic activity, 3) seafloor age, and 4) topography and bathymetry.

Each team works with one of the global data maps and determines where they would put the plate boundaries based on the data that they have. For a large class, Dale breaks each data-type team into subteams that focus on only one particular plate or group of plates.

After re-forming into mixed groups, each student teaches the others in the group about what his/her data set suggests about plate boundary locations.

The group task is then to combine the different data sets and work together as a group to determine where plate boundaries lie and why.

This jigsaw is an effective way for students to explore plate boundaries based on observations that they can make. The exercise takes three one-hour classes or one three-hour lab to complete. You can find the full exercise, data sets, and a Journal of Geoscience Education article about the activity at the link above.

The short: Igneous rock classification

At the opposite end of the complexity spectrum, is a very simple, but effective jigsaw on igneous rock classification that Jeff Niemitz (Dickinson College) developed for a large (120 students) introductory geology course.

As students enter the auditorium, they each pick up one rock from a box of samples by the classroom door. The box contains samples of granite, gabbro, and basalt.

The instructor asks students to study their rock samples individually and write down all the observations they can make about them. The task is simple enough to use in a large class without having to check on each student's preparation.

After giving students several minutes to study their rocks, the instructor asks the students to make groups of three so that each group has three different rock types.

Students teach each other what they saw in their own rocks, and the group then compares rocks, noting similarities and differences.

The instructor then asks groups what they have noted in their rocks and writes down responses on the board.

Students make all of the observations that one might expect them to make about color, grain size, and texture, providing an engaging base for the instructor to introduce igneous rock classification. Although the jigsaw assignment takes time in class, the instructor does not need to spend as much time lecturing about igneous rock classification. If planned well, the overall time committed to using this jigsaw during class is comparable to that of lecturing about the topic. And the students will retain a mental image of these three rock types.

A variety of types of jigsaws

Jigsaws using graphs, formulas, and equations

Short jigsaws during class that help students learn to plot data, interpret graphs, and use formulas and equations are easy to construct and valuable for students. The team assignment gives students an opportunity to grapple with a graph or equation and master it well enough to explain it. One effective way to have teams prepare is to have team members create their own concept sketches of the graph or equation. A concept sketch has a central graphic ( e.g., a graph or an equation) that is concisely annotated with short statements (not just labels) that describe a student's understanding of the elements shown in the central graphic. A subsequent group task comparing team assignments provides students an opportunity to explore, for example, how a graph varies with different data inputs, how the terms in an equation influence the output, how different portrayals of the same data might result in different interpretations, and so on.

Jigsaws using objects for analysis

Jigsaw is a terrific way to have students examine and analyze unique but related objects. Each student benefits not only from individual in-depth analysis but also from the picture that the groups put together by exploring a range of examples. Jigsaw is particularly useful if you have a great collection of objects, pictures, images, or samples, but you don't have enough copies for each student to work with identical ones. Just remember that this works best if you don't need students to know each example equally well.

Jigsaws for analyzing data sets

On many occasions, we'd like students not only to analyze a given data set but also to work with several other examples to see how they relate to one another, vary from one another, or can be combined to make a complete picture. Commonly, however, there's not enough time for students to do a complete analysis of several data sets, or it would be either repetitive or too time-consuming to have them do more than one. The jigsaw technique is a great technique to allow students to spend time analyzing one data set in depth, learn about others in less depth from a peer, and put together a complete picture that is not clear from only one data set. The team data analysis portion of the jigsaw could be done outside of class, in a lab session, or during class.

Jigsaws for reading in the literature

One of the problems with assigning outside reading in preparation for a class discussion is that, if everyone does the reading and comes adequately prepared, it's hard to "discuss the reading" during class in an interesting way. The literature is also typically difficult for undergraduates to read, and assigning multiple articles to achieve either breadth or depth might not be desirable.

Jigsaw offers an interesting way around both problems by having teams of students reading different but related articles and achieving depth and breadth in mixed groups.

The key involves selecting related articles and helping students prepare adequately. Telling students to "do the reading and come prepared to teach it" is typically not very successful. Having students prepare written answers to guiding questions or create concept sketches of key figures can help students prepare well for class.

During peer teaching, having students role play the researchers ("My colleagues and I....") sounds silly but is remarkably effective for changing the tone in mixed groups from classroom to quasi-professional.

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Jump down to a variety of types of jigsaws Using graphs and equations : Using objects for analysis : Using data sets : Jigsaws and reading in the literature The long and the short of it The following two jigsaw ...

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https://icce.sfsu.edu/content/service-learning-english

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Thank you for your interest in service-learning in English. ICCE can help you create or deepen your service-learning class. We provide models of other courses, sample syllabi, resources for course construction, reflective analysis tools, and risk management support.

Service-learning activity usually falls into two categories:

TYPE 1 - Teaching/tutoring/sharing knowledge from the class.

Example: Students at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, partnered with the Community Child Project to respond to issues of poverty and illiteracy. As part of the program the Syracuse students tutored the children and also "decided to write and illustrate a children's book with local children as a way to involve and understand the power of community action." As one student reflected, "We set out to tackle issues of illiteracy in the community, and this was our creative intervention into a problem that really needs to be addressed. Once the book is published, the copyrights will be turned over to Success By 6. It will be a renewable resource for the community for years to come." At the end of the semester there was an art show, which featured the illustrations that the children drew for the book. 2

TYPE 2 - Using information in the class to do something with/for a community organization.

Example: English composition students at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, worked in groups on a collaborative writing project for five non-profits in the Baton Rouge area. The groups spent time interviewing the subjects and producing something tangible. The finished projects took the form of videos, a video script of an oral history, and brochures. As one student reflected, "The best aspect of this class is that it allows you to be in complete (almost complete) control of your own work, both creatively and structurally. This way you can OWN what you do!" 3

1 - Service-Learning and Composition at the Crossroads by Robert Crooks Linda Adler- Kassner, and Ann Watters in Writing the Community: Concepts and Models for Service Learning in Composition (Service Learning in the Disciplines Series).

2 - Jacobi, T. "Learning Through Collaboration." Community Matters: A Reader for Writers. Eds. Ford, Marjorie, and Schave, Elizabeth. New York: Longman, 2002. 358-368. Print.

3 - Dorman, W., and Dorman, S. "Service-Learning: Bridging the Gap Between the Real World and Composition Classroom" Writing the Community: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Composition. Eds. L. Adler-Kassner, R. Crooks, and A. Waters. Sterling: Stylus, 2006. 119-132. Print.
Please contact ICCE for more information.

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Thank you for your interest in service-learning in English. ICCE can help you create or deepen your service-learning class. We provide models of other courses, sample syllabi, resources for course construction, reflective analysis tools, and risk management support. Example: Students at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, partnered with the Community Child Project to respond to issues of poverty and illiteracy.

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http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Minor-ServiceLearning.html

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The Internet TESL Journal James M. Minor
minorj [at] sacredheart.edu
Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, Connecticut, USA)
http://www.sacredheart.edu/cas/english/efl

Introduction

The introduction of service-learning into our ESL program has revitalized its curriculum and made a significant impact on our students. In this article I'd like to explain how service-learning is well-suited for second language teaching, and give you some tips for incorporating service-learning into your ESL program.

What is Service-Learning?

Service-learning is a union of community service and formal learning. It involves students going out into their communities and using that which they learn in class to help people, and then bringing that which they learn in their community service back into the classroom to enhance their learning. It's service with learning objectives and learning with service objectives. The concept is not new. It's at least as old as The International Partnership for Service-Learning, which was established in 1982. And, as is evident in the name of this partnership, the concept is not uniquely American. It's a concept which is evidenced in countries all over the world and in many different disciplines.

Two Significant Second Language Learner Needs

As language teachers (and learners), we've all experienced what has been long proven by research: to learn a language well learners need meaningful contexts. Mary Ann Christison, in "Applications of Brain-Based Research for Second Language Teaching and Learning" (1999), deduced,

Facts and skills that are taught in isolation and not connected to something meaningful cannot be remembered without considerable practice and rehearsal... Second language classroom activities that are meaningful create an ideal learning opportunity for second language students to learn more information in a shorter time, with less effort.

Similarly, Laura Latulippe (1999) suggests, "Wherever possible, students should be placed in context-rich situations."

This point does not need belaboring. But there is another need that young adult learners have, especially at the university level, which hasn't received as much attention in the field of second language learning. The need to which I refer is the development of humane values. This is a responsibility that until fairly recently many institutes of higher learning took very seriously. As Mithra Augustine, a renowned educator of India, asserted at an international conference on service-learning,

The role and function of universities and colleges were earlier seen as integral to the processes of social engineering, developing in students critical faculties, creative potential and initiative towards applying these to the tasks of freeing people from material want and intellectual deprivation (p.12, Berry & Chisholm).

And still today there is a broadening concern for this responsibility. There are a growing number of educators who, like Howard Berry and Linda Chisholm (1999), believe that

Foremost among the purposes (of higher education) is that of giving young adults the skills and breadth of knowledge to think deeply about the structures of their society and to appropriate values which must govern their personal and professional lives (p.12).

And there are even those, like Louis Albert, who insist, "Preparing the next generation for a lifelong commitment to productive citizenship is the most important challenge facing educators and communities at the local, regional, national, and global levels" (p.15, Berry & Chisholm).

Service-Learning & ESL Programs

Service-Learning is ideal for second language teaching because it meets the two learner needs described above. It creates meaningful contexts for the language learner, and it draws out and cultivates humane values.

Since the summer of 2000 service-learning has been an integral part of Sacred Heart University's ESL curriculum. Each week students go to a local soup kitchen, an elementary school, a tutoring agency, a retirement community, a Habitat for Humanity construction project, or the like -- and they serve. They prepare and serve food, assist physical education teachers in gym class, share with kids about their countries, tutor in math or computer literacy, swing a hammer along with other volunteers, or help seniors with their grocery shopping. There are many ways our students can serve. Back in the classroom, students have the opportunity to discuss the myriad of feelings, thoughts, experiences, and observations that they've had. They also have opportunities to read and research the issues affecting the people they are serving (e.g., homelessness, welfare systems, treatment of the elderly, affordable housing, childhood education). This is meaningful learning! Their language tasks are no longer sterile, isolated or tedious. They become real responses to real issues -- students learning about and expressing their thoughts and ideas on issues of importance and personal relevance.

Along with the provision of meaningful contexts for language learning, service-learning has the added benefit of fostering students' personal growth. As one student from Turkey reflected, "(Service-learning) made me think more and more about needy people... It made me plan my future considering poor and needy people and gave me a different point of view." A Colombian student put it this way: "(Service-learning) makes me grow in spirit and mind and in my way of seeing the things."

Some Practical Tips for Getting Started

If you're interested in incorporating a service-learning component into your ESL program, here are some tips based on our own successes and failures.

1. Establish and develop some relationships with some community service agencies near you. Most of these agencies are volunteer-dependent and will jump at the chance of connecting your students with their programs. And with a good working relationship, you can find some mutually beneficial ways your students can participate.

2. Make sure the service is really service. In other words, do the activities that your students engage in really help people?

3. Spend at least 3-4 consecutive weeks at the same worksite. This develops a rapport between students and the people with whom they're working, and it gives students a chance to become more comfortable. There is inevitably an "ice breaking" period in the beginning, and the more familiar the place and people become, the more rewarding the experience will be -- both for the students and for the agency served.

4. Make sure the activities that the students are engaged in involve personal interaction with others. Remember that one of the main goals of this is providing meaningful language contexts. Students spending 2 hours digging a ditch by themselves may not afford any meaningful language use. But students spending 2 hours digging a ditch alongside an English-speaking volunteer will surely provide the students with some meaningful language contexts.

5. Model the kind of involvement you expect from them. Don't just drop them off and pick them up. Participate in the service, setting an example for them to follow.

6. Challenge your students to take initiatives. If they sit back and wait for others to interact with them, they will miss opportunities to develop their English. Some students will be reluctant to step out of their comfort zones. But with some encouragement, practice and good modeling, they will soon develop the skills and courage to initiate meaningful language interaction.

7. Pair quiet students with more outgoing ones. This will help increase the comfort level for quiet students, while encouraging them to step out.

8. Have students keep a journal for taking notes on their experiences and reflections. This will provide a basis for later classroom activities and language tasks and will help students track their journey.

9. Make sure you bring the service back into the classroom. The amount of reading and research on the issues which students do in the classroom will depend on their level and the space you have in your curriculum. But be sure that you connect the service with their learning and give students opportunities to think about and react to their experiences.

10. Be patient with your students and with the service-learning developments. It can take some time to find opportunities that work for your program. But with continual evaluation and student feedback, service-learning can have a great impact on your students' learning experience.

"People who have high knowledge but no action to help others never have power," said a young Korean student. But the combination of learning and service can be a very powerful methodology in ESL programs.
References

Christison, M. (1999). Applications of Brain-Based Research for Second Language Teaching and Learning: Part 2, TESOL Matters, 9,4.

Latulippe, L. (1999). Lessons Learned from Being a Student Again: Part 2, TESOL Matters, 9, 2.

Berry, H., & Chisholm, L. (1999). Service-Learning in Higher Education Around the World. New York: The International Partnership for Service-Learning.

The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VII, No. 4, April 2001
http://iteslj.org/ http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Minor-ServiceLearning.html

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Using Service-Learning as Part of an ESL Program

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The Internet TESL Journal James M. Minorminorj [at] sacredheart.eduSacred Heart University (Fairfield, Connecticut, USA) http://www.sacredheart.edu/cas/english/efl The introduction of service-learning into our ESL program has revitalized its curriculum and made a significant impact on our students. In this article I'd like to explain how service-learning is well-suited for second language teaching, and give you some tips for incorporating service-learning into your ESL program.

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"Before the gallery walk, students will submit a slide that has these three elements:

Context: Why is this a problem? Why should kids care?

Problem: What question(s) are they trying to solve?

Task: What are they producing? How will they show they have met standards?

Ask students to go through the slide deck and pick two problems to evaluate. Does the problem meet all three criteria (it’s hyper-localized, relevant, and can have multiple solutions)?"
https://www.weareteachers.com/problem-based-learning-activities/

Students can use the comments feature to share their findings and take notes. Then, you can chat as a class about what you noticed. Using the feedback, students can revise their problem statements.

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One of the biggest trends in education right now is problem-based learning, and for a good reason. PBL is a powerful way to help kids build the skills and confidence they need to see themselves as changemakers. There are so many opportunities for us to introduce PBL in our classes (even virtually!). If you've never tried PBL before, but you're ready to start, here are three activities to get started.

Brainstorm a problem Padlet

To get started with PBL, challenge students to brainstorm a problem that they'd like to solve. We love using Padlet so students can easily see each other's ideas (plus you can post the board in your LMS and add to it as you work). Post-It notes work great too!

As you go through students' ideas, you'll likely see big, broad, world-wide problems like poverty, hunger, school violence, and climate change. For PBL to work, we need to help our students narrow their focus, so their problem meets three criteria: it's hyper-localized, relevant, and can have multiple solutions. Introduce the criteria, and then use one of your student's examples to dig deeper into the problem. Here are some questions you might ask:

Why is this a problem?

Why should kids care?

How does the problem affect our community (school, neighborhood, city/town)?

Is this problem affecting us in our day-to-day lives? How?

What are some ideas for how we might solve this problem?

Sharing an example can help students see how they can take a big problem and use the three criteria to narrow their focus. Here's an example from MindSpark Learning's PD on Problem-Based Learning. Ask students to go back into the Padlet and revise their problem, so it meets all three criteria.

Conduct a problem statements gallery walk

Now that students are beginning to understand how to identify a problem that meets all three of PBL's criteria give them a chance to develop that understanding with a gallery walk. Before the gallery walk, students will submit a slide that has these three elements:

Context: Why is this a problem? Why should kids care?

Problem: What question(s) are they trying to solve?

Task: What are they producing? How will they show they have met standards?

Ask students to go through the slide deck and pick two problems to evaluate. Does the problem meet all three criteria (it's hyper-localized, relevant, and can have multiple solutions)?

Students can use the comments feature to share their findings and take notes. Then, you can chat as a class about what you noticed. Using the feedback, students can revise their problem statements.

Introduce needs statement sentence frames

The next step in PBL is to write a needs statement. Students will likely need some support to understand what a needs statement is and how to write it. We love this sentence frame from MindSpark Learning, and giving students an example also helps them get started.

What's next? Enter The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest

PBL is most meaningful when students work together to design a solution to their problem. This is where they see the impact of their work. It's also motivating and exciting when they have a bigger goal to work towards, like entering a contest. The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest is fully virtually this year, and you and your students have a chance to win your share of $2 million dollars in classroom technology.

Want to learn more? Take a free PBL workshop

Once you register on the website, you have access to six free hours of PD. Samsung partnered with MindSpark Learning, so you have everything that you need to co-create a strong problem statement with your students. This isn't your typical "sit and get" webinar where a facilitator talks at you. It's highly interactive, and you will use tools like Padlet, Jamboard, Zoom chat, and breakout rooms to learn PBL basics. So if you want to enter the contest, but you feel like you need some support, check out the PD. There's also a virtual session on design thinking so you and your students can start dreaming up a solution.

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3 Activities To Get Started With Problem Based Learning (Plus, Free PD!)

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One of the biggest trends in education right now is problem-based learning, and for a good reason. PBL is a powerful way to help kids build the skills and confidence they need to see themselves as changemakers. There are so many opportunities for us to introduce PBL in our classes (even virtually!).

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I really like the idea to do a Research Author Jigsaw activity that is a part of Corporative Learning. Completing this Jigsaw would give students great context knowledge about an author for a big text we would be reading for the unit. It would be beneficial in helping students develop their own identities by learning about the identity of a studied author.

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The activity would take place in class on day early in a unit, before we read a text by that author. Since it is a Jigsaw activity, students will be mainly working in groups, but they need to be engaged for the activity to work. This activity will take most, if not all, of the class period.

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I will use the result of the activity to determine student readiness to jump into the text. If they understand or don't understand quickly about the author easy and are familiar with the genre or time period, it will impact if we need more pre-reading days, or if they are ready to jump in. The single-point-rubric will include their participation, ability to learn about their assigned expert group, and their ability to teach it to their classmates.