Write your initial post about Project-based learning. What do you already know about it?
Project-based learning is when students take inspiration from what they have been learning. Students are exposed to various kinds of sources such as pictures, documents, books, and audio this allows students to get a feel of what it was like to be alive during this time. Also, students have a say in the project they complete for example in Hughes the students got to choose the topic of the civil rights movement they covered. When doing the writings, they are able to think and feel what someone at that time might have gone through. They got to relate to content more instead of it just being a lecture and answering questions. The other example was more of a class project that grew with every lesson as the students learned. Overtime they got to watch their city develop through a hands-on process.
What do you think makes it a powerful way to plan for SS inquiry?
Students will naturally have questions and be engaged when they are a part of an activity such as the paper bag city. They are able to take part in their learning and learn through doing. As the project keeps going, they learn new skills as they going along like reading compasses. Students get to think about their thinking and question why things are the way they are.
Link to activities: https://teachingwithamountainview.com/titanic-lessons-experiments-activities/
Here is one of the projects from the blog I liked how this included science elements and students were able to create their own boat. This experiment was to show how much weight a boat can hold before it sinks. They also included an experiment with weak rivets made out of clay. Students are able to see why the Titanic sank.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteProject-based learning is a powerful way to plan for SS inquiry because like you mentioned, it allows students to actively engage with the learning. Because project-based learning usually involves creating something students develop an internal care and therefore motivates them to keep learning. Motivation is key in education because when students are motivated to learn, they are more likely to naturally come up with questions and retain the content easier. When I have my own classroom I hope that I am able to implement project-based learning because of all the great benefits that come with it.
Thanks Melany for responding project based learning is such a tool and a great way for students to learn. Student engagement can be difficult sometimes and having them actually involved in the process is a great experience.
DeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job at describing project-based learning and how it can be used to improve student learning. I liked how you brought up how project-based learning can be used to help students connect to the content more than they would have from a simple lecture. Project based learning is such a good way to help engage and connect students to what they are learning. I agree with the idea that helping students engage and connect to the content will make the inquiry process easier for them. Understanding and critically thinking about a topic is much more enjoyable when the content is presented in an engaging format.
I feel having students connect to the material is really important, because with project based learning students are hands on with their learning. When students have their hands on the project, then the questions will come naturally and their curiosity will come.
DeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI liked how your project could be tied to many different subjects. It could be used for history/social studies, as well as science. You could use a project like this and link the subjects. Did you ever do a project like this in school? I remember doing something similar where we would see what kind of objects would float in water and what the materials that would float were made of! Great blog post