Project Based Learning Project

Community Project - Middle School Students

Robert Nappa M3U4A2

What Can I Do For My Community?A sense of community is seriously lacking in my school’s students. We need to ask ourselves “What can we do for the community?”

We will work together as a team to tackle the issues that have been pushed aside for far too long!

Step One: Setting the Stage

Talk about the community, the value of said community, and what it means to live in a community

“What are our places in the community?”

“What changes would you like to see in the community?”

Step Two: Brainstorming

Break the class into groups of three or four.

We need to generate ideas on what we can do to better the community. Korean cities are broken down into districts with clear lines that make it easier to see what exactly your community is in size.

This is will enable us to see what needs to change or improve to make the community a better place to live in.

Step Three: Gather Data

Groups need to think of their walks and drives to school and remember how safe the trek was.

Is there cycling infrastructure?

Is it safe?

How much garbage is on the streets?

Step Four: Explain Guidelines for Project

Individually written paper

Group oral presentation accompanied with 21st century technology

Letters to the local government

This project should be meaning for the students and they need to feel passionate for the project

Step Five: Materials and ToolsWe will need technology to help us complete this project. Almost every student has a camera on their smartphones and we need evidence of what they want to change.

Groups can use afterschool time to take pictures on their way home of the state of their community and things they want to change that is congruent to their project.

Step Six: Project PreparationGroups can share their findings and devise a way to present the project through a powerpoint, video, or another presentation tool.

Who can the students contact in the community to help fix the problems?

Draft letters to the local government asking for assistance or action that can better the community on a larger scale.

Step Seven: Presentation

Individual papers are handed into the teacher

Groups take turns presenting their findings and actions that have/can take to better the community

Who they can send letters to, or who to contact in local government

Peer evaluation sheets are given to the other groups

Step Nine: Reflection and EvaluationWhat did the students like about the project? What did they find frustrating? What would they change about the project?

Students can share how they found the criteria and how effectively they followed and executed all guidelines.

How did they like working in groups for the activity? Would they rather work alone? Bigger groups?

Deeper Learning

When students practice decision making and deductive reasoning and are exposed to examples from real life, they are able to expand their skills, evaluate their options, and think critically. The activities in this section help students visualize how events actually unfold by having students conduct research, discuss and write about the material, collect or draw data, and reflect on their work (Stix, Hrbek 2006).

Deeper Learning con’t

The students are able to learn from each other and work together to finish a project. They design something from scratch to present to others and try to make an impact on something they deal with every day.

The teacher’s role is to set the stage and then let the students execute. The teacher is there for guidance instead of answers. Much like a coach in sports, we can motivate the students but it is the students who make the goals.

References

Stix, Andi; Hrbek, Frank. (2006). Teachers as Classroom Coaches. Retrieved February 2, 2017 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/106031/chapters/The_Nine_Steps_of_Project-Based_Learning.aspx.