Project Overview and Goals
By: Malini Paul
Who am I?
Answering this question might cause many educators to pause. Some might not have an answer. Some might not be satisfied with their answer. Some might feel that they are still figuring it out.
So, how can we teach adolescents to answer this question when the answers are infinite? How can we lead our students on their journey of self-discovery?
Having a personal identity is profoundly important for young learners. There are many factors that could define them: race, gender, socioeconomic background, hobbies, religion, values... How should young people choose to define themselves? What factors are compelling?
In order to guide our students in forming their personal identity, our PBL asks this question:
How does our environment shape the person we become?
Our project asks our learners to dive deep into the unique experiences of the person they know better than anyone: themselves. Through personally meaningful projects, all students will be actively engaged and in control of their teaching. Starting at the most basic level, our PBL will ask learners to look at themselves in the context of their home and family, school, and community. Through self-awareness of their own culture, they will begin to ask questions about other cultures. Projects on observable elements of culture will be exciting opportunities for students to research languages, food, music, and art. Older learners will be able to question the impact their relationships, and cultural and environmental surroundings have on their identity. They will be able to gain multiple ways of seeing the world (not just my way) and make inquiries into deep-culture aspects like gender-roles and stereotypes.
Why are we asking our students to reflect on how their environment shapes their identity? This question has a bigger implication. While on their journey, students will be able to develop their sense of self-acceptance and self-esteem. They will be able to create a closer-knit classroom community with more acceptance and understanding of their peers. They will begin to understand what makes them unique and how to appreciate their own identities.
Our PBL will incorporate these seven essential goals to effectively engage our learners:
1. A Need to Know
By creating compelling projects, students will feel intrinsically motivated to engage fully in the learning process. Our PBL is personally relevant for every individual student because their experiences are what drives the inquiries.
2. A Driving Question
An effective question is open-ended and complex. Our PBL challenges learners to objectively look at themselves, but with the reassurance that there are no wrong answers when it comes to our essential question.
3. Student Voice and Choice
In our student-centered PBL, the learners will be able to choose how they want to present their findings. Older learners will also be able to choose their topic, resources, and presentation style.
4. 21st Century Skills
Our PBL tasks will allow students to develop their creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills. With these skills, young learners will be better prepared to adapt in a modern work environment.
5. Inquiry and Innovation
As students begin their introspection and research, new topics of inquiry will come up. Our students will be the force behind these new problems and solutions, not the teacher or the textbook. Our main question of “How does our environment shape the person we become?” can segue to other questions about nature versus nurture, what it means to be a member of a community, or ethnic identity, for example.
6. Feedback and Revision
Teachers will give direct, meaningful feedback to learners during the PBL. Rubrics, peer-reviews, and teacher conferences can also provide valuable formative assessments during the learning process. Students will be encouraged to learn from their mistakes and make revisions to their project.
7. A Publicly Presented Product
A PBL task that is presented publicly can be more meaningful for the students than one confined to the classroom. Some examples could be a performance at the school’s International Night, or creating a PSA video raising awareness of minority groups.
Resources
Identity & Community: An Introduction to 6th Grade Social Studies. (n.d.). Facing History and Ourselves. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/identity-and-community
Larmer, J. (2021, June 29). Seven Essentials for Project-Based Learning. ASCD. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/seven-essentials-for-project-based-learning