Essential Questions

One of the early steps in successful project-based learning is for students to develop essential questions. Somewhere in the misty regions of their interests and passions, familiar topics, recent learning, and often the complete unknown, an essential question takes shape to guide inquiry and project work.

There are many variations on what makes a good essential question; here are some guidelines being used by students in a "Middle Earth 12" class at D.P. Todd in Prince George:

1. an essential question should spark the imagination 
2. an essential question introduces a problem that has a means of being solved 
3. an essential question has depth -- dimension and significance 
4. an essential question pushes thinking, creativity, and authentic inquiry
5. an essential question is broad enough to make connections between diverse fields, but still has a recognizable focus 

Middle Earth 12 is a senior Humanities course exploring society, history, language, and landscape by going in-between real and imagined worlds.  Here are some of the essential questions that the students in Middle Earth 12 are using for their first of two attempts at project-based learning:

• Can the use of creative writing and visual arts be used to understand and empathize with daily life in a medieval village?
• Why does the legacy of medieval mythology passed down to modern times leave us with the sense that dragons could be real?
• How did the design and construction of castles satisfy the social needs and engineering talents of past societies?
• How and why have monsters such as werewolves developed in modern literature and cinema?
• How has the character and moral purpose of Robin Hood evolved over time to fit modern society and new audiences?
• What do the Spartan, Aztec, and Ancient Chinese cultures have in common regarding the social impact of weapons, armour, and warfare?
• What has been the purpose of calligraphy and related forms of graphic expression in past societies and how has this changed?
• What part of the classic mythological record of Hercules is reflected in modern versions of the story such as Disney's "Hercules?"
• How have various past societies and cultures been shaped by military strategy and weapons technology?
• What patterns are in place in the lore and creation of Dark Souls characters such as Havel the Rock?
• What purpose do the Asgardian Weapons have within Norse Mythology?
• How and why do fictitious "cryptozoological" creatures come into the stories of past European and First Nations cultures?

One might notice a recurring theme here of medievalism and fantasy worlds (this is what drew many of the students towards the course), but there is also an undercurrent of critical inquiry -- applying concepts such as the benchmarks of historical thinking. The students are now involved in the next steps of PBL: asking more questions, planning their research, developing a system for organizing their learning, and putting some thought into the construction and presentation of their inquiry projects.

Example Projects including Genius Hour

This is a presentation that was shared recently with Teachers at College Heights. The slides include links to a number of video descriptions of sample projects. We had some great conversation around different elements of PBL we could roll into existing projects or use to build new ones.

One of the example projects that got a lot of buzz here was the genius hour video. Its worth checking out #geniushour (aka Passion Projects, aka 20% time, aka FedEx Projects) if you are interested in launching an inquiry project and want students to own the process of developing a question, conducting research, and sharing their knowledge. I think the whole set-up provides a great avenue for Teacher experimentation as a Teacher can really get creative in finding ways to guide the project and teach the process while giving a great deal of student choice in the content (which isn't always possible or ideal ;). To that end if you are curious about genius hour I'd totally recommend searching the hashtag #geniushour, the work of Joy Kirr, or catching Gallit Zvi at the Spring Fling.

What's important to you as you consider reiterating a project you've run in the past? What do you work towards when creating new units or projects? What examples have you found helpful along the way?

Some Comprehensive PBL/ Student Inquiry Resources

We've had a few requests for Resources, so we wanted to share a few we've come across and find particularly useful. My question for you is - what are your favorite resources?

Books:

• PBL Starter Kit by John Larmar et al
• PBL in the Elementary Years by Sara Hallermann et al
• Project Based Learning Design and Coaching Guide by Thom Markham
• Thinking Through Project-Based Learning: Guiding Deeper Inquiry by Jane Krauss and Suzie Boss

Free Online Reading:

• Inovation Unit: A Teacher's Guide to Project-Based Learning
• BCTLA Points of Inquiry: A Framework for Information Literacy and the 21st Century Learner
• The National Academy Foundation and Pearson Foundation's Guide to PBL
• Focus on Inquiry: A Teacher's Guide to Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning by Alberta Learning 
• Project-Based Learning Research: Annotated Bibliography

Websites:

• Buck Institute of Education
• This is the site I frequent most often. With a free account you can download a number of valuable tools, and they even have a PBL DIY tutorial you can walk through on your own. 
• Edutopia
• Galileo Educational Network 
• High Tech High 
• Projects
• Seven Successful PBL Projects - an in depth look examples

Blogs:

• Experts and NewBIEs: Bloggers on PBL
• Edutopia Blog - Posts on PBL
• Mind/ Shift Blog - Posts on PBL
• Teach Thought Blog - Posts on PBL

Content Curated by Steve

• YouTube Video Playlist
• Project Based Learning Pinboard
• Inquiry Pinboard

So, what are your favorite resources? See something missing? Please comment below?

Cross posted to chaselearning.blogspot.ca