Prompts for Driving Questions

In project-based learning(PBL) the driving question is a clear open-ended and intriguing question that gives a sense of what the project is all about. It should be connected to an instructional goal and helps drive exploration.

Learning Objectives are the skills and content we want them to learn though the project, such as learning how to roll a paper column, learning how to record and edit a short video, the definition of concepts like structure, load, tension, compression, strut, column, truss, beam, etc., how to calculate an average, how to balance a chemical equation. These will typically be based on the Massachusetts Frameworks and other standards.

Outcome Objectives are the deliverables we want them to produce: A tower, a house model, a video, a 5-paragraph essay on types of bridges, a written exam, a spreadsheet, a disease prediction.

The Driving Question or Design Challenge is the driving force of the project- what is the real-life goal we are trying to solve?

Example of prompt:

In your role as[ a second-grade teacher], planning a project-based learning unit  related to the following framework standards:

2-PS1-1. Describe and classify different kinds of materials by observable properties of color,  flexibility, hardness, texture, and absorbency.

2-PS1-2. Test different materials and analyze the data obtained to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose, 

Write five possible driving questions to guide students in their project.