PBL Showcase ~ Summer 2026

DQ: How can plants from our school garden help us stay healthy, and how can we share this information with others? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: ENL, ELA, Science, Physical Education/Health 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, determine cause & effect, draw conclusions, identify main idea & details, make inferences, use text evidence, make text connections - to self, text/media, world, develop vocabulary  

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Self and/or Social Awareness, Actively Listen and Speak 

Task: ENL students were tasked with becoming plant health experts. They created and presented visual posters that communicated health information about garden plants to school administration, demonstrating the ability to research, analyze, and advocate for plant-based health benefits. 

DQ: How can we use our power, funding, and creativity to maximize our impact on local nonprofits? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies/History, Physical Education/Health, Fine Arts, CTE 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, analyze text structure, determine cause & effect, draw conclusions, make inferences, make predictions, determine point of view, connect problem & solution, sequence 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness, Flexibility, Incorporate and Give Feedback, Actively Listen and Speak 

Task:  Students served as "Philanthropic Consultants" to allocate a potential $25,000 prize from the "America's Favorite Teacher Competition," won through free daily voting. Over eight weeks, they met with local nonprofits, many connected to the community. Students led the effort, developing marketing materials (QR codes, flyers, etc.), securing district support, and generating media coverage, including a radio interview. Their daily strategy focused on sustaining community votes. Failing to reach the donation-heavy final round taught a valuable lesson: winning would have compromised their original integrity, exposing the competition's reliance on high-volume donations. The most significant outcome was the community cohesion fostered. Students gained skills in social media leverage, public speaking, and strategic messaging while managing stress and defeat. They are now planning to support nonprofits without the prize money and collectively donated a $50 gift (matched by a donor) to the B+ Foundation (which aided a classmate). The entire project was a robust, real-world, Problem-Based Learning experience that involved overcoming numerous challenges. 

DQ: How can we measure an object (structure) that is extremely tall or beyond reach? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: Math, ELA, Science, Fine Arts, CTE 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, determine cause & effect, draw conclusions, make inferences, make predictions, connect problem & solution 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness, Flexibility, Incorporate and Give Feedback, Actively Listen and Speak 

Task: Students were asked to become surveyors/engineers and find the height of various structures around Comsewogue High School. They were only allowed to use a clinometer (which was built by each team and made out of a protractor, straw, string and tape), and a 16 foot tape measure. Using these resources they were assessed based off their accuracy in finding the actual height of these structures. 

DQ: How can coordinate geometry combine creativity and algebra to design real-world images?  

Interdisciplinary Studies: Math, ELA, Fine Arts

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, compare & contrast, connect themes, arguments, perspectives, sequence, develop vocabulary 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Self and/or Social Awareness 

Task: Students were tasked with becoming an artist and asked to draw an "Algebra Self-Portrait". For this project, students designed an image on a coordinate plane that represents their personality, interests, hobbies, or experiences. Students created their image by using linear equations written in slope-intercept form. Students graphed their lines to build their image and wrote their corresponding equations for each line segment. After completing the graph and equations, students wrote a reflective paragraph explaining their image and why the symbols, objects, or design elements were meaningful to them. 

DQ: Why do we need a government, and how do we build a fair one? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Social Studies/History 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, determine cause & effect, compare & contrast, connect themes, arguments, perspectives, draw conclusions, determine point of view, connect problem & solution 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness, Flexibility, Incorporate and Give Feedback, Actively Listen and Speak 

Task:  Our fourth graders recently began answering these big questions, exploring how the United States governs at the federal, state, and local levels. Through this unit, students became political scientists, examining the basis of our democracy and discovering how our laws protect us.

We Explored:

• The Big Picture: Why did the original colonies establish a federal government in the first place? What is a Constitution?

• Levels of Government: How are the U.S. and New York State governments set up, and how do they work together?

• Local Leadership: What does government look like at the village, town, city, and county levels? (And right here in our own community!)

• Rights and Responsibilities: How does the NY government protect its citizens, and what are our responsibilities as proud New Yorkers?

Students discovered the structure of the three branches of government and evaluated why our system of checks and balances is so important to keeping things fair.

To put their new knowledge to the test, students teamed up for a culminating activity: Designing a Playground Government! Working in groups, students imagined a brand-new government on the school playground. To bring order and fairness to recess, they collaborated to create:

1. A Preamble: Modeled directly after the United States and New York State Constitutions.

2. A Bill of Rights: A unique list outlining both the rights and the responsibilities of students on the playground.

The students honed their critical thinking skills and demonstrated teamwork. To end the project, each group presented its creative solutions to the class.

DQ: How can the Pythagorean Theorem be used to create both mathematical patterns and creative art? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies/History, Fine Arts  

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, compare & contrast, draw conclusions, sequence, develop vocabulary 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking 

Task: Students were tasked with becoming mathematicians and artists by constructing a Pythagorean Spiral using the Pythagorean Theorem and transforming it into a creative visual representation. Students applied knowledge of right triangles, square roots, and the Pythagorean Theorem to accurately construct the spiral. After, they used creativity to turn the mathematical design into a piece of art that represented where this spiral shape could be seen in the real world. Students spent time researching where this spiral can naturally occur in nature as well. Some students also chose to turn their design into something that represented their interests or personality. 

DQ: What are we learning in kindergarten that will help us do our jobs as adults? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: Social Studies/History, ELA, Math, Science, Fine Arts, CTE 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, connect problem & solution, sequence, use text evidence, make text connections - to self, text/media, world, develop vocabulary 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Self and/or Social Awareness, Actively Listen and Speak 

Task: Students were tasked with becoming experts on the job they would like to have when they grow up. Through this project‑based learning experience, kindergarteners explore the driving question: “What are we learning in kindergarten that will help us do our jobs as adults?” To answer this question, students investigate a variety of careers by reading fiction and nonfiction texts, watching short videos, and engaging in class discussions about community helpers and real‑world jobs. They compare what characters do in stories with what real professionals do, helping them understand the difference between imagination and real‑life responsibilities. Students then connect these careers to the skills they are building in kindergarten. They identify how reading, writing, counting, problem‑solving, teamwork, and communication are all foundational skills that adults use in every job. This helps students see themselves as capable learners who are already developing the tools they will need in the future. In math, students sort and graph different careers, count tools used in various jobs, and explore simple budgeting or measurement tasks connected to their chosen profession. In science and STEM, students design and build models of tools, vehicles, or workplaces using the engineering design process. The project culminates in a “Career Showcase”, where students share their chosen job, present drawings or models, and explain which kindergarten skills will help them succeed as future workers. This celebration reinforces confidence, curiosity, and the understanding that learning today prepares them for tomorrow.

DQ: How can we use coding to solve real life problems? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: Math, Science, Fine Arts 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, determine cause & effect, draw conclusions, make predictions, connect problem & solution 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Flexibility, Actively Listen and Speak 

Task: How can you program a robot to get from one place to another? How can you program a robot to pick up snow? 

DQ: How can students use their math and science skills to calculate additive volume, research an animal, and create a 3D zoo model that shows how it survives in its ecosystem? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Science, Social Studies/History, Math 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, determine cause & effect, compare & contrast, identify main idea & details, sequence, develop vocabulary 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness, Flexibility, Incorporate and Give Feedback, Actively Listen and Speak 

Task: Our 5th grade students were tasked with designing a zoo animal using composite rectangular prisms. They worked in pairs and began by naming their animals with alliterations before calculating the additive volume of each geometric component. After completing their volume tables, students constructed their animals using STEAM principles. They also researched their animal’s diet, adaptations, and ecosystem to write a brief informational report in their own words. To tie in some of our science standards, students analyzed how their animal interacts with Earth’s spheres (the biosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere) and identified its role in the ecosystem. Finally, they plotted their animal’s natural habitat on a world map. This project required DOK 4 reasoning as students planned, calculated, built, revised, researched, and presented across multiple disciplines. 

DQ: How can we use our artistic and writing skills to advocate for a story that we love and value? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Fine Arts 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, find author's purpose, analyze text structure, connect themes, arguments, perspectives, use text evidence, make text connections - to self, text/media, world 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress 

Task: The students were tasked with launching a major promotional campaign for our class novel, Wonder by R.J Palacio. To help share the powerful message of the novel with a bigger audience, the students explored the real-world industries of publishing and marketing, then were asked to design a professional book review and a striking movie poster that captures the heart of Auggie Pullman’s journey and convinces others to read the book. 

DQ: How can we become country experts and teach others about a country while comparing it to life in the United States? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: Social Studies/History, ELA, CTE

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, compare & contrast, draw conclusions, identify main idea & details, make inferences, use text evidence, make text connections - to self, text/media, world, develop vocabulary 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness, Flexibility, Incorporate and Give Feedback, Actively Listen and Speak 

Task: Students were tasked with investigating a country of their choice. Many students selected a country that reflected their family's heritage, cultural background, or a place of personal significance. They analyzed and compared their country's geography, landmarks, economy, traditions, and daily life to those of the United States, then created a digital research presentation and a physical representation of their choice. Physical representation options included a family artifact, ancestor interview, family recipe, tourist poster, or mini-museum diorama, allowing students to make meaningful personal and cultural connections. Finally, students showcased their learning during our "World Wonders Exhibit", where they presented their research to their families. To create an authentic, interactive experience, each visitor received a "passport." As families visited each exhibit and learned about a country, students stamped their passports, simulating travel around the world while celebrating the knowledge and hard work of every student. 

DQ: How can we use of skills to survive a camp out?

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Science, Social Studies/History, Math, STEAM,

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, determine cause & effect, compare & contrast, identify main idea & details, sequence, develop vocabulary 

Portrait of a Graduate Skills Enhanced: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness, Flexibility, Incorporate and Give Feedback, Actively Listen and Speak 

Task: Students engage in a multidisciplinary project‑based learning experience that uses the theme of camping to integrate literacy, math, science, and engineering. Throughout the unit, students compare and contrast fiction and nonfiction texts about camping, outdoor survival, and nature. By analyzing characters, settings, real‑world information, and text structures, students build a deeper understanding of how stories and informational texts shape our ideas about the outdoors. In math, students apply real‑world problem‑solving skills by planning a campout: calculating supplies, measuring distances, interpreting maps, budgeting materials, and designing data charts related to weather, temperature, or animal sightings. These tasks reinforce mathematical reasoning in an authentic, meaningful context. STEM challenges allow students to become engineers of the campsite. They design and test structures such as mini‑tents, shelters, or camp tools using the engineering design process. Students experiment with light, heat, and simple machines to understand how campers use science to stay safe and comfortable outdoors.The project culminates in an indoor classroom camp‑out, where students demonstrate their learning by setting up model campsites, sharing stories, presenting research, and showcasing their STEM creations. This final experience brings together literacy, math, and engineering in a hands‑on, collaborative environment that mirrors the excitement and problem‑solving of a real camping adventure.