PBL Showcase ~ Summer 2023

DQ: What is important to know about another country? What is important to learn about that country? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: LOTE, ELA, Social Studies/History

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, compare and contrast, connect themes, arguments and perspectives, fact and opinion, making text connections, developing vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Self and/or Social Awareness

Task: Students created a presentation with a style of their choosing (google docs, slides, canva, google sites, a brochure, poster, etc) on the Spanish speaking country of their choice. They presented their country to their classmates and tried to convince them to travel there. Students discussed about historical events, cultural practices, food, important people from their country, music, sports and anything else they thought is important for other people to know about that country. Although the project will be done in English, students have been encouraged to put the words they have learned into the target language. 

DQ: What is sound?  How can you use the materials presented to create a musical instrument that produces sound?  How can you change sound?

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Science, Fine Arts

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, cause and effect, problem and solution, making text connections, developing vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving

Task: The children were paired up and given a recyclable such as a tin box or a plastic container and several household materials such as paper clips, small rocks, beans, and pasta. They had to think about what materials would produce what types of sounds. It was open ended and they could use one or more of the materials provided. They had to try their instrument out and see how they could change the sound and what they would alter to produce a new sound. The children then presented their instruments, shared what they used, and explained to their peers how to use them. The students were then divided into two groups and each group played their instruments for the other group. They tried to create rhythms and even inspired one student to dance to their rhythm. 

DQ: How do we prepare ourselves and others for severe weather?

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Science

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, cause and effect, problem and solution, making text connections, developing vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Problem Solving

Task: Students were tasked with preparing safety guide plans for severe weather. Students discussed with their peers how both "regular weather" and "severe weather" impact their lives. Students began the learning experience by question storming about severe weather. The questions that the students asked served as a guide for their research and in turn, their information included in their safety guide plans. Students collaborated in creating presentations through various formats of their choosing (videos, posters, Google Slides and books) to show their understanding of how to effectively prepare for severe weather. 

DQ: How does reading literature help us grow?

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Science, SEL

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, fact and opinion, main idea and details, making inferences, using text evidence, making text connections, developing vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Self and/or Social Awareness

Task: In anticipation of reading the realistic fiction novel, Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, Ms. Zoe’s, Mrs. Calandrino’s, and Mrs. Kolanovic’s seventh grade English students were tasked with researching a disability of their choosing. Collaborating in small groups, students worked to complete a presentation on the disability their group selected using Canva. Each member of the group was responsible for researching and answering one of the following questions: What is the disability you are researching? How does this disability affect a person's quality of life? What are the needs of a person with this disability? Are there any ways a person's quality of life can be improved? How is this disability portrayed in society/the media? Students also were responsible for creating a works cited page where they were required to cite their sources using MLA Format.

Prior to their research, students participated in lessons on finding credible sources in order to determine which articles they should use to support their research and how to cite their sources. After completing their presentations, students also were tasked with creating an infographic on the disability their group researched using Canva. Each group member was responsible for providing a summary of the information they learned about the disability they researched.

At the end of their research, students presented their projects and infographics to their peers as a collaborative effort.

DQ: What is empathy?

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, SEL

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, making inferences, making predictions, point of view, problem and solution, sequencing, developing vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Self and/or Social Awareness

Task: All of the students at Terryville learned and explored the February character pillar of Empathy during their SEL lesson with the school social worker. Students learned how to use the skill of empathy and how it can benefit their relationships. Students were introduced to the project, "Blankets of Hope", which is a nonprofit organization that delivers handwritten letters of encouragement and blankets to individuals in need. The students practiced empathy and kindness through an impactful service-learning experience. Students were challenged with the task of using empathy to imagine what type of letter the person in need would like to receive to make them feel encouraged and supported. The student's letters and the blankets were packaged and donated to a local nursing home, a local shelter, a local maternity home and Stony Brook Children's Oncology unit. 

DQ: How can putting on a play lead us to becoming stronger readers and create a deeper understanding of characters? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Fine Arts, SEL

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, compare and contrast, draw conclusion, point of view, use text evidence, developing vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness

Task: This 5th Grade class worked towards putting on a play for our 3rd Graders to teach them all about Friendship & Social Responsibility. They worked under the guidance of Dr. Carter from the Sunshine Center. After brainstorming with her, the students decided that this was a great topic to teach the 3rd Graders. The students started by analyzing the play characters and assigning character traits to each puppet. Then they identified comparisons and differences between these character traits in order to gain a deeper understanding of the characters. As they prepared for the final production, they practiced their oral reading to improve their accuracy, rate, and expression while reading aloud.

DQ: How can we create art that inspires others?

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

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, cause and effect, compare and contrast, draw conclusions, main idea and details, make inferences, point of view, problem and solutions, sequencing, making text connections, developing vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness

Task: The students decided to make art with inspiring messages. We chose to make this artwork out of painted paper collage. First, they painted paper (lots of it) in all different colors. Then they tore and/or cut the painted paper to create their inspirational masterpieces. The 3rd grade artists made Sunsational Suns, 4th grade artists created Feathery Friends collages of birds, and 5th graders made Sunset Seascapes, choosing different sea life to add to their creations. All students were creatively engaged and problem solving along the way. After their collage was created, students chose to add an inspirational saying to their art piece, hoping to inspire others when they viewed their art-work. 5th grade artists had a chance to design the yearly Art Show flyer and we chose 2 winners this year, because they were both so impressive. All students worked collaboratively to create a Collage Garden in the lobby. The Clay Club created ceramic ladybugs and bees to complete our Spring display. The Creative Collage Art Show evening was a big success. It's always so nice to see the students proudly share their work with their family and friends.

DQ: How can leadership and teamwork help one's company succeed?

Interdisciplinary Studies: CTE, ELA, Fine Arts

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, cause and effect, draw conclusions, make predictions, point of view, problem and solution, sequencing, developing vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Critical Thinking,  Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and/or Social Awareness

Task: Students were put into four groups and tasked with creating an index card tower as high as they can. One leader was elected by each group and was unable to help build the tower, but was in charge of guiding the team with the planning and building of the tower. Furthermore, all students in the group were unable to use their dominant hand for the construction of the index card tower and relied on others to aid them through any obstacles faced such as taping index cards together, stacking index cards, and balancing their tower. Students had four minutes to plan out how they wished to build their index card tower. Afterwards, students were given four minutes to build their tower as high as they can. At the end of the four minute period, the team with the highest tower won! Students then wrote out a reflection as to what went well, not so well, and what could have been done better regarding their index card tower construction. Students answered questions such as "what was your team's greatest strength when constructing your tower?" and "what was an obstacle you faced and how did your team overcome it?"

DQ: What problems can we help solve in our school using 3D printed items?

Interdisciplinary Studies: CTE, ELA, Science, 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, cause and effect, problem and solution, developing vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Self and/or Social Awareness

Task: 4th grade students at Terryville learned about 3D printers and how they work. They recognized that the printers can be used to print something with a purpose, and that they can even be used to make another person's life easier! Students then focused on their classrooms, the school media center, and Terryville as a whole to seek out problems that they could solve for the school community. Students brainstormed project ideas in collaborative groups before creating persuasive presentations to persuade their classmates to vote on their project idea. Each class selected one final object to be printed and distributed throughout the school to solve the problem identified by students. Project ideas included a desk organizer to house pencils from the classroom floor, an "extra loud" whistle for outdoor recess, a customized bathroom pass, a lost and found basket for the front desk, fidget toys for the library, and more! 

DQ: How can learning about other cultures help us step outside ourselves and grow appreciation for diversity? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, Social Studies/History, SEL

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, compare and contrast, draw conclusions, point of view, developing vocabulary 

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Self and/or Social Awareness

Task: As world explorers learning about China, Mrs. DeGorter's Class and Mrs. Luchese's Class paired up to teach each other about what they learned. These two classes were tasked to share their knowledge with each other. After collaborating with their partners, students were taught how to use chopsticks and had an authentic experience being more immersed with another culture. 

DQ: What if there were no windows? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: Science & ELA

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, compare and contrast, connect themes, arguments, perspectives, draw conclusions, make predictions, establish point of view

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Critical Thinking

Task: Students discovered materials that do or do not let light through. They learn the differences between transparent, translucent and opaque materials. Through these discoveries the students realize the importance of light and light energy. 

DQ: How do an animal's features help it survive?

Interdisciplinary Studies: Science, Fine Arts, & ELA

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, draw conclusions, use text evidence, develop vocabulary

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Life Management - time, risk, stress

Task: Students researched mammals of their choosing in order to study the body, habitat and behaviors and how that helps an animal survive. Then they worked to construct a paper mache animal and a poster habitat to accompany a writing about the topic. 

DQ: What should we know about another country?

Interdisciplinary Studies: World Languages, ELA, Social Studies/History, 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, compare & contrast, connect themes, arguments, and perspectives, fact & opinion, point of view, developing vocabulary

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and Social Awareness

Task: Students picked a Hispanophone/Spanish Speaking Country and then they had to explore it and put together the information they collected to present to the class. I gave them guidelines for what information they should start with but also gave them flexibility to include information they discovered that was not included in the guidelines. Students had the choice of how they wished to present their information. Some of them created google slides, posters, canva slides, canva posters and even a couple of google sites. After creating their presentations, they shared them in front of the class and had the opportunity to ask each other questions about their countries. 

DQ: How do we use measurement in real life?

Interdisciplinary Studies: Math, Science, ELA, Fine Arts 

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, cause & effect, problem & solution, develop vocabulary

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Creativity, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress

Task: Students were tasked with creating their own houses using inch rulers and a direction sheet. 

DQ: How did the ancient civilizations use their creativity and their knowledge to contribute to their survival and the world we have today? 

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

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

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Self and Social Awareness

Task: The students worked on groups to find contributions the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans made to our current society. For example: they found contributions in mathematics that led to the development of the calendar we use today, and the creation of a written language to record history in books (codex) and pass down their knowledge and events of their civilization for years to come. They had advancements in architecture which led to building great buildings and cities and irrigational systems.  

DQ: How can we use persuasive writing and close reading to create book trailers? 

Interdisciplinary Studies: ELA, CTE, Fine Arts

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, author's purpose, analyze text structure, connect themes, arguments, and perspectives, main idea & details, sequencing, develop vocabulary

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Problem Solving, Life Management - time, risk, stress

Task: Student groups conducted close reading to determine themes and summarize books to create book trailers. Book trailers were created on Canva to persuade an audience to read their group’s book. Student groups presented their book trailers to a “panel” of 3rd grade students. Student panel chose which book they were most interested in reading based on the trailers they watched. 

DQ: How are countries around the world similar and different?

Interdisciplinary Studies: World Languages, ELA, Social Studies/History

Instructional Skills Discovered: activate prior knowledge, compare & contrast, connect themes, arguments, and perspectives, main idea & details, using text evidence, developing vocabulary

Life/Career Skills Enhanced: Communicate, Collaborate, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Life Management - time, risk, stress, Self and Social Awareness

Task: In this PBL project, students were able to pick a country of their choice to research and create a travel brochure on. Students gathered all of their information through the use of various nonfiction texts, and then created a travel brochure using the Canva app. Students were then able to present information about their country's geographical location, culture, landmarks, as well as other interesting facts on their travel brochures. On the day of the travel exhibit, the students then shared information about their country to their peers and families, celebrating all of the similarities and differences that these countries share!