Using a Learning Map to Build Exemplary PBL Units

By developing—and revisiting—an instructional roadmap that connects standards, activities, and skill development, these teachers put students on a path toward mastery.

At Barbara Morgan STEM Academy in Meridian, Idaho, project-based learning (PBL) is a schoolwide approach for grades K–5. At every grade level, students participate in projects 4 times throughout the school year. Each project integrates multiple subject areas, and teachers work collaboratively to design meaningful, standards-aligned learning experiences that give students a clear purpose for what they’re learning—and how they’ll apply it. And a key part of managing these complex projects is a learning map, a tool that helps teachers break down an essential question and identify the academic skills students will need to master the content at hand.

For more strategies to support planning for PBL, visit: https://www.edutopia.org/project-base...

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