Project Based Learning: Great Guiding Questions

Hi Everyone…I hope you all had a nice weekend!

This Teacher Feature comes from a fifth grade class at Harlan Elementary School.  The Team is working on a project about the solar system.  The students were split into partnerships and given a central topic.  This pair’s topic is ‘the sun.’  Cathy Osip (fifth grade teacher) is working with Elisabeth Stayer (media specialist) to get her class familiar with key word searches.  By the time I showed up they were getting really good at identifying key words and adapting their inquiries to fit the results they were finding.  This is a great example of critical thinking.  I love how the student in this clip sounds so casual as he talks about the complex process of narrowing down guiding questions to address relevant and authentic problems.

When they came across information about solar flares they were excited to learning that solar flares could last up to a thousand years.  Upon further investigation they found out that a solar flare produce x-rays, radiation, and lots of energy.  Digging even deeper into those key words they learned that those things are embedded in medicine and communication.  These two fifth graders started out with, “Why do solar flares last up to a thousand years?” and by the time they were in line to go to lunch they were wondering if human beings are able to collect the explotion of x-rays, radiation, and energy that comes from solar flares to be used in medicine and communication.

Here’s some of what this experience taught me about Project Based Learning:

1. Key word searches are essential in the narrowing process of guiding questions.
2. A partnership with your building media specialist goes a long way in teaching students effective research strategies.
3. Guiding questions should be relevant, authentic, and connected to the human condition – our students should be thinking about questions and taking on challenges that stand to make a positive impact on themselves, their communities, and the world in which they live.
4. There can be many products along the path of a quality project, including great guiding questions.
5. Fifth graders are capable of imagining possibilities that adults might never think of.

Thanks Cathy and Elizabeth – I can’t wait to join you again as you continue on this awesome path of learning!

As always, let me know if you have any questions.  Post a comment if you’d like.  Touch base with Cathy and Elizabeth to hear about their progress or share ideas.

Have a great week!
Seth