I often hear that secondary English teachers are concerned with getting started with creating a project based learning experience. With today’s post, I want to assure you that you absolutely can do this and it will not be as difficult or scary as you think!
In fact, project-based learning (PBL) in secondary English classes is a powerful approach to engage students deeply with the material while honing essential skills. By using creativity and making real-world connections, you’ll see that PBL not only improves how well students learn but also makes them feel more responsible and excited about their education.
Lets dive in!
Mapping Out Your PBL Unit
Imagine your PBL project as an exiting voyage, brimming with creativity, teamwork, and endless chances for students to flourish. But, before you set sail and embark on this adventure, it’s crucial to make a solid plan for success by focusing on two key aspects- clear objectives and collaboration.
These become your students guiding North Star for the entire experience.
Define Clear Learning Objectives
It’s like setting sail without a map – having clear learning objectives is your compass. Begin by determining the skills you want your students to show mastery on by the end of the project. These can also help you plan out what mini lessons or resources you feel you will need to share with your students during the process.
I know you know all about backwards design, so this is probably a no-brainer for you, but it’s always good to be reminded that you got this and PBL is not as scary as you think!
One of the ways that I make sure these objectives are clear are by having 2-point rubrics to guide students as they are working (check out an example of what these look like in my Disney Movie pitch below).
These rubrics clearly break down what each role needs to complete to be successful in the project. Having them be 2-points cuts down any confusion my students may have on what they HAVE to do. So, it gives them specific guidance as they are working on the project and makes it easy for me to check in with them as they work.
Why 2-point rubrics? If you haven’t heard me talk about the magic that is 2-point rubrics, check out this post! It makes things crystal clear for my students, makes my grading so much faster, and helps me to give laser-pointed feedback to students on what they can specifically do to improve.
I also clearly outline these objectives in the presentation that I share at the beginning of the learning cycle and post it in my LMS for students to come back.
If you would like a FREE 2-piont rubric to check out to get a feel for these amazing grading and student self-guiding hacks, click here!
Collaboration
Ah, the magic that can happen when minds come together! PBL is a fantastic platform for fostering teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
Encourage collaboration among your students; after all, the journey is often more enriching when shared. Consider the dynamics of your groups – how can their unique strengths enhance the learning experience?
To make the real-world experience EXTRA real, I will usually have students “apply” to be a project manager. We meet and I go over the expectations of what a project manager does and how I will be holding them accountable for keeping the group on point and keeping communications open with upper management (me).
I also make sure that my students are connected to a real-world audience as much as possible. When they are creating their original hero stories during our Mythical Hero unit, I connect with elementary teachers nearby.
The elementary students created videos about what they think of when it comes to heroes. My students got to see these videos to help with their brainstorming process. The stories that my students created then went on to these kids to read and provide feedback!
When they are creating original movie ideas that they would pitch to Disney, students are charged with researching a culture and creating a vibrant movie idea that would not only entertain audiences but also highlight the culture inspired from it. During this project, I obviously can’t bring Disney executives in. However, I bring in local businesses owners and marketing professionals to check out their pitches and provide feedback.
By adding in these REAL WORLD audiences, they are no longer “just creating something for their teacher”. They become far more invested because they see that what they are learning has real applications beyond just the classroom.
Finding members of the community to connect with and support your students in these ventures are far easier than you expect. Often all it took was one mass email to all the parents of my students to get flooded with volunteers or connections to reach out to. More often than not, your community will be EXCITED to help your students see the WHY behind what they are learning.
Would you love to get started with highly effective PBL projects that are perfect for your secondary English classroom? I have several ready to go right here to make it even easier to get started!
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