This summer I have co-facilitated 2 Project Based Learning Workshops (PBL), one focused on middle and high school and the other elementary. Teachers were engaged in the workshops and even asked for more time to spend together so they can roll up their sleeves and start planning.

The biggest misconception of classroom projects is that they are true PBL experiences. Most of the time that is not the case. Generally, classroom projects are activities or a series of activities that do not contain the elements of a PBL.

Project Based Learning Elements

PBL explained the very easy to understand Common Craft video

For a classroom example of PBL view below:

The Driving Question – How can we as students create public awareness of an environmental issue?

Environmental Project – Elementary Classroom

There are numerous resources for educators at the http://www.bie.org website.  Take a look and download rubrics, project ideas, project planning sheets, etc.