PBL, Part 3: Comparison of Example PBLs

The first PBL I read was created for 7th-8th graders and was entitled "Lounging Around". In this PBL, students are given the assignment to create a new study/lounge area for all of the students in their school to use during free time. Students were required to budget and tell exactly what furniture and supplies they would include in the area. They were also required to use their prior knowledge of area and perimeter to be sure that all of the furniture fit properly. The final product was a scale model of their lounge area and a presentation. Students were assessed based on a rubric including their presentation, final project, and reflection of the project.

The second PBL I reviewed was created for 5th-6th graders and was entitled "Redo the Zoo". In this project each group member assumed a role, choosing from: Zoologist, Architect, Accountant, Horticulturalist, and Builder. In this PBL, students went on a field trip to the local zoo, and had a guest speaker from the zoo come in to introduce the project to the class. Students were required to propose a plan to redesign and construct the layout of the zoo buildings and exhibitions within a designated budget and time constraint. Students were also required to consider the needs of the various animals in their zoo when planning. The students were assessed informally during class work time and through the teacher reviewing journal entries. Also, the students created a portfolio and scale model as well as gave a presentation, which was all assessed with a rubric. Finally, students wrote a reflection on the PBL process.

I feel that the "Lounging Around" PBL was a bit too basic for 7th and 8th graders to spend 16 days on. I think that this was a very strong idea, because it is relevant to the students' lives and interesting to them; however, I feel that they should have included more requirements or components of the project. On the other hand, I found the "Redo the Zoo" PBL to be a bit out of reach for 5th and 6th graders. As a college student, I would feel lost given the assignment to budget $32 million dollars over five years for the construction of a zoo. I feel that something on a smaller scale, perhaps redoing one exhibit of the zoo, would be more manageable for this grade level. The zoo is a good idea, considering many 5th and 6th graders have been to a zoo and are interested in animals. I also thought that given the amount of mini lessons this group included in their PBL, 15 days was too short of a time frame to complete the project. Students need to be given adequate time in school to work together.

Reviewing the two PBLs solidified my understanding of what a PBL is and should look like. However, I was surprised by the length and depth of the projects. I was also surprised at the amount of structure, planning, and direct teaching that seemed to be involved. I was under the impression that this was kept more to a minimum because PBLs are student lead (in theory).

Both of the PBLs I reviewed were similar in that they required students to plan the design of a specific area. This has me wondering if all PBLs for the math methods class are required to follow this format. However, there were distinct differences between the two PBLs. "Lounging Around" included more open ended guiding questions than "Redo the Zoo" did. Also, the questions for "Lounging Around" seemed to be listed in an order that would foster chronological thinking, while "Redo the Zoo" contained guiding questions that seemed to be in a very illogical order.

As mentioned earlier, I felt that "Lounging Around" was not quite complex and challenging enough for 7th and 8th graders. I would add more mini lessons and more requirements, such as finding a building/contracting company to paint or make renovations necessary. This would have to be budgeted in also. In addition, students could be asked to add recreational games or computers. They would need to consider what would get the most use and analyze the cost of these items to decide which items are best.

I felt the "Redo the Zoo" was an excellent idea, but too large scale for 5th and 6th graders to complete in 15 days. If I were to change this PBL, I would have each group design a different exhibition of their choice within the zoo. Also, I thought that this group had an extremely messy idea web that needs some color coding and organization. Arrows should not dart all the way across the page.

I believe that in both of these PBLs math is the main focus of the project. However, the "Redo the Zoo" project also contains a significant amount of science in the research of the animals and thier needs. Similarly, "Lounging Around" includes quite a bit of art in the consideration of the decorations for the area. Both projects require intensive budgeting, area mapping, plotting on graphs, and other mathematical concepts.

Both PBLs included writing in a journal daily, which I feel is an appropriate method of assessing and evaluating math processes on an informal level. However, I did not find any mention in the "Lounging Around" PBL that the teacher was going to use informal assessment to review the journals, as was indicated in "Redo the Zoo". I feel that both final rubrics are more general and address the final product and presentations, rather than specific math concepts learned within the PBL unit. Students needed to use specific math concepts in order to complete their projects and meet the standards described in the rubrics. So, the rubrics are indirectly assessing those math concepts. However, teachers must keep in mind that since this is a group project and many students are collaborating, evaluating the final product is not an accurate method of measuring if a specific student understands a particular math concept.