Lesson Plan: Project Based Lesson Plan (Hands on Learning)

Rationale:

When a teacher steps back and assumes the role of coach and facilitator, student learning increases. With this strategy, students take ownership of their work and build autonomy and self-confidence. Hands on learning projects engage the students in all phases of the learning process: imagination, creativity, planning, acquiring knowledge, designing, building, and assessing. The more responsibility a student assumes, the greater the commitment to learning and the more a student will be able to practice and apply the information.

Goal:

The student will be able to identify a problem or task and create a plan for exploring and investigating for the purpose of addressing the task. Students will not only acquire the academic knowledge required to address the problem but will develop the social/emotional skills necessary to develop confidence in their ability to make decisions, solve problems, and apply knowledge and skills to accomplish a goal.

Objectives:

The teacher changes roles from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side.” Project-based learning activities incorporate the following objectives:

  1. Encourage Inquiry: Allow students to think for themselves. Provide students time in class to reflect and consider their options.
  2. Challenge Students: Your role is not to give the answer, but to pose questions that are thought-provoking, challenging, and are geared to real-life solutions.
  3. Intervene when Necessary: Intervention does not mean providing the answer or solution, but rather, to ask questions that will encourage students to get back on track, identify road blocks to success, and imagine solutions that are effective and unique.
  4. Encourage Out-of-the-Box Thinking: Project-based learning acknowledges that there is no one right answer. The emphasis is on developing creative thinkers, problem-solvers, decision- makers, designers, and developers.

Lesson Sequence:

  1. Identify a problem, question or task to be addressed.
  2. Develop a plan for creating a solution.
  3. Identify the skills necessary to execute the plan.
  4. Devise a strategy to acquire the skills.
  5. Research: Choose, explore and communicate the data.
  6. Create: Imagine, design and build a solution.
  7. Investigate: Ask questions, test hypotheses and improve the product.
  8. Demonstrate: Question, plan, and present.

Outcomes:

Students will begin to think in terms of the bigger picture. Rather than focusing on the memorization of facts in order to pass a test, students will take responsibility for their own learning. The end goal of the project is not to please the teacher. The result is to take responsibility for one’s own learning, to see learning as making connections, thinking critically, and applying what you know to real life.

Assessment:

Since there are no right or wrong answers to student exploration and investigation, assessment is subjective and reflective. With your students, identify what the end result will look like academically and emotionally. Using their journal, ask students to assess their abilities in these areas before they begin the project-based process. Throughout project development, ask students to reflect on the successes and challenges that they are experiencing. At the end of the project, students revisit their thoughts and feelings in the beginning and compare them with those at the end. Ask them to draw conclusions and identify their successes and areas for continued growth and development.