Using a Learning Map to Build Exemplary PBL Units
By developing—and revisiting—an instructional roadmap that connects standards, activities, and skill development, these teachers put students on a path toward mastery.
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Go to My Saved Content.At Barbara Morgan STEM Academy in Meridian, Idaho, project-based learning (PBL) is a schoolwide approach for grades K–5. At every grade level, students participate in projects four times throughout the school year. Each project integrates multiple subject areas, and teachers work collaboratively to design meaningful, standards-aligned learning experiences that give students a clear purpose for what they’re learning—and how they’ll apply it. A key part of managing these complex PBL units is a learning map, a tool that helps teachers break down an essential question and identify the academic skills that students will need to master the content at hand.
The district carves out weekly planning time for all teachers, and each Wednesday, Kim Miller and her second-grade team have the opportunity to discuss their current PBL unit and check it against the learning map. They analyze progress, identify gaps, and plan activities—always keeping their essential question at the center.
The concept of learning maps is adapted from Jim Knight’s 2013 book, High-Impact Instruction: A Framework for Great Teaching. When Barbara Morgan STEM Academy teachers did a book study on the text a few years back, they adopted the practice to make it work for their school.
“We map out our instructional plan, but we also use it for students as their road map to see where their learning is going,” says Miller.
In a weekly meeting about their Properties of Materials project, the teachers discussed how to move students from identifying properties of solids, liquids, and gasses to identifying properties of materials. Their solution? A chocolate lab, where students used different types of chocolate to practice observation, data collection, and critical thinking—all while engaging with core science standards. And because the science was connected to candy, student enthusiasm and engagement soared.
For more resources for PBL planning, read Tara Koehler and John Sammon’s article for Edutopia, “Breaking Down the Complex Work of Teaching PBL Into Manageable Chunks.”