Project Based Learning
Project based learning is a new way of teaching students by allowing them to develop deeper learning competencies which are designed to prepare them for success beyond high school for example in college courses, or in their careers, etc.
The project I chose is designed for 5th graders and is taking their math skills to a practical level. This PBL uses the following math skills:
- Decimal operations
- Measurement with fractions
- Graphing ordered pairs
- Fractions, decimals, and percentages
- Real-life math skills
Since it is getting close to Valentine's Day, I chose for students to do their math PBL on designing their own candy store. This PBL will take approximately 2 weeks to complete.
Part One:
To get students excited I would show them some videos from YouTube of large candy stores around the world. This will help to give them inspiration for their own projects and get them to start asking questions about the topic. In this phase we will begin reading about entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. I will also read them the book "Little Suzy Opens a Candy Store" by Amber Raudabaugh. This is all to build interest, show them what has been possible for other entrepreneurs, and it will allow for discussions.
One of our main discussion points will be about checkout counters. Some key points to discuss will be:
- What is the purpose of a checkout counter?
- What are some of the benefits of a large checkout counter? What about a small checkout counter?
- How will you utilize your checkout counter to help make more sales?
- How is a checkout counter related to customer satisfaction?
I would then show them examples of different checkout counters so they can brainstorm ideas of what they want their tables to look like. I would also provide time for students to measure tables and counters around the classroom to get ideas.
The driving question for this entire project is:
What mathematical skills are needed to plan and run a candy store?
They will use yardsticks, or rulers for measurement. We would begin to use graph paper and start planning out the spacing of their candy shop true to scale.
Once the Main area is graphed out, they will continue with the remainder of part 1.
Part 1 used remembering, understanding, and applying from Bloom's Taxonomy.
Part 2:
In this part, students will be choosing the candy displays they want to place inside their store. At this time, I would model how to graph on a one foot scale and how to graph fractional pieces. We would likely do a mini lesson on length and width and the difference between feet in inches and square feet. Once students understand that each side of the box measures one foot, it will be easy for them to start placing their candy displays.
To include writing, in this part students will write about why they chose their types of candy for their store and how they organized their displays. We will continue reading about kid and adult entrepreneurs to make real-life connections to our project.
Discussion points:
- How much room is needed between displays for people to walk?
- Why is it important to have a variety of candy for sale?
- Does it matter where each type of candy is placed? Will candy sell at different rates in different parts of the store?
Students will be aloud to move desks in the classroom to create aisles to try to get accurate measurements on how wide an aisle should be and how much space is needed between displays. Students will work in pairs or small groups to check over each others work. I would have students draw in pencil first so they can make edits as needed.
Students will work on math worksheets to begin mapping out what candy they want to have in their store.
Part 2 used understanding, applying, and analyzing from Bloom's Taxonomy.
Part 3:
This third portion is about making money and learning about profit. Students will need to know what profit means before going into their worksheets. Students will then use division and subtraction so a pre-assessment might be in order before we work on the following worksheets.
Discussion points:
- How much profit is enough to cover other expenses such as employees, rent, and electricity?
- How much would you be willing to spend on each candy? Would you still buy it if it were priced above this amount?
- Why is correct pricing so important for your business?
- What would happen if your friends candy store nearby sold their candy for a lower price?
- Is their any other way that stores can provide value to their customers other than just selling them something? (compare customer service at a more expensive store to a discount store).
To incorporate other subjects, this would be a good time to cover economics such as mini lessons on income, revenue, profit, loss, goods, trade, and more from social studies content. Also, students should have time to work on the artistic part of their project by designing what the pricing signs can look like, or even a store front or other store items.
One way that social studies/economics and technology could be used in this section is by having QR codes set up around the classroom. Students could work in groups, pairs, or individually to go around scanning the different QR codes that have been prepared by me and will provide them information about the pre-selected topics. Each station can have an activity or questionnaire to ensure active learning.
Here is what a QR code is:
These QR codes can be scanned by phones, or iPads which many schools now have access to for students to use.
Once students are up to speed, they should continue with the project.
Part 4 and 5:
In this part, students will be converting between fractions, decimals, and percentages. We would need to do some sort of lesson on these ideas. One way would be to share books with students about statistics. Some examples would be The Cartoon Introduction to Statistics by Grady Klein or Sports Illustrated Kid Stats (2013). We could also use bandy and baggies to have students count and create fractions, decimals, and percentages as a more hands on learning. Another great visual would be to show them how to create a graph to display the data. This would incorporate technology.
These sections are a great introduction to converting between fractions, decimals, and percentages so we would start with benchmark fractions, decimals, and percentages during this lesson because many of the students will already recognize that .25 equals 1/4 which equals 25%.
Project Outcome:
By the end of this project, students should show that they have a good working knowledge of economics vocabulary such as income and profit. They should also be able to explain the math concepts they used.
Students would show mastery by creating a portfolio where they explain each step they took to complete the project and how they know their math is accurate. All of the filled-in student pages are to be included in their portfolio next to the corresponding reasoning and proof page. They will also create an advertisement for their candy store (poster, video, etc.) of their choosing where they include pricing, sales, and any other reasons why people should visit THEIR candy store.
After they complete and present their portfolios, they will be asked to reflect on their project and the experience. We will do some of this as a whole class or small group discussion, and then students will write about it in their journals.
Parts 3-5 used all of Bloom's taxonomy levels: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.
Rubric and Grading:
Grading will be based on completion, accuracy, neatness, and creativity. Students will be expected to present their completed project to the peers and myself.
I did a simple 1-5 grading for each category. I used a simple format so that I can have space to write in the corresponding column my support to why they are receiving that grade. I also leave room for additional feedback at the bottom so that each rubric is personalized for each student and they have a chance to review at the end my thoughts on their overall project.
I hope you enjoyed my Project Based Learning ideas. :]
-Kelli
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