What is the Problem- Based Learning Approach?

Problem-based learning is an instructional strategy that generally requires the collaboration of students in the classroom to work through a proposed problem through the creation of a productbased solution. While PBL lessons are most commonly done through a group setting, problems can be worked on through an individual level as well. Because the group and/or the individual are conducting a majority of the work themselves, the educator takes on the role of facilitator and helps to stimulate discussion of solutions and other elements contained within the problem. According to research, the cognitive effects of problem-based learning are as follows: The acquisition and structuring of knowledge in PBL is thought to work through the following cognitive effects (Schmidt, 1993): Initial analysis of the problem and activation of prior knowledge through small-group discussion Elaboration on prior knowledge and active processing of new information Restructuring of knowledge, construction of a semantic network Social knowledge construction Learning in context Stimulation of curiosity related to presentation of relevant problem

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem-based_learning

PBL Number Five: 1968: Chaos in America Hoover High School 11th grade American History

Ms. Molly McCollum Samford University Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies

Lesson Objectives:
Given the opportunity to work in small groups and being given access to further means of research via the internet during a lesson entitled 1968: Chaos in America, the 11th grade American History students, upon completion of this two day PBL lesson, will create a presentation in which each respective group will take one aspect that made 1968 one of the most important years in American history and look at the who/what/when/where/why/how (when relevant) of events such as: the hippie and counterculture movement, the Tet offensive, the assassination of Martin Luther King and the race riots, the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, the police riots at the Democratic convention in Chicago, the Womens Liberation movement, and the 1968 Presidential elections and share their findings with the class in a short presentation.

National and State Standards:

National: Era 9 Standard 2C-3 Evaluate how Vietnamese and Americans experienced the war and how the war continued to affect postwar politics and culture. Era 9 Standard 4A-7 Assess the reasons for and effectiveness of the escalation from civil disobedience to more radical protest in the civil rights movement. Era 9 Standard 4B-1 Analyze the factors contributing to modern feminism and compare the ideas, agendas, and strategies of feminist and counter-feminist organizations. Era 10 Standard 2D-2 Analyze how social change and renewed ethnic diversity has affected artistic expression and popular culture. State: Standard 12 Describing the development of a Black Power movement, including the change in focus of the SNCC, the rise of Malcolm X, and Stokely Carmichael and the Black Panther Movement Standard 13 Describing changing conditions in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s that were influenced by music and cultural and environmental concerns
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Describe the Women's Movement, [the Hispanic Movement, and the Native American Movement] during the 1950s and 1960s.

Pre-Instructional Activities: [In the instance of this particular circumstance as a student teacher leading a PBL lesson
at Hoover High School]: Teacher will recognize material already being learned about the time period by asking students their general impression of the 1960swas it a time of turbulence or of peace, love and good music? What events or things stand out in your mind as characteristics of the time? The teacher will then introduce and show a short clip from the History Channel documentary, 1968 The Year that Changed Everything, titled The 60s Remembered found under the bonus material on the DVD. Watch clip and suggest that 1968 was the pivotal year of the 1960s- the year which helped shape the decade and modern America and the year that pushed the conservative movement we are still living in todayhow?

Problem Overview:
Having already pitched to the students that 1968 was a year of great chaos and internal revolution, the teacher will go in to setting up the problemPitching the problem with the hook: Lets go back to 1968youre all now going to take on the role of journalists, like Tom Brokaw from our clip, and were going to take a deeper look at some of the monumental events of 1968. As the best and brightest of our journalists here at WSFA 12 News in Montgomery, you have been chosen to participate in the capstone broadcast program we will be showing on this upcoming December 30, 1968. Before the program can air however, we need your help in collecting information about some of the key events of this past year to include in our program! You will be split up into 7 teams and each group of journalists will be covering a different topic from the year: Group One- the Hippie-Counterculture movement Group Two- the Tet offensive Group Three- the assassination of Martin Luther King and the following race riots Group Four- the assassination of Bobby Kennedy Group Five- the riots at the Democratic convention in Chicago Group Six- the Womens Liberation movement Group Seven- the 1968 Presidential election

Once in your groups you will go about answering these very specific questions (as they apply to your topic): Who are the people involved? Where did it happen? How did it impact the rest of society? What is the event? When did it occur? Why did it happen and why is this event significant?

Additionally, you will be asked to take a stance and defend why you think your topic of research is the most significant in shaping the future of America. Upon the completion of collecting all of the information for your segment of the program, you will be asked to present your research to the rest of the journalists here at the station. You must use at least 3 scholarly sources to find your information and you may not use Wikipedia! Be sure to properly cite your sources. Your presentation should be between 4 and 5 minutes long and provide every journalist in your group with the opportunity to present a portion of your special segment to the rest of the group. Your segment should also feature a visual aida PowerPoint that perhaps could even include some footage of your topic! At the conclusion of the meeting, you will all be asked to determine which event should be featured as the topic of greatest importance in 1968 and thus act as our headlining segment in the capstone broadcast! Good luck and happy digging!

Problem Analysis:
Know: What do we know?
Making a miniinvestigative segment on particular topic Must answer all of the w questions Have to be able to defend topic as most important A visual aid is needed! A PowerPoint, specifically.

Need to Know: What do

we need to find out?

Hypotheses: What do you Action Plan: How shall

think is happening here? you conduct your inquiry?

What are my three sources? Which questions are relevant to my topic? How much extra information should we include to make presentation appropriate length?

Trying to determine what made 1968 a year so many determine as being turbulent Determining how different movements and events shape our modern America

Assign groups Designate roles within group Find resources online Conduct research Decide how to present creatively!

Group Formation:
Assuming that there are 25 students, there will be 4 groups of four and three groups of three. [Student teacher will ask host teacher to select groups.] Task Leader: The task leader is responsible for keeping the group focused on the assignment, guiding conversations and activities in a constructive manner to develop the best solution to the problem. Recorder: The recorder is responsible for organizing the research in a logical manner and putting together the PowerPoint for the presentation. Time Keeper: This student is responsible for keeping track of the time and ensuring that the group manages time most efficiently. The student is also responsible for making sure the group members have filled out their self-check lists and is responsible for giving them to the teacher. Speaker: This student will serve as the liaison between the group and the teacher. This student will also lead the final presentation, though other group members will be involved. * All members of the group are equally responsible for collecting research*

Anticipated Learning Issues:

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Time management Finding appropriate and relevant resources Distributing group responsibility fairly Understanding the greater impact of their topic on American society

Group Deliberation and Problem- Solving Activities:

On the first day, the teacher will go through the pre-instructional activity as well as lead the problem overview where the problems hook will be introduced, in addition to leading the problem analysis. Students will then break up into their respective groups and begin researching their topics. Depending on the focus and speed of the various groups, some may begin creating their PowerPoint presentation. Any leftover work should be fairly distributed amongst group members to complete for homework. On the second day, students will present their PowerPoint presentations to the class and will participate in determining which event was the most important of them all. Students will then be led through the problem follow-up phase of the PBL.

Formative Evaluation:
Students will be assessed the first work day when the student self-checklist is collected. Though it will not go to the final grade, it will assess student performance in the group dynamic.

Students will also be informally assessed when they turn in their group evaluation form on the second day, after the presentations. Students will be assessed on the presentation and PowerPoint according to a teacher created rubric.

Problem Follow-up:
At the conclusion of the student presentations, the teacher will lead a brief discussion asking the following (and any additional) questions: What was the most difficult part of this problem? Which event do you think really does impact us the most today? Was this an effective way to learn more about it? Do you think your group did a good job in trying to persuade the class in how significant your topic was? What could you do different next time regarding resources, group processes, or thinking skills?

Correctives and Extensions:

Correctives: The following activities are meant to aid students who fail to display an acceptable mastery of content during the previous lesson. Students who fail to master the content will be provided the opportunity to watch the History Channel documentary, 1968 The Year that Changed Everything, in its entirety and write a two page paper (double spaced) about the nature of 1968 as a monumental year in American history. Extensions: The following activities are provided to aid students who excel and achieve mastery to a level that requires additional material to challenge students. Students who achieve high level of mastery will be asked to consider what advances were made in 1968 and how as Tom Brokaw states in his quote, America survived this great assault [the year of 1968.] Students will write their reflections in a one page paper.

Resources:
Teacher: Mr. Cables notes, media resources, History Channel Documentary 1968 The Year that Changed Everything, YouTube Student: movie clip from documentary, portable lab, scholarly internet resources, YouTube, PowerPoint

Reflection Upon Lesson:

[To be filled in upon completing teaching the PBL lesson at Hoover.]

Schedule and Checklist

At the beginning of class: What does Day 1 look like? What will I be doing? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Introduction Watch video clip Present PBL Go through Problem Analysis Begin research Possibly begin creating PowerPoint

At the end of class: What have I done? Work I have completed so far: _________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Work I still have to complete: ___________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Have I reviewed the criteria for the work I have completed to make sure it is done appropriately? Yes No If I turned in my work today would I receive a good grade? If not, what do I need to improve? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ My best contribution to the group process today has been: ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

Group Evaluation Form

Directions: There will be one group evaluation for each of your groups. At the end of the PBL, fill this evaluation out and return it to the teacher. Considering the performance of each individual group member, rate the following with 5 being the best performance and 1 being the worst by circling the appropriate number: 1. Made active contributions to solve the problem.. 5 4 3 2 1 2. Accepts and completes individual responsibilities.. 5 4 3 2 1 3. Promptness and neatness of individual work5 4 3 2 1 4. Ability to project solutions, find data, etc.5 4 3 2 1 How did your group do?! Evaluation of GROUP MEMBERS: A. Group member (please name) __________________ Best Contributions:_______________________________________________________ Needs to Work on:________________________________________________________ Overall rating (1-5 scale above):__________ B. Group member (please name) __________________ Best Contributions:_______________________________________________________ Needs to Work on:________________________________________________________ Overall rating (1-5 scale above): __________ C. Group member (please name) __________________ Best Contributions:________________________________________________________ Needs to Work on:________________________________________________________ Overall rating (1-5 scale above): ___________ D. Group member (please name) __________________ Best Contributions:________________________________________________________ Needs to Work on:________________________________________________________ Overall rating (1-5 scale above): ___________

1968: Chaos in America

As the best and brightest of our journalists here at WSFA 12 News in Montgomery, you have been chosen to participate in the capstone broadcast program we will be showing on this upcoming December 30, 1968. Before the program can air however, we need your help in collecting information about some of the key events of this past year to include in our program! You will be split up into 7 teams and each group of journalists will be covering a different topic from the year:
Group Group Group Group Group Group Group One- the Hippie-Counterculture movement Two- the Tet offensive Three- the assassination of Martin Luther King and the following race riots Four- the assassination of Bobby Kennedy Five- the riots at the Democratic convention in Chicago Six- the Womens Liberation movement Seven- the 1968 Presidential election

Once in your groups you will go about answering these very specific questions (as they apply to your topic):
Who are the people involved? Where did it happen? How did it impact the rest of society? Why is this event significant? What is the event? When did it occur? Why did it happen?

Additionally, you will be asked to take a stance and defend why you think your topic of research is the most significant in shaping the future of America. Upon the completion of collecting all of the information for your segment of the program, you will be asked to present your research to the rest of the journalists here at the station. You must use at least 3 scholarly sources to find your information and you may not use Wikipedia! Be sure to properly cite your sources. Your presentation should be between 4 and 5 minutes long and provide every journalist in your group with the opportunity to present a portion of your special segment to the rest of the group. Your segment should also feature a visual aida PowerPoint that perhaps could even include some footage of your topic!

At the conclusion of the meeting, you will all be asked to determine which event should be featured as the topic of greatest importance in 1968 and thus act as our headlining segment in the capstone broadcast! Good luck and happy digging!

In your group, assign these roles:

Task Leader: The task leader is responsible for keeping the group focused on the assignment, guiding conversations and activities in a constructive manner to develop the best solution to the problem. Recorder: The recorder is responsible for organizing the research in a logical manner and putting together the PowerPoint for the presentation. Time Keeper: This student is responsible for keeping track of the time and ensuring that the group manages time most efficiently. The student is also responsible for making sure the group members have filled out their self-check lists and is responsible for giving them to the teacher. Speaker: This student will serve as the liaison between the group and the teacher. This student will also lead the final presentation, though other group members will be involved. * All members of the group are equally responsible for collecting research*

Presentation and Planning Rubric for 1968: Chaos in America Problem

Teacher Name: Ms. McCollum

Student Name:

________________________________________

CATEGORY Research

4
Group researched the subject and answered all or more of the required questions from their research and included them their presentation. All supportive facts are reported accurately (7 of 7.)

3
Group researched the subject and answered at least 6 questions from their research and included them in their presentation. Almost all facts are reported accurately (6 of 7.)

2
Group researched the subject and answered at least 4 questions from their research and included them in their presentation. Some facts are reported accurately (4 of 7.)

1
Group researched the subject and answered only 2 or less questions from their research and included them in their presentation No facts are reported accurately OR no facts were reported.

Accuracy of Facts

Duration of presentation

The newscast was between 4 and 5 minutes and did not seem hurried or too slow.

The newscast was between 4 and 5 minutes but seemed SLIGHTLY hurried or too slow.

The newscast was The newscast was between 4 and 5 too long or too short. minutes but seemed VERY hurried or too slow.

Graphics

Graphics include some original material and are clearly related to the material being presented. The group functioned exceptionally well. All members listened to, shared with and supported the efforts of others. The group (all members) was almost always on task!

Graphics are clearly related to the material being presented, but none are original.

Graphics include some original material but are only somewhat related to the material being presented. The group functioned fairly well but was dominated by one or two members. The group (all members) was almost always on task!

Graphics are not related to the material being presented.

Group Work

The group functioned pretty well. Most members listened to, shared with and supported the efforts of others. The group (all members) was almost always on task!

Some members of the group were often off task AND/OR were overtly disrespectful to others in the group AND/OR were typically disregarded by other group members.

TOTAL:___________/ 20 points COMMENTS: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________