Experiments in Teaching Science through Problem based learning.

Introduction:
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is intended to bring about deep learning, where students use
technology and inquiry to engage with issues and questions that are relevant to their lives. These
classroom projects are used to assess student's subject matter competence compared to traditional
testing.
The gist of the project is as below:
: 10th

Class
Subject

: Biology

Topics

: Human Excretory System

Multiple subjects

: Science, Mathematics, Medical Science

No. of students

: 39

Curriculum and Standards

This project is based on the Topic Excretion of the unit Life Process from class X Science
Text book by NCERT.
This project will cover the following points of National Curriculum Framework 2005:
1. Development of scientific attitude and interest
2. Taking students beyond the classroom
3. Applying text-book knowledge to real life situations
4. Health and Hygiene

5. Breaking the boundaries of subjects as this topic is covered Biology,

Biochemistry and Health hygiene.

(A) Classroom instructions

The class room instructions are as follows:
1.

39 students of class X B were divided into 5 groups having 8 students in each group.

2.

The groups were heterogeneous and consist of both boys and girls.

3.

Children with different skills were in each group.

4.

Teachers announcement addressed the whole class as a group.

5.

Each group choose their group leader and planed their strategy and submit it to the teacher.

6.

All the group members submitted their work to their group leaders.

7.

Peer assessment was done among the groups.

8.

Reflect and evaluate their work first in the group, then with the whole class.

Team Members
GROUP I

GROUP II

GROUP III

GROUP IV

GROUP V

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

TUSHAR SAHU
DEEPAK BHAGAT
GEETA SAHU
JYOTI NAYAK
MANNU RAM KANWAR
NEHA SAHU
SEIKH SABIR
SURAJ BISWAS
ALOK SHARMA
AMAN PATEL
JAYANTI BHOI
PRATIBHA SAHU
RITIK SAHU
TARUN SINGH KANWAR
TIKESH KAUSHIK
VARSHA KURREY
HARSHITA VERMA
DIKESH SAHU
MALA MAHILANG
RAHUL DEV SAHU
RANJEET PORTE
SATYADEV KOSARIYA
TEEKAM CHAND SAHU
VAISHALI KATARIYA
BHUMIKA SAHU
ANJALI MANHAR
BHUPENDRA KUMARI
KAUSHAL TANDAN
LAXMAN LAL NISHAD
MANISH
NARENDRA NISHAD
RAHUL KAUSHIL
ASUTOSH KOSARIYA
HEMLATA CHANDARAVANSHI
ROOPCHAND MANJHI
SUSHMA SAHU
TAMESHWAR DHRUW
TISHU SAHU
VAIBHAV DHRUW

Role Definitions

Leader
Researcher (online)
Researcher (Library)
Surveyor
Reporter

Leader
Researcher (online)
Researcher (Library)
Surveyor
Reporter

Leader
Researcher (online)
Researcher (Library)
Surveyor
Reporter

Leader
Researcher (online)
Researcher (Library)
Surveyor
Reporter

Leader
Researcher (online)
Researcher (Library)
Surveyor
Reporter

Role

Description

Lead Coach
Team-leader
Researcher (online)
Researcher (library)

Teacher
Student with leadership skill
Surfing Internet
Collecting facts and data from library

Surveyor
Reporter
Editor

Conducting the survey and collecting data

Compiling the report
Compilation of data, final preparation of the
presentation
Presenting the presentation and narrating

Presenter

List of Activities
Following activities conducted during the project work:
1. Survey in school and community
2. Online survey
3. Online research
4. Library research
5. Visit to Hospital Mana
6. Interview with Specialists
7. Awareness campaign
8. Speech in school assembly
9. Presentation in school

(B) LIBRARY/ LABORATORY WORK

Resources used
(i) Online Resources used
Students used following online resources for their project work:
1. Mechanism of Urine Formation-Banner - http://www.trippytext.com/
2. Composition of Urine -Banner - http://www.glittermaker.com/

3. Urine Formation-Summary & Mechanism of Urine - http://www.wikipedia.org/

4. Urine Composition-Picture - http://medicalimages.allrefer.com/large/urine-sample-1.jpg
5. Urine Formation - http://fau.pearlashes.com/anatomy/Chapter%2041B
6. Mechanism of Urine Formation-Picture - http://www.nsbri.org/HumanPhysSpace/focus4/f4-148.jpg

7. Excretory system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

8. www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/.../biobookexcret.html
9. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF_lF3J4ZKs
10. www.sciencedaily.com/articles/e/excretory_system.htm
11. www.biology4kids.com/files/systems_excretory.html
12. Excretory System biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/kidney.htm
13. Science.jrank
14. blog.lib.umn.edu for Images - Anatomy of Kidney

(ii) Offline Resources used

Students used various reference books, encyclopedias and magazines from school library which
are as follows:
1. The World Book Encyclopedia of Science Volume 7 The Human Body by World Book Inc.
Chicago
2. World Book Medical Encyclopedia (8th Edition) by World Book Inc. Chicago
3. Ultimate Visual Dictionary 21st Century Supplement Dorling University
4. You and Your Health by National Book Trust, India
5. Animal Physiology by K.A.Goel & K.V.Sastry
6. Biological Science (3rd Edition) by D.J.Taylor, N.P.O.Green & G.W.Stout
7. A Text book of Animal Physiology by A.K.Berry
Students frequently used computer lab for use of internet and websites, downloaded
relevant contents. They used multimedia, MS word document, Excel work sheet, power point
presentations and animations. They prepared questionnaires and collected data through
classroom and internet survey.

SURVEY IN THE COMMUNITY

A survey on suffering from renal diseases was conducted by the team members in the nearby
Primary Health Center Mana Camp, Raipur. The team also conducted survey in the District

Hospital Raipur. There they witnessed many patients suffering with renal disease which basically
included kidney stone. They also took interview with doctors.

ARTIFACTS
Following artifacts were used by the students:
PowerPoint Presentations
Scrapbooks
Presentation outlines
Research reports
Models
Charts

Culminating Product
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Human Excretory System - Model

Artificial Kidney (Haemodialysis) - Posters
Diseases related to Excretory system - Report and observation table
Mechanism of formation of urine - Flow diagram
District Hospital and Primary Health Centre visit - Report and photographs
Interview with Doctors-Interview report and photographs
Students delivered a window movie and power point presentation to explain the results of the
project.

(C) ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

Authentic assessment:
Students described structural parts of excretory system and their function.
They made a list about diseases and illnesses related to the excretory system.
They demonstrated the function of kidney in the Biology lab.
Through their survey, they made community aware of health and hygiene.

Formative assessment:
A question-answer session was held.
Their work monitored by the coach and suggestions were given time to time.

Summative assessment:
The students wrote reports based on their Internet and library researches.
The students made interview with doctors, patients and related personnel.
Survey questionnaires prepared by the researchers (students).

 A test was conducted by the students.

The students were asked to present before the school community and criticism was invited.

Presentation Rubrics:

Rubrics
Human
Excretory
system

Excellent

Good

Average

Needs
Improvement

PRESENTATION

Content:
Proper headings,
subheadings,
inclusion of charts
and posters, effective
narration, content
easy to understand,
use of medical
terminology,
grammatical accuracy
Library: Good use
reference books,
encyclopedias, (no
plagiarism), editing
very effective
Internet: Relevant
content downloaded,
proper links given, no
plagiarism
Survey: Good quality
of questionnaire, good
data collected through
survey.
Work distributed
according to the skill
of the team-members,
team-spirit, choosing
efficient leader,
solving disputes
themselves

Content:
Proper headings,
subheadings, inclusion
of posters and effective
narration, minor
grammatical errors

Content:
No subheadings (only
main headings used),
no posters,
grammatical errors

Content: Paragraphs
without headingssubheadings,
grammatical errors

Library: Good use of

reference books,
encyclopedias, (no
plagiarism), editing not
very effective
Internet: Relevant
content downloaded,
proper links given, no
plagiarism

Library: Little use of

Reference books,
encyclopedias

Library: Little or no
use of library books

Internet: Quality of
content downloaded,
proper links not given,
plagiarism
Survey: Insufficient
questionnaire

Internet: No proper
links given, plagiarism

Work distributed
according to the skill
of the team-members,
team-spirit, no
member showing
leadership, Teachers
intervention in solving
the disputes

Work not distributed

according to the skill
of the team-members,
lack of team-spirit, no
member showing
leadership, Teachers
intervention in solving
the disputes

RESOURCES
USED

TEAM WORK

Survey: Average
questionnaire for the
survey
Work distributed
according to the skill
of the team-members,
team-spirit, choosing
efficient leader,
Teachers intervention
in solving the disputes

Survey: Poor
questionnaire

Assessment
Assessment Type
Authentic
Formative

Assessment Tools
Able to make model of Kidney and Excretory system Understands
the mechanism of excretion.
Demonstration of project workActivities
Student peer review of team work
Feedback on students drafts, documents, designs Survey results and
remarks by the teacher

Summative

Short test on better house keeping practices

Presentation in morning assembly
The team project will be evaluated by using rubrics as a basis in
grading students works.

TEAM EVALUATION
Category

Power point
presentation

Project Report
Evaluation

20

Oral
presentation

35

Art and

Total

Grade

craft

25

20

100

Team I

18

30

22

19

89

A+

Team II

17

26

18

17

78

Team III

19

31

23

20

93

A+

Team IV

18

26

19

17

80

Team V

17

28

20

18

83

A+

Rate each category according to the following scale:

81 100 = A+ ; 61 80 = A ;

41 60 = B+ ; 21 40 = B ;

Below 20 = C

(D) ADMINISTRATIVE WORK

1. Use of Computer Lab, Smart room and internet facility The principal JNV Raipur permitted
students to use computer lab and broadband internet facility. She also requested to the Computer
Teacher and FCSC to assist students as and when they need.
2. Use of School Library Students were permitted to use library during extra academic hours
also. They were provided reference books, encyclopedia, magazines and periodicals by the
Librarian.
3. Visit to Civil Hospital Mana, Raipur The Principal made necessary arrangement for visiting
Civil Hospital Mana, Raipur. She also made arrangement for the interview of Doctor with
students.
4. Visit to medical ward and interact with patient Hospital authority permitted students to visit
the ward and interact with patient.

PUBLICATION
The work is published in the www.neelampani.weebly.com site for wide participation in the
public forum of students and teaching community.