| “Gold Standard” PBL Elementa . | Unit Features . |
|---|---|
| Key Knowledge and Understandings/Success Skills | Students engage in science practices to learn key genetics, cell biology, and heart anatomy content (for alignment to NGSS, see Table 2). |
| Challenging Problem/Question | Entry event: Introduction of the Marcus case through discussion of initial symptoms; students engage in differential diagnosis throughout the unit to determine what happened to Marcus; students work throughout the unit to determine what caused Marcus to collapse and to answer the question “How can we educate others on the serious health risks in young athletes?” |
| Authenticity | Students connect to similar real-world, sports-related injuries through reading or watching local news stories; they give final presentations to school and community members to help make them aware of health issues associated with sports. |
| Student Voice and Choice | Students gather evidence to support their final diagnosis, which they present in their letter to Marcus's family; student groups design final presentations based on a rubric and their chosen audience. |
| Sustained Inquiry | Students research various sports-related diseases (disease jigsaw and final presentation research); students engage in investigative laboratory activities (egg osmosis lab, sickle cell simulation, ultrasound, etc.). |
| Reflection | Students reflect through daily written protocols (e.g., I used to think…, Now I think…) and through small-group and whole-class discussion of Marcus's diagnosis. |
| Critique and Revision | Students participate in a gallery walk and provide feedback on each other's final projects before formal presentation; they use peer critique protocols on initial project ideas (e.g., charrette protocol from www.nsrfharmony.org). |
| Public Product | Students write a letter to Marcus's family and also present and receive feedback from an audience of parents, coaches, and teachers at a school- or community-based event. |
| “Gold Standard” PBL Elementa . | Unit Features . |
|---|---|
| Key Knowledge and Understandings/Success Skills | Students engage in science practices to learn key genetics, cell biology, and heart anatomy content (for alignment to NGSS, see Table 2). |
| Challenging Problem/Question | Entry event: Introduction of the Marcus case through discussion of initial symptoms; students engage in differential diagnosis throughout the unit to determine what happened to Marcus; students work throughout the unit to determine what caused Marcus to collapse and to answer the question “How can we educate others on the serious health risks in young athletes?” |
| Authenticity | Students connect to similar real-world, sports-related injuries through reading or watching local news stories; they give final presentations to school and community members to help make them aware of health issues associated with sports. |
| Student Voice and Choice | Students gather evidence to support their final diagnosis, which they present in their letter to Marcus's family; student groups design final presentations based on a rubric and their chosen audience. |
| Sustained Inquiry | Students research various sports-related diseases (disease jigsaw and final presentation research); students engage in investigative laboratory activities (egg osmosis lab, sickle cell simulation, ultrasound, etc.). |
| Reflection | Students reflect through daily written protocols (e.g., I used to think…, Now I think…) and through small-group and whole-class discussion of Marcus's diagnosis. |
| Critique and Revision | Students participate in a gallery walk and provide feedback on each other's final projects before formal presentation; they use peer critique protocols on initial project ideas (e.g., charrette protocol from www.nsrfharmony.org). |
| Public Product | Students write a letter to Marcus's family and also present and receive feedback from an audience of parents, coaches, and teachers at a school- or community-based event. |
Larmer et al. (2015, p. 34).