Problem+Based+Learning

=== Problem based learning (PBL) is an extremely effective teaching tool that can be used to engage students in content while learning problem-solving skills. The purpose of this series of assignments is to help you practice developing effective problem based learning activities for your classroom. ===

Problem Based Learning Part 1:
As an introduction to Problem Based Learning, as well as the overall structure of a web quest, please go to What is Problem Based Learning? and complete the activity described. When you are done, you should be able to ...

1. Describe the characteristics of a Problem Based Learning lesson. 2. Describe the purpose and structure of a web quest. 3. Analyze different web quests to determine if they are true PBL lessons or not.

[|PBL Analysis Form.docx]

Problem Based Learning Part 2:
== [|BSC+307+Problem+Based+Learning+Assignment-1.pdf] For this assignment, you are to design your own Problem Based Learning activity and publish it in the form of a web quest. You should post the link to your web quest, along with a description of the activity and the concepts covered, under the student work section below.==

==== [|BSC+307+PBL+Web+Quest+Rubric.pdf] The rubric being used to assess this assignment is has two parts. The first part counts towards your course grade; the second part is being used by your instructor to assess how well your PBL lesson meets NCATE standards. ====

Web Quest Templates:

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=Student Work: = =Classify-It Janelle Czapar and Laura Zehr= The "Classify-It" activity is a webquest designed to guide student's learning of the classification system. The problem of the webquest requires the students to propose potential changes to the system. These changes will be based on the history of classification and the current diversity of organisms within each of the 6 Kingdoms. The individual task of the "Classify-It" webquest requires students to become an expert on an assigned organism by searching specific websites for information. By working through the task with a specific organism in mind the students will be more engaged in their own learning. The students will then form a group based on the Kingdom of their organism. The group is responsible for analyzing the characteristics of each of their organisms to determine if their Kingdom is a satisfactory classification group. The students will be considering ecological and cellular characteristics of these organisms to illustrate how the classification of organisms is based on many areas of science today. A PBL is the best approach for an activity such as this because it reflects the real world classification debate, and there is no "right" answer.

Endangered species- Webquest By Alisha Jones and Kari Koppers Endangered Species- Mountain Gorilla is a webquest activity that students of a freshman biology class would be finishing an unit on biodiversity. This webquest was created to take the knowledge learned of an unit and take it to the next level. They will be searching on different components of the mountain gorillas and why they are endangered. After collecting information, creating a poster and a works cited page, they will be giving a presentation to the class about why these gorillas are endangered and what they think they can change to increase the population. There is no right or wrong answer we are just looking for the students to become "experts" on this topic to be able to present the information in class and give them a good base of knowledge before we start the next unit on the food pyramid and cycles.

Nuclear Power Invasion Web Quest Laura Sedivy This PBL web quest was designed for an environmental science class that would mostly be composed of 11th or 12th graders. It incorporates various disciplines, such as biology/environmental science, chemistry, and physics. Students take the roles of an environmental scientist, a nuclear chemist, and a nuclear physicist. During the web quest, students will be solving a problem-whether or not a nuclear power plant should be built in McLean County. They will need to become familiar with nuclear energy and nuclear power plants and weigh the pros and cons in order to make a decision. There is no right or wrong answer; the students just need to be able to back up their decision with research. Once they make a decision, they will be writing a proposal and presenting their argument to the McLean County Board. This PBL activity can be done in a unit on different types of energy, such as renewable and nonrenewable energy.

Paleontology Mystery Web Quest **By Julie Massanisso** This problem-based learning web quest was designed for a junior/senior Earth and environmental science elective class. It incorporates several disciplines including geology, chemistry, biology, and anthropology. Students work in groups of four to solve a real-life problem about the discovery of fossilized human remains near a local creek. The questions posed are how the human discovered died, and when this human might have lived. Each group member will become experts in one aspect of this problem - a geologist, a chemist, a biologist, and an anthropologist. Students need to collaborate and coordinate their research to reach a solution to the problem. Once a solution is agreed upon, students will create a PowerPoint to present their solution to the class. This web quest can be used at the end of a unit about geology (specifically fossils).

Community Garden Web Quest - Emily Matko The Community Garden PBL is designed to get students engaged within their teams, the school community, and the information from their Ecology unit. The activity requires students to exercise many of the concepts covered in a typical 9th grade ecology unit and apply them to the real world in order to achieve a common goal. The students are directly involved in designing a Community Garden that their very own school would like to use. This personal aspect motivates students to become "experts" or "specialists" in their assigned field. Though there is a critical individual aspect to this project, it cannot be done alone. The group is truly a team and must work together in order to be successful and get the most out of this project. Despite the size and depth of this project, the teacher is largely in the shadows; they are simply there to facilitate students. The characteristics previously listed make this project a perfect candidate for a Problem Based Learning project. Because of this, this project was designed in the form of a web quest to engage students and promote inquiry based learning.

[] By Steve White This PBL web quest was designed for freshman biology classes. It incorporates disiplinces two disciplines in Biology ( Ecology & Zoology) and Geography/Geology.Students work in groups of three to solve "why certain speices are endangered" by researching information on each specific endangered species. Student must find reasons that cause these species to become endangered and create an article to hypothesis why each species is endangered. Students need to each research thier specific discipline in order to create a summary of thier findings. Once student agree on a idea they will organize and write an article together on thier findings.This web quest could be used at the end of a ecology unit.

www.jaylorwebquest.wikispaces.com Jill Wojtanowicz and Taylor Farnetti GMOs...YES or NO?! Problem based learning (PBL) is an instructional strategy that is used by teachers. During PBLs students act as problem-solvers. Science is based on real world problems, and these concepts are essential for students to understand. This web quest is based on GMOs and the controversy that comes along with it. This specific PBL is going to help students understand concepts such as biology, earth/space science, and chemistry. It will help students gain skills to complete research, formulate opinions about real world controversies, and give formal presentations.

http://downspavpbl.wikispaces.com/ By Connor Downs and Kevin Pavesic This PBL was designed for environmental science classes. In this PBL the students have to come up with a way to clean up an oil spill that has just happened by taking factors like wildlife, oceanlife, the ocean, and finances into account. Students will cover concepts in Biology, Chemistry, and Earth and Space science. This will help students gain research and problem solving skills that are necessary in everyday life.

http://underthesea-williamscoughlin.wikispaces.com "**Under the Sea" -**Jennifer Williams & Diane Coughlin This PBL was designed for freshman level Biology. The students are asked by Walt Disney World to create three new exhibits incorporating marine life to put in the Animal Kingdom Park. This web quest incorporates marine biology, botany, and chemistry. This PBL is designed to help students understand ecosystems and how they function and what it takes to maintain them. The end result is that each group will present a PowerPoint presentation to the Animal Kingdom Review Board (i.e., the class).

http://hooklake.wikispaces.com/http://hooklake.wikispaces.com/ What's up with Hook Lake? This PBL explores the trouble going on in Hook Lake located in Round Lake Beach, Il. The students are given the problem where the lake has completely changed as an ecosystem. The students are to fond out what happened to the lake and how it can be fixed if at all and why or why it cannot be fixed. This brings the realms of Chemistry, Botany, Environmental Science and Biology together to create a solution to the problem. At the end of the Assignment, the groups will create a Prezi presentation to give their solution and rationale of such.

http://centralillinoiszoohabitatcreationwebquest.wikispaces.com/ Kira Hedrich This PBL explores the topics of animals and their environments by having students create a full exhibit for their chosent animal. The students will have to design the exhibit and determine the dietary needs for the animal as well. they will present their exhibit plan to the classs