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Name:
Content Area(s) / Grade Level
(s): 7-8 All Subjects
Title of the Project: Do you have
a better idea?
Community Connection: An inventor
will come and meet the group.
Estimated Timeline: Last Five
weeks of School
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I Brief Description of the
Overall Project –
What problems / Issues /
Questions does this address? Broadly, what will students do?
In this activity, students will explore
the process of invention from an inventor's conception and as a factor of
history. Students will select an invention that has had a significant impact
on their daily lives and report on it in a PowerPoint presentation.
Alternatively they may explore a custom.
II Essential or Framing Question
[Insert your framing question
and sub-questions (if applicable) here]
Which invention has had an important impact on your life?
What further changes do you expect in your lifetime in this area of
development?
1. When was it invented? In which country did it originate? What change did it
make?
2. Tell something about the inventor.
3. Make a chart or graph showing how much money the inventor made over the
years, the cost of the invention, how many people use the invention today
compared to yesterday, where it is used, how it has affected the environment,
or some other numerical comparison.
4. What was going on five years prior to the invention that may have led to
its development? Where there other related developments in the field? On what
previous ideas did the inventor build? Have you learned any of these
foundational ideas in school this year?
5. What impact does this invention have on you? Why is it important to you?
6. What changes would you make to this invention, or what modifications do you
foresee for the future?
7. What invention would you like to see? Do you want it named after you? Draw
or make a model of your idea for a new invention or the invention you studied.
Inventions may include but are not limited to:
2001:
Digital
satellite radio
2001:
Self-contained Artificial
heart
Note that an invention may also be an idea or a law. One example is that all
people are organ donors unless they opt out. Another is the universal 55 mph
speed limit.
III State or local content standards to be assessed
While
many standards may influence the development of a PBL unit, only identify
those standards you plan to measure/assess. Remember, not all standards are
created equally so “mix it up”.
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Declarative
– Content Understanding
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Procedural
– Process Skills
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Contextual
– The Application of Content Understanding and Process Skills
1.
English Language Research and Technology
1.4 Plan and
conduct multiple-step information searches by using computer networks and
modems.
1.5 Achieve an effective
balance between researched information and original ideas.
2.
English Language 2.3 Write research reports:
a. Define a thesis.
b. Record important ideas,
concepts, and direct quotations from significant information sources and
paraphrase and summarize all perspectives on the topic, as appropriate.
c. Use a variety of primary
and secondary sources and distinguish the nature and value of each.
d. Organize and display
information on charts, maps, and graphs.
3. Mathematics
1.5 Represent quantitative
relationships graphically and interpret the meaning of a specific part of
a graph in the situation represented by the graph.
4.Science Investigation 9g. Distinguish
between linear and nonlinear relationships on a graph of data.
5. Technology Navigate
through a multimedia presentation.
Enter, edit and delete information in a spreadsheet/graphing program. Use
Delete, coy, paste, cut in graphics program. Format and edit text by
highlighting font, size, style.
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Final Product, Presentation,
or Demonstration
What is
the culminating product or presentation? (Remember, it should both complete
the project and demonstrate student learning in the standards identified)
What is
the audience for the product or presentation? (Remember, a “real”
audience is a great motivator for students to produce high-quality products
and presentations)
The final project will be a
PowerPoint presentation with a minimum of the following:
eight slides with invention,
history, inventor, personal use of invention, future of product or
process, comparison with another
invention or place, environmental compatibility
of invention, access to invention
worldwide
two original graphics
one chart or graph
V Select Tasks & Activities
Begin
to organize your tasks and activities into the following categories:
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Introductory Activities stimulate
student interest in the topic and motivate students to participate in the
project.
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Instructional Activities through
which students learn and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and habits of mind
needed to attain the identified standards and complete the project.
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Culminating Activities
through which students demonstrate their learning of most or all standards
identified as the focus of the PBL unit (This would include the “final product
or performance” but may also include other culminating activities)
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Introductory
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Instructional
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Culminating
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United Streaming
Discussion of items in room. life
Article –“Do you have a better
idea?”
Readings
Interviews
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Use of databases
Googling
Use of PowerPoint Presentation
Speaking practice
Diagrams
Flowcharts
Drawings
Paintings
Graphs
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Presentation of Multimedia
Performance
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VI Assess Student Progress
As
students complete learning activities and work towards completion of the
project, how will you assess their progress? Are there interim products and
performances you can use? How will you assess both content and process (e.g.
how well are groups working?)
Begin
selecting interim products and performances by focusing on the following
questions:
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What
standards have been identified?
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What
learning activities have been identified?
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What
products and performances might represent student progress in meeting the
standards?
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Do you
need to revisit any of the above?
Keep in mind: multiple intelligences,
group v. individual evidence and resource availability
Possible Interim Products
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Written
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Visual
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Oral
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Made
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Combo
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Essays
Letters
Poems
Narratives
Reports
Directions
Quizzes
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Diagrams
Flowcharts
Drawings
Paintings
Graphs
Maps
Blueprints
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Reports
Debates
Musical Performance
Readings
Interviews
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Models
Construction
Exhibits
Sculptures
Databases
Videotapes
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Multimedia
Web Sites
Dramas
Experiments
Perf. Arts
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Possible Assessment Methods
Informal
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“Traditional”
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Performance
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Observation
Oral Feedback
Teacher Logs
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Short Answer
Quizzes/Tests
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Rubrics
Checklists
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Interim Product or Performance
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Correlating Standard(s)
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Topic, two sources, notes for
research
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Graphics or model
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Chart
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VII. Reflection
Where and how will you build in student
reflection?
See rubric.
What questions or prompts will you use?
VII. Final Product / Performance Assessment
The New
NEASC Assessment Criteria require that schools demonstrate:
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Specific
criteria shall be the basis for grading and reporting.
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Teachers
shall use a variety of assessment strategies.
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Teachers
shall be able to demonstrate how they use the results of assessments of
student learning to improve their instructional practices.
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The
school shall use its agreed upon rubrics and indicators of successful
accomplishment and other data to assess the progress of students in achieving
the school’s stated expectations.
How
will you assess the final product / performance? (In most cases, it will be by
using a rubric)
See
rubric. Student must present PPT orally to group—or as an alternative present
an enhanced podcast.
How will you use this
assessment in grading and reporting? It will be worth one assignment in each
class.
How will you use this
assessment to improve instructional practice? Student will have this
preparation before senior exhibition.
Rubric Scoring Guide for Assessing Student
Learning
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Scoring Guide for: Do you have a better
idea?
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 Criteria/Standard
\ Scale
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Purpose, Importance
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The report explains the key purposes of
the invention and points out less obvious ones as well.
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The report explains all of the key
purposes of the invention.
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The report explains some of the purposes
of the invention but misses key purposes.
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The report does not refer to the purposes
of the invention
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Features
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The report details both key and hidden
features of the invention and explains how they serve several purposes.
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The report details the key features of the
invention and explains the purposes they serve.
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The report neglects some features of the
invention or the purposes they serve.
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The report does not detail the features of
the invention or the purposes they serve.
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Critique
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The report discusses the strengths and
weaknesses of the invention, and suggests improvements or new inventions.
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The report discusses the strengths and
weaknesses of the invention.
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The report discusses either the strengths
or weaknesses of the invention but not both.
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The report does not mention the strengths
or the weaknesses of the invention.
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Connections
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The report makes appropriate connections
between the purposes and features of the invention and many different kinds of
phenomena.
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The report makes appropriate connections
between the purposes and features of the invention and one or two phenomena.
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The report makes unclear or inappropriate
connections between the invention and other phenomena.
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The report makes no connections between
the invention and other things.
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Resources
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One book
One database
One internet source
One interview
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One book
One database
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One book
One internet source
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Any one source
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Presentation
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PPT with 8 slides, one original graphic,
one chart
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PPT with 8 slides including a chart
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PPT with 8 slides
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PPT
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Grade Level: Middle
School
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