Exploring Problem Based Learning in a Grade 10 Science Classroom

Science lends itself well to inquiry based learning. For my action plan, I will be exploring problem based learning and will embed this method into my next Grade 10 Science Unit on Climate Change. Students will be given a problem, then asked in small groups to identify what they know, what they need to learn and how they are going to find information, learn and work towards a solutions to their problem. I hope to move more students from knowing to understanding about climate change and its many challenges. So far I have found great resources on David Suzuki’s site  and a thoughtful tool from Calgary’s Science School will help me structure the inquiry project and its initial question.

Finding a group of climate change questions is my next challenge. I have decided to use a theme around our Canadian North as my focus.

My wish is for students to understand the current issues, the up-to-date science around this issue, and what is known about how climate change works; then to move towards thinking about solutions and how to continue learning as more information is added to society’s awareness of climate change, even after this project is done.

So far, I have found practical help to organise these projects from:
1. Andrew Millar in his Edutopia article Reframing and Refining the Worksheet (http://www.edutopia.org/blog/reframing-and-refining-the-worksheet-andrew-miller)

2. Tim Holt’s Why Problem-Based Learning is Better. (http://plpnetwork.com/2013/01/10/problem-vs-project-based-learning/)

Your tips, and resource suggestions for resources in Science inquiry or problem based projects are welcome.

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5 Responses to Exploring Problem Based Learning in a Grade 10 Science Classroom

  1. Love this idea. My initial reaction was hey this would be awesome with the help of some kind of collaborative tool where students could share what they are learning. Google docs, wiki, wall wisher. The depth and level of research you are asking for will determine the tool but having a central archive off all the learning might be extremely beneficial to the students.

    • Ah,… you read my mind, Justin.

      I am currently experimenting with using GoogleDocs and next week, Lucidcharts with my students. I hope to use one of these tools for collaborating and record keeping in problem based learning in the Climate Change Unit.

      My trial projects are smaller problem-based case studies from the National Centre for Case Studies Teaching in Science (http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/about/). This is a fabulous resource with projects for Science (from Middle School through to Senior High School and University). The current project I am excited about is a case study around “Cloning Man’s Best Friend”. Some projects are quite sophisticated, but I have had luck finding some that are fairly quick and good for the grade 10 level.

      Anyone else using the National Centre for Case Studies? Any recommendations for projects that worked well in your class?

  2. Rita Pak says:

    An excellent way to develop a global citizen Su! Sometimes Science seems so structured and we are tied down to cramming in all the assessment statements into the school year. However, at the end of the day, all I want my students to take away from Science class is the enduring understanding of how to be a knowledgeable participant in our world.
    Have you thought about the final product that will come out of the inquiry? Will they present their findings in a discussion, a PSA video, report, skit… I think all of these will be fun and engaging.

  3. Hi Su!
    Great action plan. I like that you have narrowed it specifically to focus on one unit in one course — a manageable place to start for sure! Thank you for the Case Study Collection website, I shared it with our Upper and Prep School Science teachers.

    I may pick your brain a little about how you use LiveScribe, I bought one on my way home from the F2F on Saturday. 🙂

    My colleague, Ed Hitchcock, is really involved / interested in 21st century stuff. He is one of the organizers of EdCampTO un-conference. Here is his blog: http://teachscience.net/ I told him that you may be getting in touch. 🙂

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