Projects in High School Physics
National Science Teachers AssociationMarch 31, 2012
Borislaw Bilash & Elise Burns
Why Do Projects?
Fun
Rigorous
Complex
Kinesthetic
Competitive
Create
Apply
Engineer
Analyze
Cooperate
Types of Projects
Culminating
Integrated (PBL)
Independent Origin
Nearly any project can be adapted to use in a different manner with minor changes.
Finding the Balance
What is the purpose of the project?
How rigorous do you want the project to be?
Can a “fun” project be academically demanding and a good learning tool?
When is a digression from the curriculum appropriate?
Advance Decisions
Where will the work get done?
What is the timetable?
What are the major checkpoints that the students must pass?
How much teacher supervision will there be along the way?
How will you hold the students accountable along the way?
Who supplies the materials?
CollaborationDo students work individually, in pairs, or in groups?
Do they have clearly designated roles or freeform group?
How are individuals held accountable to their group?
What are the consequences of not participating fully?
How are individuals held accountable for the material?
How do I (try to) make sure all students pull their own weight?
Who makes the groups?
Grading the Project: The Almighty Rubric
What is the difference between a checklist and a rubric?
When do the students receive the rubric?
What goes into the rubric?
How long should the rubric be?
How can I use a rubric to assess group work?
How can students use the rubric most effectively?