How can we get students excited about the PBL topic?

Season 2 Episodes

EP1: What are the steps to becoming an impactful PBL educator?

EP2: How can we use portfolios to enhance our teaching practice?

EP3: How can we elevate our PBL unit with community partners?

EP4: How can we create a memorable experience via project-based learning?

EP5: How can we teach standards and implement project-based learning?

EP6: What role does reflection play in the PBL process?

EP7: How can we create a dynamic group culture during project-based learning?

EP8: How can students support a cause via project-based learning?

EP9: How can we promote STEM education via project-based learning?

EP10: How can we get students excited about the project-based learning topic?

EP11: What type of creative artifacts/public products can students create via project-based learning?

EP12: How can we write a project-based learning unit?

EP13: How can we write a compelling scenario for a PBL unit?

In a previous article, we explored how to jumpstart engagement through a meaningful and exciting driving question. Let's take it a step further by exploring how to launch the project-based learning unit. It is essential students buy into their project since they will be exploring their complex question or challenge over an extended time. 

What is the purpose of a hook?

While hooks for traditional lessons are typically short, less than ten minutes, project-based learning hooks may vary in length to sustain students' interest over a more extended period. A PBL hook typically occurs at the start of the unit, although it is not uncommon for teachers to integrate several ways to cultivate students' interest throughout the project. 

A compelling hook prepares students for learning by aligning with the project topic and upcoming content. The hook should tease what students will explore and share why the PBL topic is essential. It also connects what students are about to learn with what they already know.

Remember, the goal of a hook is to create a sense of urgency to learn the topic. Most importantly, the hook should spark curiosity, so students are excited to learn more about the challenge, solve problems, and ask questions. 

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How can educators spark students’ interest during project-based learning? 

As we examine eight ways to attract and captivate students' attention, you will see that it’s feasible to integrate more than one of these ideas. Let’s explore! 

1. Show a documentary about the topic. Your PBL driving question may be, “How can our class create an anti-bullying campaign that makes our school a safer place?” Start by searching for documentaries about bullying, view the documentary in advance, and draft discussion questions. For example, find a documentary related to the impact bullying has on people's lives or about someone who overcame bullying and now speaks out about the topic.
   

   Consider sharing the documentary topic with parents for approval in the case of a controversial topic. If you are short on time, consider pulling clips from the documentary to share in class. Depending on their age, students could watch the remainder of the documentary at home and then come to school ready to discuss it.

2. Invite guest speakers. Ask people who work in a related industry, or are merely interested in your PBL topic, to visit your classroom. Consider reaching out to college students studying your particular topic. For example, if your driving question is, “How can I help students in my school stay safe during extreme weather?” invite someone from the local weather channel to speak to your students.

   While a meteorologist may be great, other people who work in the weather sector could also be beneficial. A college student with a major related to weather or climate would work too. Although volunteers may be an expert on the topic, it does not mean they know how to engage students. In advance of the guest speaker's presentation, be sure to prepare them by sharing the project's purpose and providing topics or questions for them to cover. 

3. Consider field research. Students could conduct field research through data collection and surveys. For example, let's say your driving question is, “How can I share weekly news with kids my age to keep them informed about school events?” Students could interview and survey students in other grades to gauge interest in receiving news about what is happening at their school site. Your students could ask their peers what type of news they would like to know and how they prefer to learn it in their survey.

4. Go on a virtual expedition. Let's say your driving question is, “How could we design an energy-efficient roller coaster?" Browse the website of your closest amusement park, and you may find they have an option to take a virtual ride on a roller coaster. Or do a little searching on the Internet, and you will likely find an enjoyable virtual experience for your students related to the PBL topic. Also, consider virtual reality tours. For example, some organizations, museums, or parks have virtual tours, and Google has VR cardboard glasses and resources for VR expeditions. 

5.  Take students on a field trip. Turning traditional field trips into learning experiences could excite students about the PBL unit. For example, I wrote a project-based learning unit for an IMAX film and museum exhibit, and the hook for that PBL experience was to take students to the museum to view the exhibit or watch the film. Do you have an interesting attraction where you live that has resources related to your PBL topic? 

6. Create a short video. Consider creating a fun video to introduce the project. Share the scenario, driving question, and expected outcomes. Include information about why exploring the topic is important and how students can solve a problem that will impact their school or community. 
   

7. Design a gallery wall. Think about creating a museum-style feel with videos, images, and articles about your PBL topic. For example, students could use a KWL chart to write down what they currently know about the topic. After walking around and seeing the artifacts, they can then write down what they wonder about the subject. In the end, students can go back and write what they learned. 

8. Obtain communication from an expert. Consult an expert to draft a letter or record a video asking students to solve a challenge or the PBL question for your unit. You could also draft an example letter or written documentation outline and ask the experts to sign off or utilize it in their communication. For example, one teacher I work with had a PBL driving question related to students designing a zoo layout. The PBL focused on what animals live in, which type of habitat, and where they should be placed within the zoo layout. She asked a zookeeper to write a letter to her students. This teacher wrote the outline of the letter herself, but the zookeeper filled in some important information based on their expertise, and the students loved it. 

There are countless ways to spur students' interest and motivation in the project-based learning topic. Ideally, consider students’ interests when choosing and composing the driving question for the unit. To maintain students’ engagement, design an effective launch activity.

Take action: 

Determine how you will mobilize and empower students in your project-based learning unit.