George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning is a dynamic classroom approach in which students actively explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge.

  • Making the Most of Compost

    Don’t throw that banana peel in the trash! Use a school compost bin to foster project-based learning across subjects and grade levels.
    Christopher Weber

  • Learning to Interview Builds a Range of Communication Skills

    Tips from the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs help students develop skills that are useful across the curriculum and in project-based learning—both now and when they are back in schools.
    Leah Clapman

  • How Teachers Can Support PBL at Home

    Tips and projects that teachers can share with parents and caregivers to guide children in any grade through project-based learning—with or without technology.
    John Larmer

  • Inquiry-Based Tasks in Social Studies

    Assignments that are bigger than a lesson and smaller than a unit are a good way to experiment with inquiry-based learning.
    Andrew Miller

  • Project-Based Learning and the Research Paper

    Students take responsibility for their learning and develop solutions for complex problems when their research paper becomes a PBL unit.
    Brandie Provenzano

  • Projects That Work: Mission to Mars

    Physics students assume the role of aerospace engineers to explore the real-world problem of how to land a rover on Mars.

  • Staying On Task During Project-Based Learning

    Brief daily meetings give students working in groups the structure to hold each other accountable on long-term projects.

  • Creating a Student-Run Museum in Your Classroom

    Letting students establish a museum exhibit with everyday items offers an opportunity to sharpen their storytelling skills.
    Laura Lee

  • Twenty Ideas for Engaging Projects

    Twenty ideas for getting engaging projects going in your classroom.
    Suzie Boss

  • 3 Common PBL Problems—and Solutions

    Ideas for how to overcome issues that teachers new to project-based learning frequently encounter.
    John McCarthy

  • Designing Science Inquiry: Claim + Evidence + Reasoning = Explanation

    The Claim, Evidence, Reasoning framework is a scaffolded way to teach the scientific method.
    Eric Brunsell

  • Getting Started With Project-Based Learning (Hint: Don’t Go Crazy)

    A handful of tips to help teachers ease into PBL without getting overwhelmed.
    Andrew Miller

  • 6 Strategies for Differentiated Instruction in Project-Based Learning

    Reflecting on learning and student voice and choice are core elements of project-based learning, and they’re also key to differentiation.
    Andrew Miller

  • Resources and Downloads to Facilitate Inquiry-Based Learning

    Find information, strategies, protocols, and tools to promote curiosity and engage students in asking questions, thinking critically, and solving problems.

  • New Study Shows the Impact of PBL on Student Achievement

    Researchers in Michigan show that project-based learning in high-poverty communities can produce statistically significant gains in social studies and informational reading.
    Nell K. Duke, Anne-Lise Halvorsen