Exploring South Dakota Through Project Based Learning

Exploring South Dakota through Project-Based Leaning includes 50 well-thought-out projects designed for grades 3-5. In assigning your students projects that dig into South DakotaÕs geography, history, government, economy, current events, and famous people, you will deepen their appreciation and understanding of South Dakota while simultaneously improving their analytical skills and ability to recognize patterns and big-picture themes. Project-based learning today is much different than the craft-heavy classroom activities popular in the past. Inquiry, planning, research, collaboration, and analysis are key components of project-based learning activities today. However, that doesnÕt mean creativity, individual expression, and fun are out. They definitely arenÕt! Each project is designed to help students gain important knowledge and skills that are derived from standards and key concepts at the heart of academic subject areas. Students are asked to analyze and solve problems, to gather and interpret data, to develop and evaluate solutions, to support their answers with evidence, to think critically in a sustained way, and to use their newfound knowledge to formulate new questions worthy of exploring. While some projects are more complex and take longer than others, they all are set up in the same structure. Each begins with the central project-driving questions, proceeds through research and supportive questions, has the student choose a presentation option, and ends with a broader-view inquiry. Rubrics for reflection and assessments are included, too. This consistent framework will make it easier for you assign projects and for your students to follow along and consistently meet expectations. Encourage your students to take charge of their projects as much as possible. As a teacher, you can act as a facilitator and guide. The projects are structured such that students can often work through the process on their own or through cooperation with their classmates.

Exploring North Dakota through Project-Based Leaning includes 50 well-thought-out projects designed for grades 3-5. In assigning your students projects that dig into North DakotaÕs geography, history, government, economy, current events, and famous people, you will deepen their appreciation and understanding of North Dakota while simultaneously improving their analytical skills and ability to recognize patterns and big-picture themes. Project-based learning today is much different than the craft-heavy classroom activities popular in the past. Inquiry, planning, research, collaboration, and analysis are key components of project-based learning activities today. However, that doesnÕt mean creativity, individual expression, and fun are out. They definitely arenÕt! Each project is designed to help students gain important knowledge and skills that are derived from standards and key concepts at the heart of academic subject areas. Students are asked to analyze and solve problems, to gather and interpret data, to develop and evaluate solutions, to support their answers with evidence, to think critically in a sustained way, and to use their newfound knowledge to formulate new questions worthy of exploring. While some projects are more complex and take longer than others, they all are set up in the same structure. Each begins with the central project-driving questions, proceeds through research and supportive questions, has the student choose a presentation option, and ends with a broader-view inquiry. Rubrics for reflection and assessments are included, too. This consistent framework will make it easier for you assign projects and for your students to follow along and consistently meet expectations. Encourage your students to take charge of their projects as much as possible. As a teacher, you can act as a facilitator and guide. The projects are structured such that students can often work through the process on their own or through cooperation with their classmates.

This unique book combines state-specific facts and 30 fun-to-do hands-on projects. The History Project Book includes creating a cartoon panel to describe how your state name may have come about, creating a fort replica, making a state history museum, dressing up as a famous explorer and recreating the main discovery, and more! Kids will have a blast and build essential knowledge skills including research, reading, writing, science and math. Great for students in K-8 grades and for displaying in the classroom, library or home.

Grades K-8. Features 30 history projects for kids to complete-and includes actual state facts. Each project is quick, easy, and inexpensive! Projects include: creating a cartoon panel describing how our state name came about; writing a state constitution for the 21st century; creating a topographic map of the state; dress up as a famous explorer and recreate their main discovery; and more! Students will have a blast creating projects sure to end up as part of a history resource center-all about your state! Most projects use ordinary, easy-to-access materials. 32 pages.

Project Based Learning in Real World U.S. History Classrooms demonstrates how a project based learning approach can enrich and enliven the learning and teaching of U.S. history for middle and secondary level students. It offers rich, pedagogically innovative, and academically rigorous project based learning units that can help students connect with and deeply understand key events and trends in U.S. history. For each major topic that is covered in U.S. history classrooms, this volume shows how rich historical material can be made accessible and exciting to a wide range of student learners using projects that engage them critically, imaginatively, and analytically. This book is essential reading for pre-service and practicing teachers in Social Studies Education, History Education, and Secondary Education.

This book provides actionable insights and strategies to help address the student retention problem that has plagued higher education. Designed for faculty, this book reframes the common question, “Why do students leave and how can we fix it?” to “What if we made sure that every student had a compelling reason to stay?” Drawing upon the Gallup-Purdue “Big Six,” – six key experiences in undergraduate education that influence graduates’ well-being – Teaching for Retention outlines incremental action steps and strategies that every faculty member can implement on their own, without seeking administrative approval or waiting for institutional initiatives. This exciting book is designed for any faculty member who wants to increase students’ engagement in learning and motivation, and ultimately support students in completing their degree programs successfully. Support material includes workshop facilitator notes, lesson plans, presentation slides, and participant workbook. These materials are available at www.routledge.com/9781032811833

Place- and community-based education – an approach to teaching and learning that starts with the local – addresses two critical gaps in the experience of many children now growing up in the United States: contact with the natural world and contact with community. It offers a way to extend young people’s attention beyond the classroom to the world as it actually is, and to engage them in the process of devising solutions to the social and environmental problems they will confront as adults. This approach can increase students’ engagement with learning and enhance their academic achievement. Envisioned as a primer and guide for educators and members of the public interested in incorporating the local into schools in their own communities, this book explains the purpose and nature of place- and community-based education and provides multiple examples of its practice. The detailed descriptions of learning experiences set both within and beyond the classroom will help readers begin the process of advocating for or incorporating local content and experiences into their schools.