The Only PBL Language Arts Project Plan You Need
One of our Spinndle teachers has come up with the most universal PBL language arts project template for you to customize for any project-based learning ELA project! Incorporate any curriculum into this template and students will be exercising key 21st-century skills and engaging in a project-based experience that is meaningful to them. Your Best Writing Assignment Ever is a project-based learning language arts project that is completely student-led and designed around student choice. Students can choose a type of writing that interests them (poetry, short story, biography, script writing, blogging etc.), analyze quality or famous works in order to create their own. You can narrow the scope of this PBL ELA project by customizing the PBL template to focus on any topic, genre or skill you are looking to cover in your ELA curriculum!
This PBL language arts project gives students an opportunity to explore avenues of writing they are interested, as well as, create a piece of work that is meaningful and relevant to them. Students build knowledge of various literary techniques by exploring, inquiring and analyzing works that inspire them. Formative assessment is hands-on and ongoing as the english language arts PBL project is set up with a timeline of deliverables.
Customize the Project-based Learning Language Arts Project
There are so many ways teachers can incorporate project-based learning, inquiry-based thinking, as well as other disciplines into their language arts projects. I learn best by example, so here are some examples from our Spinndle teachers on how they have adapted or customized the PBL Language Arts template below.
Storytelling Project
In the Storytelling Project students tell their story using a creative medium. Elementary or secondary students uncover their strengths, interests, and stories with a little help from peers. This english language arts PBL project is such a great way to build class community or begin/ end the school year.
My Hero Project
This project-based learning english language arts project is really straightforward, but very personal. My Hero Project has students exercising research skills like interviewing and analyzing findings to inform a creative final product. Students will choose a real-life hero that has inspired them in some way, helped shape their worldview, played a role in defining their philosophy of life, etc. Students will then interview their chosen heroes and share their stories in a creative way.
Teen Challenges: Health Education Project
Students write a proposal to tackle teen challenges in this Teen Challenges: Health Education Project. This project is a great way to introduce project-based learning health education to middle school or high-school students. A students goal for this problem-based learning ELA project is is to develop a comprehensive plan to solve a 21st-century teen problem. The topic for this experience is the specific problem that teens are facing today. Examples include depression, anxiety, cyberbullying, body image, and forced displacement, among others. Students need to use key english language arts skills as they put together formal proposals, a plan of action and persuasive piece of writing.
Changing the World One Poem at a Time
One Spinndle teacher is getting their students to address civil rights issues using poetry in this Changing the World One Poem at a time project. In this particular project-based learning language arts project, students will use poetry to promote civil rights and social justice in their community. Students choose and analyze a social justice poem. What makes the poem effective and powerful? Students use this knowledge of poetry to address a social justice and civil rights issue in their community.
Write a Wrong
In this project-based ELA project Write a Wrong, students use journalism techniques to right a wrong in their local community. How can you impart change in your community as an active journalist? In this ELA PBL project, students choose a current affair or issue to research and document over time. Get inspiration from other journalism projects. Eg. Youtube Spotlight Series, Podcast, Blog, Newsletter/Article etc.
ROADMAP
Stage 1 - Immerse
Consume as much as you can related to your chosen [theme, topic, style, form]. Eg1. Exploring Form: spoken word poetry. Eg2. Inquiry Question: How is Shakespeare relevant today?
Scout pieces that exemplify your chosen genre
Narrow down to 3-5 pieces. Choose a wide, diverse collection of exemplars.
Make a goal of what you are accomplishing with your writing (by thinking about what it will look like at the end)
Stage 2 - Analyze
Build your understanding of the characteristics that are necessary to qualify as good examples of your [theme, topic, style, form]. Eg1. What makes good, standout, spoken word poetry? How do you distinguish it from mediocre examples? Eg2. Look at Shakespeare’s work and findings from stage 1. Analyze why he is still relevant today?
Identify commonalities from the examples/data you've collected. What do the good examples all have in common? What still holds up today?
Look for other examples. Identify how the differences between good and mediocre examples. What are the mediocre examples lacking?
Analyze literary techniques. What writing techniques being used? Analyze what the goal of each technique is, interpret why the author has made the choice to include these techniques, and identify what effect they have on you as the reader. Eg. Expository (writing to explain), Descriptive (writing to describe), Persuasive (writing to persuade), Narrative (write to tell a story).
Stage 3 - Compose
Compose your own authentic work. Eg1. Write your own spoken word poetry. Eg2. Compose your “Anything But an Essay” piece answering the Inquiry Question, “Why is Shakespeare relevant today?”
Consider your audience. Who is your target audience? Who do you want this piece to resonate with? What kids of messaging works on this audience?
Backwards Brainstorm. Knowing your audience, what is your end goal - to inspire, educate, or persuade? Brainstorm types of composition(s) that you are interested in that will help you meet your goal.
Organize your ideas to get your desired reaction. (Ex. If you want your audience to be inspired, what breadcrumbs have you laid along the way to emotionally invest in your piece?)
Draft your composition. Once you finish your first draft, don't look at it for a while. Come back with fresh eyes.
Revise and edit. Revisit your work. Make improvements. Get feedback from others. Make improvements.
Stage 4 - Present
Present your authentic work. Eg1. Perform your spoken word poetry. Eg2. Now that you've composed your “Anything but an Essay” piece, consider how you will present it.
Revisit your goal. Is your goal to inform, inspire, persuade? Plan your presentation: visual, speech, performance, or writing.
Visualize how your audience will see your slides, video, writing or protype start to finish. Create a storyboard to show all the steps.
Share your visuals and get feedback on how your messaging is coming across.
If you are interested in customizing this project-based learning language arts project for your class, sign up for a Spinndle account to access the project.