Project-Based Lesson Plan
Project-Based Lesson Plan
Project-Based Lesson Plan
ISTE: Knowledge Construction Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct
knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.
3a Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their
intellectual or creative pursuits.
3b Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other
resources.
3d Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories
and pursuing answers and solutions.
List the Rationale (cite theories or theorists):
*Aristotelian Method – Aristotle’s theory of ethos, logos, and pathos to create a strong argument. We will have gone
through this already in a previous lesson.
Piaget – Students are at the formal operational stage, which means students should be able to tackle abstract
concepts and make hypotheses.
List the learning objective(s) to be addressed in this lesson (specific, measurable, attainable, timebound).
Use the following format: “Students will be able to…”
*Students will be able to create an argument that includes claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
Students will be able to defend their side of the debate.
Students will be able to maintain a formal style and objective tone.
Describe how the learning objective(s) and the learning outcomes is/are appropriate for the
age/developmental level of the students.
*The students are at Piaget’s formal operational stage, so they should be able to make a hypothesis and defend their
argument. It is also important that they understand how to use Aristotle’s method, since it is helpful for writing
essays.
Describe the Classroom Demographics: (e.g., ethnicities; gender ratios; special needs, including those of
gifted students, those of students’ physical needs, and those due to cultural characteristics).
Describe your Knowledge of Students: (in terms of the whole class and individual students)
(e.g., language needs; approaches to learning; prior learning and experiences; academic
proficiencies/behavioral differences; areas of interest).
*Promethean board, student laptops, internet, rubric, website for example, website for anchor
Technology
Describe the instructional and/or assistive technology that you plan to incorporate into the lesson and explain how it
will enhance instruction and student learning.
* Promethean board – The Promethean board will be used to present student evidence during the debate.
Student laptops – Students will use their laptops to find evidence and create a powerpoint to present their evidence.
Internet – Students will need the internet to find sources that support their argument
Websites – My example of a debate to give students a model and my anchor
Accommodations: Base this on the information you provided for Classroom Demographics and
Knowledge of Students above.
Describe the accommodations/differentiation/modifications you will use to meet the needs of all learners
and accommodate differences in students’ learning, culture, language, etc. *
Pre-Assessment: Describe the instrument or process you will use to measure students’ level of
understanding toward the learning objective(s) prior to teaching the lesson.
*A week before projects begin, I will do a Menti-Meter that asks students about how familiar they are with the
Aristotelian Method.
Questions
Who is Aristotle?
What is logos?
What is pathos?
What is ethos?
If students are familiar with Aristotle and his method, we will start the project-based lesson early. If students are not
familiar, I will spend the rest of the week teaching them about Aristotle and his method. The week after we will
begin the project-based lesson.
Pre-Assessment: Describe how the results of the pre-assessment (what the students have demonstrated
they know) will be used to design the lesson objectives, instruction, and post-assessment. (Include charts,
graphs if applicable)
Classroom Management
Identify the management and motivational strategies you will use to meet student behavioral/developmental needs
in order to keep students on task and actively engaged throughout the lesson.
*Students will know the procedures for group work, such as 1. Stay in your seats 2. Work quietly
To keep students on task, I will walk around the room to make sure they are doing their work and to answer
questions.
Implementation
“I Do”
(Teacher introduces lesson and models expected outcome(s) of learning objectives)
Describe what instructional strategies you will use to model/explain/demonstrate the knowledge and skills
required of the objective.
* Monday:
Anchor: I will show this video to get students interested in debate by using a scene from a movie they
might have seen. It also gets students thinking about how debate can be used in real life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEG4F-ORkK4
Task: I will present information on the class debate. First, I will explain that the class will be split down the
middle with one side being pro something and the other side being con something. I will tell them that for
the rest of the week they will be working together with their side to come up with an argument, counter
argument, evidence, and closing statement. I will hand out a copy of the rubric to every student.
Directions: Today, students will decide on what topic they would like for the debate and the class will be
divided up, the left side of the class is pro, the right side of the class is con. Wednesday and Friday will be
work time in class where students will work together to search for sources and form their argument,
counterargument, closing statement, and prepare a powerpoint with evidence. On Monday, the debate
will take place.
Student Choices: The class will vote between these options for the debate: keep current homework vs. less
homework, dress codes vs. no dress codes, keeping funding for fine arts vs. cutting funding for fine arts.
“We Do”
(Teacher engages students in guided practice)
Describe the learning activities you will use to provide students multiple opportunities to practice the skills and
content needed to meet the learning objective(s).
*This is for a block class schedule.
Monday: Since students have looked for credible sources since 6th grade, according to the ELA South
Dakota State Standards, we will do a refresher. I will pick one of the options students did not pick and look
through potential sources with them. Together, we will assess the credibility of a source or two.
Specifically we will look for: if authors are listed, websites with ads vs. without ads, references, etc. We will
discuss why a source is credible or why it isn’t. I will not have specific websites lined up because I would
like the students to help me decide which ones are worth checking out. I will also show them a video that
gives an example of a debate and talk through it as the video goes through each part of argument,
counterargument, evidence, and closing statement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcY5A58oIfA
“You Do”
(Students engage in independent practice)
Describe what the students will do to independently practice the knowledge and skills required by the lesson
objectives?
*Wednesday, Friday, Outside of Class
Student Inquiry: Students will work together to figure out main points, their argument, counterarguments,
closing statement, and create a powerpoint of their evidence.
Collaboration and Teamwork: Every student will contribute. The groups will need to work together to
come up with a strong argument that everyone can defend.
Teacher Coaching and Feedback: I will be walking around the room during work time to make sure
everyone is on task and to answer questions. I will also play devil’s advocate or come up with
counterarguments that can help them anticipate what the other group could say.
Student Reflection: In a debate, there is constant reflection as students figure out if what they are saying
makes sense/the best way to say something. They will also be reflecting when I walk around and ask them
what they think is strong, what they need to work on more, etc.
Monday
Public Presentation: When students arrive to class, they will be split into their groups and be facing the
other team. There will be a coin toss to decide which side gives their argument first, where they will go
through their argument, counterargument, and evidence. Students will have powerpoints that present
evidence, which they will need put up on the Promethean board. After the first group goes, the second will
do the same. Then, students will debate back and forth, using their evidence to cite points in favor of their
argument. The debate will end ten minutes to the end of class. They will give their closing statements.
Throughout all of this, students are to use a formal style and objective tone.
Lesson Closing
Describe how you will reemphasize the lesson objective(s) and any skills/content that were taught in an
interactive manner (whole/small group, etc.).
*I will reemphasize that the Aristotelian Method is still applicable today and important for the future
(recap from a previous lesson), the importance of logos, pathos, ethos (recap from previous lesson), and
how evidence and counterarguments are important components when creating an argument.
Post-Assessment: APPENDIX: Include a blank copy of the lesson post-assessment you will use to measure
students’ level of understanding toward the learning objectives after teaching the lesson.
*The information presented in the debate and what I witnessed during work days will be used to evaluate students
on how well they can utilize the Aristotelian Method. The rubric is listed on a separate page at the end of this
document. Every student in each group will receive the same grade, which will help group members to keep each
other accountable.
Analyze
Post Assessment: Based on the results of the Pre and Post-Assessment, to what extent did students achieve the
learning goals/objective of the lesson? Cite examples from the lesson plan, assessments, and/or video.
If applicable, insert a table/chart/graph before your explanation.
Reflect
Reflect on your instructional strategies, interactions with students, and classroom management strategies. Describe
what went well and what areas you need to revise in the future. Cite examples (from video) that support your
conclusions.
Describe revisions that you could make if you were to teach this lesson again. Why would you make each revision?
Cite examples from the lesson plan, video and/or student work that would prompt revisions.
Rubric: 30 points possible
Participation Every student in the group More than half of the Less than half of the
helped create the students in the group students in the group
argument, helped create the helped create the
counterargument, find argument, argument,
evidence counterargument, find counterargument, find
evidence evidence
Speaking Every student in the group More than half of the Less than half of the
spoke during the debate students in the group students in the group
spoke during the debate spoke during the debate
Ethos, Pathos, Logos Group used ethos, pathos, Group used 2 out of the 3 Group used 1 or none out
logos (ethos, pathos, logos) of the 3 (ethos, pathos,
logos)
Style/Tone Group used a formal style Group used a formal style Group did not use a formal
and objective tone and objective tone most of style or objective tone.
the time, but had instances Group portrayed
of unprofessional behavior unprofessional behavior
(aggressive, impolite (aggressive, impolite
words, fighting, etc.) words, fighting, etc.)