Providing Effective Scaffolds through in Project Based Learning:
The project explained:
Students will gain perspective of the hardships faced by people in the Great Depression. Students need to grasp the concept that people who lived during the 1930’s learned to survive with very little. Students will research and explore how Individuals met their basic needs during this time to support their self and their families (i.e. bartering for necessities)
Working in “families of four”, students will explore how prices in the 1930’s compare to prices today. While these prices seem low, they will dig deeper and also explore the wages during the 1930’s. Students must gather comparisons to draw conclusions on how wages compare to the cost of items. Students will be assigned an occupation and using the info they gather, create a budget for a family of four living in the depression based on the salary of their elected occupation. Students will organize and present their information using various forms of technology supported scaffolds.
Targeted Population:
This cross curricular project is designed for a high school United States History course.
The project aligns with the following SOL:
VUS.10 The student will demonstrate knowledge of key domestic events of the 1920s and 1930s by
b) assessing the causes and consequences of the stock market crash of 1929;
c) explaining the causes of the Great Depression and its impact on the American people;
Working in “families of four”, students will explore how prices in the 1930’s compare to prices today. While these prices seem low, they will dig deeper and also explore the wages during the 1930’s. Students must gather comparisons to draw conclusions on how wages compare to the cost of items. Students will be assigned an occupation and using the info they gather, create a budget for a family of four living in the depression based on the salary of their elected occupation. Students will organize and present their information using various forms of technology supported scaffolds.
Targeted Population:
This cross curricular project is designed for a high school United States History course.
The project aligns with the following SOL:
VUS.10 The student will demonstrate knowledge of key domestic events of the 1920s and 1930s by
b) assessing the causes and consequences of the stock market crash of 1929;
c) explaining the causes of the Great Depression and its impact on the American people;
Examples of Scaffolds to Be Used:
Example 1: iSeek Educational Database:
When beginning initial research, students need to be provided a place to start that will provide a "springboard" for where the rest of their research will take them.
The iSeek search engine is an excellent, safe, searchable, web based library that students can use to do a general search of the information regarding the economics of the Great Depression. Such search engine provides students with procedural scaffolds to provide guidance in obtaining necessary information.
When beginning initial research, students need to be provided a place to start that will provide a "springboard" for where the rest of their research will take them.
The iSeek search engine is an excellent, safe, searchable, web based library that students can use to do a general search of the information regarding the economics of the Great Depression. Such search engine provides students with procedural scaffolds to provide guidance in obtaining necessary information.
Example 2: EduCanon- Budgeting 101
To support student's understanding and development of a budget, a procedural and process scaffold has been provided using eduCanon.
The site provides teachers an opportunity to develop and utilize resources and assign the tasks to students through online delivery and exploration.
As high school students, we must not assume that students will know the basics to budget creation. This is a functional scaffold as it gives the students guidance on how to use an online tool as well as a process scaffold as it will help the learner discover what they need to do in order to complete the given tasks.
To support student's understanding and development of a budget, a procedural and process scaffold has been provided using eduCanon.
The site provides teachers an opportunity to develop and utilize resources and assign the tasks to students through online delivery and exploration.
As high school students, we must not assume that students will know the basics to budget creation. This is a functional scaffold as it gives the students guidance on how to use an online tool as well as a process scaffold as it will help the learner discover what they need to do in order to complete the given tasks.
Example Three: Student Checklist
While a rubric or checklist provides students with several scaffolds, by utilizing the following checklist, students will be provided metacognitive scaffolds through regulation and evaluation.
Students will use the checklist which will be shared by the teacher via Google Drive as they develop their final multimedia product. Students will be able to monitor their progress as well as consider revisions, additions, and considerations for their project.
While a rubric or checklist provides students with several scaffolds, by utilizing the following checklist, students will be provided metacognitive scaffolds through regulation and evaluation.
Students will use the checklist which will be shared by the teacher via Google Drive as they develop their final multimedia product. Students will be able to monitor their progress as well as consider revisions, additions, and considerations for their project.