The Ethical Community Charter School PBL Themes, Field Trips, and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
The Ethical Community Charter School PBL Themes, Field Trips, and Assemblies What does PBL mean? PBL stands for Project Based Learning. According to the Buck Institute of Education, Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which
PBL Themes, Field Trips, and Assemblies
PBL stands for Project Based Learning. According to the Buck Institute of Education, “Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.” http://www.bie.org/about/what_pbl
PBL style teaching fits into TECCS mission of “meeting students where they are” by allowing students to learn and grow at their own pace and in a way that is most beneficial for them. PBL units start with an essential question on a specific topic that students will be able to answer by the end of their exploration. These units are cross-curricular, which allows students to explore the topic from various perspectives and through different content areas. In their classes, students engage in interactive, inquiry-based learning experiences where they are encouraged to explore the topic in a way most appropriate to their individual learning styles. The goal is for students to be able to answer the essential question to the best of their individual ability with appropriate scaffolding where necessary. At TECCS, all PBL units are also explored through an ethical lens. In some cases, this is done in Ethics class through React to Film.
Cultural Comparison Essential Question: What happens when two ways
Overview: Through the study of the impact of European colonization and the Lenni Lenape culture, students will understand how cultures are alike and different and how peoples can influence
Field Trip: Waterloo Village Culminating Project: Lenape Museum Immigration Essential Question: Why do people leave their homeland to immigrate to a new country? Overview: Students will determine reasons why various groups, voluntarily and involuntarily immigrated to America and evaluate the impact of that immigration on America’s growth as a nation, historically and today. Field Trip: Ellis Island
Financial Literacy Essential Question: How can we act as responsible citizens and wise consumers? Overview: Students learn the importance of work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy in the creation of a successful economy. Field Trip: JA Biz Town The 50 States Essential Question: How and why are regions in the US different? Overview: Students study the 50 states and the development of the United States. Culminating Project: 50 States Fair Field Trip: TBD
Cooperation & Collaboration
Essential Question: Why are cooperation and collaboration necessary for success? Overview: Students determine the extent to which cooperation and collaboration are necessary for a group
looking at the Ancient Egyptian social pyramid as a case study. Literature: From the Mixed-Up Files of
Konigsburg Field Trip: The MET (end of year) Culminating Project: Egypt Museum
Empathy & Kindness: Influencing Your World
Essential Question: What is empathy and how do people’s backgrounds impact with whom or what they empathize? Overview: Students study the treatment of animals and determine the extent of the rights that animals should have. Literature: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor React to Film: Buck Field Trip: St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center
The Responsibility of Individuals to Society
Essential Question: How are people responsible for creating a safe and just society? Overview: Students identify how citizens’ notion of their responsibility to create a safe and just society led to the development of democracy in Ancient Greece. Literature: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Field Trip: The MET (end of year)
Voices of Adversity
Essential Question: What is adversity and can people overcome it? Overview: Students will assess the the various types of adversity that arose in Medieval Europe. Literature: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz Field Trip: Cloisters Museum and Gardens - NYC Culminating Project: Medieval Village
Human Impact on Earth
Essential Question: What accountability should humans take for maintaining their environment? Overview: Students will determine the effects of overfishing on the sustainability of the environment. Literature: World Without Fish by Mark Kurlansky and Flush by Carl Hiaasen Field Trip: New York Aquarium, “Fish: Diversity & Adaptations” course React to Film: End of the Line
Ethics and Responsibility
Essential Question: How does one’s sense of ethics affects one’s decision making? Overview: Students analyze the actions taken by individuals during the Holocaust and reflect on the role identity may play when becoming an upstander. Literature: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne and an assortment of primary source news articles Field Trip: Museum of Jewish Heritage Guest Speaker: Holocaust survivor
Adaptations & Survival
Essential Question: How to different species adapt to survive? Overview: Students will determine how people must adapt in order to survive various situations such as immigration and war. Literature: A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park Field Trip: Bronx Zoo - “Hunter Games” course Guest Speaker: Immigration Panel James Murduca RTF: Who is Dayani Cristal?
Development & Identity
Essential Question: What impacts the development of people, groups, and societies? Overview: Students will learn about individual cognitive development and the development of groups and societies based on common interests. Literature: Various research articles and scientific journal entries regarding the development of the brain Field Trip: American Museum of Finance - “The Incredible Shrinking Coin” course RTF: Fed Up
Divided Loyalties
Essential Question: Are loyalty and rebellion always opposites? Why or why not? Overview: Students will analyze the roles of loyalty and rebellion through the lens of the Revolutionary War. Literature: My Brother Sam is Dead by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier Field Trip: TBD
Finding Home
Essential Question: How does our identity affect our idea of what “home” is? Overview: Students will explore the idea
through the lens of the refugee experience. Literature: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai Field Trip: TBD
Human Perception
Essential Question: How does perception help humans identify what is reality and create order out of chaos? Overview: Students will assess how the development of the brain impacts one’s perception of reality and discuss how the brain is wired to create order out of chaos. Literature: Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare Field Trip: NY Hall of Science - Design Lab Engineering Challenge RTF: Miss Representation
Taking A Stand
Essential Question: How does one stand up for that in which he or she believes? Overview: Students will discuss the difficulties faced by citizens when they are forced to take a stand on a divided issue through case studies of the Civil War and the Civil Rights Era. Literature: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Field Trip: Afro-American Historical and Cultural Society Museum in Jersey City*
*Other suggestions welcomed
Kindergarten Van Saun Park 1st Grade Turtle Back Zoo 2nd Grade Sandy Hook 3rd Grade Soup Kitchen 4th Grade NJ State House 5th Grade Dairy Farm, TheatreWorks Play 6th Grade Camp Bernie 7th Grade Philadelphia 8th Grade Washington, DC
Kindergarten through 8th Grade
Contracted Assemblies TECCS-Run Assemblies Prismatic Magic Laser Light Show Indian Mela Traveling Lantern Theatre Company Play Pep Rallies Sciencetellers Interactive Science Assembly Winter and Spring Concerts Dance Performances Middle School Lunch and Learn Dome Theatre Field Day Author Visits We are actively seeking to incorporate more multicultural, academically enriching assemblies into
teachers who will then share with the field trip coordinator
Learn session
Assemblies Chair who will discuss with the TECCS assemblies coordinator
as a guest speaker or Lunch and Learn participant
FSA Programs and Events Chair - Nancy Ruel (fsaprograms@teccsjc.org) Coordinator of Field Trips and Assemblies - Gabrielle Sepulveda (gabby.sepulveda@teccsjc.org)