How can you align your PBL curriculum with students' environmental activism?

1 What is environmental activism?

Environmental activism is the collective action of individuals or groups to protect, conserve, or restore the natural environment from threats such as pollution, climate change, deforestation, or biodiversity loss. Environmental activists may use various strategies, such as advocacy, education, protest, or direct action, to raise awareness, influence policy, or change behavior. Environmental activism can also be seen as a form of civic engagement, as it involves participating in democratic processes and exercising one's rights and responsibilities as a citizen.

2 Why align PBL with environmental activism?

Aligning your PBL curriculum with environmental activism can have several benefits for both you and your students. First, it can increase student motivation and interest, as they will be working on issues that they care about and that affect their lives and communities. Second, it can foster student agency and empowerment, as they will be able to apply their knowledge and skills to create solutions or take action for a cause that they believe in. Third, it can enhance student learning and achievement, as they will be exposed to multiple perspectives, disciplines, and sources of information, and develop critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity skills.

3 How to choose a project topic?

When designing a PBL curriculum focused on environmental activism, one of the first steps is to select a project topic that is relevant, challenging, and feasible. Start by brainstorming with students about the environmental issues they are interested in or concerned about, and narrow down the list based on criteria such as relevance, challenge, and feasibility. The topic should be connected to their prior knowledge, experiences, values, or goals; it should pose a complex problem or question that requires inquiry and research; and it should be realistic and manageable within the given time frame and resources.

4 How to design a project plan?

Once you have chosen a project topic, you need to design a project plan that outlines the scope, goals, activities, and outcomes of the project. This plan should include a driving question that is clear, concise, and compelling, as well as related to the project topic and environmental activism theme. Additionally, it should identify a project product that is authentic, meaningful, and allows the students to demonstrate their learning and skills. Examples of project products related to environmental activism are posters, videos, podcasts, blogs, campaigns, petitions, or presentations. Furthermore, a project process should be established that is structured, scaffolded, and collaborative. This process should involve the students in planning, researching, analyzing, creating, and reflecting. A project calendar or a project rubric can help the students organize and monitor their progress and performance.

5 How to facilitate a project implementation?

As a facilitator, your role is to support and guide the students throughout the project implementation, while allowing them to take ownership of their learning. To do this, you can provide resources such as books, articles, websites, experts, or mentors to aid in their research. Additionally, you can ask open-ended, probing, or clarifying questions to help them further understand the project topic and environmental activism theme. You should also give constructive, specific, and timely feedback to help them improve their work and recognize their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, you can encourage the students to reflect on their learning process and outcomes by utilizing tools such as journals, portfolios, surveys, or self-assessments.

6 How to assess a project outcome?

The final step in aligning your PBL curriculum with environmental activism is to assess the project outcome and the students' learning and skills. You can do this by using rubrics to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the project product and process, based on criteria and standards established with the students. Involving stakeholders such as peers, parents, teachers, or community members can also provide feedback on the project outcome. Additionally, you can measure the impact of the project outcome and the environmental activism theme on the students, the school, or society using indicators such as awareness, attitude, behavior, or action.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?