PBL Essential Elements Checklist

Names of Group Members:

Project Title:
The Way We Are

Meleny Weber & Yasquel Alvarez

Project Source:
Buck Institute of Education

Grade Level:
The original source is for grades 2-4, and upper elementary grad
5-7. For our project, we will be focusing on second grade.

http://www.epals.com/project-detail.php?
id=5cb10578-efbc-4e49-bcb5-b5e1e172474e

Does the project?

Yes

Focus on Significant Content

At its core, the project is focused on
teaching students important knowledge
and skills, derived from standards and
key concepts at the heart of academic
subjects.

Develop 21st Century Skills

Students build skills valuable for todays
world, such as creativity, critical thinking
and problem solving, collaboration, and
communication, which are
taught/practiced and assessed.

No

Explain Reasoning and Offer

Possible Modifications

There is some significance to the project as is. It

includes learning about other cultures,
climate/geography, and writing. We will need to a
more standards from the common core to this pro
to make it more inclusive and well rounded. We w
add a math lesson about telling time, and the
differences in time zones. We will include a scien
lesson on natural resources. They will explore
resources in the United States, as well as resource
their ePals country. We will also include a lesson
Music. Students will discover music from their
ePals country, focusing on the National Anthem
the Country.

This project requires the students to communicate

with other students around the world electronical
by email. This incorporates communication and
collaboration. They must write to one another and
work together to gather information about culture
The final presentation allows for students to be
creative and choose their own way of sharing wh
they learned.

Engage Student in In-Depth Inquiry

The students are communicating with students in

other countries, and therefore will be inquiring ab
that students life and culture. They will be learni
about cultures and countries other than their own
which shows global competency. Using the intern
and other sources, the students will further their
research about the countries.

(For 397 Focus on Global Competence)

Students are engaged in rigorous,

extended process of asking questions,
using resources, and developing answers.

Organize Tasks Around an Essential

Driving Question
Project work is focused by an openended question that students explore or
that capture the task they are completing.

There are three essential questions for the project

The questions are: 1. How is my life similar to an
different from my ePals life? 2. How does the
natural environment where my ePal lives affect h
her life? 3. What effect does the culture in my eP
region have on his or her life? For our project we
use the first essential question listed. Our essentia
question is How is my life similar to and differ
from my ePals life? We decided that this quest
is the most important because it encompasses the
learning experiences and knowledge we want the
students to learn and present.

Establish Need to Know

Students see the need to gain knowledge,
understand concepts, and apply skills in
order to answer the Driving Question
and create project products, beginning
with an ENTRY EVENT that generates
interest and curiosity.

The recommended entry event is a discussion wit

the students about e-Pals, and creating a resource
center about the various countries. We want to cre
an entry event that is more hands on, and can get
students very excited about the new friend they a
going to make and learn about. This project is
important because it allows students to learn abou
another culture they may not have otherwise learn
about. We will hang a large map of the world on t
board in the front of the room. There will be pins
the countries where the students ePals live. Abov
each pin will be a picture of the student who lives
there. We will inform the students that they are
paired with another student on the board. They w
find out who their ePal is, and where they live in
world. Students will then complete a KWL chart.
will talk about the importance of learning about o
countries around the world, and what we can do t
help them. Then, we will introduce the mystery
box game. There will be four boxes with items t
UNICEF donates to countries in need. We will pu
water bottle, rubber gloves, a net, and a granola b
in the boxes. Students will have to guess what the
item in the box is only by feeling it. After the item
have been guessed, or time is up, students will
collaborate and try to guess what the items have i
common. After several guesses, we will explain t
these are all items that UNICEF gives to other
countries to help them survive. Then we will tell
students that as a class we will be raising money
donate to UNICEF in order for them to send good
countries in need. We will supply the small orang
boxes that students will be raising money in.

Encourage Voice and Choice

The original project has students creating digital

presentations about themselves and their ePals. F
our project we want to include student choice. Fo
the final presentation we will have students choos
how they want to display what they learned. They
could create a poster, a detailed drawing, a travel
brochure, a diorama, or anything else that is tangi
The presentations will be displayed around the lo
community center.

The original project does not specify if revision is

included. We will include revision and time for
reflection. Throughout the weeks they are conver
with their ePals, they are completing journals to
record the things they are learning. The teacher ca
collect the journals to review the students answe
and make sure they are on track. The teacher can
offer feedback, and help the students with any
questions they have. Students will inform the teac
of their ideas before creating the tangible
presentation.

The project is not broadcasted to a larger audienc

beyond the classroom. We will have the projects
displayed at the local community center. Students
also raising funds for UNICEF throughout the
project, so they will be informing their families a
communities about their findings.

Students are allowed to make some

choices about the products to be created,
how they work, and how they use their
time, guided by the teacher and
depending on age level and PBL
experience.

Incorporate Revision and Reflection

The project includes processes for
students to use feedback to consider
additions and changes that lead to highquality projects, and think about what
and how they are learning.

Include a Public Audience

Students present their work to other
people, beyond their classmates and
teacher.

Global Mini-Project Project Overview

Names of Group Members: Meleny Weber & Yasquel Alvarez
Project Title: The Way We Are
Grade level: SECOND
Project Length: THREE WEEKS
Links to Online Resources:
1. HTTP://WWW.EPALS.COM/PROJECT-DETAIL.PHP?ID=5CB10578-EFBC-4E49BCB5-B5E1E172474E
2. HTTP://WWW.UNICEFUSA.ORG/

Projects Essential Driving Question

How is my life similar to and different from my ePals life?

Project Overview
The students will be matched up with their ePal from another country. Throughout the three weeks,
students will be emailing back and forth with their partners. Throughout the three weeks, students will
be conversing with their pals about themselves, their typical day, natural resources in their country,
time differences, and music (National Anthems). They will also be collecting money for UNICEF,
specifically on Halloween. To finish, students will create a project about their ePal that they will present
to the class. There will be a classroom celebration where students present their findings, and inform the
class on how they are similar and different from their ePal. The students will also find out how much
money they raised as a class.

Project Product

THE OVERALL PRODUCT WILL BE A PROJECT (POSTER, TRAVEL BROCHURE, DIORAMA, DETAILED DRAWING, ETC)
SHOWING WHAT THEY LEARNED THROUGHOUT THE THREE WEEKS ABOUT THEIR EPALS. OTHER WORK
THROUGHOUT THE WEEKS INCLUDE:
1. KWL CHART: A CHART DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS (KNOW, WANT TO KNOWN, AND LEARN). THE FIRST
DAY STUDENTS WILL FILL OUT THE FIRST TWO SECTIONS, AND BY THE END THEY WILL FILL OUT THE
ENTIRE CHART.
2. ALL ABOUT ME FACT SHEET: THIS IS A WORKSHEET THAT ASKS 12 QUESTIONS WHERE STUDENTS FILL IN
THE BLANK. (EX: FAVORITE COLOR, NUMBER OF SIBLINGS, FAVORITE BOOK, THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE
ME)
3. MOCK E-MAIL: BEFORE THE STUDENTS SEND THEIR FIRST EMAIL, THEY WILL HAVE A MINI LESSON ON
CONSTRUCTING EMAILS. THEY WILL WRITE A MOCK EMAIL TO THEIR EPAL INCLUDING ALL NECESSARY
PARTS OF A PROPER EMAIL.
4. VENN DIAGRAM: TOWARDS THE END OF THE PROJECT, STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE A VENN DIAGRAM
COMPARING AND CONTRASTING THEIR CULTURE TO THEIR EPALS CULTURE.
5. JOURNALS: THROUGHOUT THE THREE WEEKS, STUDENTS WILL RECORD WHAT THEY LEARN ABOUT THEIR
EPAL, OR WHAT THEY LEARN IN CLASS IN A JOURNAL.

Global Awareness
The United States is a melting pot of culture. While the U.S. is very diverse, there are many cultures that
students may not be exposed to. This project will connect them with a peer in another country. This
allows them to explore and learn through expert eyes. It is important for students, and adults, to know
about the traditions, and ways of life outside of the U.S. By exploring the essential, students will be able
to see similarities and differences between them and another student in another country. Students are
also taking action by participating in this project. They will be raising money for UNICEF. They will
also learn about UNICEF and how helpful the organization is. They are taking what they are learning
about other cultures, and taking action to help better other countries.

Curriculum Alignment Matrix

Projects Essential Driving Question
How is my life similar to and different from my ePals life.

English Language Arts Standards Alignment

Writing(W2ndgrade)
Cluster:TextTypesandPurposes
W2CCRAnchorStandard:Writeinformative/explanatorytextstoexamineandconveycomplexideasand
informationclearlyandaccuratelythroughtheeffectiveselection,organization,andanalysisofcontent.
W2:Writeinformative/explanatorytextsinwhichtheyintroduceatopic,usefactsanddefinitionstodevelop
points,andprovideaconcludingstatementorsection.
EssentialSkillsandKnowledge
Applytheprewritingstageofthewritingprocess:
Developandwriteaclearandfocusedintroductorysentencethatidentifiesthetopic.
Gatherfactsanddefinitionsfrombasicprintandmultimediaresourcesinanethicalandappropriatemanner
Organizefactsanddefinitionstowriteaparagraphormultipleparagraphsrelatedtoatopic
Useinformationpresentedandgatheredtowriteaneffectiveconclusion
Applytherevisionandeditingstagesofthewritingprocess
Preparethefinalproductforpresentationand/orpublicationinvarietyofformats

Learning Experiences/Activities:
The students will write emails to their ePals to learn information about their culture, and to share their
own culture. When writing the emails, correctly, they will practice the writing process. They must gather
information, and compile it into a paragraph or two to accurately explain and inform their ePal about
culture. The final product will be a presentation about the students ePals to share with them and the
general public.

Writing(W2ndgrade)
Cluster:ProductionandDistributionofWriting
W6CCRAnchorStandard:Usetechnology,includingtheInternet,toproduceandpublishwritingandtointeract
andcollaboratewithothers.
W6:Withguidanceandsupportfromadults,useavarietyofdigitaltoolstoproduceandpublishwriting,
includingincollaborationwithpeers.
EssentialSkillsandKnowledge
Withguidance,selectprint,online,andmultimediasources
Usetechnologytorecordandorganizedata/information
Withguidance,usetechnologytorepresentfindings/conclusionsinavarietyofformats.
Contributetoalearningcommunity

Learning Experiences/Activities:
The students will be using technology to collaborate with their e-pal through e-mail. The teacher will first
demonstrate how to write a proper e-mail, and help students get started with their introductory message.
Students will then produce their own e-mails to receive information about the country they are
investigating.

Music Standards Alignment

FineArts:Music
Standard2.0Historical,Cultural,andSocialContext
Indicator:Becomeacquaintedwiththerolesofmusicinthelivesofpeople.
Objectives:
Listentoandperformarichrepertoireofmusicthatreflectsdifferentrolesmusicplaysinthelivesofpeople,
suchaspatrioticsongs,spirituals,andsongsofcelebration
Performsongsanddancesfromavarietyofhistoricalperiodsandworldcultures,includingsomeconnectedto
generalclassroomstudies

Learning Experiences/Activities:

Oneofthedaysstudentscommunicatetheywilltalkaboutmusicintheirregion.Theywillsharesome
musicfromtheirculturewithoneanother,andwilllistentomusicfromaroundtheworld.Theywill
discussanyspecialsongs,likeNationalanthems,musicforcertainholidays,parademusic,festivalmusic,
etc.

Social Studies Standards Alignment

Standard2PeoplesoftheNationandWorld
Topic:ElementsofCulture
Indicator:Analyzeelementsoftwodifferentculturesandhoweachmeetstheirhumanneedsandcontributesto
thecommunity
Objectives:
Usefictionandnonfictiontocomparetheelementsoftwodifferentcultures,andhowtheymeettheirhuman
needsforfood,shelter,andothercommonalitiessuchasrecreation,music,andstories
Explainwayspeopleofdifferentagesand/orculturalbackgroundscanrespectandhelptopassontraditionsand
customs.

Learning Experiences/Activities:
Throughout the communication process, students will converse with their ePals, and learn about their
culture. They will compare and contrast their own culture with that of their ePals. They will also have the
Internet available to do light research to further their knowledge and understanding. The venn diagram
will organize and display the similarities and differences between the students and their ePals. This is
essentially the main purpose of the project. The students will learn about other cultures and will learn to
respect and celebrate them.

Mathematics Standards Alignment

Standard:2.MD.7
Indicator:Workwithtimeandmoney
Objectives:
Knowledgeofandabilitytoapplyskipcountingby5
.Knowledgethatthereare60minutesinahour,60secondsinaminute,24hoursinaday,12hoursina.m.and
12hoursinp.m.,andknowwhena.m.andp.m.occur
.Knowledgeofthedifferencebetweentheminuteandhourhandsandtheirpurposes
.Knowledgethattherearefiveminuteintervalsbetweeneachnumberontheclockface

Learning Experiences/Activities:
Students will be analyzing the time difference of the country they are researching. Students will be able to
tell time from world clocks on the Internet, textbooks or provided by their e-pal. Students can then
incorporate this into their final projects by comparing the present time of the American state they reside in
to the current time in which their e-pal resides. The teacher will then be able to evaluate the student on
their knowledge of telling and writing time from their project presentations.

Science Standards Alignment

Standard6:EnvironmentalScience
Topic:Naturalresourcesandhumanneeds
Indicator:recognizeandexplainhowearthsnaturalresourcesfromthenaturalenvironmentareusedtomeet
humanneeds.
Objectives:
Describenaturalresourcesassomethingfromthenaturalenvironmentthatisusedtomeetone'sneeds.
Identifywater,air,soil,minerals,animals,andplantsasbasicnaturalresources.
Explainthatfood,fuels,andfibersareproducedfrombasicnaturalresources.
IdentifywaysthathumansuseEarth'snaturalresourcestomeettheirneeds.
Explainthatsomenaturalresourcesarelimitedandneedtobeusedwisely.

Learning Experiences/Activities:
The students will talk to their ePals on a planned day about the natural resources in their region. They will
learn about several resources, discuss what they are used for, and explain how the country uses those
resources in their journals.

Projects Essential Driving Question: How is my life similar to and different from
my ePals life?
ENTRY EVENT
Overview: There will be a large map in the front of the classroom with pins indicating
where the ePals live. Above each pin will be a picture of the ePal. The students will find
out who they will be communicating with, and the region in which they live. Then they
will complete a KWL chart. Next, students will participate in a mystery box game. The
boxes contain goods UNICEF donates to countries in need. Students will guess what the
items are in the boxes without looking, and then they will collaborate and brainstorm
ideas of how the items are related. The teacher will introduce UNICEF, and explain that
these are all items that are donated to countries in need. The students will be informed
that they will be raising money together as a class. To close, students will be receiving
their journals for the project. They will write their first entry, a reflection on what they
learned today about the ePal project and UNICEF.
Instructional Materials: Map, pins, pictures, KWL chart, 4 cardboard boxes, water
bottle, net, rubber gloves, granola bar, UNICEF boxes (one per student), scissors
Time Duration: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Technology/Resources: http://www.unicef.org/
http://www.unicefusa.org/mission/usa/trick-or-treat
Instructional Sequence:
Event Segments

Approximate Time
Per Segment

Set Up

10 minutes

Detailed Steps/Procedure
The teacher will hang a large map of the world on
the board in front of the classroom. The teacher
will place a pin on the map indicating the location
where another student lives. The pins each indicate
a student in the class ePal. The teacher will also
have previously received pictures of the students
from around the world. These pictures will be
placed above the pins on the map.

Launch

10 minutes

Students will see the large map on the board. The

teacher will ask the class to talk to their neighbor
about what they think the map is for. Then, the
teacher will say
This map shows students from all over the world,
who you guys are going to talk to! You are going to
email with another student and learn about his or
her culture. You will also be sharing about the
culture here in the U.S. with your ePal
Now, the teacher will tell each student who his or
her ePal is, and where they live.

Chart

15 minutes

Now that you know who your ePals are and

where they live, we are each going to complete a
KWL chart about our ePals country. In the K
column, we are going to write what we already
know about the country/region where our ePals are
from. The W column is where we will write what
we want to learn during our ePals project. The L
column we are going to leave blank until the end of
the project. This is where we will write what we
learned.

Mystery Box
Game

10 minutes
(Directions and set
up- 5 min, actual
activity-5 min)

The teacher will ask students to get into groups of

7 (or however many necessary to make 4 groups).
In each group, the students will decide you will be
a knower and who will be a feeler. The
teacher will tell the knower what the object inside
of the box is. They will be able to announce when
the group gets the answer correct. The feeler is the
one student who is allowed to touch the object in
the box. The rest of the students in the group will
ask yes or no questions, to determine what the
object is.
The knower will bring the box with the mystery
object over to the group. The feeler will then begin
to feel the object inside of the box, and students
can begin to ask yes or no questions.
When the groups guess the objects correctly, or
when 5 minutes is up, the teacher will tell the class
to remove the object from the box (scissors may be
necessary to make the hole larger).

Discussion

25 minutes

So we see that the four objects in the boxes are

water, a granola bar, a net, and rubber gloves.
What do you guys think these all have in common?
Talk with your groups and try to come up with at
least one way these objects are related.
After allowing several minutes for discussion, the
teacher will ask for volunteers to share what their
group discussed. After a guess is shared, the class
will have a mini discussion.
How do you think these items are related?
What lead you to think that?
Then the teacher will announce that the objects are
all goods that UNICEF donates to countries in
need.
UNICEF is an organization that raises money to
help children in countries all over the world. Some
of the countries your ePals are from benefit from
UNICEF. So throughout this project we are going
to learn about culture in your ePals country,
UNICEF, and we are going to be raising money as
a class to donate to UNICEF
The teacher asks the students to discuss why they
think UNICEF donates these items (water, granola
bar, net, gloves) to people around the world. After
several minutes for group discussion, the teacher
would ask for volunteers to share what they
discussed. After listening and discussing, the
teacher would share why UNICEF donates these
items.
UNICEF gives water to children you do not have
clean drinking water. They donate food to children
who are malnourished. This means that the
children are not getting the nutrients they need.
The gloves represent doctors and nurses who give
children vaccines that could save their lives.
UNICEF donates these vaccines to countries in
need. The net represents a mosquito net. UNICEF
donates nets to countries to protect them from
mosquitoes and disease.

Closure

10 minutes

The teacher hands a journal to each student.

This will be your ePal Project Journal. We are
going to write in it every day about what we are
learning. Today, I want you to write a reflection on
today. What did you learn? Are you excited to talk
to your ePal? Were you surprised about what
UNICEF does? Have you ever heard of UNICEF
before?

EXIT EVENT
Overview: Students will be able to showcase what they have learned from their ePal by
creating a poster, travel brochure, diorama, or a detailed drawing. There will be a
celebration of culture and students will be allowed to bring things in for the class at their
leisure.The students and teacher will do a gallery walk to view and learn about the
different cultures researched in the classroom. Students will present how they are
different or alike from their ePal. Students should write down two facts that they learned
from each presentation of cultural information into their cultural journals. They will also
get to display their projects all around the school so that their peers can see their hard
work. Then everyone will also be able to share out their UNICEF findings connecting it
back to the entry event of how much good they did from the donations they have
collected as a class (http://www.unicefusa.org/mission/usa/trick-or-treat). Students will
also be able to showcase their work and UNICEF findings on a project page for
classrooms around the world to see. From viewing this project base, the community is
invited to donate to UNICEF in hopes of relief.
Instructional Materials: UNICEF boxes, cultural journals, pencils, a chart to display
how much money was raised, Its Scary How Much Good You Can Do
poster,food,decorations(streamers,pictures of different cultures,banner).
Technology: Computers, smart board
Time Duration: 1 hour
Instructional Sequence:
Event Segments

Approximate Time
Per Segment

Detailed Steps/Procedure

Set-up

15 minutes

Teachers will begin setting up by bringing in

decorations so that the class looks festive. The
teacher will also have finger food, chips and dip,
soda (food choice as culturally diverse as possible)
set up on a table so that students can come up
buffet style. The teacher will also have the
UNICEF chart on the smart board for students to
come up and record their donations. Students will
set up by posting their projects around the room to
showcase. Students will also need to get out their
cultural journals and a pencil to use later on.
Students, I will call each table to come up for
light refreshments. You will then come up to the
smart board to record the donations received from
UNICEF under your name on the chart. If you
need help counting the money, work with your
table and I will come around as well. After you
have recored your UNICEF donations you can
then find a spot around the classroom to display
your projects for your peers to view. Also take out
your cultural journals and a pencil to use later
on.

introduction

10 minutes

The introduction will begin with the teacher

starting the celebration and thanking students for
participating in the UNICEF relief project around
the community. Students will be able to come up
for food and collaborate with their peers to share
their favorite parts about completing the project
and sharing what they learned. After students are
done chatting they will get the chance to gallery
walk around the classroom to look at the different
creations and cultures.
Students, thank you participating in the ePal
project and UNICEF relief program. I hope that is
was rewarding and that you have formed a good
relationship and understanding of your ePals
native country. After you have come up to enjoy
your light refreshments you can talk to a shoulder
partner about your favorite part of the project and
one fact that you find to be the most intriguing
from your ePal and UNICEF experience. You will
then share out your partners fact for the whole
class to hear. After we are done sharing we will
start the gallery walk around the classroom to look
at our peers hard work!

Sharing

35 minutes

Students will introduce their projects to the class

by giving a brief description of their ePal and their
experience learning about a new culture. Students
will also share how they found to be alike and
different from their ePal. After the brief sharing of
each project everyone will be able to do a gallery
walk to see the projects. Students in the class will
have to write two interesting facts that they found
from each project. After the gallery walk students
will come together to discuss the UNICEF project
and count up their donations as a class. Students
will be able to see how well they did as a class by
looking at the donation chart provided by UNICEF.
The class will then present their contributions to
the world around them by posting their projects to
kidsgoglobal.com. Here students will be able to
post their projects on a project page online so that
classrooms from all around the world can see the
contributions from the students. The website also
allows for further contributions from community
members to donate to UNICEF for further relief.
Students will also be able to display their work
around the school so that their peers can see.
Students, you will first give the class a brief
description of your ePals name and country where
they reside. You will also present one reason for
how you found to be different or alike from your
ePal. After the brief overview you will start the
gallery walk, writing one fact that you find to be
significant in your culture journal to turn in,
Thank you friends for participating in the
UNICEF relief program, you will all make a
difference in the country you researched or in other
countries that are in need. Let us count how much
we have made in total and look at the UNICEF
chart to see what UNICEF will do with the money.
We will also post our projects on a
kidsgoglobal.com page where people from around
the world can see the projects we made. The
community is also invited to donate!