Problem Development Materials

Shelagh A. Gallagher, Ph.D.

Engaged Education

Charlotte, NC

sgallagher5@carolina.rr.com

PBL: A Combination of Curriculum and Instruction

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Idea: A problem to be solved, and decision to

be made...

Problem Map: what are the content

possibilities?

Stakeholders: who are the

decision makers?

Classroom Conditions and Learning Goals

Problem Engagement

Coaching Plan

Unit Goals/Objectives

Recipe for a PBL Problem

First Decisions

• Identifying the Problem

• Selecting the Stakeholder

The Idea

A Moment in Need of a Decision

Not a Topic, A Problem

• Not Acids and Bases

• Not Pollution

• Acid spill on the highway

• Runoff from golf course fertilizer

Where do Problems Come From?

FictionCurrent Events

TextbooksNCSCOS

• Ski Jump Operator

• El Alhambra

• El Nino

• Building a doghouse

Design Step:

Create A Content Web

Stakeholder

• A Key Decision Maker

• Someone with Authority, Accountability and Responsibility

• The Apprenticeship

Selection of Stakeholder

• Nature of Content to be Studied

• Size of the Problem

• The kind of Apprenticeship

Offices of the County Health DepartmentMedical Etymologist

Minutes of meeting re: Sam Foss

The meeting convened at 8AM at the request of Dr. Olsen, the pediatrician for the Foss child.

In attendance: Dr. Olsen, pediatrician, Dr. Wright, principal, Southwest Elementary School, Mrs. Foss.

Meeting agenda: Diagnosis for Sam Foss

The meeting opened with a presentation of symptoms by Dr. Olsen (attached). Sam Foss became ill with a fever and general lethargy approximately four days ago. His mother brought him in at that point and he was diagnosed with a mild flu and sent home. In the last 24 hours he spiked a high fever, and swollen lymph glands were observed. The child has not responded to any of the traditional treatments for cold, allergy or common childhood viruses. This has perplexed Dr. Olsen, leading him to send a blood sample to the NCDEN and requesting a meeting with you.

Dr Wright, principal at the Foss child’s elementary school, reported that there were no unusual illnesses being passed aroundat school. Indeed, according to Dr. Wright, it has been an usually mild fall for childhood diseases.

Dr. Wright reported that the Foss child’s teacher, Ms. Fox, noticed no unusual behavior. During a recent recess period Foss hadbeen playing with friends near an old dumpster, but came away when called. Other than a few mosquito bites there seemed to be no ill effects of his exploration. The Foss child fell during a recent kickball game and skinned the outside of his left leg, but the abrasion was limited to the surface. No other incidents, were noted. No report was made of fighting with other children or unusual encounters with animals

Mrs Foss was agitated throughout the meeting. She expressed frustration with her child’s medical treatment to date. “He went to school yesterday feeling a little punky but basically OK, and by 11:30 he was so sick he has to be hospitalized!” andlater “FLU! You said it was FLU! LOOK AT HIM!! His neck is a swollen mess. None of his friends are sick. His sisters aren’t sick. The only other sick animal within blocks were the stupid birds they were poking with a stick last week. None of the doctors around here seems to have a clue as to what to do for my son, and I have NO idea why we’re here talking to a bug guy.” She became even more agitated when the meeting ended with no concrete recommendations for her child’s treatment. Counseling services were recommended to help the family deal with the situation.

Criteria for Problem Engagement

• Short

• Defines Stakeholder

• Gives some information, but leaves holes

• Contains Emotional ‘Heat’

• Provides time limit

The

Flow of

the Problem

Engagement

Inquiry and Investigation

Problem Definition

Problem Resolution

Problem Debriefing

Laying out the Plan...

Problem Engagement

1. In the Doctor’s Office

2. Test Results

Inquiry and Investigation

1 West Nile Virus Research

2 West Nile Virus Research

3 Sharing Research

4 Analysis/Synthesis

5 Kicker! CLOSE THE SCHOOL

6. Trapping Mosquitoes

7. Mosquito Research

8. Mosquito Lab

9. Site Research

10, Synthesis

11 Problem Definition

Resolution

1. How to clean site/How to Calm

public research

2. Preparation of presentation

3. Preparation of presentation

4. Presentation

Debriefing

1. Guest Speaker/Reflection

Embedded Instruction

• Research Skills

• Interview Techniques

• Letter Writing

• Analysis of Information

• How to Interpret Data

• Question Asking

• Reflection

Keeping it Going...

• Kickers

Dear Principal ,

I am writing this letter on behalf of a number of parents who are deeply concerned about the recent health situation that has emerged at the school. As I understand it, the boy who got West Nile Virus was bitten by a mosquito while playing on school grounds. I am afraid that I can no longer consider the school a safe environment for my child. All of the parents who signed the attached petition feel the same way. We want you to CLOSE THE SCHOOL until it is deemed safe from mosquitoes that carry deadly disease. Schools should be safe havens for children, not places where they get diseases that can kill them. If you do not close the school voluntarily, we will gladly take this matter up with the school board and any other authority that can help us.

Please understand that we are doing this not to punish you, but to protect our children.Sincerely,

Assessment

The Problem Log Classroom Rubrics

Four Components of the Problem Log

• Content

• Process

• Analysis

• Reflection

Thompson’s Truths about Curriculum

• The more academic learning is, the less academic it seems

• Students acts as hero willing to become an unknown self

• Creates a quake in the state of assumptions

• Cognition without Imagination is shallow

• Phasing of engagement and scholarship

Dear PetStore Manager

I am writing you this letter to let you know that our company, the Central

Office of PetStore is beginning a promotion on fish and aquariums beginning

next month. To help our promotion we are having a contest to see which of

our stores can create the best aquarium display. You may use any kind of fish

that you want, but you must have more than three kinds. Naturally, they

would all have to live together! We will allow each store $50.00 to create a

display. You CAN base your expenses on wholesale prices of fish and

equipment. The winning display will be used in our advertising campaign, and

you, as store manager, may also appear to explain what you have done.

Good luck!

PetStore Corporate Offices

PBL on Body Systemsby Megan Fettig

After suffering from an injury a famous track and field star is now getting ready to

begin an intensive training program to prepare for the xxxx Olympics. This athlete had an arguments with his

coach/trainer who helped him before and during the last Olympics. After a wide search to find someone to replace the athlete's trainer/coach you have been selected! The athlete is eager to begin

training because the Olympics are quickly approaching. You need to design a training

program for him. Good luck!

You are the supervisor of the day shift of the local Hazmat unit. It is 6:00 AM on a cool

autumn morning. You are sleeping when the phone rings. You answer and hear,

“Come to the Clear Creek Bridge on Route 15. There has been a major accident and

you are needed.”

Quickly you dress and get on the road to hurry to the site of the emergency. As you

approach the bridge, you see an overturned truck that has apparently crashed through

he metal guard rail. It has lost one wheel and is perched on its front axle. You see

“corrosive” written on a small sign on the rear of the truck. There is a huge gash in the

side of the truck and from the gash a liquid is running down the side of the truck onto

the road, and down the hill into a creek. Steam is rising from the creek. All traffic has

been stopped and everyone has been told to remain in their cars. Many of the

motorists trapped in the traffic jam appear to be angry and frustrated. Police officers,

firemen, and rescue squad workers are at the scene. They are all wearing coveralls and

masks. The rescue squad is putting the unconscious driver of the truck onto a

stretcher. Everyone seems hurried and anxious.

Acid, Acid Everywhere

Nobel in COURAGE

Grade 4

Solar Play

Fairfax Units…

• Yellow Journalism/

• Sinking of the Maine

• Ferret it Out

• It’s Electrifying!

• Earthquake in San Francisco

• Westward Expansion

• Nobel in Courage?

• To Kill Justice

Let it be known, early on, that there are deep mysteries, and profound paradoxes, … Teach at the outset, before any of the fundamentals, the still imponderable puzzles…that there are some things going on in the universe that lie beyond comprehension, and make it plain how little is known. …Teach that (Thomas, 1983, p. 151-2).