Problem Based Learning with Design Thinking

Our private school system provides PD for teachers based on areas of interest. This year, I have been taking a course on design thinking and problem based learning. I took the project based learning intensive at Buck Institute, in Napa Valley, a few years ago with a couple of my coworkers, but I had not heard much about problem based learning, so this study group has been my intro into that world. Both are pretty similar, but problem based learning starts with a problem and students need to find a solution and create a product or solution around that problem. They follow the design thinking model.

Design Thinking

Design thinking is student centered. It is a process that works students through the following steps:

• Identify a Problem
• Understand People's Needs
• Brainstorm Ideas
• Create Solutions
• Test & Improve Them

Let's take a look at how this breaks down.

1. Understand the Problem

In this stage, students:

• Ask Questions
• Observe Others
• Try to Understand Feelings & Need

For example, "How do students feel during indoor recess?"

2. State the Problem

In this part, students:

• Narrow Down a Problem
• Turn it into a Goal

For example: "We need better indoor recess activities that will keep everyone engaged."

3. Brainstorm Solutions (Ideate)

Here students will:

• Generate lots of Ideas (without judgement)
• Think Creatively

Example ideas: 

• Create a System for Games
• Design Quiet Challenge Cards
• Build Mini STEM Kits

4. Create a Model (Prototype)

Students will:

• Build/Design Their Idea
• This can be a Simple Rendering with Craft Materials

5. Test & Improve

Students:

• Try Their Solution
• Get Feedback from Others
• Improve It

For example classmates can suggest improvements after trying games.

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Why Teachers Use Design Thinking

• Builds problem-solving skills
• Encourages student voice & choice
• Promotes collaboration
• Connects learning to real-world situations
• Works across subjects (math, reading, science, social studies)

How I Grew in My Understanding of Design Thinking

After being involved in the PD this year, I had the opportunity to be a judge for an Innovation X program where students were judged on their innovation projects which happened to be based on project based learning & design thinking. If you can go to see the ideas presented, I think it is the best way to learn and understand. It helped me a lot. 

Next Steps in Problem Based Learning & Design thinking. 

After returning from my experience at Innovation X, I wanted to give it a try in my own classroom. I ran across an article that sparked it all for me. It was a third-fifth grade level reading debate about if pets should be allowed on planes. Here's a look at how the unit shaped up:

1. We started with the question, "Should pets be allowed to go anywhere people can go?"

Students shared their thoughts with a partner and then I had all the students who said yes go to one side of the classroom, while those who said no went to the other. I chose a few students from each side to share their thoughts on why they chose the way they did. 

2. From there, I passed out the article and gave each student a partner. Students read the debate and then together traveled around the classroom to answer four questions that were posted on the different walls of the class. Each student  was required to answer the questions.

My posted questions were:

 

1. Why might a pet feel stressed on a plane? 
2. How would you feel if you sat next to a pet on a plane? Why?

3. What is one benefit and one problem with having pets on a plane?

4. What is a rule that would help pets travel safely on planes?

3. Next students used my Dice Convos to dig a little deeper into the article. Basically, students rolled two dice and they moved across the grid to the numbers matching their dice. They read and answer the question before rolling again. We used this to explore opinion writing and its features. Students spent five minutes on this discussion activity. 

4. Afterwards, students received a project paper with the mission listed on it:

Mission:

Airplanes don't always work well for pets OR people. Your job is to invent a solution that helps BOTH pets and passengers feel safe, comfortable, and happy on flights. 

Here's a look at the form I gave my students for planning. Students went right to work with their partners brainstorming ideas, etc. 

Challenges of Problem Based Learning

One of the challenges with problem or project based learning is that your higher level students sometimes feel lost. They often understand how to "play" the game of school. They know how to work the system: study = good grades. But with this type of learning that calls for creativity and innovation, those students can often feel fearful of failure because they have never had the pleasure of failing at anything and the idea terrifies them. So you must train your students on growth mindset and that failure is one part of learning.

Another challenge is time management. Some teams can continue on for what could seem like forever. You have to set a hard and fast time schedule. For this, we had three days of class time with an additional 2 days for tweaking anything else we needed to do. For the additional 2 days, this was not a scheduled time, but students got to use reading/math rotation time on those days if they needed it (but only after they finished their teacher time & independent work for the day). 

Wins for Problem Based Learning

 The biggest wins I usually see with this type of learning is that students who typically struggle in traditional classrooms often rise to the top when it comes to creativity and innovations. Those babies absolutely shine and it is magic to watch. Be sure to praise them for their ingenuity and uphold them as leaders. They rightfully need their moment to shine. 

Another win is that you will move in your role of a teacher to that of a coach. You may even feel, at some point, that you are not busy enough...and that's great! This is where student learning and independence really push students forward in their understanding and ability. You will be surprised at what they come up with. AMAZING THINGS ARE HAPPENING!

5. Project Presentation

We are waiting to share a projects, but this is an important  next step. Next week, students will present and tell about their projects to the class. The will have some time to debrief and talk again with their teammates afterwards. 

Here's a look at our crafted solutions to the problem. I am looking forward to the presentations next week. I cannot wait to hear the explanations on these inventions and how they will solve the problem.

 

I encourage you to give innovations a try. 

 

What a Wonderful World Mural

For the month of March, we have been hard at work creating a collaborative mural with lots of art projects added to the bigger murals. I ended up splitting everything up into three different murals. 

Inspiration for this idea came from the fun and fabulous Cassie Stephens. She did something very similar and I took those ideas and created my own version. You can check out her version over here on her blog.

The three panels I made are approximately six feet tall each. I used hot glue to hold everything together and glue things down. To hang it up, I used thumb tacks because we have a wooden strip at the top of the wall that butts up to the ceiling. I used a hammer to tap the tacks into the wood because it was definitely hard to hold the mural while balanced on a ladder and still hold one tack and hammer away with the other hand...but I got it done!

Here's a look at our artwork in process! Enjoy!

Here they are after I hung them up. The last was a little crooked, but it is what it is. It's up and I am not taking it down. 

Turn Test Prep into Fun: Easter Egg Hunt Math Review for Upper Elementary

With spring approaching, classrooms everywhere begin to buzz with excitement --the warmer weather, Easter celebrations, and of course...test prep season. But what if this time of year could be about more than just tired reviewing of standards? What if you could season it with fun? 

Easter Egg Hunt with a Twist

Turn your math review into an engaging egg hunt where your students:

• Solve math problems
• Move around the room
• Stay excited about learning

Imagine your students going on a classroom Easter egg hunt while reviewing their math skills. That's just what you CAN do with this fun and engaging activity. Students will solve math problems, hunt for eggs, and solve clues to reveal the answer to a riddle. 

The Power of Movement During Test Prep

We all know that students do not need another set of worksheets --they need more engagement!

Activities like an Easter egg hunt:

• Break up long review sessions
• Get students moving (and that in turn increases focus drastically)
• Encourage problem-solving in a fun way
• Make learning memorable

Instead of dreading review days, students will actually look forward to them. 

Skills You can Review During Easter Math Activities

An Easter math egg hunt is perfect for spiraling key skills in 3rd and 4th grades. You can cover skills like: 

• Addition and subtraction
• Multiplication facts
• Long division
• Equivalent Fractions

With students actively searching, solving, and checking their answers, they stay engaged longer --and retain more. 

Easy Prep, Big Impact

The best part? These types of activities are incredibly easy to implement. 

All you need to do is:

• Print the math recording sheet
• Cut out the eggs and hide them around your classroom
• Give students the math recording sheet
• Let the learning review (and of course the fun) begin

Within minutes, your classroom transforms into an interactive learning environment.

For Easy Differentiation

These work well for easy differentiation. Students can work on different skill sets within the same classroom because different egg designs can be used, or you can copy the eggs on different colored papers if you choose the blackline version. Then all you have to do is show students which egg design or color they are looking for around the room and they can ignore all the others. 

The Testing Season

Remember, your classroom doesn't have to feel stressful. 

By combining: 

• Engaging math review
• Movement-based activities
• Fun Easter egg hunts

You create a space where students feel both successful and appreciated. 

And that's worth celebrating!

Final Thoughts

This Easter season, try shifting from traditional review to something more meaningful. When students are engaged, moving, and reflecting, they don't just review math --they experience it. 

That's when the real classroom magic happens. 

Click on the photos below for each separate resource or check out the bundled product at the top to save even more!

 

When a holiday rolls around, it is the perfect time to combine a bit of history and reading comprehension with the holiday, making the learning not just authentic, but engaging. I created a whole set of The History Behind the Holidays booklets where students get to find out the reasons behind the holiday traditions. They see where the traditions came from and how they got started. This one is perfect if you are teaching on St. Patrick's Day. 

The booklets have 7 different articles, making it versatile and flexible. Teachers could choose to use it throughout the actual day of the holiday, or they could use it one article at a time over the course of 7 days. 

Be sure to snag this resource today and make your holiday prep even easier! You can find it by clicking this link here.

Math Games for St. Patrick's Day

Do you add centers to your math rotations with holiday spins? I love to do that whenever I can. Here's a look at a few math games for St. Patrick's Day. Adding centers with a holiday spin can sure spice up my math rotations. 

1. Pot O' Gold Fraction Game

This game helps students practice equivalent fractions with 2-4 players.

2. Lucky Line Up Game

Need more practice with rounding decimals to the tenths place? This is just the game to get in some extra practice. This is for 2-4 players.

3. March Multiplication Games

This resource comes with three different games for multiplication fact fluency and offers room for differentiation too! 

Click on the titles to be taken to the resources. 

Read Across America Day: Dr. Seuss Style

Well, I went and did it...I got the date wrong for Dr. Seuss' birthday. But since a bunch of my students were absent on his birthday, I guess that was providential. 

Today, we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with a special breakfast of ...what else? ...green eggs and ham (bacon) and I threw in some Cat in the Hat pancakes for added fun. 

This morning I sent out an invitation for the students. I used AI to help me write it quickly and I wanted to make sure the parents knew they didn't need to fix breakfast. Here's the invite:

Oh what a day! Oh what a treat!

Put shoes on your toes and bounce to your feet!

We're throwing a bash that is silly and grand,

With wiggly giggles and fun that is planned!

It's a birthday hooray for a man we all know,

With stories that zig and stories that zo!

So come one, come all - yes every girl and boy -

For a morning of munchies and Seuss-ical joy!

We'll flip-flop pancakes in tall tippy stacks,

Like the tricks of a cat with red and white slacks!

"Cat in the Hat" pancakes, fluffy and round,

With syrupy swirls dripping all around!

And what will we eat? You already may guess -

Green eggs and ham in a Seuss-y success!

Would you eat them here? 

Would you eat them there?

Would you eat them in uniform with neatly combed hair?

We'll laugh and we'll rhyme,

We'll read and we'll play. 

With hats that are striped in spectacular way!

There'll be games and good cheer and giggles galore,

And maybe some Thing One and Thing Two at the door!

So mark down the date - 

Don't dawdle, don't wait!

This birthday breakfast will truly be great!

So come if you dare!

Come hungry - if you care! 

Join me for fun that is 

beyond compare!

Because a Seuss-style party

Is simply the best - 

It's topsy-turvy, tasty, and 

Better than the rest!

Almost right away, we started breakfast. I had already made tall red and white striped hat pancakes for the students, so I just had to warm those up. I brought my electric griddle to heat up the meat and cook the eggs. I just added some green food coloring to the eggs and cooked them up like normal. 

While I was finishing the breakfast off, students were coloring a Dr. Seuss coloring sheet. I told them it was for a coloring contest, so now I have to think of a prize. 

Next, we watched the reading of Green Eggs and Ham on YouTube. I didn't have a copy of the book, so YouTube came in handy. 

After that, we worked on rhyming words. I had the students do five rounds of a Scattergories-style  game. I gave them a beginning word such as cat and they had one minute to come up with all the real words they could that rhymed with it. Then we shared our words and students had to mark off any words that others also had. After 5 rounds, we awarded first place winners from each grade level (I teach three grades) with a mechanical pencil...simple and they were super excited to get the pencil since they very rarely have mechanical pencils. 

Afterwards, I showed them how to create rhyming sentences and I placed them in small groups. Each group got a list of spelling words and they had to create a story that included their words (as a team) and also rhymed like the Dr. Seuss stories. I found a cute 20 minute timer that I placed on the board. It was Dr. Seuss-themed. We shared our stories with the class. 

When we came in from recess, we watched an about the author video for Dr. Seuss. We learned about other things he did in his life and how he became the famous Dr. Seuss. We read a short biography on his life (found for free on TPT) and answered comprehension questions with text evidence. 

The next book we read was The Cat in the Hat. We also did part two, The Cat in the Hat Returns. Both books were a ton of fun, and the first is a classic, so we had to do that one for sure. For the extension activity, we did a directed drawing, using Art for Kids Hub, of the Cat in the Hat. 

Later we read Mr. McElligot's Pool at our read-aloud time. This one was just for fun. 

We ran out of time for everything I had planned, but tomorrow I hope to finish it all off. Here's what else we will do: 

We will read the book, What Pet Shall I Get? and write persuasive essays about the pet we want. The students will write strong reasons why their parents should get them this pet.

We will end with a book that was written with a little help from Jack Prelutsky. It is called Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! This one was finished off after Seuss' death. He had left some drawings and notes, but the text was not made, so this poet, Prelutsky took what he could find and created the rest in the style of Seuss. ...pretty amazing!

And to end the day, I got a sweet message from one of my parents telling me that their child came home and wanted to read his Dr. Seuss books. For him, the day was inspiring! Absolutely LOVE that!

 

Fun Friday & a Catch Up Day

This quarter has been a tough one with sicknesses and absences in my class. I could count on two hands...maybe even on one... the amount of days I have had all my students together in the classroom and we are 7 weeks in!

Let's face it. When students are out, it is difficult to get them caught up. Gone are the days when you can just send all that work home and expect it to come back finished. The way we teach math now is a huge factor...parents feel like they cannot help because they do not understand the methods themselves. 

So...with all that missing work, I decided a Fun Friday was in order to help motivate my students to work quickly and stay focused. I announced it ahead of time and then prepared some activities the night before.

Fun Friday Activities

I knew I wanted a menu of ideas that my students could choose from for Fun Friday. They had to be learning related and cover a wide variety of skills. So here's a look at the 13 activities I came up with:

1. And then...stories

This comes with a box-shaped book that opens to reveal different story starter cards. Students choose a card, read the beginning of the story, and then use their own creativity to finish it off. 

2. Reader's Theater

I copied several reader's theater scripts. Students enjoy doing plays and reading through scripts. This is a great way to practice fluency and especially reading expression. 

3. Multiplication Draw & Trace

This is a new game I have created that I put out so my students could continue to practice their multiplication facts, but in a fun way. Each student gets a board that focuses on one set of facts. They shuffle the facts for each board together. Then they take turns drawing an equation. If the product is on their board, they trace it. If not, they return it to the draw pile. The first person who fills their board wins. 

4. Extreme Dot-to-Dots

This is a childhood favorite...dot-to-dots, but with a challenging twist. These dot to dots go to 500! It's a great practice for number sense for students, especially younger ones like 2nd-4th graders. This book had different animal ones included.

5. ABC Art

This sheet comes with 26 spaces, one for each letter of the alphabet. Students create art from a-z with each box focusing in on one alphabet letter. They should create mini masterpieces that feature items beginning with each of the letters of the alphabet. Another more challenging twist would be to give them a theme...like ABC's of the Northeast or Native American ABCs...the sky is the limit. 

 6. Draw Write Now

This book is full of step-by-step drawings and written paragraphs about animals from the arctic. All I have to do is add some paper with a drawing spot and handwriting lines. I have my students read the paragraph and write the same words in cursive. They also draw the picture and color it. Easy peasy!

7. Seek and Find Books

These books are a lot of fun. They come in many different themes and over the years I have collected so many different ones. Students love to work with a friend on these books. They look for a list of items hidden in plain sight on each page. I don't bring these out often, but when I do, the students love them.

8. Puzzles

I brought out a big puzzle and this was one of the first things that the students did. This was a 400 piece puzzle, but it had large pieces, so it wasn't too hard. A group of students literally spent hours around this puzzle chatting and were so proud when they had completed it all. They wanted a picture of it sent home...and of course I obliged. 

9. Kandinsky Art Station

I set up a station where students could watch a small video about Kandinsky and his art. They had a biography poster they could fill out with information they learned. Then they were suppose to recreate one of Kandinsky's circles art pieces. They could choose to go traditional with circles or change it up and do hearts. Or, if they wanted, they could change it up and do another set of concentric shapes. 

10 & 11 Legos:

At one station, we had small Lego STEM challenge cards. At another, it was a Lego art challenge. Students were tasked with drawing using the Art for Kids Hub and then recreating their drawing using Legos.

 12. Floating Flower STEM

In this challenge, students planned and created floating flowers. The flowers had to be able to float independently for at least one minute. There were size constraints as well. 

13. Online Jeopardy

In the final rotation, we had a Jeopardy game that was on one of our class IPADS. Students could compete against another student or team of students. Ours was a Bible theme, but you can find all sorts of free Jeopardy games for many different topics.

The best part of all of this is that I did not spend money on anything. I either had it, found it for free, or created it myself. 

At the end of the day, students were asking when our next Fun Friday would be. I call that a win!