PBL 2022-2023

Handbook
Prepared by: Aigerim Yesdauletkyzy

Astana Garden School

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is implemented into the curriculum of Astana Garden School. “Students work on a project over an extended period of
time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their
knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience. As a result, students develop deep content knowledge as well
as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills. Project Based Learning unleashes a contagious, creative energy among
students and teachers.” (https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl)
Next academic year PBL will last form January to May (second half-year) and only in grades 5-8. The main difference from previous two years is that
students will be provided one hour per week for collaborative project work in their timetable, and PBL will not be part of any summative work unless
the teacher involved decides to add it to the midterm or final work. During our team discussion teachers agreed on adding PBL into formative
assessment and its proportion depends on the teacher’s decision. However, it must be announced to all students beforehand.
Another important change is that topics of research were chosen for each year group as you can see below. The final products are provided as an
example but do not oblige students to choose from them.
“The final outcome of a project might be a product, performance, or service, or a combination of any of these. In some classrooms, students are
given choice in terms of the final outcome. When students know the outcome in the early stages of project work, they have a better sense of
direction and focus for the project and demonstrate much more confidence in their work. Presenting to an authentic audience significantly changes
the nature of the students’ work. When students know they will be sharing their work with family, friends or members of their Indigenous
community their commitment is much greater and may help to strengthen the relationship between the school.”

Project ideas Subtopics (can be reviewed) Final product (can be reviewed)

1. How to deal with bullying and cyberbullying for 1. Cybersecurity Firewall system
students? 2. Peer-mediation Handbook
3. Antibullying literacy Videos
4. Students' voice Hotline system
2. How to improve student physical health at 1. Fitness gamification Fitness gamification system
school? 2. Exercise complex Exercise video
3. Radio fitness and music Radio fitness with music
3. How can we limit food waste in the school 1. Analysis / investigation Report
cafeteria? 2. Healthy Menu Healthy plate
3. Tracking system Business plan
4. Animal shelters Agreement
4. How to deal with academic overload? 1. Retreat activities Brochure or video
2. Homework load analysis Report
 3. Subject choice system Analysis

5. How to improve your relationship with 1. ECAs influence on relationships Mixed clubs
teachers? 2. Academic performance and teacher-student Report with tips
relationships
3. Relationship program with school psychologist Psychological help
6. How to solve the problem with climate control 1. Microclimate influence on study Film
in the school? 2. Smart technologies for conditioning Business plan
3. Architectural ideas School model
7. Let’s plant a school garden! 1. Design a school garden with appropriate plants Model
2. Plan a school garden Business plan
3. How to look after plants in Astana’s climate? Handbook
8. Let’s make a school animal shelter! 1. Design the best animal shelter for our school Model
2. How much does an animal shelter cost for the Business plan
school? Handbook
3. How to take care of animals at school shelter?
Can they be fed with school food waste?
9. Let’s organize waste collection points in 1. Biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste School layout + bins design
school! 2. Products of recycling Runway; recycled paper or books,
3. How much waste does school produce? etc
Report + rules
10. How to write a school anthem? 1. Kazakh Anthem (music + lyrics) in the
2. Russian format of audio or video
3. English
11. How to fill the library stock with books and 1. Donation Event such as charity
magazines? 2. School’s own publishing Newspaper or Magazine Club
3. Ebooks and paper Presentation; become a member of
worldwide donation funds
12. School uniform design 1. Official uniform Fashion show
2. Casual uniform Lookbook
3. Sports uniform Business plan
➢ Can students choose topics and final products?
Yes, certainly. The primary idea is to let students think of their topic and come up with their own perspective and final product. If they find it
difficult, we can provide them one from the table above.
 Project Launch Event
This is the main event of any project work, where all students and teachers of grades 5-8 will be gathered to find out what PBL is and its
requirements.
• When? End of Term 2 (for teachers to plan their curriculum for PBL during the winter break and help with organization of extra activities
such as excursions, trips or guest speakers)
• Where? At school or a conference hall outside of school
• How? It will be organised as a training of 2-sessions: introductory and collaborative. tables above.
• Who for? Grades 5-8
On introductory session classes will be provided with:
• Topics
• Guidelines such as project stages
• Timeline including due dates and deadlines
• Assessment criteria
• Reflective journals (printed out)
• Team groupings (students will be divided with the help of a special app).

➢ Can students choose their teammates?

It is recommended to use specific apps for randomly grouping them without teacher’s involvement. If there are serious personal issues, we
can swap some people in teams.

On collaborative session after students choose the topic of research and the final product, they need to:
• Formulate a driving question for a team
• Find curriculum links with subject teachers
• Come up with a question for each subject involved
• Plan extra activities they will need during their research such as excursions, trips or guest speakers
• Take notes about all these in the reflective journals.
 Driving Question and Curriculum Links

The driving question sets the tone and purpose for the project. This question should be open-ended to allow students to develop multiple
and diverse responses or products. The driving question should not have an “easy” answer, should stretch your students intellectually and ignite
their passions and imagination.
If the problem or challenge can be answered asking Google, or Siri, then it is not complex enough to drive a project.
Here is how you form your driving question:

How can (PBL participants) explore (problem/phenomenon) to (purpose) for (audience using product)?
Example: How can Grade 8 explore the standing water issue around the school to develop a sustainable watershed proposal for the school board
using 3D models and a Google Slideshow?

After students come up with their driving question, they think about curriculum links with the help of teachers and extra activities.
Grade Driving Question Curriculum links Teams Extra activities
Links with Links with Interdisciplin Numbers Numbers Excursions Field trips Experts and
subjects in units in the ary of teams of (to be filled (to be filled guest
the subject (to be filled students in on the in on the speakers
curriculum syllabus in on the in teams launch launch (to be filled
(can be (to be filled launch event) event) in on the
reviewed) in on the event) launch
launch event)
event)
5 How to improve PE 3-5 4-6
student physical Self-
health at school? knowledge
Science
How can we limit Science
food waste in the Maths
school cafeteria?
How to improve your Self-
relationship with knowledge
teachers? History
 Kazakh
Literature
6 Let’s plant a school Science
garden! Maths
Design
Technology /
Art
Let’s make a school Science
animal shelter! Maths
Design
Technology /
Art
How to write a school English /
anthem? Kazakh/
Russian
Music
7 Let’s organize waste Geography
collection points in Chemistry
school! Maths
How to fill the library Literature
stock with books and Languages
magazines? ICT
School uniform Art
design PE
Maths
8 How to deal with ICT
bullying and Self-
cyberbullying for knowledge
students? Mediation
How to deal with Biology
academic overload? Maths
Self-
knowledge
 How to solve the Geography
problem with climate Biology
control in the school? Physics

A good driving question will lead students to ask more questions. After introducing your driving question, brainstorm with your students a list
of “need to know questions” or subject questions. “Need to know questions” get your students thinking about what they need to know to answer
the driving question. “Need to know questions” are specific and can guide your students’ research. These need to be noted down in their reflective
journals.
Look at the example below:
PBL stages or Project Path

Launch Project: Entry Event & Driving Question

Build Knowledge: Understanding & Skills to Answer Driving Question
Develop & Critique: Products & Answers to the Driving Question
Present Products & Answers to the Driving Question

Stage Timeline Due Date Deadline

1 Launch Project: Entry Event & Driving Question 09.01-03.02 30.01 03.02
2 Build Knowledge: Understanding & Skills to Answer Driving Question 06.02-03.03 27.02 03.03
3 Develop & Critique: Products & Answers to the Driving Question 06.03-07.04 03.04 07.04
4 Present Products & Answers to the Driving Question 10.04-05.05 02.05 05.05

Assessment Criteria for Grades 5-6 and 7-8

Grades Criteria Resource

5-6 • Critical Thinking https://my.pblworks.org/resources
• *Self-Directed Learning https://pbltoolkit.weebly.com/assessments.html
• Collaboration
• Creativity *Self-directed learning rubrics are updated and include the
• *Communication reflective journal criterion.
7-8 • Critical Thinking
• *Self-Directed Learning *Communication rubrics are updated and include 2 more
• Collaboration criteria.
• Creativity
 • *Communication

Assessment criteria are already adapted for our school here: https://gardenschoolastana-
my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/a_yesdauletkyzy_ags_edu_kz/ErBfBydbYNNMgSBDlRzr1fIByqcpe0zaW3cSF5rLuwV_Ag?e=puPPg9
Assessment grades are: Beginning

1. Beginning Emerging
2. Emerging Evolving
3. Evolving
4. Demonstrating Demonstrating

➢ Who assesses the students’ work? And how? (Graded or not)

1 hour a week will be provided for PBL teamwork in grades 5-8. Those lessons will be observed by the Vice Principal for Research and
Methodology, Teaching & Learning Coordinator and relevant subject teachers in turns. These academicians will mentor the teams in their
work and provide support when necessary.
➢ How does it influence other subjects? (Bonuses, nominations)
It depends on the subject teacher and the topic related to the project. All teachers agreed on giving extra bonuses as for formative
assessment to those who responsibly explores the topic for the project and apply the gained knowledge to the final product.
➢ What will motivate them to work productively? (Certificates, rewards, prizes and cups.)
After discussion we decided that the school merch such as a sweatshirt, a cup and a backpack and trips like going as a team to the cinema,
picnic or others will be a good motivation. These need to be discussed and agreed upon before the launch event, and verbally presented
on the launch event for students’ motivation and higher engagement.
 Reflective Journal

• What does it include? Key information about PBL, timeline, assessment criteria, roles in the team, task logs,
resources / weblinks lists and reflection tasks.
• Who is it filled in by? It is filled by individual students in teams.
• How is it assessed by? Reflective Journal assessment is added to Self-Directed Learning criterion.
• When is it assessed? At the end of each stage.
• Who is it assessed by? By mentoring teachers.
• Is it collected at the end? Yes, we need to analyse students’ feedback for next year. Vice Principal for Research and
Methodology is responsible for processing and storage.

The Journal is already designed ready to be printed out.

Teacher meetups

These are the regular meetings for teachers who are involved in PBL in each grade.

• How often? Once a week

• When? Depends on the teachers’ schedule.
• Where? Any location is possible.
• Purpose? To be aware of all the processes in PBL; to solve any issues with students and PBL in a timely manner; to provide support and
discuss the progress; to assess students’ work collaboratively including the reflective journal.

PBL exhibition

• What? From a student’s perspective, this is the most important Conclusion Day of the project. It is important that the students take
ownership of the sharing event; it is all about their work, and they should be in charge of it. Think about the roles everyone will play on
this day. For example, Audio Visual team: students make sure AV equipment is working, make sure event runs to time, go-to people
for last-minute crises; Greeters: students greet the audience and manage the crowd. They tell the audience explicitly what their role is.
 People often feel uncertain about what is expected of them at exhibitions and will appreciate being given a clear brief; Student
presenters: stand by their work in order to explain it and answer questions.
• When? 10-12 May 2023
• Where? Both indoors and outdoors. Outdoor venues: EXPO pavilion, KazMedia or others.
• Who for? Indoors for the school community; Outdoors for the interested bodies and random audience