Engaging Students Through the 6 Ps of PBL
Learn how to leverage PBL to engage students and support them in retention of learning.
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Googling it is quick and easy, but you’ll need to sort through a lot of results.
Reliable if they know how, but not always available.
Videos show you the steps, but you’ll still need to focus and follow through to finish the repair.
ChatGPT can walk you through the steps, but you’ll still need to focus and follow through to finish the repair.
Learning through exploration provides a structure for students to grapple with content by exploring concepts and connections. Exploration tends to focus on learning concepts.
Learning through direct instruction provides students with a clear, structured explanation and can be accessed independently through formats like video, audio, or text. Direct instruction tends to focus on skills.
Correct. This is exploration. Students use manipulatives, guiding questions, and peer discussion to uncover different representations. The teacher facilitates and gives feedback, but the learning comes through discovery.
Not quite. While students are practicing a math skill, they are not following a teacher-modeled process. Instead, they’re experimenting with different approaches and making meaning through exploration.
Correct. This is direct instruction. The teacher explicitly explains and models the process, and students follow a predetermined structure. Even though they are active, they are not discovering independently.
Not this time. Exploration would involve students investigating how to measure on their own. Here, the teacher provides direct instruction and students practice it.
Exactly! This is exploration. Students use internet research, guiding questions, and graphic organizers to construct knowledge. The teacher guides and gives feedback but doesn’t supply the answers directly.
Not quite. Direct instruction would involve the teacher explaining the perspectives or showing them in a video/text. Here, students uncover the perspectives themselves, learning through exploration.
Correct. This is exploration. Students use tools, guiding questions, and a graphic organizer to analyze and make their own meaning. The activity emphasizes higher-level thinking and student-generated discovery.
Not quite. Direct instruction would mean the teacher explains the differences first. Here, students are the ones uncovering the knowledge through observation, learning through exploration.
Correct. This is direct instruction. The video delivers the content with clear explanations. Students engage actively by answering questions and building a timeline, but the knowledge comes from the teacher-provided lecture.
Not this one. Exploration would require students to investigate primary sources or research causes on their own. Here, the information is given to them through direct instruction.
Correct. This is exploration. Students are actively investigating patterns using manipulatives (cards/pictures) with guiding questions (“Which words make the /sh/ sound?”). They construct meaning themselves before the teacher provides feedback.
Not quite. Direct instruction would involve the teacher explicitly telling them how to spot the digraph before they try sorting. Here, the students are discovering the pattern through exploration.
Surface assets early: Begin the year with hands-on, real-world problem-solving activities (like planting seeds, cooking measurements, or building models) where lived experience can shine. This lets students like Juan demonstrate knowledge outside of traditional academics.
How peers see it: After Juan shares his farming strategies in a science lab, invite the class to compare “textbook” instructions with Juan’s practical experience. Frame both as valuable, reinforcing that knowledge comes in many forms.
Surface assets early: Use independent learning inventories or “how I learn best” surveys, where students like Johana can describe their own strategies and preferences. Pair this with goal-setting so she can leverage those skills in class.
How peers see it: Have small groups share their best study tips. Highlight Johana’s strategies as examples of persistence and independence, positioning her as someone who can help others.
Surface assets early: Model routines with the whole class and build in reflection moments like “Why do we do it this way?” or “What helps you remember?” This normalizes learning school culture together, instead of spotlighting students like Marie as the only one learning it.
How peers see it: When Marie demonstrates her strong reading or math skills, intentionally point out, “Marie learned this from her family, just like we all learn different things at home.” This helps peers see her strengths while understanding routines take time.
1. Management ⏱️
2. Process 🔁
3. Process 🔁/Content 📚
4. Management ⏱️
5. Process 🔁
6. Content 📚
7. Process 🔁
Makes sense. If a store doesn't let you find what you need, of course you wouldn't recommend it.
Right? With that kind of hassle, it’s hard to suggest it to someone else.
You’re torn. But the lack of options probably keeps you from wanting to recommend it. What would have to change for you to feel comfortable recommending it?
It's likely you'd only recommend it if you managed to work around the issues. What issue (or issues) would keep it from being an easy, "yes!"
When a store really meets your needs, you can overlook something like organization of their website. In what ways would this store need to meet your needs to recommend it so highly?
Readiness Levels and Learning Style Preferences
The teacher is matching resources to student ability and providing formats that align with how they learn best.
Make it more student-driven: Let students choose which text or format works best for them, or allow them to move between levels as their confidence grows.
Make it more student-driven: Let students choose which text or format works best for them, or allow them to move between levels as their confidence grows.
Readiness Levels, Collaboration Choices, and Learning Style Preferences
Grouping based on need or preference allows more targeted support and opportunities to collaborate.
Make it more student-driven: Give students a voice in choosing their groups, or let them reflect on when they learn best alone vs. with peers.
Make it more student-driven: Give students a voice in choosing their groups, or let them reflect on when they learn best alone vs. with peers.
Readiness Levels and Resource and Pacing Options
Assessment data helps tailor the level of challenge and support to each student’s entry point.
Make it more student-driven: Share the data with students, have them set their own next-step goals, and choose strategies or resources to help them progress.
Make it more student-driven: Share the data with students, have them set their own next-step goals, and choose strategies or resources to help them progress.
Readiness Levels and Learning Style Preferences
Tasks are adapted so students can access the same objectives in ways that fit their strengths and needs.
Make it more student-driven: Allow students to choose the format for showing what they know (presentation, visual, written, recorded, etc.).
Make it more student-driven: Allow students to choose the format for showing what they know (presentation, visual, written, recorded, etc.).
Collaboration Choices and Learning Style Preferences
Students take ownership by selecting both the content they explore and the way they work, building motivation and independence.
Make it more student-driven: Let students design their own task options or propose topics they are passionate about, and reflect on whether they learn best solo or with a partner.
Make it more student-driven: Let students design their own task options or propose topics they are passionate about, and reflect on whether they learn best solo or with a partner.
Readiness Levels, Learning Style Preferences, Collaboration Choices, and Resource and Pacing Options
Multiple entry points and formats give students choice in how they access the material and at what level.
Make it more student-driven: Involve students in creating or curating the list of options, or have them reflect on which choice best matches their learning goals and explain why.
Make it more student-driven: Involve students in creating or curating the list of options, or have them reflect on which choice best matches their learning goals and explain why.
Grade-level task: Write an explanatory essay about how energy flows through a food web.
Activities with multiple entry points:
- Sort cards (Independent): Match animals to producers, consumers, and decomposers.
- Label diagram (With support): Add key terms like energy, predator, prey to a food web.
- Write essay (With support): Draft a simplified explanatory essay with a graphic organizer.
Why this works: Students can engage with the same big idea at their level and build toward grade-level independence.
Grade-level task: Solve one- and two-step word problems involving addition and subtraction within 100.
Activities with multiple entry points:
- Hands-on practice (Independent): Use counters to solve simple addition (e.g., 7 + 5).
- Tens practice (With support): Add/subtract multiples of 10 (30 + 10) with base-ten blocks.
- Word problems (With support): Solve one- and two-step problems with modeling.
Why this works: Students can start with concrete, independent practice and move toward abstract word problems, bridging from their current level to the grade-level standard.
Grade-level task: Write a multi-paragraph argumentative essay using evidence from multiple sources.
Activities with multiple entry points:
- Identify opinion (Independent): Read a short passage and pick out the author’s opinion.
- Sentence frames (With support): Use starters like “I think __ because __.”
- Paragraph draft (With support): Write a claim + evidence paragraph with a graphic organizer.
- Full essay (With support): Expand into a multi-paragraph essay with transitions.
Why this works: Students can enter at a task they can handle independently, then build skills with supports that gradually prepare them to write the full essay.
Differentiation reduces stress by honoring diverse needs, helping students feel safe and ready for rigorous learning.
Students reflect on their strengths, readiness, and interests, building self-awareness and self-regulation.
Choice and autonomy teach students to manage frustration and persist through challenges.
Valuing each learner’s background fosters belonging, inclusion, and emotional well-being.
Flexible groupings promote positive interactions, empathy, and collaboration skills.
A responsive classroom where students feel respected supports SEL and engagement.
Collaborative work provides real opportunities to practice resolving conflicts constructively.