Dessert or Main Course

In a high school math class, students are asked to do research on a famous mathematician and make a presentation about him or her.

• Main Course

• Dessert

Answer explanation

The assignment doesn’t teach essential math content. It’s peripheral, rather than central to the curriculum and instruction for the course.

After a two-week unit on the history of the 1960s that ended with a test, students spend two days staging a mock protest and hippie gathering, with costumes, props, and music.

• Main Course

• Dessert

Answer explanation

The two-day event came after students had studied the history of the 1960s. It was not the reason WHY students studied it.

Students consider the driving question, “Why did civilizations fall from their Golden Ages, and what lessons can we learn from what happened?” as they research various ancient civilizations and create museum exhibits to share their answers.

• Main Course

• Dessert

Answer explanation

This project is focused on a complex question with no single right answer. It requires critical thinking–great! (See a description of this project by searching "Golden Age" in the PBLWorks project library.)

Students make posters at home to illustrate ways to save water and energy, and put them up on the walls of the classroom.

• Main Course

• Dessert

Answer explanation

Students are not collaborating to complete the project, and it is unclear if there is an authentic context. Their results are not being shared outside of the classroom. (For a "main course" project on this topic, check out "Shrinking Our Footprint" in the PBLWorks project library.)

Next Question

Students investigate how waste in local waterways contributes to the problem of plastic in the ocean. They propose solutions to the problem and present them to city officials.

• Main Course

• Dessert

Answer explanation

The project has an authentic purpose and a clear audience outside of the classroom. Instruction and learning of important science content is integrated into the project.

`Students launch bottle rockets at the end of a physics/math unit, to apply what they have learned.

• Main Course

• Dessert

Answer explanation

This is a fun activity and most likely will peak student interest—but it’s not a PBL project. It’s missing many key elements of “main course” projects. (For more details on what to include in projects, check out the Essential Project Design Elements of Gold Standard PBL.)

Students create mobiles with various geometric shapes, which are hung in the classroom.

• Main Course

• Dessert

Answer explanation

This is a nice activity—but the project itself doesn’t teach academic content and skills. It’s missing an authentic purpose beyond the classroom.

In a middle school English Language Arts class, students create a fan fiction website, including a feature that enables editing and giving feedback so other students can submit their writing.

• Main Course

• Dessert

Answer explanation

This project teaches important standards for reading and writing, and features all of the Gold Standard PBL Essential Project Design Elements.