“Active Community Members: Heroes for a Cause”  

*PBL Project #4 Chester, Hook, Lougheed, McFadden, Sprenkle Unit Plan 

 
Grade Level: Grade 8 
Timeframe: 4 weeks  
 
Stage 1 Desired Results 

ESTABLISHED GOALS  Transfer 

 
Standards:  Students will be able to independently use their learning to…   
Standard - CC.1.2.8.G  ● Analyze and reflect on community problems and develop 
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different  purposeful, creative solutions to better the lives of others. 
mediums (e.g. print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a 
particular topic or idea. 
  Meaning  
Standard - CC.1.4.8.A 
Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey  UNDERSTANDINGS   ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS   
ideas, concepts, and information clearly.  Students will understand that…  ● What does it mean to be a 
 
Standard - CC.1.4.8.U  ● We are part of a global  community hero? 
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish  community. We have the  ● How does it feel to inspire 
writing and present the relationships between information and ideas  means to help others and  others to do the same? 
efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others. 
 
exact positive change.  ● What is a community? 
  ● As a community member, we  ● What are successful 
  have the responsibility to  technology tools? 
ISTE NETS Standards for Students:  contribute to our community  ● How can I be a team 
1a​: Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop  and help others in need.  player? 
strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on  ● Technology can be used to  ● How can a 3D printer be 
the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.  help solve real-life problems  used to successfully 
  and can be used to enhance  produce ornaments?  
1c​: Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and  solutions.  ● What does it look like to run 
improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a  ● A successful team has team  a store successfully?   
variety of ways.  members who are willing to  ● Will students understand the 
  listen to one another and  importance of giving back 
respect one another.  to their communities? 
  ● Can students design a 
3d​: Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues    water filter that will remove 
and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers  solids from the water? 
and solutions.  ● Can students create 
  directions so that others 
4a​: Students know and use a deliberate design process for  can recreate their 
generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or  prototype? 
solving authentic problems.   
   
4d​: Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and 
the capacity to work with open-ended problems.  Acquisition  
 
5b​: Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital 
Students will know…    Students will be skilled at…   
tools to analyze them, and represent data in various ways to  ● The purpose of 3D printing  ● Analyzing information and 
facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.  deciding on a pathway of 
● The purpose of a coding robot 
  learning 
● The purpose of scientific 
6a: ​Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting  ● Using a 3D printer to create 
probes 
the desired objectives of their creation or communication.  purposeful products 
● The steps to creating a  ● Sequencing the steps of using 
 
6d: ​Students publish or present content that customizes the message 
successful store  a coding robot in applicable 
and medium for their intended audiences.  ● The process of working  terms for younger children 
  together as a team  ● Explaining the steps of working 
7b: ​Students use collaborative technologies to work with others,  ● How to create a successful  together as a team 
including peers, experts or community members, to examine issues  infographic   
and problems from multiple viewpoints.  ● How to create a vlog 
● How to create an online 
7c: ​Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming 
various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a  brochure or pamphlet 
common goal.  ● The meaning of community 
 
7d: ​Students explore local and global issues and use collaborative 
technologies to work with others to investigate solutions. 
 
 
 

Stage 2 - Evidence  
 Evaluative Criteria  Assessment Evidence 

● Students are seeking to help as many people as  ● Lesson 5 Community Hero eZine Rubric 
possible, providing community children in need toys  ● Lesson 5 Self-Reflection Rubric 
for the holiday season, via Toys for Tots. 
● Students are seeking to help community children learn 
coding through the use of coding robots 
● Students are seeking to help as many people as 
possible obtain clean drinking water.  
● Informative, well-designed eZine, which includes 
infographics of numbers of families helped, video 
blogs, electronic pamphlets, and brochures. 
● Well-attended Community Hero Showcase Event 
planned and hosted by the students, featuring video 
blogs of the PBL pathways in action. 

Stage 3 – Learning Plan 

Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction 

 
Our community consists of those near and afar. This holiday season, we want to focus on giving back to our local and 
international communities. Even though the holiday season can be a celebratory time for many people, there are many 
in our communities who struggle during the holiday season (and even beyond the holiday season). After being 
introduced to three problems that various communities have, you are going to choose which problem you would like to 
solve in order to help our communities. Once you have chosen your pathway, you will become part of a team in order 
to solve the problem. Then every team (no matter which path you chose) will have time to determine how to present 
your solution to the community that is affected by your problem and solution.  
 
● Lesson 1-Lougheed  
● Lesson 2- Sprenkle 
● Lesson 3- McFadden  
● Lesson 4- Hook 
● Lesson 5 - Chester