Spotlight Activity
Project Based Instruction
District
Garcia Middle School, Austin Independent School District
Description
This middle school has one class that has committed to the sole use of activity/project-based learning. With this approach the students study a concept and show their understanding of the key concept by building, creating and showcasing a project to demonstrate the understanding. As these examples reveal, the students developed board games to demonstrate their knowledge and reinforce the key concepts in Texas History. They titled their game, provided a set of directions or rules, and created a colorful game board with accompanying materials (dice, question cards, and playing pieces.
Positive Impact on Students
It is well documented that activity-based instruction and project-based learning will promote student engagement and the more students are engaged in the learning process the more likely the students will demonstrate mastery. This school confirms that the students who participated in this project-centered instruction had improved academic achievement, improved school attendance and improved behavior.
