PROJECT: Interdisciplinary Science PBL + Journalism from the UK

[Ryan Goble]

Cool ID / PBL/ Media Lit model from the Guardian's Teacher Network Blog. A sampler:

In October last year, I came across a new initiative from the Science Museum schools outreach team. The idea was that the students would use investigative journalism skills to learn about an environmental issue which affects them or their local area. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for me, as a science teacher, to test out a joint project with my English department colleagues. The response from the students was full of the enthusiasm and energy which comes from a new way of working. They jumped at the chance to get out of the classroom and to take on responsibility for getting the project underway.

Right from the first start they were totally engaged; choosing their own stories, taking their own photographs, writing their own articles, collecting their own research and designing the pages. They interviewed staff, surveyed pupils and spoke to other schools to collect the information. They particularly loved turning the tables on their teachers, quizzing the senior staff about the school's eco-efficiency and commitment to the environment.

And as the project progressed, the student's enthusiasm shone through and soon they were plotting how to build on initial aims of the project. The school is signed up to the international Earth Charter and the project presented the perfect opportunity for the pupils to learn more about what this meant for both them and the rest of the school. They took turns to present at school assemblies, teaching their classmates about eco-efficiency and how they each needed to play their part. Several have taken this one step further and have taken on the role of eco-ambassadors to help spread the word even further.

Read the full blog HERE.