iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Despite the natural fast-paced read element to short stories, this type of literature typically contains the same components of a standard novel including characters, conflict, plot, and a theme. In this Building Literacy: Create a Short Story PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will develop a short story using their knowledge of literary elements and work through the process of writing a story: character development, narrative arc, developing visuals, reviewing one another’s work, and presenting their final product.

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

In literary texts, analyze how elements of plot are related, affect one another, and contribute to meaning. (6-8R3; RL)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

How does a story change when it’s developed into a play? In this Building Literacy: Develop a Play PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, that’s exactly what students will explore as they become playwrights. Before writing their play, students will take a closer look at the history of theatre and play structure, then they will write and perform an original one-act play. Considerations will be made to set design, costuming, sound, lighting, casting, and blocking. Students can even consider how they could convert their play into a movie. It’s time to “break a leg!”

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Develop and synthesize original ideas in a drama/theatre work utilizing critical analysis, historical and cultural context, research, and western or nonwestern theatre traditions. (National Core Arts Standards: HS AdvancedTH.Cr2-III.a)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Getting a class pet is an exciting event for students! In this Class Pet PBL (Project-Based lLearning) iBlock, students will learn about different class pets, then choose a robot to represent a particular pet. They will also propose a good classroom home for it and design a presentation to convince the class to vote for their idea. If students are convincing, their pet might even be selected!

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Develop questions and participate in shared research and explorations to answer questions and to build knowledge. (NYS Next Gen. ELA: 2W6)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Across the globe, billions of people lack access to clean water. Among the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, goal number six is to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Throughout this Clean Water and Sanitation PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will explore where drinking water comes from, identify contaminants, and ultimately design and engineer their own water filtration system.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Typically, as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise. (NGSS: MS-ESS3-3; MS-ESS3-4)

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking itdown into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering. (NGSS: HS-ETS1-2)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Board games are experiencing a tremendous revival, fueled by new styles of gaming. A shift from luck and conflict to strategy and cooperation has brought new players into the genre. In this Designing a Board Game PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will plan a game, research game mechanics, design their play area and pieces, and then determine how to play-test their creation. Finally, they’ll examine how to package and publicize their game, and maybe even present a sales pitch to interested buyers.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Demonstrate persistence in developing skills with various materials, methods, and artmaking approaches in creating works of art or design. (National Core Arts Standards: VA.Cr2.1.7a)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

The sound an instrument produces has a lot to do with the materials that it’s made of. An instrument made of wood has a very different sound than one made of brass. What about a plastic instrument? In this Engineering 3D Printed Instruments PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will investigate the science of sound, how instruments produce sound, and the difference materials can make in producing that sound. In addition, students will explore the anatomy of particular instruments, and become familiar with the foundations of music composition and 3D design.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information. (NGSS: 4-PS4-3)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Wearable technology has changed quite drastically since the first items hit stores. Some of the most drastic changes and innovations in “smart” wearables have been focused on making them aesthetically pleasing while also serving a purpose, whether that’s fashion, health, or entertainment. In this Fashion for Function: Smart Wearables PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will design a unique piece of wearable technology that fulfills a function. Who knows — maybe one day it will climb to the top of gift idea lists!

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this Fashion for Function: Smart Wearables PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock:

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. (NGSS: MS-ETS1-2)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Agriculture has always been one of the building blocks of human civilization. Humanity has changed a lot since civilization first began, and that includes the way we grow our plants. In this Growing a Hydroponic Garden PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will explore different agricultural structures and incorporate emerging resources to cultivate a technologically enhanced botanical space. Students will also tackle challenges like growing plants in space-conscious environments for a rapidly growing population, and together discover the future of sustainable gardening.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems. (NGSS: HS-ESS3-4)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Animals of all sorts are an exciting topic for young students, especially animals as impressive as dinosaurs in this Design a Dinosaur PBL iBlock! In this project-based learning iBlock, students will embark on a journey to discover unknown facts and features about different types of dinosaurs. They will learn about different dinosaurs and their features, and from there, design their own dinosaur and the habitat it would call home. To guide their design, students will research several dinosaur species and determine the features for their own species. Once they have decided upon the features, they will move on to the design of their dinosaur’s habitat. For both tasks, students will be challenged to add creativity through different artistic elements.

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Ask questions based on observations to find more information about the natural and/or designed world(s). Define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool. (NGSS: K-2-ETS1-1)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

It is the not-too-distant future and humankind is getting ready to take the next great step in space exploration: a colony on Mars! Intrepid individuals with skills in various STEAM areas are called to assist in planning and building the future colony, and the most daring of them will live there as the very first Martians! In this Mars Colony: Engineering Expedition PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will research space exploration, Mars, and survival essentials before planning for a historic trip to populate a new planet. Students will need to plan and build solutions for the essentials — habitat, transportation, communication, and more. Together, we can bring humanity to the next era of its development.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions. (NGSS: MS-ETS1-1.)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

When the United Nations created its Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, they stressed the importance of addressing world poverty and hunger. The first goal aims to eliminate poverty, while the second goal aims to end hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture. In this No Poverty and Zero Hunger PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will work to help the UN achieve these goals by designing a window planter that will produce low-cost, high-yield crops in the most efficient manner possible.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Changes in biodiversity can influence humans’ resources, such as food, energy, and medicines, as well as ecosystem services that humans rely on— for example, water purification and recycling. (NGSS: MS-LS2-5)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Millions of people around the United States take a train to work each day. Some of these commuters live a short distance from their destination, but many travel over an hour just to get to work! Can you imagine a workweek where a minimum of 2 hours each day is spent commuting? As the number of people commuting only continues to grow, innovators are continually seeking to make transportation more efficient by building faster trains that can carry more passengers. In this Reimagining Public Transportation PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will develop an understanding of efficiency by building their own model train, capable of either going faster, or carrying more weight than their peers.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balance and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. (NGSS: 3-PS2-1)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

What’s in the water? The world’s rivers and streams are a priceless resource, but various forms of pollution pose a threat to water quality. Scientists carry out studies to determine physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water to get an accurate understanding of water quality. It’s critical that we know the current status of water-quality conditions and how and why those conditions have been changing over time. With a better understanding of water quality, the growing need to protect the world’s water resources may be better understood. So how do scientists assess whether river ecosystems are being protected? What does it entail to study a river’s “health”? In this River Management: Assessing Health PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will engineer a device or system that will sample an environmental parameter that indicates water health.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect Earth’s resources and environment. (NGSS: 5-ESS3-1)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

The Earth-Sun-Moon system has been studied for thousands of years. The interaction of these celestial bodies impacts our tides, seasons, and perceptions of time. In this Space Systems: Create a Model of an Eclipse PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students explore the size and scale of our solar system and the phenomenon of eclipses. Then, students get to design and construct a model of our Earth-Sun-Moon system using 3D printers, and use that model to recreate a solar and lunar eclipse.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the Sun and moon, and seasons. (NGSS: MS-ESS1-1)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Storytelling has been around for centuries — it is a fundamental part of being human and an essential learning tool. Our ancestors would tell stories that were passed down from generation to generation with nothing more than their imaginations. Now, we are still telling the same stories, but in new and innovative ways that both speak to our past and look forward to the future. In this Storytelling Through the Ages PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will develop a new story and work through the process of storyline creation, character development, narrative arc, developing props & visuals, and presenting their final product. Finally, students will bring storytelling into the 21st century by coding a robot or program to tell their story!

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners; express ideas clearly and persuasively, and build on those of others. (NYS Next Gen. ELA: 3-5SL1)