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:

From images, to text, to color palette, there is a lot to consider when designing a comic book. How are comics similar to a short story? How are they different? In this Building Literacy: Design a Comic Book PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will investigate the history of comics and various comic texts before creating their own masterpiece. With attention to how established comic artists perfect their craft, these modules will help unleash creativity and provide a new means of expression. Finally, students will bring all of their hard work together as they create their very own comic convention.

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.(NYS Next Gen. ELA: 7W3b)

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:

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:

When we think about trucks, we often think of fire trucks or pickup trucks, but there are so many other trucks to explore! In this Design a Specialty Truck PBL iBlock, students will learn about different types of trucks as well as their unique functions. Students will research the specific uses for each truck and the impact that these trucks may have on a community. After the research process, students will choose a type of truck to design and utilize STEM and/or consumable materials to assemble the truck and have it perform the intended tasks. To make their truck roadworthy, students should work with peers, repair the truck as needed, and design a presentation to show off their auto creations!

Focus of the iBlock:

An iBlock provides a cross-curricular, holistic learning approach by structuring your learning content with a primary and secondary subject focus (see this in action below). But because iBlocks are also customizable and expandable, these foci can change to suit your school’s needs, should you choose to tailor your iBlock.

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Develop a simple model based on evidence to represent a proposed object or tool. (NGSS: K-2-ETS1-2)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Escape room games are a fun amusement, but they also provide an opportunity to explore the history of new gaming formats, problem-solving skills, and even storytelling. In this Design Your Own Escape Room PBL iBlock, students will learn more about the history and culture of this “new” form of entertainment, and then plan, design, and construct their very own!

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Evaluate applications of cryptographic methods. (NYS Comp. Sci. & Digital Fluency: 9-12.CY.4)

Evaluate the effectiveness of an image or images to influence ideas, feelings, and behaviors of specific audiences.(National Core Arts Standards: VA.Re.7.2.IIa)

Escape Room iBlock now with Breakout EDU

Breakout EDU provides an opportunity for students to play active roles in their classrooms. Watch engagement soar as students become immersed in the game – asking questions, solving problems, and participating in group discussions.

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

When most people think about weather and climate, they immediately check the news or their favorite weather app. Is it going to rain today? Will there be flooding? With the threat of severe or hazardous weather, it is important to consider what we can do to protect ourselves, our homes, and our communities. With a focus on flooding, it is our mission to determine how best to protect and preserve resources, people, and communities during times of severe weather. How would you tackle the threat of a flood? In this Engineering for Hazardous Weather: Taking Flood Control to New Heights PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will consider how and why floods form as well as specific areas of concern. Students will then engineer a lifted house or system to best prepare for, and protect people during severe flooding conditions.

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

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard. (NGSS: 3-ESS3-1)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

Are you looking for a creative, project-based way to teach your students about computer-aided design? In this iBlock, students will construct a geometric self-watering planter in Tinkercad. This Geometric Self-Watering Planter PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlocks project will utilize advanced skills in CAD software and challenge students to think mathematically while designing.

Here is a sample NGSS standard for this 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:

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:

Technology and design have had a major impact on the function of modern-day prosthetics. They’ve also served to make prosthetics more accessible. In this Prosthetics PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will navigate through the Engineering Design Process to design and develop a prosthetic device. To complete this task, students will explore 21st century skills such as critical thinking, innovation, and collaboration. Solutions can include computer-aided design (CAD), 3D printing, circuitry, and more.

Here is a sample NGSS standard for this iBlock:

Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts. (NGSS: HS-ETS1-3)

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

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Make observations to provide evidence that energy is conserved as it is transferred and/or converted from one form to another. (NGSS: 4-PS3-2.)

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:

Scientists have been trying to see and explore the mysteries of the universe for centuries. Over time, our understanding of space and the technology available to view the mysteries found there has evolved. In this Space Systems: Engineer a Telescope PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will learn about the evolution of the telescope and the optical science that makes them work. Using their new or expanded knowledge, students will design and build a telescope, using 3D printed materials and other consumables, to make their own observations about space!

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

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system. (NGSS: HS-ESS1-4)

iBlocks Project Based Learning Objective:

The Earth-Sun-Moon system impacts our tides, seasons, and perceptions of time. In ancient times, engineers created some of the very first tools to measure time, including the sundial. In this Space Systems: Light and Shadows PBL (Project-Based Learning) iBlock, students will be challenged to design their own device to track time. Using CAD software, they will first design, and then 3D print, their device.

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

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and theseasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky. (NGSS: 5-ESS1-2)