How do I map my standards in preparation for a PBL course?

One of the best ways to map standards for your PBL Course is by creating "Power Standards" for your course then, review the New Tech Network Learning Outcomes and their Rubrics to help you think about long term assessment in your course plan.

Power standards are the prioritized academic expectations that educators determine to be the most critical and essential for students to learn. In schools that use power standards—courses and learning experiences are designed to emphasize power-standards content and ensure that, at the very least, students learn the content specified in the power standards.

A common misconception is that a teacher can easily make use of a previous curriculum map or district pacing guide as a substitute for one tailored for PBL/PrBL. While strong existing documents are invaluable, it is critical to establish high leverage power standards to design projects around and revise your map in terms of the authentic projects students will be completing.

Creating a Curriculum Map to help plan your power standards and then connect them to an authentic project idea, is the first step in mapping out a year of PBL. 

Useful Resources and Exemplars:

• NTN Curriculum Maps Template and Exemplars (Elementary, Secondary and  Math/PrBL)
• NTN Curriculum Frameworks
• Mapping Standards for Meaningful Learning (PD Module)