MIAA 360: PBL Intervention, 6th Grade

PBL Overview
Title:
Teacher:
Content Focus:
Project Idea:
Summary of the
issue, challenge,
investigation,
scenario, or problem

Essential
Question:
Content and
Skills Standards
to be addressed:
(CCCSS, NGSS,
Calif.)

City Building
Est. Start Date:
Duration: 4 Weeks
Ms. B
Grade Level: 6
Math
Other subject areas to be included: ELA
Students will create a city plan with a group of 6. Each individual student will be responsible for at least
one city block. Area and perimeter of the city, streets, blocks, and buildings will be included. During
the process, students will create journal entries to rationalize their decisions for their choices as well as
showing their mathematic proof and reasoning.
How does the understanding of geometry
Driving
If you could create a city on a grid
and fractions help with city planning?
Question
system what would it look like?
CCCSS Math (3rd grade)
Number and Operations Fractions
3.NF.1 Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b
equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.
3.NF.3 Explain equivalence of fractions in a special case, and compare fractions by reasoning about
their size.
Measurement and Data
3.MD.5 Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement.
3.MD.6 Measures area by counting unit squares
3.MD.7 Relate area to operations of multiplication and addition.
3.MD.8 Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons, including
finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles
with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters.
Geometry
3.G.2 Partition shapes into parts with equal areas. Express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the
whole. For example, partition a shape into 4 parts with equal area, and describe the area of each part as
of the area of the shape.
CCCSS Language Arts (6th grade)
Writing:
1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate
to task, purpose, and audience.
Speaking and Listening:
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)
with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
5. Include multimedia components (e.g. graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in
presentations to clarify information
T+A

21st Century
Skills and MPS
to be explicitly
taught and assessed
(T+A) or that will be
encouraged (E) by
Project work but not
taught or assessed:

MP 1 Make sense of problems

and persevere in solving them.

MP 3 Construct viable
arguments and critique the
reasoning of others.

E
X

21ST: Work creatively with others:

Demonstrate originality and
inventiveness in work and
understand the real world limits to
adopting new ideas
21st: Communicate Clearly:
Articulate thoughts and ideas
effectively using oral, written and
nonverbal communication skills in a
variety of forms and contexts

T+A

E
X

MIAA 360: PBL Intervention, 6th Grade

MP 4 Model with mathematics

MP 5 Use appropriate tools

strategically

MP 6 Attend to precision

21st: Guide and lead others:

Inspire others to reach their very
best via example and
selflessness.

21st: Communicate clearly: Listen

effectively to decipher meaning,
including knowledge, values,
attitudes, and inventions
21st: Collaborate with others:
Demonstrate ability to work
effectively and respectfully with
divers teams
21st: Collaborate with others:
Exercise flexibility and willingness
to be helpful in making necessary
compromises to accomplish a
common goal.
21st: Create media products:
Understand and utilize the most
appropriate media creation tools,
characteristics and conventions.

Presentation Audience:
Group:

Culminating
Products and
Performances
Individual:

Finished product of a created neighborhood layout

that includes both residential and commercial
buildings.
Group presentations (ongoing and to present final
project).
Within the group neighborhood, each individual is
responsible for one city block.
Individual presentation/participation within group
presentations.

Class
School

Community
Experts
Web
Other:

Project Overview
Entry event
to launch inquiry,
engage students:

Outline or
Conceptual
Flow
Include assessment
points:

Entry Event:
I.
Evaluate the layout of New York City as well as the process of creating a city within two
youtube videos.
a. What could be done better? What was done right? What could cause problems? What
would you do differently? The same?
b. If you created a city, what would it look like? Use the grid system.
c. Video for New York City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDWIz72UwU4
d. Video for gaming/city creation: (Choose clips wisely, there is foul language at certain spots)
i. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dDRYivsMY&index=1&list=PLKc4_pEKkRczgDjlJ46JpM6Q4v-gzLwLa

ii. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itN30CWBABg
Outline:
I.
Perimeter and Area (CCCSS Math: Measurement and Data: 3.MD.5, 3.MD.6, 3.MD.7,
3.MD.8; Geometry: 3.G.2)
a. Create a city using the grid system. Each city block is split into fractional parts. Area is
found for the city, the blocks, the lots on the blocks, streets, parks, etc.
i. Must include one park thats broken into fractional units that include grass and
play equipment.
ii. Residential blocks include home lots of equal size
iii. Commercial blocks include businesses with lots of equal size.

MIAA 360: PBL Intervention, 6th Grade

II.

III.

Assessments

b. Group is responsible for the city, individuals are responsible for individual block(s).
This includes area and perimeter for all blocks as well as buildings/structures within the
block.
Fractions: (CCCSS Math: Fractions: 3.NF.1, 3.NF.3; Geometry: 3.G.2)
a. Fractional Units: Blocks are separated into equal fractional units for
buildings/lots/structures. Each fractional unit can be broken down further. The
individuals will label all fractional units correctly responsible for the blocks.
b. Equivalent Fractions: Groups will identify and label all equivalent fractions. This
includes blocks that are the same size but split into different fractional units, as well as
any pieces that may be equivalent. For example, if two same-sized blocks are split
into sixths and twelfths, students will be able to successfully recognize that 1/6 = 2/12.
i. Students are encouraged to recognize the relationship between equivalent
fractions and corresponding equivalent area.
Assessment Points:
a. Formative
i. Pre-assessments for perimeter, area, and fractions in quiz form. (all CCCSS
Math standards listed above)
ii. Presentations (CCCSS ELA: Listening and Speaking, 6th grade: # 1, 5)
1. Group: ongoing
2. Individuals: present their part of the group project, as well as any other
participation during presentations.
iii. Journal Entries (CCCSS ELA: Writing, 6th grade: # 1, 4)
b. Summative: (All CCCSS Standards for math and language arts listed above are
assessed in summative assessments)
i. Test (short answer, constructed answer, multiple choice) for perimeter, area,
and fractions.
ii. Final presentation
1. Individual as well as group components

Formative
Assessments
(During Project)

Quizzes/Tests

X{

Journaling/Learning Log

Presentation(s), with rubric

Preliminary Plans/Outlines
Rough Drafts

Online Tests/Exams
Summative
Assessments
(End of Project)

Written Product(s), with rubric

Oral Presentation, with rubric

Peer Evaluation

Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test

Self-Evaluation

Essay Test

Resources
Needed

On-site people, facilities

Equipment
Materials

Other Products

X
X

Other

Computer lab
iPads, projectors, student laptops, Google Earth
Cardboard project boards, rulers, 1-inch grid paper

MIAA 360: PBL Intervention, 6th Grade

Community resources

Reflection
Methods

(Individual, Group,
and/or Whole Class)

Journal/Learning Log

Focus Group

Whole-class Discussion

Fishbowl Discussion

Survey

Other

Project Teaching and Learning Guide

Knowledge and Skills Needed by Students
(to successfully complete culminating projects and to do well on summative assessments)

Student needs to be able to: find the perimeter of a regular

rectangle.

Student needs to be able to: identify equivalent fractions.

Student needs to be able to: find the area of a regular rectangle.

Student needs to be able to: give an oral presentation as part of

a group

Student needs to be able to: identify fractional units of a rectangular

figure.

Student needs to be able to: use technology to create a visual

representation of their city (2-d model with basic labels)

Questions to be Provided by the Project Teacher

(to successfully complete culminating products and to do well on summative assessments)

Teacher asks questions to recall facts, make observations, or

demonstrate understanding:
*How did you find the area/perimeter of that block/building/lot?
*What fractional unit does this building/lot represent on the block?
*Which building/lot is bigger?
*What made your team decide to put residential/commercial
buildings/a park/a school in that location?

Teacher asks questions to apply or relate:

*How are the areas/perimeters of the different blocks related?
*How are the areas/perimeters of the buildings/lots on the blocks
similar? Different?

Teacher asks questions to summarize, analyze, organize, or

evaluate:
*How did you decide on the size of the building/lot for that
block?
*Which block in your city had the biggest lots? What was the
area? What did you learn about greater fractions with that
process?
*Are any of the individual blocks bigger/smaller? How did that
affect the fractional units if the size of the whole block was
different? Was 1/6 of this block different from 1/6 of the other
block?
Teacher asks questions to predict, design, or create:
*What do you think will be the most successful area of your
city?
*How do you expect your city to change over time?

MIAA 360: PBL Intervention, 6th Grade

Teacher Reflection:
How did the unit flow? What worked well? What needs to be changed for next time? What did the students learn? What evidence do you have to support
students learning?