Professional Documents
Culture Documents
William Holcomb
Phoenix University
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING LESSON PLAN 2
There are multiple facets within the study of agriculture, however a large portion consists
of food production. Specifically, there are great concerns about providing sustainable food
sources for our exponentially growing population. This lesson will be problem based, where
students will collaborate in groups of three to explore this open-ended problem. This
collaboration coincides with the International Standards for Educators standard 6a, where this
lesson will “foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals and outcomes
in both independent and group settings”. (Education, 2018) To introduce the problem, we will
review, discuss and answer any questions pertaining to the required reading of the textbook,
“Agriscience: Fundamentals and Applications”. (Food Science and Technology, 2007) Secondly,
I will be showing a brief PBS video, “How Farmer-Philanthropist Howard Buffet is Planting
Hope” (PBS News Hour, 2016), to show a viewpoint on the factors and approaches surrounding
this issue. To achieve proper exploration of this topic, students will be required to use multiple
Google Tools. First, the presentation will be given utilizing Google Slides. By utilizing this
application there can be collaboration outside of the classroom and allow for equal distribution of
workload. Second, Google Scholar will be used as a primary source for articles and research of
the topic at hand. This program will enable easy access to primary literature and convenient
sharing of the articles. Finally, Google Drawings will be used to provide a diagram representing
The objective of this lesson is for students to create a visual representation of their
understanding of a world issue, actively search for pertinent articles, and finally demonstrate the
ability to present their findings in an organized manner. Secondary goals, students will
collaborate in teams while learning the methods required for accurate research of a topic.
Required materials for this lesson include access to the main article and video introducing the
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING LESSON PLAN 3
problem, access to Google slides, Google Scholar, Google Drawing, and finally the grading
A. Get into groups of three and brainstorm possible solutions for the
proposed problem. Create a visual representation of your ideas in Google
Drawings
B. Using Google Scholar, find a supplementary article that proposes a
potential start to a solution.
C. Prepare a presentation using the Google Slides application
D. Use Google Sketchpad to apply images and drawing to the slides.
E. Present your findings and ideas to the class
Adhering to the educator’s ISTE standard 2b, this lesson can be altered to fit the needs of
most diverse learners. This lesson’s mailability serves as an “advocate for the equitable access to
educational technology, digital content and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all
students”. (Education, 2018) A few examples include granting extra time, an aid to help with
research, private presentations for those with heightened anxiety, and extra parameters or
prompts to guide learning. These are just a few of the modifications that can be made, and all
To assess the understanding and capability of the students to complete this task there will
development of thoughts. Second, the ability to find and then comprehend an article pertaining to
the issue will be measured. Finally, the presentation as a group will be graded as well as proper
references included for all sources. The details of the grading requirements are in the rubric.
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING LESSON PLAN 4
This lesson plan can be applied to many facets of agriculture, follows many ISTE
standards, and finally incorporates the use of new technological applications through Google
Tools that can be applied to other areas of study as well. All in all, this lesson will enable
students to explore problem-based learning and enable them to demonstrate their approach to
References
Education, I. S. (2018, n.d.). ISTE Standards for Educators. Retrieved from ISTE:
http://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators
Food Science and Technology. (2007). In L. D. Burton, & E. L. Cooper, Agriscience:
Fundamentals and Applications 4th Edition (pp. 638-654). Clifton Park: Thomson
Delmar Learning.
PBS News Hour. (2016, May 2). How Farmer-Philanthropist Howard Buffet is Planting Hope.
PBS Video. Illinois, USA: PBS.