How can you ensure that your project-based learning aligns with the National Physical Education Standards?

1 Setting goals

The first step to align your PBL with the NPES is to set clear and specific goals for your project. You should consider what you want your students to know, understand, and do as a result of the project. You should also align your goals with the five standards of the NPES, which are: 1) demonstrating competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns, 2) applying knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics related to movement and performance, 3) demonstrating the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness, 4) exhibiting responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others, and 5) recognizing the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction. You can use the SMART criteria (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) to help you formulate your goals.

2 Planning activities

The second step to align your PBL with the NPES is to plan the activities that will help your students achieve your goals. You should choose activities that are relevant, engaging, and challenging for your students. You should also consider how to integrate different types of learning, such as inquiry, collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, and communication. You can use the 5E model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate) to structure your activities and scaffold your students' learning. For example, you can start by engaging your students with a driving question or a real-world problem that relates to the project topic. Then, you can let them explore different resources and strategies to answer the question or solve the problem. Next, you can help them explain their findings and connect them to the NPES. After that, you can provide them with opportunities to elaborate on their learning and apply it to new situations. Finally, you can evaluate their progress and performance using various assessment methods.

3 Assessing outcomes

The third step to align your PBL with the NPES is to assess the outcomes of your project. You should use both formative and summative assessment methods to monitor your students' learning and provide them with feedback. You should also align your assessment criteria with your goals and the NPES. You can use rubrics, checklists, portfolios, self-assessments, peer-assessments, or performance tasks to measure your students' achievement of the NPES. For example, you can use a rubric to assess how well your students demonstrate competency in motor skills and movement patterns in a performance task. You can also use a checklist to assess how well your students apply knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics related to movement and performance in a written or oral report. You can also use a portfolio to assess how well your students demonstrate the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness in a personal fitness plan. You can also use self-assessments and peer-assessments to assess how well your students exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in a group project. You can also use a performance task to assess how well your students recognize the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction in a creative presentation.

4 Reflecting on feedback

The fourth and final step to align your PBL with the NPES is to reflect on the feedback that you and your students receive from the project. You should use the feedback to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your project design and implementation, as well as your students' learning and performance. You should also use the feedback to plan for future improvements and adjustments. You can use various reflection tools, such as journals, surveys, interviews, or discussions, to gather and analyze the feedback. For example, you can ask your students to write a journal entry about what they learned, what they enjoyed, what they struggled with, and what they would do differently in the project. You can also ask them to complete a survey or an interview about their satisfaction, engagement, motivation, and achievement in the project. You can also have a discussion with your students, colleagues, or administrators about the successes and challenges of the project and how to improve it for the next time.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?