Helping the Douglas Duck
By:  Leah Goering

Project at a Glance :

This project has been designed for a 3rd grade class, but could likely be adapted for other grade levels. There is a duck that lays her eggs in our school courtyard each April, so my project involves finding a way to help the duck. This project will be 1-2 weeks long and will include 3rd grade research standards, as well as possibly working with area and perimeter depending on the direction the student’s take it. 

Driving Question:

How can we help the Douglas Duck?            

Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.9
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.7

Team / Culture Building:

• Hopes, Fears, & Norms​​

• #Mood Check ins throughout Project

​Entry Event:

• The project will kick off with the teacher reading Gertie The Darling Duck of WWII,  followed by an egg hunt around the classroom to find the driving question.

Stakeholders:

• The Duck (Bernadette)
• Douglas Elementary School Staff and Students
• Saugatuck Center for the Arts Garden Staff

Empathy Building:

• After reading a picture book about a duck laying her eggs in a city students will create an Empathy Map from the duck's perspective.

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• ​Need to Know Protocol
• Stakeholder Map
• Students interviewed staff members from the Saugatuck Arts Council asking questions such as:  "Are you planting any plants that may be harmful to the duck?" and "What are you current plans for the courtyard space?" 

Incubation:

• Use the Rule of Thirds protocol
• Anti-Problem protocol
• Generate 100 solution Ideas in a short period of time. (Idea Quota)​​

• Combin-ide-ation

Checking in:

• Use the #Mood activity every day or 2 as a check in tool.
• Pluses and Deltas (at the end of Week 1)
• Talking Chips

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Solution Building:

•  Students will start by looking at all the possible ideas listed (potentially split the class into 2 groups at this point).
• Then students will use the Saturate and Group protocol to sort/categorize ideas.

Critique and Revision: 

• NUFF Test​​

• Dot Voting

Authentic Audience:

• Saugatuck Center for the Arts Garden Person
• Mrs. Gust, principal
• Potentially Ottawa County Parks employee/s
• Parents

Final Presentation:

• Students will pitch their ideas and potentially include a prototype if beneficial.
  
• Groups will be allowed to choose the presentation type they would like to pitch their idea. They could use a skit, a poster, a prototype, or any combination.​

Click here for teacher's full plan.

​Reflection and Feedback:

• Students will use an emoji style rubric with an area for feedback. Categories will include feasibility, usefulness for the duck, and usefulness for the students, staff, and garden team.
  
• Complete a Fireside Chat with Talking Chips to reflect on experience.

• ​"It was fun to feel like a part of something that could really help the duck." ~ Rae
• "PBL Time was my favorite time because we got to be more creative and work together with teams. ~ Laney

Click here for the teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:

Leah Goering teaches 3rd grade at Douglas Elementary School, Saugatuck Public Schools.

     “PBL gives students the power to meet their maximum learning potential by utilizing their own passions and being led in learning by a mentor willing to walk beside them and not in front of them.”