The Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards open the door to more project-based learning in the K-12 classroom. The Knights of Knowledge App provides inquiry starter videos (ranging from a minute to two in length) whose purpose is to start meaningful inquiry in a subject area. Topics span the curriculum, from fine arts to engineering, and even include a special set of projects for children in the primary grades. Once started, a single project can take from one class period to several days or more to explore. The process for using these videos is to start with a video, ask students to identify the thing they are being asked to explore, create their project (without the teacher telling the "answer," share the project with the class, evaluate their success, and then identify new questions that came up during the project itself. These videos are an outgrowth of a project that started a decade ago, and the developers provide workshops around the topic of project-based learning throughout the United States and speak at numerous conferences each year. Our development team includes David Thornburg, PhD, Norma Thornburg, MA and Sara Armstrong, PhD each expert in the field of inquiry-driven project-based learning across the curriculum. Contact us at info@knights-of-knowledge to schedule a workshop. Our goal is to help educators make the transition to the powerful pedagogical models implied by the new standards, and to fully engage students in the exploration of interesting ideas related to various content areas. The critical step is to start with the right questions, and the Knights of Knowledge videos get you off to a great start. Once you get going with these projects, you will be able to acquire the skills to create new ones of your own (something else we can help with) K-12 education has embarked on its most far-reaching transformation in decades, and we are proud to play a role in supporting these changes on behalf of all children and educators everywhere.
