Project-Based Learning in Math: Real-World Examples and Resources

For many students, connecting math to real-life applications can be a challenge. Project-Based Learning (PBL) offers a solution by demonstrating the practical necessity of mathematical concepts. This article explores the benefits of PBL in math education, provides examples of engaging projects, and offers resources for teachers looking to integrate PBL into their classrooms.

The Power of Project-Based Learning in Math

Thom Markham, Ph.D., President of PBL International, emphasizes that Project-Based Learning is the future of education. PBL allows students to apply mathematical principles to authentic issues and problems, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the subject.

However, some educators express concerns about the effectiveness of PBL for students who have historically struggled with math. These students may lack the confidence and foundational knowledge necessary for successful exploration. It's essential to build their confidence first.

Despite these concerns, PBL can be highly valuable, especially when tailored to students' needs and interests. The key is to provide appropriate support and scaffolding to ensure that all students can participate and succeed.

Project Examples

Here are some examples of project-based learning activities in math:

Arena Design Project

This project allows students to apply geometric principles of triangles, volume, and coordinates to the mapping and design of a multi-purpose arena in a limited area. The arena must serve as a venue that can be easily converted for use by two sports, plus serves as a concert venue if needed. Students will form design teams to create a map showing how the arena can be converted for the two sports. The map will be accompanied by a hand-built model or a digital design using Google SketchUp or other tools.

Housing of the Future Project

This project challenges students to examine trends in housing, extrapolate that information to predict the future, and use their geometric modeling skills to design a house that supports their predictions. Students will create a floor plan and basic model of a house of the future that reflects four trends and then deliver their design and give evidence of their thinking in the form of a 10-minute presentation about why their house will be necessary and useful in the future.

Triangle Art Project

This project teaches students the basics of triangles, such as types, congruence, proofs, and similarity, by asking each student to create a poster, drawing, or personal adornment such as a fingernail design, piece of jewelry, or tattoo that uses at least two different triangular shapes.

Probability and Statistics Project

This project is designed to have students work through and master basic problems in probability, and then apply that knowledge to authentic issues in which statistics and probability play large roles. The topics should apply to teen interests and concerns. Students will be given the opportunity to research and choose their topic. Examples include:

Driving and cell phone use
Diet and health
Professional athletics

National Parks Road Trip Project

In this PBL unit, students can plan a road trip to the national parks with their families, while also creating a realistic budget for their vacation. One of the benefits of this project-based learning unit is that it allows for student choice and personalization.

Read also: What is Project-Based Learning?

Vacation Planning Project

Use this fun, real-world Math Project-Based Learning (PBL) worksheet packet to plan a vacation or a trip. This budgeting math activity teaches students in grades 5 and up to count and budget for vacation travel. This "Do I have enough money?" PBL project includes printable worksheets that are perfect for upper elementary & middle school students to teach budgeting by planning a trip with everything included. The resource includes budgeting worksheets and is very low-preparation.

Food Truck Design Project

This design a food truck project based learning activity puts students in charge of designing and setting up their own food truck business. This math pbl unit encourages students to create their own food truck through problem solving, collaboration, research, creativity, math and ELA skills. This project based learning food truck project focuses on applying the skills of: decimals, area and perimeter, volume, and scaling a recipe.

Pet Store Project

This math PBL project will have your students practicing real-world math applications while having a BLAST! This project based learning task is a great extension and enrichment activity for your early finishers. They have just been asked to start and run a pet store! They must make several decisions about their new business, practicing several common core math standards along the way. Students will love getting to purchase animals and accessories, and plan the layout of their pet store.

Sneaker Design Project

Are you looking for a high interest project to engage and excite your students? Our exciting, real-world-inspired 'Design a Sneaker' project is the perfect cross-curricular project for upper elementary students. Your students will be guided through a step-by-step journey of creating their own sneaker brand company. Students will enjoy exploring aspects such as reading about the competition (other famous sneaker brands), recruiting staff, designing their first sneaker, marketing it, and analyzing.

Geometrocity Project

Project Based Learning: GEOMETROCITY! Build a City Made of Math with Geometry. Imagine, Design, and Build a City with this 2D and 3D Adventure! -Project Based Learning -Real World Application -Geometry, Maps, & More -Extension Activities -Differentiated Levels. Geometrocity is a project based learning activity where students will take the role of a city planner and design their own city using 2D and 3D shapes.

Read also: Benefits of Service Learning

Winter Vacation Project

This Winter Math Project will engage your students in a rigorous review of math standards, and they may not even notice! As students embark on a winter vacation of a lifetime, they must track their expenses and other math-related tasks throughout their trip. They'll calculate how much elevation they gain while skiing, they'll plot a sledding path through multiple obstacles, they'll find the area and perimeter of their lodging (after they select which option is best for them). They'll figure out.

Hot Cocoa Stand Project

Looking for an engaging, differentiated, and challenging Winter project-based learning task to enrich your students? This is a perfect math challenge for students during those Winter months, and they'll love getting to run their own hot cocoa stand. This includes both Printable & Digital versions for Google Slides and Seesaw. Students will love getting to work within a budget to plan out how to run their hot chocolate stand - the supplies, ingredients.

Tiny House Project

If you’ve been watching TV or reading magazines, chances are you've seen a tiny house. These little homes are everywhere…and now, we're asking students to make their own 3D version! Build A Tiny House is a project based learning (PBL) activity that'll put the designing into the hands of the students. Students will dive deep to show they understand the how (and why) math concepts such as area, perimeter, and geometry are used in building a home. This project integrates multiple elements.

Geometry City Art Project

This geometry city art and math project will help students apply what they know about different types of angles and lines as they design their own city. Students will follow the requirements for lines, angles, and angle measures to create their geometry city!

Road Trip Project

This real world writing and math Plan a Road Trip project will have your students so engaged, they won't want the activity to end! In this unit, students the have opportunity to plan a trip and persuade others to visit their chosen destination! Now includes a bonus vacation journal and road trip activities!

Area and Perimeter Zoo Project

If you are tired of assigning final unit tests in math, this Area and Perimeter project is perfect for you! This no-prep, project-based learning task will require students to use their math and critical thinking skills to create an Area and Perimeter Zoo. Students will select animals they want, consider spacing (area) requirements, create spaces that are suitable for each exhibit and calculate the area and perimeter of each space. They will also create an advertisement for their zoo when it is.

Summer Break Project

End of the Year Math Spiral Review PBL Project - Printable & Digital versions This math PBL project will have your students practicing real-world math applications while having a BLAST! This project based learning task is a great extension and enrichment activity for your early finishers. During this end of the year math review project, students get to plan out tons of fun activities for their summer break, while spiraling and practicing several math skills along the way! Students will love this.

Quadrilateral Robots Project

Quadrilateral Robots: Project-based Learning Math Activity, worksheets & game. My "Quadrilateral Robots" lesson is a great hands-on way for students to have fun learning about quadrilaterals. There is a quadrilateral robot art project, a "robot road" game, and high-level thinking worksheets. The quadrilateral robots are made up of parts made only from members of the quadrilateral family-squares, rectangles, parallelograms, rhombuses, kites, and trapezoids! I have included all of the colored.

Design a Park Project

Mission: Design a Park is a performance task that allows students to creatively practice multiplying a fraction by a whole number. Students follow the given criteria to determine the amount of space each park amenity requires. This activity is intended to be used after teaching multiplying fractions.

Quadrilateral City Project

In the Quadrilateral City simulation, students become city designers tasked with creating a new town square. As they design, they’ll apply their knowledge of quadrilaterals, geometry vocabulary, and shape properties while building skills in problem solving, descriptive writing, and presentation. This isn’t just a geometry project - it’s a real-world math adventure your students will remember. HOW IT WORKSStudents.

Thanksgiving Dinner Math Project

Thanksgiving Dinner Math Project - Digital & Printable Give your students a real-world experience with math by letting them plan and shop for their own Thanksgiving dinner this year! This Thanksgiving math project reviews addition and subtraction with your students. Start off by hooking them and letting them choose the 10 people they are going to invite to dinner - bonus points if you let them invite their favorite celebrities…you'll have them engaged in seconds!

Create a Board Game Project

Unleash creativity with this engaging Create a Board Game unit! Designed for any grade level and any subject, this open-ended project-based learning resource encourages students to plan, design, and build their own board game while developing critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Includes templates, rubrics, game pieces, worksheets, PowerPoint slides, and everything needed for a structured yet flexible learning experience!

Farm and Zoo Design Challenge

This bundle includes 3 differentiated project based learning projects: Level 1: Design a Farm Challenge - students design a farm with vegetable gardens and animal enclosures using a minimum required area and perimeter. This resource uses smaller numbers and a larger grid. It's perfect for 3rd grade. Level 2: Design a Zoo Challenge - students use area and perimeter to design a zoo. Animal enclosures must adhere to the minimum area and perimeter. This resource uses larger numbers and a smaller gr.

Food Truck Engineering Project

This project based learning activity incorporates engineering, art, geometry, decimals, addition, and subtraction. Students design and construct a paper food truck and then run it using "Guest Checks" to take customer orders and calculate change by adding and subtracting money with decimals to hundredths.

Valentine Cupcakes Project

They say all you need is love. And everyone loves cupcakes. So we created this fun Valentine’s Day resource to sprinkle your students with love. Our sweet Valentine Cupcakes project-based learning activity is so much fun your students won’t even realize all the math skills they are practicing. And there are a lot of them! This activity includes counting, graphing, adding, multiplying, money, elapsed time, and fractions, all set in a fun and engaging real-world challenge as students use problem.

Resources for Implementing PBL in Math

Here are some valuable resources for math teachers interested in incorporating PBL into their curriculum:

Curriki Geometry: This online resource provides real-world examples, engaging projects, interactive technologies, and videos to meet the needs of students in a digitally-connected world.
Mathematics Lessons to Explore, Understand, and Respond to Social Injustice: This book, available on Amazon, helps students analyze social injustices using mathematics.
YouCubed Tasks: These free tasks build mathematical confidence and can be used with various grade levels.
Illustrative Mathematics: This curriculum is available for free through Open Up Resources and offers comprehensive lesson plans and assessments.
Make Math Moments Tasks: These visually engaging lessons and tasks spark conversations in mathematics.
Project-Based Learning in the Math Classroom, Grades 6-10, by Chris Fancher and Telannia Norfar: This book offers practical and detailed guidance on designing and implementing math projects.
Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching, by Jo Boaler: This book advocates for progressive approaches to math teaching and explores the connection between PBL and math.
Rigor, Relevance, Relationships: Making Mathematics Come Alive with Project-Based Learning, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: This resource provides an overview of PBL in math.

Tips for Successful Math PBL

Start with shorter projects that are well-aligned with standards.
Focus on important standards that require deeper mathematical thinking.
Consider using a problem-based approach with performance tasks or simulations.
Connect with community members or organizations for real-world project ideas.
Provide clear objectives, directions, and rubrics for each project.
Offer example projects to help students visualize the finished product.

Addressing Concerns About PBL in Math

Some math teachers worry about covering all the required content when using PBL. Here's some advice:

Not every standard needs to be taught through PBL. Focus on those that benefit most from deeper exploration.
Start with a couple of projects per year and gradually increase as you become more comfortable.
Remember that problem-based approaches can be incorporated into projects, even if they don't have all the features of elaborate PBL units.

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