Authentic learning involves real life tasks that provides students opportunities to connect directly to the real world. In third grade, as students work on their weather project, students are given the following real-world tasks to show them the connection between learning and real-life and to give students the problem solving abilities that they require for life beyond school.

1. Collaborating with other REAL 3rd Graders
NGSS standards require 3rd grade students to obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.  To do this, the third graders Skyped with other classes located in Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Canada. The video below shows a Mystery Skype, students take turn asking yes/no questions to figure out where the other class’ location. It is paramount that students apply their geography skills on this activity. In addition to learning about their climate and how they prepare for severe weather, students also learned appropriate communication skills when talking to other students. They learned how to introduce themselves to other kids, take turns asking and answering questions, and how to end a conversation politely.

2. REAL Bake Sale
While working on their projects, students stumbled into a problem. How are we going to get the items we need for the emergency kits if we don’t have money? The students had a meeting with the parents and came up with a solution, a bake sale! Students helped at home baking, they went to every classroom to advertise their bake sale, and they handled the bake sale on their own. They learned about food sanitation, counting real money, and customer service. The Bake Sale was a huge success as they made $130+!

3. REAL Shopping
Students went to Sam’s Club to buy non-perishable food they need to add to their project: emergency kits for PNA classrooms. They researched for non-perishable food and then check expiration dates of the food they chose to buy. They learned how to find items at a store, to ask a store representative when they need help, to check out, and to enjoy carrying boxes to the car and back to school. Before they left Sam’s Club, they donated $2 to The Salvation Army.

PBL is such a powerful approach to learning as students do tasks that are real to them. Their learning goes beyond the classroom and they get apply the skills in the real world. These third graders don’t have to wait until they graduate to show what they learn at PNA. They are already applying them right now so by the time they graduate, they are so used to communicating and solving problems that they are more than ready to take on the big world, without even thinking about it!