CLEVELAND AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL  

Project Based Learning  

Design Guide 
Unit/Project Title: Celebrating Friendship and Diversity: Friends to the Rescue!  Duration: 8 Weeks 
Content Focus: Social Studies  Teacher(s): A. Lockett, S. Johnson  Grade Level: Pre-K 
Other subject areas to be included: Social Studies, Math, ELA, SEL 
KEY KNOWLEDGE: 
Significant Content  Science: N/A 
   
Writing/ ELA: Class Big Book and Sentence Stems ​Standard: CLL9 - The child will use writing for a variety
of purposes.
 
 
Social Studies: ​Standard: CD-SS2 - The child will demonstrate an understanding of his/her community and an
emerging awareness of other's culture and ethnicity.

SEL: Buddy Bench and Peace Path​​Standard: SED1 - The child will develop self-awareness. Standard:
SED2 - The child will engage in self-expression. Standard: SED5 - The child will develop relationships and
social skills with peers.

Math: Class Graph ​Standard: CD-MA1 - The child will organize, represent, and build knowledge of number
and quantity. Standard: CD-MA2 - The child will manipulate, compare, describe relationships, and solve
problems using number and quantity.

Technology: Creativity and Innovation (Student self reflection videos, How to Make New Friends videos) 
Skype in the classroom 
 
 
Engineering: Design and construction of the Playground Buddy Bench and Peace Path 
 

21​st​​ ​ Century Competencies  Collaboration    Creativity and Innovation: 

(to be taught and assessed)  SW work together to brainstorm ideas about  SW design the layout of the peace path 
how to be a good friend and how we can show  and buddy bench. SW create videos 
kindness to others. SW use block and other 
 materials to design a prototype for the “Buddy  about themselves and videos for the 
Bench.  school about how to be a good friend. 
Communication    Other: 
SW communicate through drawings, writings, 
and class video. 
Critical Thinking     
SW will think about what them special, unique 
and different. While we are different how are 
we also similar? How can we still be friends if 
we are different? 
Project Summary 
(include student role, issue,  In this unit we will learn how we are unique and special as well as how to show kindness and
problem or challenge, action taken, 
and purpose/beneficiary) 
make new friends. The boys and girls have felt it is important to spread kindness to our
  classroom, school and community.
 
 
  We have brainstormed many ideas and the students have decided it would be wonderful to have
  a “Buddy Bench” at our school. The “Buddy Bench” is a simple idea to eliminate loneliness
  and foster friendship on the playground. When you see a child sitting on the bench, others will
 
know to invite them to come play.

As we learn to make new friends, we will also learn to solve conflicts through activities that challenge us to
work together. we will partner with Kindergarten to design a buddy bench for their “More Inclusive”
playground. Finally, we will put our social skills to use to help better the school by designing and creating a
peace path for the playground.

CHALLENGING PROBLEM OR QUESTION: 

Driving Question:  How can we be different and still be friends?
 

SUSTAINED INQUIRY: 
Need to Know:  What is a friend? How can we show kindness?
How are we different/same?
What does special mean?
(​​Remember to create a list of  How am I special?
“​Anticipated”​ ​Need to Know  How can we make new friends?
questions prior to Entry Event. 
AUTHENTICITY: 
Project Problem  We share some of the same interests, ideas, and we may even share some of the 
(How does this relate to the real  same physical characteristics. Yet, we are all still very different and unique. But, 
world? What problem exists in  being different is what makes us special. We can learn to embrace other qualities 
their lives, school, community, or  and cultures as we continue to embrace and love ourselves. Making new friends and 
world? )  loving them is what the world needs. 
Entry Event:   
​ ainbow Fish​​ aloud.  
We will read the story, R
 
Online Read Aloud Video 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFORvXhub28 
 
Lesson Plan 
https://www.education.com/lesson-plan/the-rainbow-fish/ 

Sample of Lesson Plan

● Show students the cover of the book ​Rainbow Fish.​ Ask students if they
have ever heard this story before.
● Ask students to identify ways that they are different from their peers, such as
different hair and eye colors.
● Now, tell students that today they will be listening to a story about a fish
who was different then the rest of his friends

We will invite mr. Holley, school counselor in to talk about friendship and showing 
kindness.
STUDENT VOICE & CHOICE: 
Products/Tasks:  Individual:  Specific content and competencies to be assessed: 
I am Special, I am Different Writing  SWBAT identify and write their names, letters, numbers and 
colors in teacher created sentence stems. 
  
  Group:  Specific content and competencies to be assessed: 
   
Class Book-SWBAT identify their first name 
● Similarities/ Differences Class 
 
Graph  Class Graph: SW ​organize, represent, and build knowledge
  of number and quantity using data from class graph.
● Class letter to Dr. Payne telling   
her the need for the Buddy 
Bench. 
 
● Friendship Video-​​ a video to 
teach the rest of the school how 
to use the buddy bench and 
how to be a good friend 
 
● Class Big Book-  

 
 
● Buddy Bench 
  
● Peace Path 

 
PUBLIC PRODUCT: 
Public Audience  Parents and community members will be invited to PBL Showcase night. Students will showcase their class 
(​​Experts, audiences, or product  presentations. 
users students will engage with 
during/at end of project) 
 
Resources Needed  On-Site Experts:  Off/Site Field Experience: Other Pre-K classrooms 
  Mr. Holley, School Counselor  through Skype 
  Ms. Drake, ETS (for technology component) 
  Equipment: ​ipads, art cart 
   
   
  Materials: ​paint, paint brushes, stencils, bench kit or palette wood, Rainbow Fish 
   
   
  Community Resources: ​community helpers and parents to help paint and build the Buddy Bench 
CRITIQUE, REVISION, REFLECTION 
Reflection:  Journal/Learning Log    Focus Group   
(Individual, Team, and/or Whole  Whole Class Discussion  x  Rubric   
Class)  Survey