A Collection of Project Based Learning End Products

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I’m always on the lookout for products created by students through project based learning experiences. I'd rather see what students create to express their answer to a driving question than just read a summary of the project. I can find loads project ideas and descriptions online, but it’s much harder to find quality end products by students. 

I've spent quite some time searching all over the internet for end products. I think these samples can be used as inspiration for your own projects. And, critiquing these samples can help students think of ways to make their own productions better.

What I look for in projects:

  • The project answers a driving question.
  • The production is made by students or documents students’ learning.
  • The production is made for an audience.
  • The project is open-ended, so each end production is different.
  • The product is hosted publicly online.
  • Read more about project based learning.

Elementary (Pre-Kindergarten – Second Grades)

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How can we share what we know about butterflies?
How can we share what we know about butterflies?

Documentary with kindergartners who talk about sharing their learning about butterflies

Should we kill spiders?
Should we kill spiders?

Video by kindergartners

What’s important to know about bones?
What’s important to know about bones?

Read about and see samples from pre-kindergarenters

What can we learn about dogs?
What can we learn about dogs?

Read about and see photos from pre-kindergarten

What different kinds of tools are there and how do they work?
What different kinds of tools are there and how do they work?

PDF with examples from kindergarten

How do we create an outdoor classroom?
How do we create an outdoor classroom?

Documentary with kindergartners about their grant project

Why are honeybees disappearing; and once they are gone, who feels the sting?
Why are honeybees disappearing; and once they are gone, who feels the sting?

Second graders took on the role of scientists to investigate the role of bees in their ecosystem.

How do people buy and sell goods?
How do people buy and sell goods?

Video by 1st graders about how they sold trail mix

What makes a community?
What makes a community?

PDF magazine authored and illustrated by first graders (read more about this project) 

What is theatre?
What is theatre?

View photos and read a write up about first graders

Elementary (Third – Fifth Grades)

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What should we teach others about the metric system?
What should we teach others about the metric system?

Digital book by a 4th graders

What would it be like to be friends with a historical figure?
What would it be like to be friends with a historical figure?

Comics by third graders

Design a flag.
Design a flag.

Video by 3rd graders studying the United Nations 

Design a building.
Design a building.

Watch a documentary featuring 4th graders

How do historians think?
How do historians think?

See 5th graders in this documentary learn about explorers

How can we raise awareness for the problems facing giant pandas?
How can we raise awareness for the problems facing giant pandas?

iBook by 4th graders

How do authors turn small moments into a big story?
How do authors turn small moments into a big story?

Illustrated video story by a fourth grade

How did World War II impact women in the United States?
How did World War II impact women in the United States?

View a Padlet wall created by 5th graders

How do communities change over time?
How do communities change over time?

View a documentary featuring 3rd graders

Middle School (Sixth – Eighth Grades)

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The Safari Park board has asked you to help establish an animal friendly park.
The Safari Park board has asked you to help establish an animal friendly park.

Blog post with photos of 6th graders’  products.

How can I convince others to dress for success?
How can I convince others to dress for success?

TED style talk by an 8th grader

How would you design your own restaurant?
How would you design your own restaurant?

Documentary about the project with interviews with students (read more)

How do archaeologists use artifacts to learn about the past?
How do archaeologists use artifacts to learn about the past?

Reflection video with sixth graders (click the Videos tab)

How did the differences between the North and South affect each region's strategy and success in the Civil War?
How did the differences between the North and South affect each region's strategy and success in the Civil War?

View an infographic by an 8th grader (read more)

Engineering 101 Pop-Up Book
Engineering 101 Pop-Up Book

8th graders develop 3D books about engineering

Design an innovative app.
Design an innovative app.

Middle schoolers in New Hampshire developed Chow Checker, an Android app

How can we teach others what we learned in English 7?
How can we teach others what we learned in English 7?

Read an eBook by 7th graders (requires iBooks)

Prove that corporal punishment should not be used.
Prove that corporal punishment should not be used.

Video by an 8th grader

How can we create a community of our own?
How can we create a community of our own?

See how middle schoolers reading The Giver designed their own utopias

High School (Ninth – Twelfth Grades)

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What if Upton Sinclair never wrote The Jungle?
What if Upton Sinclair never wrote The Jungle?

Video by a history student

Books to Films
Books to Films

Students write, act, direct, produce, and screen adaptations of short stories

Westside Wired
Westside Wired

School news website completely produced by students

What should 5th graders know about the Constitution?
What should 5th graders know about the Constitution?

Shyann published an online book to teach kids about the U.S. Constitution

What can we teach others through infographics?
What can we teach others through infographics?

Student submit proposals and choose a graphic design tool to create infographics

What amount of meat should be served in the dining hall to achieve the lowest cost?
What amount of meat should be served in the dining hall to achieve the lowest cost?

Video by calculus students at Madeira School

Convince others to settle in your colony.
Convince others to settle in your colony.

Read a blog post and watch a video about colonizing Georgia by a 9th grader

What should we teach the public about blood?
What should we teach the public about blood?

Murals created by high schools for the San Diego Blood Bank

What lessons can be learned from the Greco-Persian Wars?
What lessons can be learned from the Greco-Persian Wars?

Video with hand drawn illustrations and text

As I wrote above, you can find plenty of sources for project ideas. Here are some good ones:

Got an end product to share? Please leave a link in the comments! I will periodically update this page with more sample projects. 

Learn more about project based learning...

Featured
Crafting Questions That Drive Projects
Crafting Questions That Drive Projects

Projects begin with a driving question–an open-ended question that sets the stage for the project by generating interest and curiosity. It captures the heart of the project by providing purpose using clear and compelling language.

Investigating Authentic Questions
Investigating Authentic Questions

In project based learning students answer a driving question. That question is so deep that it leads students to ask more and more questions. I have lots of strategies and tips for investigating answers to those questions.

Creating Products to Show and Share Learning
Creating Products to Show and Share Learning

Let’s take a look at sample projects and some of the hottest apps for showing, explaining, and retelling. These tools can turn students into teachers and are great for sharing their answers to a project’s driving question.