PBL Article Review

I chose the article, How to buy a car 101, in which a 7th grade class does a PBL on buying cars. They are given a set of guidelinesfor the project and parameters for the type of car needed. The students are given 2 weeks to do research by looking at dealerships and cars online, contacting banks and dealerships, etc. The students had an opportunity to take mathematics and get their hands dirty in a real life situation in which they could apply what they had learned and learn new ideas and concepts.

I thought that the teacher who put this PBL together did an excellent job of adhering to the content standards that were set forth. He/she also did a great job of making the problem both interesting and applicable to the students as they are at the age of dreaming about driving and owning their very own car. I liked how the teacher set the boundaries and guidelines for the learners, had an example of the final product, and let the students take control of the rest. The article emphasized the importance of letting the learners take over in the classroom in taking initiative.

In learning through PBL, students get a better understanding of the material they are learning because they are applying it to their everyday lives or real life situations.

Flores, C. (2006). How to buy a car 101. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 12(3), 161-164.