Free Teaching Resources ▸ Project Based Learning Lesson Plans

Last updated: December 9, 2018

These 18 free PBL resources will give you a running start on your project based learning lesson plans.  They include how-to’s, ideas, and examples.  The projects are designed and used by teachers in the classroom.   Select one of the titles below to view more detailed info and reviews from teachers about the resource.

For subject-specific listings, check out one of the following articles:

To learn more about PBL, read Ideas & Resources To Help You Kick-Start Project Based Learning.

Project Based Learning Examples on Curriki

Curriki's resource library has dozens of PBL projects in all subjects and grade levels, developed and submitted by its teacher members. The advanced search feature is extensive, and will help you narrow your choices down using multiple criteria. In addition ...

PBLU

On PBLU.org, teachers can dive into project based learning by selecting a project, and by taking free online courses to learn how to use project based learning in the classroom.  As of this writing, there are 20 projects and the ...

Project Work in Language Teaching

This is a practical in-depth guide to conducting a project-based-learning short film project for English language learners.  It would also be suitable for group of students studying any foreign language.  It includes planning guides, lessons, evaluation tools, deliverables, samples and ...

Real World Math Projects

These six projects are targeted for students in grades 3-12 and use Google Earth and SketchUp in math applications. The projects take from several days to weeks long to accomplish. Each project identifies math skills and national standards for the ...

Project-Based Learning Space

Here are five PBL lesson plans for projects in science, math and social studies for students in grades 4-12. Each project poses a problem or challenge and provides guidelines and help in modeling the process. There is also a section ...

Historical Voyages and Events

In this  project, kids create a historic web page of their school's community, researching explorers and significant events from its past. Carol LaRow, a Google certified teacher and Smithsonian Laureate, is the site administrator.  She invites teachers to submit projects ...

eLanguages

eLanguages is a British site devoted to fluency in foreign languages, and its Projects section helps connect teachers around the world to partner on projects. It offers schools a safe, secure, easy-to-use environment to work online. The site permits up ...

CIESE

CIESE provides interdisciplinary STEM projects that make use of online real-time data. Their focus is on collaborative projects that connect students to peers and experts around the world. The project catalog is organized by Science (Life, Earth, Physical, Environmental); Technology ...

Global SchoolNet PBL

This site is a clearinghouse for teacher-conducted global learning projects at all grade levels. Collaborate with other classes worldwide. An extensive list of search features help you to find a match with one of the site's projects.The projects are open ...

Buck Institute for Education

I consider BIE to be the premier site for excellent PBL resources. Those include introductory materials, model projects, rubrics, interactive planning tools, videos, and social media discussions. There is an interactive project design rubric to guide you through using the ...

Designing Effective Projects

Designing Effective Projects provides guidance on how to create a project-based learning unit. In addition to the design process, it provides an overview of the types of thinking skills a teacher can target, and suggested instructional strategies. There is also ...

Take Action Science Projects

Sue Boudreau blogs about her PBL journey with middle school students, using projects within her science-based curriculum. You'll find projects on topics such as "Problems with Oil", "Egg Head Helmet Challenge", "The Great Carbon Race", and "The Re-Wilding Project". Sprinkled ...

Virtual Schoolhouse

Funded by the National School to Work Office, this site has compiled a collection of PBL projects from across the country to exemplify best practices. Many are ecology-based. Others emphasize local cultures and traditions. Some are cross-curricular.Each project lists objectives, ...

HTH Student Projects

HTH posts sample student project work and videos that model best PBL practices in classroom management, project management, critiques, and assessments.HTH project-based school programs have expanded in the past several years to encompass more than a dozen elementary, middle, and ...

Project Approach

This Canadian site offers about a dozen examples of projects for grades K-12. The emphasis is on local resources, ecological awareness, and the use of 21st Century skill sets. Each project is documented with illustrations and photos. A sample study ...

Project Exchange

This is a place for teachers to share high school PBL plans. There are about a dozen projects. The site was designed primarily for Envision teachers to collaborate and share best practices in project design and implementation. But they also ...

iEARN

Go global with your projects on iEARN by connecting with educators in 140 countries, with a database of 200 projects encompassing all grade levels. The objective of these projects is to foster student responsibility as global citizens who make a ...

Edutopia: Project-Based Learning

Edutopia's online magazine focuses on innovative teaching practices, with a section devoted to project based learning.  It explores PBL concepts, history, research, and classroom practices. Articles include several examples of PBL lessons.  Podcasts and videos of teachers and students in ...