By developing—and revisiting—an instructional roadmap that connects standards, activities, and skill development, these teachers put students on a path toward mastery.

At Barbara Morgan STEM Academy in Meridian, Idaho, project-based learning (PBL) is a schoolwide approach for grades K–5. At every grade level, students participate in projects 4 times throughout the school year. Each project integrates multiple subject areas, and teachers work collaboratively to design meaningful, standards-aligned learning experiences that give students a clear purpose for what they’re learning—and how they’ll apply it. And a key part of managing these complex projects is a learning map, a tool that helps teachers break down an essential question and identify the academic skills students will need to master the content at hand.