Reinvigorating STEM with Project-Based Learning is a practical guide for secondary school STEM educators and instructional coaches who want to design hands-on learning experiences that cultivate belonging without abandoning the strong teaching practices they already use. Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a widely embraced approach for engaging students in meaningful, real-world STEM learning, but well-intentioned projects too often fall short of their transformative promise. This book empowers educators to integrate PBL into their upper middle and high school math and science classrooms in ways that are accessible, adaptable, and rooted in high-quality instruction. Prioritizing equity, rigorous standards, and authentic community-centered learning, the authors’ original framework and example projects support discipline-rich STEM teaching and deepened engagement by learners. By the end, you will find that PBL is not an add-on but a comprehensive approach to reinvigorate your STEM classroom.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Part I: Inventorying Your Tools: Beliefs, Assets, and Experiences
Chapter 1: Building Toward What Works
Chapter 2: Inventorying Your Beliefs and Tools
Part II: Organizing the Toolbox: Putting Disciplinary Tools Together
Chapter 3: The Elements of PBL
Chapter 4: Content Storyline
Chapter 5: Practice Pathway
Chapter 6: Tools to Cultivate Belonging
Part III: Topping off the Toolbox: Refining for Implementation
Chapter 7: Assessing Your PBL Project
Chapter 8: Community Connections and Differentiation
Chapter 9: Project Walkthrough
Chapter 10: Connecting It All Together
Appendix A: PBL Project Planner
Appendix B: Planning with Purpose Project Planner
Appendix C: Spread the Word, Not the Germs Project Planner
About the Author :
Sarah DiMaria is a nationally board-certified secondary mathematics teacher and instructional coach at a fully project-based high school. She facilitates professional development globally and continues to improve her practice through involvement in national fellowships and organizations. Her passion lies in fostering spaces of belonging, particularly in STEM.
Carlee Madis is a former secondary mathematics teacher and currently a curriculum developer for a nationally recognized problem-based math curriculum. Her passion centers on advancing equitable STEM learning through progressive instruction and supporting educators through professional learning and curriculum design.
Sheila Orr, Ph.D., is a former secondary mathematics and physics teacher and currently an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education: Middle & Secondary at Saginaw Valley State University. Her work focuses on preparing future teachers to enact equity-oriented project-based learning and humanizing pedagogies.
Review :
“This book breaks down the complexity of Project-Based Learning in meaningful ways and demonstrates that PBL can act as a container for good practice rather than something completely different.”
Mike Steele, Department Chair and Professor of Educational Studies at Ball State University, USA
“This book offers a unique framework for PBL that can be applied to meet the varied learning needs of students from a perspective that focuses equally on the actionable applications of community and on content standards.”
Ayanna Perry, Director of Outreach and Dissemination at Knowles Teacher Initiative
“With their deep expertise in Project-Based Learning, the authors show that PBL is not an add-on but a shift in how teaching and learning are designed. This book provides a clear roadmap for connecting rigorous academic standards with authentic, community-connected learning.”
Steven Zipkes, Leader in Project-Based Learning and Innovative School Design and Founding Principal at Cedars International Next Generation High School, TX
