Project Based Learning in Real World U.S. History Classrooms

Every history teacher will want to read this thoughtful and realistic portrayal of project based learning in practice. Turk and Berman illustrate how teachers can implement meaningful and authentic historical projects that develop students’ agency, collaboration, and civic capacity. But this book is not a set of simplistic recommendations or formulas. It describes real teachers struggling with the hard work of engaging students in deep learning of historical content. Turk and Berman show how dedicated and reflective teachers can implement complex projects with a variety of students, even under challenging circumstances.

Keith C. Barton, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Indiana University

This book shows, with real lesson plans and descriptions, that high-quality Project Based Learning is not only desired, but actually feasible, for all students in various school contexts. This is a book for anyone who has been interested in exploring PBL but nervous about how to make it work in their history classrooms. Turk and Brensilver Berman have done a wonderful job providing examples, guidelines, and resources that showcase how powerful and practical PBL can be for diverse groups of learners.

Jane Lo, Associate Professor of Teacher Education at Michigan State University