PRIMARY

PROJECTS
TEACHER’S GUIDE
 PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

At Cambridge University Press, we provide a number of educational projects for teachers who want to
work with this methodology. We have created exciting, engaging and real-life materials with which pupils
can work on various topics in the curriculum.

‘Project-based learning is the natural way of evolving from a non-interactive

to a more participative class environment.’

1. BENEFITS OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Project-based learning can be the ideal teaching method to gain 21st century skills (Life Competencies).
How? By promoting pupils’ creativity, innovation and social skills through peer-to-peer collaboration.
Moreover, project-based learning enhances key emotional skills and competences such as motivation,
interest and initiative.

Facing real-life situations develops their problem-solving skills because they ‘learn by doing’ with the
help of their classmates. Pupils play an active role in learning which helps them develop critical thinking
skills. At the same time, learning strategies such as ‘learning to learn’ become more important.

Project-based learning also promotes content and language integrated learning.

Multidisciplinary projects are more interesting

Projects provide opportunities for connections
and encourage pupils to make connections
with the real world outside the classroom.
between different areas of knowledge.

English is learnt naturally, even though pupils at Natural and Social Science are ideal subject
early stages of Primary tend to use Spanish to areas for teachers who start working with
make class dynamics easier. projects.

2. KEYS TO PROJECT SUCCESS

When carrying out a project in the classroom, we must take into account various factors that are closely
linked to its success. Here are seven keys for a successful project:

1. The topic must be relevant for pupils and linked to their reality.

2. Tasks and final products should be original: feasible and with an impact on their lives.

3. Objectives must be clearly defined and linked to curricular competencies.

4. Types of evaluation will include self-evaluation and group evaluation.

5. Projects must be interdisciplinary: linking contents of various subject areas.

6. Communication between teachers and pupils should be fluent and consistent.

7. Teachers are responsible for distributing roles taking into account the profile and personality of their
pupils.

© Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment 2020 1 MATERIAL FOTOCOPIABLE

 PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

3. STEPS OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

PREPARATION DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT RESULTS

STAGE 0 STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4

ORIGIN AND PRESENTATION RESEARCH CREATING PRESENTATION

PLANNING OF THE PROJECT OR SEARCHING THE FINAL AND EVALUATION
OR CHOOSING FOR INFORMATION PRODUCT
THE TOPIC

Each project requires a previous planning stage in which stages, timing, necessary materials,
distribution of roles and types of evaluation are defined effectively and realistically.

During the development of the project, group tasks (brainstorming, making hypotheses, sharing
information, making presentations) can be combined with individual tasks (searching for information,
working on a specific section of a presentation, feedback to the group).

Lastly, the final result and evaluation also require a certain degree of innovation. A presentation as
a final product is a very valid option, but going a step further and creating another type of result is very
positive. In addition, innovative systems of evaluation and self-evaluation (learning targets) are essential to
take full advantage of these collaborative projects.

4. TEACHERS’ ATTITUDE

Teachers play a key role since they have to guide the learning process rather than just transmitting
knowledge. They must work and learn together and therefore change the purpose of getting pupils to
learn content by heart and in depth instead of learning to learn.

Here are five key characteristics of teachers who want to implement project-based learning:

ASSERTIVE

OBSERVANT INNOVATIVE

COLLABORATIVE ENTHUSIASTIC

© Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment 2020 2 MATERIAL FOTOCOPIABLE

 PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

1. They should be assertive: give opinions and make comments in a constructive way, set limits,
accept suggestions and other opinions.

2. They must be observant, capable of reacting to changes, redirecting tasks and evaluating
actively.

3. They should be innovative and creative: do not to keep using the same formula that works, do
research, be inspired by other teachers’ projects, review how their projects can be improved at
the end of the year.

4. They have to work well together as a team.

5. They must feel enthusiastic about this methodology and be aware of the challenge and extra
effort it implies.

5. FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

The process will be fully carried out by pupils, but we count on family support and involvement. Parents
will know first-hand what their children do during English classes in an easy, fun and different way. The
idea is that they take part in the process in an implicit way and continue to learn new things or share
what they already know with their little ones.

Parents support to their children and their education is a necessary and enriching complement that both
they and their children will value enormously. This is not about ‘traditional homework’, but enriching family
experiences which will help them to connect with their children as well as sharing their learning process.

© Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment 2020 3 MATERIAL FOTOCOPIABLE

 PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

6. OUR PROJECTS (Cambridge Learning Journey Projects)

Project-based learning is the natural way of evolving from a non-interactive to a more participative class
environment. At Cambridge University Press, we provide various projects for English in Primary, aimed
at teachers who love challenges, who want to break the monotony of class work and offer something
different, but complying with the curricular competencies.

These projects do not replace traditional teaching units – they complement them instead. Moreover, they
help to evaluate and connect with curricular competencies. In these projects, group tasks (brainstorming,
making hypotheses, sharing information, making presentations) are combined with individual tasks
(searching for information, working on a specific section of a presentation, feedback to the group).

The aim of these materials is to offer pupils the possibility to connect their learning with specific experiences
such as school trips, family trips, special events, celebrations, etc. Furthermore, they are a perfect
opportunity to develop their social skills.

In each project, the distribution of roles is adapted to meet the pupils’ needs and abilities. The teacher
will be responsible for assigning roles taking into account the pupils’ personalities (e.g. the more reserved
pupils should work with those who are leaders), level of learning and multiple intelligences. Pupils are usually
put into groups of four or five and focus on collaborative work, although some tasks are done individually.
Ideally, pupils will have clearly assigned tasks and defined roles, although they may vary depending on the
context.

In each group, there should be a pupil in charge of communicating with the teacher and saying out loud
what the group thinks; a coordinator who defines and controls the tasks of all the team members; a
moderator who is in charge of establishing order in the group and avoiding interruptions; a secretary who is
responsible for writing down the essential points of the tasks and the steps to be taken during the project.
These roles can be easily combined with the duties of each project.

On the other hand, we offer innovative final results, which are not always a PowerPoint presentation, but
other options just as interesting or even more so. We would also like to point out that in the early stages
of Primary Education it is difficult to communicate in English, that is why the tasks are more defined, more
concise and with more follow-ups and supporting resources.

Finally, projects are adjusted to curricular contents. They are also well-programmed (objectives, contents
and evaluation criteria), assessable (rubrics, key competencies) and linked to other subject areas
(Natural Science, Social Science, Arts and Crafts, etc.). Besides, they also provide pupils with supporting
materials: vocabulary lists, grammar points, digital and emotional tips, which are used as a reference for
teachers and families.

© Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment 2020 4 MATERIAL FOTOCOPIABLE

 PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

YEARS 1 - 2:
PROJECT 1: My Family Tree
Pupils will present their families to their classmates with the help of the most original family tree they
can think of. This project will help them bond with their families and will encourage respect and
tolerance towards their classmates. Each family is unique and special and, with their help, pupils will
be able to get to know their families better and present them in front of the class.

PROJECT 2: Our Solar System

Pupils will create a model of the Solar System having previously researched its most important
elements. In groups, they will build various models with different materials and present in class the
most outstanding features of the planets, the stars, the Sun and the Moon of our Solar System. Fun-
filled, enriching and creative team work!

PROJECT 3: Animal Encyclopaedia

Each group will choose an animal that they like and produce a fact file with the most interesting and
specific information they can find (size, diet, habitat, films where they appear, etc.). The whole class
will create an animal encyclopaedia and will be able to take it home for a few days to share it with their
families.

YEARS 3 - 4:
PROJECT 4: Our Tourist Map
In groups, pupils will create a tourist map of their neighbourhood, village or town including the places
they find more interesting or which they recommend, creating an interesting tourist guide. They
will need the support of their families to search for information, photos and find out new places, if
necessary. Together they will get to know better the place where they live and share experiences, as
well as cooperating and accepting different ideas.
PROJECT 5: Our Time Capsule
The experience of creating a time capsule consists of understanding the concept of the passing
of time. Pupils will have to choose a type of container (e.g., a box or a chest) and include objects,
messages, etc., which will be retrieved in the future. They will find out how the passing of time affects
these objects, not only physically but in their value.

YEARS 5 - 6:
PROJECT 6: Clocks and Watches of the Future
To imagine a world without measuring time seems complicated. Pupils will have to do some previous
research about all the types of clocks and watches they have used until now. But the most exciting
challenge is to invent the clock or watch of the future! Working on the idea of ‘time’ and how they
understand it will be of interest. Let them use their imagination and surprise the rest of the class!

PROJECT 7: Women Scientists: Now, Then and Always

Women have become more and more important in the world of science, but this was not always the
case. Pupils will learn and find out about famous women scientists and will create a timeline to display
in the classroom about some of the most relevant women scientists in history. Each group will work on
a specific woman scientist, learn about her life and present her to the class. If anyone in their families
is a woman scientist, it would be motivating for pupils to listen to her experience first-hand.

© Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment 2020 5 MATERIAL FOTOCOPIABLE

AKNOWLEDGMENTS

Author: Ana Carvajal Sánchez

Designer: La Cosmonauta
Project Lead: Marta Sánchez García

The authors and publishers acknowledge the

following sources of copyright material and are
grateful for the permissions granted. While every
effort has been made, it has not always been
possible to identify the sources of all the material
used, or to trace all copyright holders. If any
omissions are brought to our notice, we will be
happy to include the appropriate acknowledgements
on reprinting & in the next update to the digital
edition, as applicable.

Key: L = Left, R = Right, C = Centre, TR = Top Right,

TL = Top Left, TC = Top Centre, CL = Centre Left,
CR= Centre Right, BL = Below Left, BC = Below Centre,
BR = Below Right.

All the photographs are sourced from Getty Images.

Family Tree
p. 2 (TL): Hollie Fernando/DigitalVision; p. 2 (TC): Claudia
Burlotti/Taxi; p. 2 (TR): Jamie Garbutt/DigitalVision; p.
2 (CR): Elizabethsalleebauer/RooM; p. 2 (CL): Portra/
E+; p. 2 (BR): JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images; p. 2 (BC):
Caiaimage/Tom Merton; p. 2 (BL): Tang Ming Tung/Taxi.

Our Solar System

p. 2: SolStock/iStock/Getty Images Plus; p. 3:
OstapenkoOlena/iStock/Getty Images Plus; p. 4:
stevecoleimages/E+.

Animal Encylopaedia
p. 2 (L): © iurii Konoval iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty
Images; p. 2 (R): © Cat Gennaro/The Art of Nature/
Moment/GettyImages.

Tourist Map
p. 2 (BL): Dabitxu7/iStock/Getty Images Plus; p. 2 (BR):
kylieellway/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus; p. 2 (TL):
GUILLERMO LEGARIA/AFP; p. 2 (CR): Carlos Muina/
Cover; p. 2 (C): Lord_Kuernyus/iStock Editorial/Getty
Images Plus; p. 2 (BC): PhotographyFirm/iStock/Getty
Images Plus; p. 2 (TC): Peter Cade/Photographer’s José Abascal, 56, 1st Floor, 28003, Madrid, Spain
Choice; p. 2 (TR): Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision.
Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge.
Time Capsule It furthers the University’s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of
p. 2: Fancy/Veer/Corbis/Getty Images Plus; p. 4: Image
Source. education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.

Clocks and watches of the future www.cambridge.es

p. 2 (TC): Science Photo Library; p. 2 (BC): Creative Crop/
DigitalVision; p. 2 (TL): Creativ Studio Heinemann; p. 2
(TR): Kalulu/iStock/Getty Images Plus; p. 2 (BL): Science
Photo Library; p. 2 (TR): Science Photo Library.
Women Scientists
p. 2 (BL): Bettmann; p. 2 (BR): Donaldson Collection/
Michael Ochs Archives; p. 2 (TL): Hulton Archive; p. 2
(CR): Pascal Le Segretain/WireImage; p. 2 (CL): Alberto E.
Rodriguez/Getty Images Entertainment; p. 2 (TR): Etienne
DE MALGLAIVE/Gamma-Rapho; p. 2 (BC): NASA/
Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives; p. 2 (TC):
Francis Tsang/Cover; p. 2 (C): Fotonoticias/WireImage.
www.cambridgeteacher.es
© Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment 2020
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