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I’m always looking for new fun and engaging problem-based learning activities to incorporate into my classroom. When I learned about Tract I was intrigued with this unique concept and knew I had to find out more. I’m excited to share what I learned about Tract and how you can incorporate it in your classroom.
What is Tract?
Tract is an online platform whose goal is to engage students in project-based learning by putting them at the center of the learning process. There are two key components of Tract that make it different from other online learning platforms.
First, are the teachers. The teachers are in fact students! Older students, generally high school and college-aged, are guided through the process of discovering, designing, and ultimately teaching a project.
Second, are the activities and projects. With a focus on applying classroom knowledge to real-world situations, the Tract projects make learning easy to connect to life. Students of all ages, including elementary students, can log into Tract to complete the projects.
How to use Tract in the Classroom?
Teach Older Students . . .
If you teach high school, or even advanced middle school students then I would encourage you to use Tract as an amazing Project Based Learning resource. Students will be guided through everything they need to learn how to create and post their own Tract project.
Along the way, your students will be working on connecting academic and 21st-century skills to life. They will get a first-hand view of how all the years of classroom learning can be combined to create a fun and unique project. Your students will love the opportunity to connect academics with their passions and interests.
In just 7 weeks, your students could go from beginner to teacher using the Tract project guide. You can download the FREE 7 Week Lesson Plan and start today. This lesson plan will guide you through what your students will work on each week as part of the Learn through Teaching program. You can use this lesson plan along with the coordinating missions on the website to guide classroom discussions and teaching.
Teach Elementary or Middle School . . .
Add Tract to your classroom and allow students to learn from other kids and young people. The projects include everything from art to gaming and cooking to sports. There are great activities to connect to your classroom lessons or allow students to choose their learning projects as part of centers, Genius Hour, or Fun Friday.
- Teaching about flight or physics? Check out one of the projects on paper airplanes.
- Learning about Greek Mythology? Use this online project to teach your class all about the 12 Gods and Goddesses of Mount Olympus.
- Learning about Habitats and Ecosystems? There are fun and engaging projects for a variety of habitats too!
Instead of adding a lecture to your lesson, let the Tract project be part of your instruction time. Simply share the project and let the entire class follow along and complete the project as part of your classroom assignment.
Looking for a fun and engaging way to teach students 21st-century skills like technology and self-directed learning? Add Tract to your center rotation or build in some independent learning time. Students can choose any of the projects that interest them to complete. As the teacher, you can log in and see what each student is working on, see their project submissions and see any comments they have added to the site.
Join the Tract Pilot Program
Be one of the first 1,000 teachers to join Tract you get everything Tract has to offer for FREE! Whether you are teaching in a traditional classroom setting, a virtual setting, or some combination of both, Tract will be easy for you to incorporate into your classroom.
Help your students build 21st-century skills with these engaging project-based learning activities. I know I will be using them and I hope you will join me.