PBL – 50+ Real-Life Challenge Questions

Quality project-based learning and problem-based learning can be for any subject, grade level, or ability level. Most intrinsically motivating for students is working to solve a real-life challenge. Especially motivating is when learners know how working to solve the challenge helps people or animals. Equally important, by working to solve a real-life challenge, students gain a sense of agency – they realize they can impact life in a positive way. Here are more than 50 examples of project-based learning challenge questions.

– In addition, here are lists of challenge questions categorized by Social Studies, Social Studies/Science, Humanities, Political Science, and Social Sciences,  Early Childhood, Math, Science and Engineering,
College and University.

EXAMPLES
– How can new students best be welcomed to our class?
– Role-playing a computer company, what needs to go into our proposal to a local company to provide their new computer system? How can our proposal best be presented?
– How can arts enhance the lives of our community elders?
– How can we create understanding and appreciation between ourselves and students in a different community?
– How can we let pen pals know about ourselves and our community (e.g. history, geography, and community events)?
– How can we plan a sustainable practices garden within a budget?
– How can we reduce prejudices?
– Role-playing new leaders of a nation that previously was a dictatorship, how can we set-up and sustain a democracy?
– How can a truck be designed to maximize its load capacity?
– How can we plan a menu, the quality and kinds of foods, to be included in our school’s cafe?
– Role playing stakeholders, how can we bring peace to two warring groups?
– What is the best design for a solar chocolate melter?
– What can be done to increase the voting rate in our community?
– What can be provided to ensure our classroom plants will thrive?
– How can we help our sister city peers know about our community and its history?
– Role-playing nation leaders – what is a fair way to divide resources revealed in the Arctic as the earth warms?
– How can we increase a climate of respect? How can we increase a climate of kindness?
– How and to whom can we best present whether or not nearby land should be developed by a company that is proposing development?
– How can our school’s energy consumption and related costs be reduced?
– How can we reduce the speed of vehicles that drive on the street in front of our school?
– How can we, role-playing American colonists, create a thriving colony?
– How can we help immigrants in our community or state acclimate and thrive?
– How can we best set-up, market, and conduct a class business?
– How can we design bags/backpacks that meet our customers’ needs?
– How can we help a local business or non-profit market their service or product?
– How can we help enhance the aesthetics of our town’s downtown?
– How can we help enhance the aesthetics of our school?
– How can we help re-vitalize our downtown?
– How can we help prepare for a possible epidemic (for example of Ebola or Lyme disease)?
– How can we help our school community prevent communicable diseases?
– How can we help our town’s/region’s community prevent communicable diseases?
– How can we help our school community stay healthy?
– How can we help our town/region stay healthy?
– What can we do to help reduce child abuse in our community?
– What can we do to help reduce all forms of domestic violence in our community?
– What can we do to help reduce unsafe driving in our community?
– What can we do to help reduce date rape?
– What can we do to help reduce abuse of alcohol and other drugs in our community?
– What can we do to help reduce (social problem X) in our community?
– How can poverty in our community be reduced or addressed?
– Role-playing lawmakers who represent varied ideologies – how can poverty be best addressed?
– What can we do to help alleviate pollution in our region?
– What can we do to ensure recess is safe and enjoyable for all?
– What can we do to ensure lunchtime is more positive for all?
– How can we design and build a shed for the softball team?
– How can we help design and build a home for people in our community?
– How can we influence our community to take best care of animals?
– How can we help combat climate change?
– How can we predict our community’s future population, so best plans can be made?
– How can we help plan the design for our school’s courtyard?
– How can we plan and enact a mock expedition to the North Pole?
– How can we help save yellow-legged frogs?
https://youtu.be/LAcpPj4oezs
– How can we create guidebooks for the botanical garden?
– How can we help people in (a developing nation X or  area  X that has experienced destruction)
– How can we honor our city/town/state or area’s (hero X)?
– How can we develop a guidebook for visitors to a nature preserve?
– How can we create games to help students learn _____?