Project-Based Learning in Middle School Science: Let’s Rock!

By Paul Larrea, STEM Teacher

There are many STEM projects and activities to do with your students, particularly with middle school students. If you need a way to engage your students and challenge them, then look no further. This STEM project is a hit among my students. Every time I use this project, my students are engaged, challenged, and acquire 21st-century skills. This article will introduce a STEM project and how to implement it in your classroom. As a reminder, this is an idea as every class is different.

Building Foundational Knowledge

During the lesson, we were learning and differentiating the types of rocks and their characteristics such as igneous, sedimentary, and metaphoric. Students were given the basic conceptual knowledge of rock types and how they are formed. Students were given direct instruction in order to build their foundation on this concept. We took notes as a class, had discussions, assigned homework, and watched a series of small videos. The lesson took approximately 2–3 weeks.

The Project: Rock Band

Once I determined they understood the general knowledge of rock formation and the types of rocks, I wanted them to further expand their knowledge. I assigned a fun and creative project for them to do. This was called ROCK BAND. Students, working in groups, had to create an original song or a rap about their chosen rock (igneous, sedimentary, and metaphoric). Not only did they have to create an original song, but they also had to create a CD case displaying their rock band name, and a short biography, referencing their chosen rock formation. On the back cover of the CD case, they need to list their top 10 songs using their rock type in each title. Once done, the students needed to perform their rap/song live.

Group Work and Creativity

The students were obviously excited about this project and could not wait to get started. The students were also informed about the details and the requirements of the project. The students were given autonomy to pick their groups, however, I assigned each group a rock type. Generally, I kept the sizes of the groups to no more than three or four. The song or rap needed to be original. In the song, students needed to talk about the rock formation, characteristics, and features of their selected rock. Students could not use inappropriate language and the song must be at least 1.5–3 minutes long. Students could use an existing song as a parody as well. I really want the students to thrive and be creative as much as possible. I also really stressed to my students to have fun with this assignment.

Sharing and Building Community

The students mainly worked on the project in class. As the class was going on, I would roam around the classroom and do a quick check-in with each group to see if they were on task or if they had any questions. I also checked their progress. On the due date, it was presentation time. Each group would present in front of the class. As part of being a culture of learning, I had the audience say three positive things or compliments to each group in order to build confidence. Overall, the project was challenging, fun, and each student was excited when creating a song.

Below is a detailed inventory of the STEM Project. Please feel free to modify based on your classroom’s needs and wants.

Rock Band Project Overview

Objective: Students will be able to differentiate the types of rock, features, and formations by doing a STEM project.

21st Century Skills: Teamwork, Creativity, Communication, Technology, Problem-Solving

Target Audience: Middle School Students (6th-8th grade)

Assignment: Students need to create an original song based on their selected rock. Students also need to create a CD case featuring their rock band name and biography.

Paul is an experienced teacher with over six years of working in the classroom. He has a passion for STEM education and making sure every student enhances their 21st-century skills.

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