This book models project-based environments that are intentionally designed around the United
States Common Core State Standards (CCSS 2010) for Mathematics the Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013) for Science and the National Educational Technology
Standards (ISTE 2008). The primary purpose of this book is to reveal how middle school STEM
classrooms can be purposefully designed for 21st Century learners and provide evidence
regarding how situated learning experiences will result in more advanced learning. This
Project-Based Instruction (PBI) resource illustrates how to design and implement
interdisciplinary project-based units based on the REAL (Realistic Explorations in Astronomical
Learning - Unit 1) and CREATES (Chemical Reactions Engineered to Address Thermal Energy
Situations - Unit 2). The content of the book details these two PBI units with authentic
student work explanations and research behind each lesson (including misconceptions students
might hold regarding STEM content) pre post research results of unit implementation with over
40 teachers and thousands of students. In addition to these two units there are chapters
describing how to design one's own research-based PBI units incorporating teacher commentaries
regarding strategies obstacles overcome and successes as they designed and implemented their
PBI units for the first time after learning how to create PBI STEM Environments the REAL way.
