PBL Research Notebook Template
A notebook structure designed for project-based learning research phases.
Purpose
Help students organize research for their driving question while developing source evaluation skills.
Recommended Sources
Required Sources (Teacher Adds)
- Project Brief — The driving question, success criteria, timeline
- Source Evaluation Guide — Criteria for assessing source quality
- Research Planning Template — Structure for organizing findings
Student-Added Sources
Students add their own research sources as they find them. The notebook helps them query across all sources.
Suggested Prompts for Students
Getting Started
"Based on the project brief, what specific questions do I need to answer through research?"
Source Check
"Does this new source I added provide reliable information? What are its strengths and limitations?"
Synthesis
"Across all my sources, what are the main findings related to [aspect of driving question]?"
Gap Analysis
"What questions from my research plan are NOT yet answered by my sources?"
How to Set This Up
- Create the notebook with a clear name
- Add your project brief as the first source
- Add evaluation guide and planning template
- Share with students with Edit access
- Students add their own sources as they research
Variations
Content coming soon