How to run Name the Library as Problem-Based Learning: your role, the pre-planning maps, pacing, role cards, sources, and debrief prompts. The golden rule — guide, don't tell. In PBL the students should feel they, not you, planned the investigation.
| Phase | What you do | What you resist |
|---|---|---|
| ① Surface | Teach vocabulary and the four kinds of contributors efficiently; run the jigsaw; model reading a biography as a source. | Rushing to the problem before facts are secure. |
| ② Deep | Facilitate the comparison chart and the primary-vs-secondary sort; model a claim with a reason. | Deciding for students which person is "best." |
| ③ Transfer | Read the problem well; hold the KWHL chart; run a fair vote; answer questions with questions. | Answering the "Need to know" questions yourself. |
The Surface phase uses a four-topic jigsaw (People who make a difference) — a high-leverage move (d ≈ 0.92) because every student must teach. The flow: expert groups each study one topic and take notes → students re-mix into home groups with one expert per topic → each expert teaches → an individual check for understanding holds everyone accountable.
The per-expert-group source links (biographies + articles) live on the Surface page, one set per topic. Confirm access through your district before class.
Before teaching, brainstorm every direction the "whom to honor" problem could branch — so you can steer discussion and decide, in advance, which threads are productive for your class and community.
| If students investigate… | They are working toward… |
|---|---|
| how individuals, events & ideas changed communities; people who shaped them | §113.14(c)(1)(A–C) |
| heroic deeds of state, national & contemporary heroes | §113.14(c)(11)(A–B) |
| contributions of writers & artists to cultural heritage | §113.14(c)(12) |
| individuals who made scientific breakthroughs & new technology | §113.14(c)(13) |
| comparing primary & secondary sources; cause & effect; claim + evidence; communicating | §113.14(c)(14)(A–F), (c)(15) |
| good citizenship, civic responsibility & voting | §113.14(c)(9)(A,C,E) |
| naming the problem, weighing options, choosing & evaluating a solution | §113.14(c)(16)(B) |
Confirm access through your district's approved catalog before class. Vetted, free starting points:
Aligned to (not reproduced from) 19 TAC Ch.113 §113.14.