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Project Based Learning - How would you organize PBL on chocolate?

Andrea Wong

I am having some trouble organizing my thoughts and I’m hoping for some ideas from all of you! My AP HUG class is currently in its agriculture unit and we are working on the Grand Challenge of how we grow things. WHP classes will be getting to the reading on Child Labor soon and I always like to incorporate more recent data in those discussions as well. 

Then I saw Mr. Beast on social media talking about the high numbers of child labor involved in the chocolate industry and I thought it would be a great way to increase student interest in both classes.  I have been all about project based learning this year and was thinking I could have my classes set something up at lunch with infographics/details on the chocolate industry and maybe give out samples of sustainable/fair trade chocolate. It would definitely require some setup and administrative approval, but I was curious if anyone has done something like this in the past. Do you have any other ideas for a chocolate based PBL?

Or if you have any favorite PBLs on other topics, please send them my way!

  • I think your ideas are pretty great, like an awareness campaign using the skill of making an infographic is pretty cool. One thing I would add to the mix is a possible advocacy/action component. For example, if I were doing this in my school, I might pick a specific small business, like a corner store, that is close to the school that students are familiar with, and have them reach out to the business, educate them about fair trade, and request that the store begin switching to fair trade products. There is a coffee shop on the corner by me, and students could advocate that they begin using only fair trade products. They could make a list even, including this group:, etc. You could do something similar around halloween time, but where they educate neighbors on fair trade and show them places to buy fair trade chocolate to pass out for trick or treating rather than the usual types, like these ones. These sorts of things would make your students feel like they were actually making a real impact in the community, and quite possibly it WOULD actually make a real impact.

  •  , there is a great  Non-fiction book that is YA (young adult reader). I have used parts of it before in class to introduce all sorts of topics and activities.

    I know that's not a PBL, but it would be a great introduction and/or background info to give students the hook and the context for an activity.