Fourth graders receiving PBL in science were compared with a corresponding group who received the same instruction in a direct instruction/experiential format. The curriculum content was based on the following 4th-grade competency goal from the 2004 North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) (Public Schools of North Carolina, 2004): “The learner will make observations and conduct investigations to build an understanding of magnetism and electricity” (p. 1).