Above, Alex Campbell’s sociology students work on a murder board that tracks the movements of a suspected serial killer in their state of Tennessee.
Murder 101, a three-part documentary series that premiered on Amazon’s Prime Video in July 2026, has put a global spotlight on Tennessee high school students who cracked a cold case by showing that unsolved murders from decades ago were the work of a serial killer. It’s a thrilling true crime story, but that’s not all. Veteran teacher Alex Campbell from Elizabethton High School drops wisdom in every episode about how to engage students in authentic learning and guide them to have an impact far beyond the classroom.
For my forthcoming book, Unleashing Student Agency with Project-Based Learning (ISTE+ASCD, 2026), I had the pleasure of interviewing Alex and discussing the various project-based learning (PBL) strategies and examples he implements in his classroom. Alex also unpacked his project-based learning (PBL) strategies in a session called Teaching True Crime at the 2026 ISTE Live and ASCD Annual conference in Orlando, Florida. (Conference attendees can watch the recording on the program site.)
Along with the cold case project that unfolded over multiple years with his sociology students, he leads engaging projects in his U.S. history and world history classes. His teaching tips and unbridled enthusiasm for PBL offer inspiration for any educators looking to make learning more authentic and meaningful. As he told me in an interview, “If teachers tell me they can’t do projects like this, I say maybe you can’t—but your students can.”
Students stand with a vinyl-wrapped car they designed to generate leads from the public about the cold cases they investigated.
10 Ways to Design Authentic Project-Based Learning
- Open with engagement: Alex launches every project with a memorable Day One experience to get students curious about the learning ahead. It might be a concert by a local musician to get students primed to write their own historical ballads. Or an interview with a family member seeking answers about a lost loved one. Bottom line: “You’ve got to give students something more interesting than what’s on their phones,” he says.
- Aim for awesome: In Murder 101, Alex promises students they will work harder on this project than they have for any other class. He admits that they may not succeed; after all, the cases they investigate have stumped law enforcement officials for decades. But by setting high expectations, he encourages students to step up to the challenge.
- Build community: Murder 101 offers a master class in how to build a positive classroom culture. Students who might not have connected before become a tight-knit team. They join in on discussions about victimology and criminal profiling, applying classroom lessons to real life. They build on each other’s wild ideas when they brainstorm how to generate leads from the public. Small moments of celebration–a high five for an astute observation or a birthday cake to let a classmate know she is cared about–refuel everyone’s energy for the hard work ahead.
- Show you care: Alex lets students know they matter with humor, positive feedback, and full-throated enthusiasm for their efforts. When they reach breakthrough moments in the project—for example, generating millions of hits with their media campaign—he’s as excited as the students. He takes care to pass along every compliment that experts share with him about the quality of students’ work.
- Surpass standards: Before starting any project, Alex takes time to align learning goals to content standards, whether that’s in an elective like sociology or a required course like U.S. history. Learning extends well beyond content goals. In Murder 101, students develop persistence by making repeat requests for information that should be publicly available. They develop critical thinking by analyzing documents. As they learn about victimology, students develop deep empathy for the victims and their families.
- Provide structure: Alex plans a structure for each project while still allowing for flexibility. He sets deadlines for assignments but knows that due dates may change to allow for new developments. He plans frequent assessments to keep learning on track.
- Enlist experts: In Murder 101, viewers see students engaging with adult professionals from outside the classroom. That doesn’t happen by accident. Alex leverages his knowledge of the community and his personal network to enlist experts–whether that’s an FBI profiler, crime scene investigator, or press contact. He prepares students by having them brainstorm questions so they can make the most of experts’ time. In the process, students learn how to build their own networks and advocate for themselves. The broader community gains new appreciation for what young people can accomplish when they are given opportunities to tackle authentic challenges.Credit: Photo by Brittney Campbell
Alex Campbell reviewing student work during the filming of Murder 101.
- Amplify student voice: Students in Murder 101 are not shy about speaking up. They use their voices at press conferences, on field trips, in interviews, and more. Alex helps students grow as communicators by having them practice making presentations and being on camera, building skills for life. Their confidence grows with experience, ensuring that even the quietest students are prepared to speak up about things that matter to them.
- Reflect and connect: A powerful scene in Murder 101 is a reflection activity, when students consider how their thinking has changed as a result of the project. Alex builds reflection into every project, prompting students to recognize their own growth.
- Share your story: In every project, Alex strives to have students share their learning with an audience beyond the classroom. While his class’s cold case project is a rarity in that it resulted in national publicity, any teacher can create a successful project that connects students with the world beyond the classroom and allows them to share their findings.
Making It Real
By elevating the work of students, Alex and teachers like him raise public awareness of how—and why—education must change to better meet the needs of today’s young people. They show by example how curiosity fuels engagement, making learning come alive for students and teachers alike. Not every project will generate headlines or be the focus of a documentary. But each well-designed project creates opportunities for benefits to extend far beyond the classroom, delivering positive impacts for students, teachers, and the wider community.
Unleashing Student Agency with Project-Based Learning
Teachers in all grade levels and subject areas can facilitate learning experiences that allow students to connect to their passions, engage with their communities, and have real-world impact.
