Learner Description - A small group of First and Second Graders willing to meet during lunch once a week.

Overview - Brief description of the unit

With the new library addition to Betsy Ross School the students wanted to find a way to improve the landscape around the new addition of the library.

Problem:

How can the children improve the landscaping around the new addition of the library using the limited resources available? How will the process of approval work and who will finance this project?

What will be taught

Students will research the process needed to improve the landscaping. The students will research various types of plants, trees and bushes learning about the care and longevity of each before making a proposal. The students will learn about the cost of purchasing these plants and the cost of planting and maintenance.

How will it be taught?

Students will use a variety of school, community, and district resources.

What will the students do and learn?

Students will investigate the tasks needed to undertake a multistep project. They will learn to research and question those that are knowledgeable in the area of landscaping. The students will learn about the process of decision making in a school district.

Rationale - Purpose of the unit as a whole

Why would you teach this project?

This project relates to the science, literacy, technology and math units.

Why would this this qualify as an Engaged Learning unit?

Children are actively involved in designing and implementing the project.

Why is technology an important component of this unit?

Children need to use technology to access information about plant life and investigate similar projects. They are also using technology to communicate and investigate.

Why is this project authentic/meaningful , and challenging for students?

Children feel ownership because they design and implement the project.

This project is challenging because it is something that they have never been asked to do and they are working with students that are not in their own classrooms.

Goals - Content, Cognitive and Social

Science Standards

District 23 and Illinois

Goal 11 - Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problem.

• Students will observe, compare and contrast different types of plant life.
• Students will observe and identify different types of plants.

Goal 12 - Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences,

• Students will distinguish between living and nonliving things.
• Students will identify the parts of a plant and their functions.
• Students will describe the basic need of plants.

Goal 13 - Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts.

• Students will use technology to obtain information about regional plants.
• Students will investigate outside sources for acquiring plants.
• Students will use various tools to measure plant growth.
• Students will experience the decision making procedure involved in designing a landscape.

Learning Activities - The activities required to achieve the goals

October, 2002

The students met to get acquainted and to talk about the project. They brainstormed ideas and decided to begin by inviting Mrs. Warner to lunch to discuss the perameters of the project. The students will seek the advice of experts in the field of landscaping.

Students will seek permission and determine parameters from district Maintenance and Business Managers. Students will research types of plantings and costs. We will determine how these costs will be covered.

December

We will investigate what district resources will be available and used.

Plans will be set up related to how and who will do the actual landscaping.

Students will walk the Ross grounds and record observations.

January, 2003

Get approval for process.

Landscaping purchase and planting.

Planning for long-term maintenance.

What types of ongoing assessment will be used?

Teacher will make anecdotal records based on ongoing classroomparticipation while in small groups and whole class time

Teacher will note time management and social skills of each group on an ongoing basis

How will students be engaged in their own assessment?

- Daily debriefing by each group at the end of cooperative learning time

-Student-generated presentation rubric

-Student created assessment worksheet for listeners to complete after presentations

-Students complete Italy flip book filled with interesting facts learned about Italy through research and other's presentationsStudent Assessment

What are the scoring characteristics?

Students will be scored on their ability to work cooperatively and complete their planting responsibility.

What will indicate that students are novices, practitioners, or experts?

Student created rubric

How will I measure and communicate student progress on the goals?

Students will evaluate themselves related to their group and personal responsibility.

How can students be involved in establishing goals and criteria for the assessment?

Students will create a rubric to be used by themselves and the teacher. Each rubric will be filled out independently and both will be discussed during a conference during the lunch meetings.

How will the assessments be implemented to ensure that they are generative?

Student created evaluation

Seamless and ongoing?

Progress of plant research will be periodically discussed

Equitable for all students?

All students will be given the same responsibility and the same evaluation.

An authentic task?

Students are invested in the improvement of their school grounds.

How will students demonstrate their knowledge and skills?

How will students demonstrate their knowledge and skills?

*recorded bean data

*e-mail communication

*inquiry meeting with Building Principal

*inquiry meeting with landscape professional

*formal meeting with Business Manager

*ongoing narrative/pictorial description of gardening process

*rubric

Resources

*district administrators

*district technology

* digital camera

* e-mail

* word processing

* slide show

* video camera

* Internet

*books

*parents

*math science coordinator

*technology facilitator

Management

How will you manage student work individually and in groups?

Planning will be done as a small group. Research and plant related tasks will be done in small groups.

Where will equipment and materials be located to promote maximum use?

Students will have use of the computers available from Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Faber. They also will be able to use their classroom and library resources.

Unit Evaluation

What was effective?

*meeting a building need by helping our school

* working with school personnel

*direct contact with School Board and Administrators

*working cooperatively

*developing a relationship with other students from other classrooms

*connecting our project with the study of plants

What wasn't effective?

*unpredictable weather

*time constraints

What will I do differently next time?

Consider a fund raising activity to cover plant costs.