Seeds of Stewardship is a student-led, field-based conservation and habitat restoration program that integrates Life Science, Earth Science, and three-dimensional science practices through authentic ecological investigations. The program aligns to the Georgia Standards of Excellence by engaging students in real scientific work including species identification, invasive species monitoring, soil and habitat analysis, seed collection, classification, propagation, and stewardship decision-making. Seeds of Stewardship aligns directly to the highest-impact Georgia Milestones domains including classification, adaptations, ecosystem interactions, and landform-water relationships. Students consistently engage in DOK 2 and DOK 3 tasks through field investigations, data analysis, evidence-based reasoning, and real-world application of science.

What Makes Seeds of Stewardship Distinct

Seeds of Stewardship is innovative because it treats elementary students as real conservation scientists rather than participants in a one-time activity. Students use their schoolyard as a living laboratory where they map habitats, collect and analyze data, bank native seed, and restore habitat based on what they observe and learn. Throughout the project, students take on authentic leadership roles with real responsibility and real consequences for the land they are caring for. Seeds of Stewardship is not a single lesson or event. It is a living, student-managed conservation system that grows and evolves over time as students continue to investigate, make decisions, and take action to increase biodiversity on their campus.

1. Student-Led Scientific Inquiry

Unlike many schoolyard habitat programs that emphasize teacher-led activities, Seeds of Stewardship is structured around student-driven investigation. Students:

• Identify native and invasive plant species using field guides and keys

• Document species through platforms such as iNaturalist

• Ask researchable questions about habitat suitability, soil conditions, and plant distributions

• Collect and interpret data to guide restoration decisions

Students are not completing simulations; they are participating in real ecological work.

2. Native Seed Collection & Conservation Focus

Drawing from Project Botany and Applied Ecology models, Seeds of Stewardship places a rare emphasis on ethical native seed collection and propagation. Students:

• Collect seed from locally adapted native plants on campus

• Catalog seed in a student-managed Seed Library

• Study dispersal strategies, germination requirements, and habitat specificity

• Use soil and site data to determine appropriate restoration locations

This work directly supports biodiversity resilience and aligns with regional conservation priorities.

3. Long-Term Habitat Restoration, Not One-Time Projects

In alignment with AFWA and USFWS guidance, Seeds of Stewardship prioritizes long-term habitat management rather than short-term beautification. Restoration efforts include:

• Removal of invasive plant species

• Creation of wetland, bioswale, and upland native plant zones

• Ongoing monitoring of plant survival, recruitment, and habitat use

• Adaptive management based on student-collected data

Habitats are revisited year after year, allowing students to observe ecological change over time.

4. Authentic Data Contribution & Scientific Partnerships

Seeds of Stewardship emphasizes that student work matters beyond the classroom. Students:

• Submit verified biodiversity observations

• Work with professional botanists and wildlife biologists

• Learn scientific verification, peer review, and ethical data collection

• Experience discovery as a genuine scientific outcome

This mirrors the intent of schoolyard biodiversity guides but adds an uncommon level of rigor and authenticity.

5. Equity, Access, and Place-Based Relevance

Consistent with Eco-Schools and community-based environmental education models, Seeds of Stewardship ensures that:

• Every 4th and 5th grade student participates

• Stewardship is rooted in students’ own school grounds, not distant ecosystems

• Outdoor learning is accessible, repeated, and culturally meaningful

Students learn that conservation is not abstract or far away. It is something they do, here, every week.

Our curriculum is rooted in student led, place-based, field-focused learning that transforms our schoolyard into a living laboratory for 4th and 5th graders. Students investigate soil, water, and native plant communities while practicing authentic scientific skills that align with the Georgia Standards of Excellence. Through native plant identification and propagation, seed collecting and cleaning, habitat surveys, and invasive species removal, students contribute to real conservation work on campus. Each experience builds curiosity, stewardship, and ecological literacy while supporting measurable growth in science understanding and achievement. In addition to Project WILD, WET, and Learning Tree, we also use the International Network for Seed-Based Restoration Native Seed Film: Native Seeds: Supplying Restoration and the video Bringing Nature Home.

Seeds of Stewardship demonstrates comprehensive alignment across habitat planning frameworks, instructional curricula, and scientific protocols. The project synthesizes national and international best practices into a cohesive, student-led model emphasizing ethical conservation, long-term ecological monitoring, and authentic scientific inquiry. Rather than implementing isolated lessons, Seeds of Stewardship integrates these frameworks into a sustained, data-rich stewardship program rooted in place and purpose.

Across these frameworks, several shared principles emerge:

• Habitat creation and restoration on school grounds

• Biodiversity observation and documentation

• Outdoor learning tied to real ecosystems

• Student engagement in stewardship behaviors

Seeds of Stewardship is a student-led, field-based conservation and habitat restoration program that integrates Life Science, Earth Science, and three-dimensional science practices through authentic ecological investigations. The program aligns to the Georgia Standards of Excellence by engaging students in real scientific work including species identification, invasive species monitoring, soil and habitat analysis, seed collection, classification, propagation, and stewardship decision-making. Seeds of Stewardship aligns directly to the highest-impact Georgia Milestones domains including classification, adaptations, ecosystem interactions, and landform-water relationships. Students consistently engage in DOK 2 and DOK 3 tasks through field investigations, data analysis, evidence-based reasoning, and real-world application of science.

Grade 4 Georgia Standards of Excellence

S4L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the roles of organisms and the effects of environmental changes on ecosystems.

Students investigate how organisms interact within ecosystems by conducting field surveys in Carver’s forest, wetland, bioswale, and courtyard habitats.

Students examine how environmental changes such as invasive species, habitat disturbance, soil moisture, and water availability affect native plant survival.

Students communicate findings through campus maps, field notes, photographs, signage, seed documentation, herbarium specimens, and data uploaded to iNaturalist, EDDMapS, and GLOBE.

S4L1.c
Explains how changes in an environment, including the introduction of non-native species, can affect the survival of organisms.

Students document the spread of Chinese tallowtree and climbing fern, analyze their growth patterns, and evaluate how these invasive species compete with native plants for space, light, and resources.

S4L2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to compare and contrast the physical attributes of organisms that allow them to survive in their habitats.

Students investigate plant structures including leaves, stems, seeds, fruits, cones, sori, nutlets, pappus, and dispersal adaptations.

Students compare seeds collected in different seasons and habitats and identify how physical traits support reproduction, dispersal, and survival.

Students create herbarium specimens, drawings, descriptive narratives, and field guides to communicate observations.

S4E1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the processes that shape Earth’s surface.

Students collect soil from forest floors and wetland edges and test soil texture and moisture.

Students connect soil properties to water movement, erosion, deposition, and habitat suitability.

Students use soil investigations to inform seed starting mixes and habitat planning.

S4E3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the role of soils and landforms in supporting life.

Students analyze how different soil types support different plant communities.

Students use soil data to plan habitat restoration and native plant placement.

S4S1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the nature of science.

Students plan investigations, use tools appropriately, record observations, revise ideas based on evidence, and reflect on scientific uncertainty.

S4CS1–S4CS2. Characteristics of Science

Students demonstrate scientific habits of mind by observing carefully, asking questions, using evidence, collaborating, and recognizing science as a creative, human endeavor.

Grade 5 Georgia Standards of Excellence

S5L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to classify organisms and relate how structural adaptations support survival.

Students identify and classify native plants using leaves, seeds, fruits, growth form, and habitat rather than flowers alone.

Students analyze structural adaptations such as seed dispersal mechanisms, moisture tolerance, and growth strategies.

S5L3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to compare and contrast how organisms are grouped into kingdoms.

Students classify plants through herbarium sorting, seed identification, fern investigations, and field identification.

Students distinguish between flowering plants, ferns, trees, and grasses using observable traits.

S5L4. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the interactions between organisms and their environment.

Students investigate how sunlight, soil moisture, water availability, disturbance, and competition influence plant distribution.

Students design habitat plots, test seed germination methods, and make stewardship decisions based on evidence.

S5E1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to identify surface features of the Earth caused by constructive and destructive processes.

Students analyze wetland and bioswale landscapes to understand how water shapes soil, plant communities, and habitat structure.

Students connect landform-water relationships to plant survival and restoration planning.

S5S1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information using scientific practices.

Students design independent investigations, collect qualitative and quantitative data, document changes over time, and communicate findings through writing, drawing, mapping, and presentation.

S5CS1–S5CS2. Characteristics of Science

Students recognize science as collaborative, evidence-based, and iterative, and understand that scientific knowledge grows through observation, testing, and revision.

Three-Dimensional Science Alignment

Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs)

• Asking questions and defining problems

• Planning and carrying out investigations

• Analyzing and interpreting data

• Using mathematics and computational thinking

• Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs)

• Patterns

• Cause and effect

• Systems and system models

• Structure and function

• Stability and change

Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs)

• Ecosystem interactions

• Plant structures and adaptations

• Classification of organisms

• Earth surface processes

• Soil and water relationships

• Human impacts and stewardship

Curriculum Connections

Tell Your EcoSchools U.S. Story

Language Arts

Carver students study what makes a story meaningful for a real audience. They write about the collective impact of their work across the school year, including native seed collection, habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and data contributions to regional conservation efforts. Students draft field notes, reflections, signage text, brochures, and short narratives that explain why their work matters. Many students write with the intention of publication or use their writing as scripts for videos, presentations, and community outreach, practicing clear, purposeful communication grounded in evidence.

Communications

Students research how different audiences learn and engage, including peers, families, community partners, and conservation professionals. They practice sharing a concise version of their impact story, learning how to summarize complex fieldwork into clear, compelling messages that can be shared quickly. Through presentations, signage, QR codes, and conversations with visitors, students develop confidence in communicating their work and learn how to promote stewardship projects in ways that invite others to care and participate.

Design

Students use design as a tool to make their science visible and engaging. They create plant signage, seed packet labels, field guides, and brochures that combine accurate information with thoughtful visual elements. When stories are shared through audio or video, students plan supporting materials such as transcripts, photographs, drawings, and quotes from their fieldwork. Design choices help bring attention to what has been accomplished and allow a wider audience to connect with the impact of student-led conservation at Carver.

Restoring Biodiversity Balance in the Schoolyard

Biology

Carver students study the biology of both invasive and native species by observing how plants grow, reproduce, and spread across the schoolyard. Students examine life cycles, seed production, and growth patterns to understand why certain invasive species outcompete native plants. This biological understanding helps students make informed decisions about which species to remove and which native plants can successfully restore balance to the ecosystem.

Botany

Students learn to identify plants in the field by studying leaves, stems, seeds, fruits, and growth form rather than relying only on flowers. They practice distinguishing invasive plants from native species and investigate the adaptations that allow plants to survive in different schoolyard habitats. Through herbarium work, seed collection, and field guides, students build strong plant identification skills that support long-term stewardship.

Ecology

Carver students explore the relationships between plants, animals, soil, water, and sunlight across forest, wetland, and bioswale habitats. They investigate how invasive species affect wildlife habitat, pollinators, and native plant communities. Students use this ecological knowledge to plan restoration plots that increase biodiversity and support native species, especially pollinators and other wildlife.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Students map invasive and native plant populations across campus using paper maps and digital tools. By identifying patterns and hot spots, students analyze where invasive species are spreading and prioritize areas for removal and restoration. These maps guide stewardship actions and help students visualize how biodiversity changes over time.

Research Methods

Students use scientific research methods to guide restoration decisions. They collect field data, analyze patterns, test removal and planting strategies, and reflect on results. Students contribute their findings to citizen science platforms such as EDDMapS, strengthening real-world scientific communication while evaluating the effectiveness of invasive species removal and biodiversity restoration efforts.

Schoolyard Habitats Campaign

Science

Carver students investigate the schoolyard to determine what wildlife already lives on campus and what species could be supported with improved habitat. Students research the needs of pollinators, birds, and other wildlife and identify native plants that provide food, shelter, and breeding space. This research directly informs where and how new habitat plots are created across the forest, wetland, bioswale, and courtyard.

Technology

Students use digital tools to document and plan habitat improvements. They create maps, digital designs, and visual plans that show where native plants, paths, and habitat features will be placed. Technology supports student decision-making and allows plans to be shared with classmates, teachers, and community partners.

Engineering

Students design habitats with real-world constraints in mind, including pollinator support, water movement, flooding, safety, and durability. They consider how plants, soil, and landforms work together to reduce erosion, manage stormwater, and create resilient habitats. Students build physical models or scaled representations to test and communicate their designs.

Art

Students use drawing and visual design to imagine and communicate their vision for schoolyard habitats. They create two-dimensional habitat plans that include plants, animals, and features they hope to see. Younger students sketch what they want their habitat to look and feel like, using art to express ideas before they can fully articulate them in writing.

Math

Students apply math skills to plan realistic habitat projects. They estimate quantities, sort materials into categories, and calculate costs for plants, seating, water features, and habitat structures. Younger students practice counting and grouping materials, building early numeracy skills connected to real-world planning.

Language Arts

Students use persuasive and descriptive writing to advocate for schoolyard habitats. Older students write letters requesting support or funding and explain why biodiversity matters. Younger students use words, phrases, and word clouds to describe how they want their habitat to look, sound, and feel. Language becomes a tool for sharing vision, building support, and inviting others into the work.

Become A Citizen Scientist

Citizen science is a core part of how Carver students do real science. Students contribute meaningful data to ongoing research efforts while learning how scientists ask questions, collect evidence, and use data to understand the natural world. Through citizen science, students see that their observations matter beyond the classroom and can inform conservation and stewardship decisions.

Science

Carver students participate in citizen science projects focused on biodiversity, invasive species, habitat health, and ecosystem change. Students develop research questions, collect field observations, measure and document organisms, and analyze patterns over time. By uploading data to platforms such as iNaturalist, EDDMapS, and GLOBE, students practice authentic scientific inquiry and learn how data contributes to larger scientific studies.

Technology

Students use digital tools and apps to collect, manage, and share scientific data. They learn to take clear photographs, record accurate location information, and enter observations into online databases. Technology supports data quality, documentation, and communication, and helps students understand how modern science relies on digital tools to collaborate and share information.

Geography

Citizen science at Carver is grounded in place. Students map observations across the schoolyard, identifying patterns in species distribution and habitat use. By connecting observations to specific locations, students explore how landforms, water, and human activity influence ecosystems. Mapping helps students visualize change over time and supports planning for habitat restoration.

Mathematics

Students apply math skills while working with real datasets. They count and compare observations, organize data into categories, create graphs, and identify trends or patterns. Working with authentic data helps students understand how mathematics is used to interpret scientific evidence and support conclusions.

Exploring Green Careers

At Carver, students learn that caring for the environment is not limited to one subject or career. Almost every field can contribute to a healthier planet, and students explore how science, technology, and geography intersect with real-world environmental problem solving.

Geography

Carver students use mapping tools to document environmental issues on campus and in the surrounding community. Students collect location-based data, such as litter accumulation or areas of concern, and plot observations using maps and GPS tools. By analyzing patterns and presenting their findings visually, students identify problem areas and consider solutions that improve their local environment.

Science

Students explore climate science by examining observable environmental changes and learning how scientists study climate trends and impacts. They investigate how changes in temperature, rainfall, and extreme weather affect ecosystems and communities. Students also learn about innovative solutions used by scientists, organizations, and communities to reduce impacts and build resilience.

Technology

Students research how technology is used to improve environmental outcomes for people and wildlife. They explore careers that use digital tools, data collection, mapping, modeling, and design to address environmental challenges. Through these examples, students see how technology can support sustainability, conservation, and stewardship in meaningful ways.

Days of Service

Days of Service at Carver connect learning, reflection, and action. Students honor people, causes, and moments in history by serving their community and caring for their environment, while building a deeper sense of purpose and belonging.

Language Arts

Carver students read books, poems, and articles about the individuals or causes connected to each Day of Service. Students reflect on the meaning of the day through writing, drawing, poetry, blog posts, or short reflections. These reflections help students connect service to their own values and understand why the day matters to them personally.

Social Studies

Students research the history of each Day of Service, learning how it began, what events led to its creation, and how it has evolved over time. They explore the social and historical context behind the day and examine how service has been used as a tool for change across generations.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Through Days of Service, students practice essential life skills including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Working alongside classmates, teachers, families, and community partners allows students to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds. These experiences build confidence, empathy, and pride, helping students see themselves as capable contributors to their community and stewards of the places they care for.

This activity meets S4L1, S4E3, S5L1, S5L3, S5L4, and S5E1, as well as SEPs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7.

It is aligned directly to the highest-impact Georgia Milestones content areas: classification, adaptations, ecosystem interactions, and landform-water relationships.

How This Activity Meets NGSS and GSE Standards

NGSS Alignment

Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs)

Asking Questions and Defining Problems (SEP1)
Students examine unfamiliar field-kit tools and generate investigative questions such as what a tool might do, how it might be used, or what evidence it can collect. The "I infer, do you concur?" routine strengthens their ability to form scientifically grounded questions based on available evidence.
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations (SEP3)
Students select appropriate tools from their mini field kits to investigate plant material. They construct a self-generated plan for how to use tools safely and effectively. This meets NGSS expectations for developing and using field methods rather than following teacher-directed procedures.
Constructing Explanations (SEP6)
Students use evidence to explain why certain tools are appropriate for specific tasks. Their inferences become evidence-based explanations about tool function and investigative design.
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information (SEP8)
Students communicate their inferences to peers and evaluate whether they “concur,” which builds metacognition, argumentation, and scientific discourse.

Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs)

Cause and Effect
Students determine how the structure of a tool influences what it can do. They link observable features (sharp, pointed, scooped, magnifies) to function.
Systems and System Models
Students begin conceptualizing a field kit as a system with component tools that work together for investigation.
Structure and Function
The entire inference routine is grounded in recognizing how tool structure determines investigative function, a major NGSS crosscutting concept in life science and engineering.

Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs)

Although this activity is tool-focused, it directly prepares students for DCIs in Life Science:

LS1.A Structure and Function
Students use fine-scale tools (tweezers, magnifiers, vials) to examine plant structures, supporting future investigations of plant parts, traits, and adaptations.
LS1.B Growth and Development of Organisms
By working with real plant matter, students begin connecting structure, function, and reproductive adaptations, supporting later field investigations aligned with S4L1 and S5L1.

Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) Alignment

S4CS1 – Nature of Science and Habits of Mind

Students demonstrate curiosity, questioning, collaboration, and evidence-based discussion. "I infer, do you concur?" directly addresses the expectation that students develop scientific habits of mind and use reasoning to support claims.

S4CS2 – Use of Standard Tools and Instruments

Students identify, organize, and select scientific tools for field investigations.
They determine which tool is best suited for collecting, sorting, observing, or measuring plant matter.
This activity fulfills S4CS2’s requirement that students “use appropriate tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and testing.”

S4CS3 – Use of Scientific Tools and Technology

Students practice using hand lenses, tweezers, sample bags, rulers, and other mini-kit components.
They learn how tool use informs scientific thinking and data collection.

S4CS4 – Communication, Argumentation, and Evidence

Students practice communicating inferences and agreeing or disagreeing based on evidence.
This standard specifically requires that students “communicate scientific ideas clearly,” which the game structure supports.

S4L1 – Structure and Function of Plants

By exploring plant matter using scientific tools, students begin identifying patterns in plant structures and discussing why those structures matter for survival and reproduction.

S4S1 – Scientific Inquiry

Students design simple investigations by determining what tools they need and how to use them.
They make predictions (inferences), identify evidence needed, and plan a method for collecting that evidence.

INVASIVE SPECIES MAPPING GSE ALIGNMENT

S4L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the roles of organisms and the effects of environmental changes on ecosystems.

• Students investigate how invasive species alter ecosystems by documenting where Chinese tallowtree and climbing fern establish and spread along forest edges and wetlands.

• Students recognize that some organisms negatively impact native species and habitats.

• Students communicate findings through maps, photographs, and shared data platforms.

S4L1.c

• Explains how changes in an environment, including the introduction of non-native species, can affect the survival of organisms.

S5L2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to compare and contrast the parts of plant and animal cells.

• While not cellular, this investigation supports foundational understanding of plant growth and structure through measurement of girth, height, and canopy, which prepares students for later cellular reasoning.

S5L4. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the interactions between organisms and their environment.

• Students analyze how invasive plants interact with soil, water, light, and space.

• Students evaluate how these interactions influence plant success and ecosystem balance.

• Students propose management strategies based on observed ecological interactions.

S5E1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to identify surface features of the Earth caused by constructive and destructive processes.

• Students map invasive species distribution across campus landscapes such as wetlands and forest edges.

• Students recognize how land use and disturbance can contribute to species spread.Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

• Students conduct real field surveys using authentic scientific methods.

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

• Students collect quantitative data such as tree girth, height, and canopy size.

• Students recognize spatial patterns through color-coded mapping.

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

• Students measure, compare, and organize numerical field data.

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

• Students contribute data to EDDMapS, GLOBE, and iNaturalist.

• Students communicate findings through maps, photographs, and stewardship recommendations.

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

• Students identify patterns in invasive species distribution and growth habits.

Cause and Effect

• Students connect plant characteristics and environmental conditions to invasive spread.

Systems and System Models

• Students view the schoolyard as an interconnected ecological system affected by invasive species.

This invasive species field investigation directly supports the highest-leverage Georgia Milestones Science domains by strengthening student mastery of Life Science and Earth Science standards emphasized on the assessment. Through hands-on surveys of tallowtree and climbing fern, students obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about ecosystem interactions and environmental change aligned to S4L1 and S5L4. Students engage in Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Levels 2 and 3 by collecting quantitative field data, mapping spatial patterns, analyzing cause-and-effect relationships, and using evidence to make management recommendations. The investigation builds transferable Milestones skills including data interpretation, pattern recognition, use of scientific tools and measurements, and evidence-based reasoning. By contributing observations to EDDMapS, GLOBE, and iNaturalist, students practice authentic scientific communication and reinforce conceptual understanding of how organisms interact with their environment, preparing them for constructed-response and real-world application items on the Georgia Milestones Assessment.