Mrs. Burroughs

School Yard Habitat

The 4th Grade Science Garden/ School Yard Habitat meets the Gold Standard PBL elements of challenging question, sustained inquiry, authenticity, voice and choice, public product, critique and revision, and reflection. Student learning was driven with the challenging question of “How can we help the ecosystem by growing a garden on our school playground?” Students then engaged in sustained inquiry of how growing a garden can help wildlife. Students researched not only how to grow a garden, but also areas of soil preparation, ecosystem balance, and the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers. Authenticity, voice and choice, and public product are all equally addressed in allowing students the opportunity to plan, design, and cultivate the garden beds on the playground. Students engaged in weeding the garden, preparing the soil with nutrients, and planting the seeds themselves. The garden will be a public product to all students, teachers, and parents at Hartwell Elementary School. Reflection is occurring throughout the project. Points of reflection occurred after research, weeding and preparing the soil with additional nutrients, planting seeds, and will also occur after we see evidence of sprouts. Critique and Revision will occur once the seeds sprout or not. We will assess our progress at that time.