After the summer, students observed that the garden beds were drying out and are seeking solutions to address this challenge. Students are actively monitoring local weather conditions using the school’s weather station and will produce weekly weather reports to share with all grade levels. In the spring semester, they will investigate how the water cycle can impact the school gardens. They are looking into safely collecting rainwater runoff that can be used to water our gardens and green house plants in the drier months, deepening their understanding of environmental dynamics and sustainability. A local farm, K&T, has been planning with staff and will help guide students through the process.
How will weather and ecosystems change in our gardens seasonally?
4th grade students have been researching cloud types and weather instruments. They tracked the weather and are making predictions to help with garden maintenance. In the spring semester, they are diving into ecosystems and vermicomposting.
After researching different types of weather instruments, the 4th grade visited 1st to teach them about the instruments.
Driving Question: How can we use data to improve biodiversity, soil health, and overall sustainability of our school ecosystem?
In the spring 2023, grade level teachers completed a PBL basket activity to plan their PBL for next school year. The planning activity included:
standards (at least two content areas)
community partners
driving questions
benchmarks within EDP
final product
After we finished our posters, the school conducted a gallery walk the following week to identify likes, wonders and recommendations.