Making our Outdoor Learning Space Epic
By:  Casey Wollenzier

Project at a Glance :

This project will take place during 5th grade SAIL (Advanced ELA) time.  The project involves students exploring ways to improve the  current outdoor learning space at Lakewood Elementary.
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Driving Question:

How can we enhance our outdoor learning space to appeal to all learners at Lakewood?     

Standards:

• 5.7-5.10 Research - Build knowledge through resources, extend, connect, and use evidence to communicate.
• SL 5.1B/C Follow agreed upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles. Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion.

Team / Culture Building:

• Values Cards​​

• Learning style inventory
• Set Hopes, Fears, & Norms for the project.

​Entry Event:

• Visit some other outdoor learning spaces in the area. In person is preferred, but may be able to record some areas and show students videos if only option.

Stakeholders:

• Staff
• SAIL students
• Principal  at Lakewood
• PTO members
  

Empathy Building:​

• Share with students amazing outdoor spaces verses not so amazing examples. Reflect on what makes these different.
• Create Empathy Maps for a variety of different learners at Lakewood. What are they seeing, hearing, thinking?

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Create a Need To Know List
• Collect data​

• AEIOU
• Jig Saw
• Poster Session
• Article Review
• Chalk Talk - Use one large poster for each organization that visited during the interview process. Students will list what they learned and add to their findings throughout the project.

Incubation:​​

• Idea Quota protocol followed by Dot Voting to narrow down ideas.​​

• Using a Google Form - Collect responses for the question:  What do Lakewood students want to see in their outdoor learning space? from a variety of stakeholders.
• Write a Love Letter/Break Up letter for the current Outdoor Learning Space.

Checking in:

• Check in twice a week and  when time permits.
• Students can share their ideas in groups and complete the I Wish/I Wonder protocol as a feedback tool.
• Create Storyboards in teams of two of what they have learned so far and share these with the group.

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Solution Building:

•  Use the Fireside Chat protocol to discuss the top 3 solution ideas.
• Incorporate a Constraints and Must Address list before finalizing solution idea/s.
• Invite parents to provide feedback and further ideas for the project solution.

Critique and Revision: 

• Students interviewed third graders to get feedback on their solution ideas.

Authentic Audience:

• Staff
• Lakewood Elementary Students
• Lakewood Elementary Principal  
• PTO
• West Ottawa Administrators

Final Presentation:

•  Students pitched their solution ideas to the PTO, building administrators, and staff. ​

Click here for teacher's full plan.

​Reflection and Feedback:

• ​ Single Point Rubric -students reflect on the project
• Single Point Explanation
• The Pitch
• Feedback Grid
• Pitch template
• Rubric
• Students will reflect together using their own thoughts and the rubrics completed by the authentic audience. They can share what they felt they did well or what they think they would do differently in the future.​​

Click here for the teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:
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​Casey Wollenzier teaches 3rd - 5th grade Advance Language Arts at Lakewood Elementary, West Ottawa Public Schools.

     "Go Big or Go Home! Often students are worried about constraints when learning or developing ideas. I love encouraging them to put these struggles behind them and to come up with ideas where there are no constraints.  (Don’t be afraid to think big and outside of the box) When doing PBL units let your ideas soar and remember there are so many solutions and possibilities. In school, we often teach our students there is only one answer. Design Thinking encourages students to all be heard, think big and not to let anything stand in their way of creating the solutions they are passionate about."