Growing Community
                                                                          By:  John Haan

Project at a Glance :

This project is for a middle school ELA class  to collaboratively investigate the process of growing plants from seed to flower using indoor and outdoor light (photosynthesis). The end project is to share the fruits of our labor with the school and/or community. The project will also focus on written communication and reading skills and reaching out to local growers for advice. 

Driving Question:

How can we learn to grow plants to help our community?            

Standards:
  • EE.MSLS16: investigations Participate in about photosynthesis to demonstrate what a plant needs to live and what it creates.
  • S4S: Collaboration and Global Thinking, Communication, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Personal Accountability
  • EE.W.6.2.a: Write to share information supported by details: A. Introduce a topic and write to convey ideas and information about it including visual, tactual, or multimedia information as appropriate.
Team / Culture Building:
  • The group will likely be whole-class/pair share. Culture is developed through classroom inclusion activities beginning each class period.
​Entry Event:
  • Visit the community garden at Heights Church to see the fruits of the plants our class started last spring in my 6th grade Special Education Science Class. Additionally, look at the grow lights and imagine how we might use these to bless the community while learning about growing seasons and photosynthesis.​
Stakeholders:
  • Students
  • Teachers
  • School and Community Members
Empathy Building:
  • The class will brainstorm potential populations who might receive the blessings of the plants (flowers) started from seed.
  • Create a Stakeholder Map
  • Empathy Maps for community members receiving the seedlings.
Inquiry / Need to Knows:
  • Students will learn how to make a phone call and/or draft an email.
  • Learn about growing seasons and photosynthesis.
  • Understand which populations may benefit from the seedling gifts.
  • Speedboat protocol​​
  • Research​
  • Staff Questionaire
  • Interviews: potentially with a nursing home, greenhouse facility, and/or seed store.
  • Draw the problem - illustrating growing seasons and what will grow best.
Incubation:
  • Conduct a 3 minute “brain dump”
  • Brainstorm using  images to show ideas.
  • Concept Mapping
  • Idea Quota​​
  • 3-12-3 
  • Mind Mapping
  • Use Jamboard t organize ideas.
Checking in:
  • The Maitre’d (Table for 2)
  • Brain Dump 
  • Check in Daily for Review
  • Mind Mapping and revisiting
Solution Building:
  • At this point, students should have several possible solutions planned. Groups will use Dot Voting to determine who may be the recipients of product and what that gift (plant)may be.
  • Make a Metaphor to solidify meaning of  actions.
  • Storyboarding (teacher facilitated) to provide a script and visual reminder of the planned process.
Critique and Revision: 
  • Use a variation of Critical Friends while sharing a low-stakes presentation of idea to parapros/teaching partners to help critique work and supply “I wonder” observations in terms of feasibility. 
Authentic Audience:
  • Teachers
  • Students
  • Recipients of the fruit of student labor (those blessed by plants)
  • Experts on indoor growing
Final Presentation:
  • Students will deliver plants and create short video for announcements summarizing the project.
  • Students are given voice and choice in deciding what audience receives the plants and deciding what experts to ask for growing advice. 
  • NUF test​
Click here for teacher's full plan.
Reflection and Feedback:

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

Meet the Educator:
John Hann teaches 6-8th grade Special Education at Cityside Middle School in Zeeland, MI.

     "PBL reminds me to slow down and trust the process. The results of PBL in my class are rarely what I expect and often far beyond my hopes."​
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