Problem Based Learning Planning

Ben Franklin Prairie and Garden 2013-14

Grade Level/Course: Level 2



Authentic Problem: (Problem 1We need to eat
vegetables to help our body stay healthy.)
Problem 2-We want to grow a vegetable garden that can
be used to grow food for the students or as an ongoing,
community service project.
Unit of Study Alignment: To which
unit/module is this problem aligned?

L2-science-human body/health
L2-community/economy (literacy)

Timeline:
March 10-21
st
begin research with plate and what
types of vegetables grow in Illinois.
May-Transplant the seedlings and or plants into the
permanent locations.
June- August- Continual upkeep of the garden.
Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings:

1. We can recognize positive improvements for our environment and help change them.
2. We can be community helpers.
3. We can work as an entire school to complete a large project or solve a problem.




Problem Scenario: How will you introduce this problem to students?

L2- We need to keep our bodies healthy, what ways do we do this? What can we do to be better
at eating vegetables to keep our bodies strong? (grow them, study them and their nutrients, eat
them)

Literacy connection to economy and communitycommunity gardens? Why do people use
these, what are they, what impact do they have on a community?

Essential Questions to guide student work:
(students should generate these on anchor charts with teacher help
facilitating the direction of the conversation)
-How do we keep our bodies healthy?
-food (exercise/ sleep these will come up and can be used in the
extension of the body system work)
-Do we eat enough healthy food?
-What is healthy food?
-Can we grow healthy food in IL or at Franklin?
-What do you need to grow a garden?
-Where can we grow a garden at Franklin?
-Who would help us?
Student Roles: What lenses will
students view the problem through?
(cultural, economic, cost analysis,
political, social, environmental, etc.)

What roles do these lenses create?
Economic (YES tie to lit?)
Cost Analysis (YES)
Social (YES)
Environmental (YES tie to lit)

**Students can break up into
groups to research via these
lenses or you can all do each of
them as a whole group** Older
grades may separate then come
back together to form a different
group using all components.
Who?
[Type
What?
Why? How?
Our Problem:
Problem Based Learning Planning
Ben Franklin Prairie and Garden 2013-14

STEAM Standards:
Which major standards and evidence outcomes can students meet
through this PBL?


Alignment with NGSS: This project is aligned not only
with the current plant, weather and life cycle units that occur
in the 1,4,5 curriculum, but also can be expanded to include
the NGSS and Common Core math and literacy standards,
at all grade levels.
NGSS Correlations:
3-5 Growth and Development of Organisms
(flowering plants and life cycles) (movement of
matter among plants, animals, decomposers and the
environment)
2-5Ecosystems (Interactions & energy)




Literacy/SS/Social Emotional
Standards:
Which major standards and evidence
outcomes can students meet through this
PBL?

1. Community/Economy SS
K-3
2.
Research-based best practices:
School gardening has been
shown to increase self-
esteem, help students
develop a sense of
ownership and
responsibility, help foster
relationships with family
members, and increase
parental involvement. -
Alexander &
Hendren(1998)
Parents who are highly
involved at school are
more likely to be involved
in educational activities
with their children at
home.-National Center for
Educational Statistics
(1997)
Third, fourth, and fifth
grade students who
participated in school
gardening activities scored
significantly higher on
science achievement tests
compared to students that
did not experience any
garden-based learning
activities. - Klemmer et al.
(2005)


Collaborative Structures: What collaborative structures will you embed in your instruction and progress of this
unit? How will you use them? How will you set them up for your students? Why are you using those specific
structures?
Up to teacher
Problem Based Learning Planning
Ben Franklin Prairie and Garden 2013-14
2
nd
and 3
rd
grade buddy up? Research in small groups to help each othershould be researching part of the
problem they are interested in.








Presentation Mode(s): How
will students communicate or
demonstrate their learning or
outcomes for this problem in an
authentic way?


Each group can pick a way to
present their ideas:
PowerPoint
Poster

*need explicit instruction on how
to present using the tools they have
this can be done the 2
nd
week while
research is being gathered

Outside Resources: Guest speakers, field excursion, etc.

Britny King-landscape architect
Liz Little (Pattys sister and school gardener)
Mr. Pierce-landscape architect willing to help
Boy Scouts- willing to water and weed

Panelists: (Who, what industry,
invitations, thank you notes)

Kirk (approval of
vegetables)
Karen P. (nurse)
??? Who can we
present to that would
be able to help kids
decide what to plant?

Rubrics/Assessments:

1. Evidence students are learning the concepts and
progressing?





2. How will you assess students along the way?






Technology Integration:


Powerpoint- Word
Google Hangout with Liz
Little?
Skype with Liz Little
What curricular materials will you use to teach this unit? What
other resources are needed?

*L2 will use current science Body Unit

WE NEED: LLC materials gardening, plants, healthy body,
vegetables, THE PLATE
Problem Based Learning Planning
Ben Franklin Prairie and Garden 2013-14

List of websites need to be
pulled.


Websites:
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/vegguide/default.cfm
educationoutside.org
lifelab.org
nationalschoolgardennetwork.org
farmtocafeteria.ncat.org
greenourplanet.org
farmtoschool.org

Costs: (materials, transportation,
speakers)

We have $1200.00
from the PEP grant.
We have roughly
$200 from the EAB
project to buy a tree.
Additional Notes:








M T W TH F
Send home
PLATE for
Homework.
1. Collect
Plate data
and share
out
2. Anchor
Chart How
do we keep
our body
healthy?
3. BRAIN
POP You
are what
you eat
Brainstorm Guiding ? about
garden:
Why?
Whatveggies--IL?
Who?
How?
Where?
Supplies-Cost?
*Edutopia Video on Starting
School Gardens
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/film-
festival-school-gardens


Decide what
they want to
research from
the guiding
questions.

(Groups of 3-
4)
Research

Think of
questions for
Skype.
Hopefully
Skype to see
pics of a real
school
garden and
ask
questions.
Start
putting
research
into or onto
a poster,
PPT, etc.
Work on presentation adding
research.
Practice
Presentations
while groups
continue to
finish
Practice
Presentation
while groups
continue to
finish
1. Present to
Panel for
feedback on
the plan.
2. Reflect on
Plans.