The Garden Project Journal of Investigation
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Contents The Garden Project adopts a multidisciplinary project-based approach to learning. Activities under Next Steps give you ideas of how you can extend learning! Activity Name
Lesson
Early Learning
Next Steps
Page
Unit 1 – Preparing Budding Meteorologist
Lesson 1
My World: I can forecast the weather based on existing weather conditions.
I can link weather patterns to seasons.
6
Root Drawing
Lesson 2
My World: I can explain the role roots play in plants in one sentence.
I can represent roots visually by thinning out the extremities, just the way roots grow in nature.
7
Leaf Insect
Lesson 2
Imagination: I can rearrange leaves to represent a bug or other imaginary insects
I can make a variety of leaf compositions
8
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Lesson 4
My World: I can categorize most items in their appropriate recycling bins
I can find alternative uses for many of the items in the paper and plastic recycling bins.
9
Unit 2 - Planting Plant Me
Garden in the Box
Ladybug Spots
Lesson 3
Early Numeracy and Listening: I recognize numbers from 1 to 12 and can follow simple instructions. My World: I can identify the seasonality of two or more fruits and vegetables.
I can plant a young plant into the soil and firm it in.
Lesson 3
Technology: I can use a photo taking device to take a picture to represent my garden.
I can adopt simple compositional techniques such as filling my camera frame with one element (this technique is called “fill the frame”).
12
My World: I understand that ladybugs can have different number of spots.
The numbers can be categorized as even (equal numbers of spots on either side of its elytra) or odd (equal number of spots on either side of its elytra and a spot in the middle).
13
Lesson 4
10-11
Unit 3 – Growing Lesson 1
Early Numeracy: I understand that a thermometer is used to measure temperature.
I can investigate the difference between water temperatures using my thermometer.
14
Life Cycle Journal
Lesson 2
My World: I understand that plants change over time from seed, to sprout, to plant. Early Numeracy: I can order and sequence the stages of a plant.
I can document the simple life cycle of a sprouting seed.
15
X-Ray Onions
Lesson 3
Early Numeracy: I can quantify the number of layers in an onion.
I can distinguish between an onion (or another vegetable) that is cut horizontally or vertically.
16
Shapeshifter
Lesson 3
Early Numeracy: I notice that most unripe fruit start off as small spheres.
I can point out 2 to 3 main differences that occur to most fruit/ vegetables as they mature.
17
Measure Me!
Lesson 4
Early Numeracy: I understand the concept of measurement and can measure the height of one or two plants.
I can represent a plant on paper at its life-size height.
18-19
Investigating Temperature
4
Plant Growth Chart
Lesson 4
Early Numeracy: I can order two or three of my plants by height or length.
I can tell which is the fastest growing plant based on my growth chart.
20
See How They Grow
Lesson 4
Design and Imagination: I can transform a black and white image into color to represent my garden.
I can add color to my black & white image to make my pictures more interesting
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Unit 4 – Harvesting Vegetable Families
Lesson 1
My World: I look for similarities and differences to categorize vegetables into their respective families.
I understand that most bulb and root vegetables grow underground.
22-23
My Family Tree
Lesson 1
Social & Emotional: I can confidently place myself at the center of my family tree and identify my immediate family.
I can make additional family connections, such as cousins, aunts, and uncles.
24
Lesson 2
Early Numeracy: I can demonstrate an understanding of language of position. For example, on, under, and above.
I can describe other parts of plants based on how and where they grow.
25
My Harvest Chart
Lesson 3
My World: I understand the seasonality of fruits and vegetables. I can determine when fruits and vegetables are mature and ready to be picked.
I understand that every fruit and vegetable has a different maturing time.
26-27
Creative Juices
Lesson 4
Healthy Habits: I can make nutritious juices by squeezing and mixing fresh ingredients together.
I can experiment with fresh ingredients to make my own unique juices
28
Fruit Mandalas
Lesson 4
Expressive Arts: I can demonstrate pattern awareness in nature and can construct a simple pattern when prompted.
I can construct a pattern with purpose using a variety of resources.
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Fruit Thaumatrope
Lesson 4
Science: I can make a simple animation using a thaumatrope by blending two images into one.
I explore opposites in nature using a thaumatrope (winter/ summer, half/whole, night/day).
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Above and Under the Ground
Unit 5 – Decomposing and Regenerating
Seed You Next Year
Guerrilla Gardening
Composting and Recycling
Lesson 2
My World: I can harvest the seeds from my vegetables to plant a new garden next year.
I know when to plant at least 3 types of vegetables and I remember what care they need (for example, amount of sun and water).
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Lesson 3
My World: I understand that a seed is a fruit’s/vegetable’s way to start its life again. Fine motor: I can mix the ingredients together to make the right consistency for the seed bomb to stick together.
My seed bomb germinates with water and some care.
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Lesson 4
My World: I understand that whenever possible, I should compost leftover food and recycle all other material.
I can find ways to reuse items that are being recycled. For example, turning a plastic bottle into a watering can or vase.
33
Support Documentation Pages Sensory Page New Vocabulary
The Sensory Page is used to record and document things we have heard, seen, tasted, smelled, or touched during The Garden Project.
34
Language Development: I have extended my vocabulary and applied it in a new context to observe changes in my plants.
35
I can use my new vocabulary to talk about highlights of The Garden Project.
Specialized Science & Nature Skills Assessment
The assessment page is used to highlight science and nature skills that have been developed during the project.
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Vegetable Cut-Outs
To be used with Plant Me on pages 10-11 and the Sensory Page on page 31.
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Fruit Cut-Outs
To be used with Plant Me on pages 10-11 and the Sensory Page on page 31.
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5
> Lesson 3
Garden in the Box Take a picture of your Garden in the Box and stick it on this page. Draw bees on the plants that need pollinators.
Date .....................................................................
> EARLY LEARNING Technology: I can use a photo taking device to take a picture to represent my garden.
12
Next step: I can adopt simple compositional techniques such as filling my camera frame with one element (this technique is called “fill the frame�).
> Lesson 4
Ladybug Spots Complete the ladybugs below, one with an even and the other with an odd number of spots. Not all ladybugs are red with black dots, so be creative with the colors you use!
> EARLY LEARNING My World: I understand that ladybugs can have different number of spots.
13
Next step: The numbers can be categorized as even (equal numbers of spots on either side of its elytra) or odd (equal number of spots on either side of its elytra and a spot in the middle).
> Lesson 4
Measure Me!
Draw your plant here
Let’s measure the plants to see how much they have grown. Take a string or ruler and measure one or two plants. Mark the height and draw them. Measure again another week to see the difference.
.. ....... . . . . . . ...... .......
> EARLY LEARNING
18
Early Numeracy: I understand the concept of measurement and can measure the height of one or two plants.
Draw your plant here
... ....... . . . . . . ..... .......
Next step: I can represent a plant on paper at its life-size height.
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Specialized Science & Nature Skills Assessment Use these statements to assess the hands-on science and nature skills that have been developed during the project. EQUIPMENT SKILLS
HARVESTING SKILLS
I can use a watering can to water plants
I can dig root crops, such as carrots and radishes, without damaging them
I can use a measuring stick to measure plant growth
I can harvest leafy crops, such as lettuce and spinach, without damaging the plant
PLANTING SKILLS
OTHER SKILLS
I can sow large seeds such as lima beans
I can conduct hand texturing tests of soil to determine soil type
I can sow medium seeds such as spinach
I can categorize vegetables by family type
I can sow fine seeds such as tomatoes, coriander, and lettuce
I can distinguish sweet from sour
I can fill a container ready for sowing
I can observe the changes in plants, fruit, and vegetables
I can fill a cup with soil
PLANNING SKILLS
I can remove a young plant from its container
I can draw my garden plan
I can plant a young plant into the soil and firm in
I can choose plants to grow
AFTER-CARE SKILLS
RE-PLANTING SKILLS
I can water seedlings
I can plan a new vegetable garden by extracting the seeds from my vegetables
I can water established plants
I can start a seed library in my classroom with the seeds I extract from vegetables
I can pinch out plants such as sweet peas, broad beans, and tomatoes
Teacher’s comments
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Vegetable Cut-Outs To be used with Plant Me on pages 10-11.
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