Seeds of Learning
Time Line
General Description
Curriculum Planners
Activity Planners
Time Line
September
7 Kick off meeting.
7-18 Microsoft Word
21-Oct. 2 Excel
21-25 Landscape design approved. COIN
October
5- 13 Power Point (basic instruction)
7 Dance
7 Trip to Lieu Gardens
12-16 English Curriculum / Letter writing asking for donations
12-16 Plants explained to classes
13 & 14 Letter writing in Language Arts
15 Teacher Work day/ grades are due
16 No school
19 Type letters in computer lab.
20-Nov.5 Preparation for Power Point in core classes
26-30 Irrigation completed
26-30 Pie Charts in math
30 Pie charts in computer lab (percentage of each type of plant)
November
6-13 History Power Point presentations in core class.
16-20 Science Power Point presentations in core class
23-27 Planting
27 Victory celebration
General Description
This project is needed to promote the students' involvement in the educational
process. Students too often view their education as something irrelevant to their every
day world. Too often subject matter is still presented in isolated units with few ties to
the world the students live in. Students need to see the value of their classes. Students
need to improve their self-esteem and school pride. This integrated curriculum unit will
help meet these needs.
The planting as a project has been selected to get the project started. It is hoped
that students, parents, and staff will jointly create future integrated curriculum
projects. The first project is intended to get the process started. Future projects should
reflect even more creativity and input from the school population.
Objectives
The objectives of this proposed project are to create an integrated curriculum centered
on a real world problem in the students community. The goals of this project are to
increase student involvement and motivation, heighten student awareness of the relevance
of the curriculum, and increase overall student satisfaction with the curriculum.
Activities
The project centers on the landscaping of a prominent portion of the school grounds.
The area is one of the first sections of school property the students encounter as they
enter school. In addition to the educational outcomes, the project will enhance the beauty
of the school and subsequently the attitudes of people as they enter our school community.
Each academic teacher teaches to this project. The following are suggestions for the
individual subject curriculum, but they are not intended to diminish or lessen in any way
the individual teachers creativity. In science, the students will study how the
process in the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere interact to shape the earth. Students
will study the need to protect our natural resources. The math teacher will teach the math
to calculate the cost of the plants and the subsequent possible mix of plants given their
costs. The history teacher will teach the history of the conservation movement. Modern
threats to the environment also lend themselves to social studies curriculum. The English
teacher will provide readings on conservation or have the students create proposals for
the project. The computer teacher can have much of the work for these classes done on the
computers in the computer lab.
Evaluation
Evaluation will come from a series of questionnaires and observations. There will be
opinion questions based on a Likert scale. The questionnaires will measure motivation and
satisfaction. A similar group of students on another team will also take the tests and
will be used as a control group.
Budget
Approximately $1,000 for irrigation and plants.
Curriculum Planners
Mathematics
What do you plan to teach as part of the integrated curriculum unit?
Read inches & feet on a yardstick or tap
Understand formulas to find the area of the shape of the planting area.
How to find the total cost of the plants (when the selection is made) and the cost of
the mulch
How to display the plants chosen on a graph
Optional: calculations on the amount of water to be used in irrigating the plants.
When do you plan to teach it?
Sept. 16 24 how to calculate the area and number of plants
Sept. 15 Oct 2 Introduce charts.
Oct. 26 30 Pie charts
What Benchmarks will you be teaching?
- Performs operations with rational numbers in problem solving situations
- Generalizes number patterns using variables.
- Evaluates expressions and formulas.
- Selects appropriate units and tools to measure the degree of accuracy required in
problem solving situations.
How can the computer lab be used to help?
Spreadsheet can be made to calculate the area, volume and create pie charts.
Calculate the cost of plants and mulch.
American History
What do you plan to teach as part of the integrated curriculum unit?
History of conservation and the National Park System. This will include Teddy Roosevelt
and John Muir. The study will progress through the Great Depression, looking at the CCC,
and conclude with current companies' efforts at conservation.
When do you plan to teach it?
First or second week of November
What Benchmarks will you be teaching?
Understands the variety of factors that are necessary to make consumer decisions.
Understands that the American political system requires the cooperation of individuals,
groups, and institutions.
Consequences of human actions on the earth's systems
How can the computer lab be used to help?
Power Point Presentations of the plant requirements to survive.
Science
What do you plan to teach as part of the integrated curriculum unit?
The students will recognize how the processes in the lithosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere, and biosphere interact to shape the earth. Students will study the need to
protect our natural resources.
Conditions that exist in one system influence in a positive or negative way the
conditions that exist in another system
Show how replanting vegetation helps restore the balance between plants and animals.
Understand that plants help keep the earth cooler.
When do you plan to teach it?
During the first two weeks of November
What Benchmarks will you be teaching?
This unit will be integrated into the Eighth Grade strand requirement of Earth
Processes.
How can the computer lab be used to help?
Power Point Presentation of plant requirements for survival
Language Arts
Instructor: Mrs. Householder
What do you plan to teach as part of the integrated curriculum unit?
Letter Writing Campaign
Students will write letters to their parents explaining the integrated curriculum
project. They will ask for donations to purchase plants.
When do you plan to teach it?
Week of October 12 - 16
What Benchmarks will you be teaching?
Uses the writing process effectively: prewriting, rough drafting, editing, final
drafting, and publishing.
Evaluates students' own writing to ensure content and organization are appropriate for
purpose and audience
How can the computer lab be used to help?
Type the letters in "friendly form."
Computer Applications
What do you plan to teach as part of the integrated curriculum unit?
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel. And Microsoft Power Point.
When do you plan to teach it?
Microsoft Word: Word: Sept. 7 - 18
Microsoft Excel (including graphs): Sept. 21 - Oct. 2
Microsoft Power Point: Oct 5 - 13
Letter Writing Oct. 14 - 16
Power Point reports: Oct. 19 -Nov.13
What Benchmarks will you be teaching?
Applied technology curriculum encompasses and utilizes all facets of planning, finance,
and management, technology, technological and production skills, interpersonal
development, environment, and the community.
A learner centered and authentic environment is created.
Collaborative, cooperative, and supportive learning environments are created.
Curriculum is integrated.
A real world environment is created
Activity Planners
Coordination
- Development of the plan
- Initial administration approval
- Timeline
- Enlisting of the experts: Mr. White & Mr. Croft
- Coordination and curriculum integration
- Statistical evaluation
Finances
- Setting financial goal (end of project gathering?)
- Planning the fundraiser (dance, field trip?)
- Conducting the fund raiser
Selection of the plants
Mr. Wallace
- Visit to lieu Gardens
- Actual selection
- Student body discussion
- Obtain price of plants, mulch and any fertilizer
Landscape Plan
Mrs. Householder
- Meet with administration
- Student body discussion
- Final landscape plan developed
- Final administration approval
- COIN entry by administration
- Drawing is posted.
- Plants are purchased
Actual Planting
- Final confirmation by county landscaper and irrigation
- Site preparation (irrigation and soil preparation through Mr. White)
- Plans for delivery and storage of plants and mulch.
- Planning for actual planting.
- Final implementation.
Victory Celebration
Mrs. Householder / Mr.
Spencer
- Planning gathering
- Thanks to participants
- Special effort noted
Portfolio Presentations