Seeds of Learning 

Time Line

General Description

Curriculum Planners

Activity Planners

 

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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

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General Description

 

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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 teacher’s 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.

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Curriculum Planners

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Mathematics

Mrs. Sacheck

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?

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

Instructor: Mr. Wallace

 

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

Instructor: Ms. Cowan

 

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

Instructor: Mr. Spencer

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

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Activity Planners

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Coordination

Mr. Spencer

 

Finances

Mrs. Sacheck

Selection of the plants

                    Mr. Wallace

Landscape Plan

                    Mrs. Householder

 

Actual Planting

Mrs. Cowan

Victory Celebration

Mrs. Householder / Mr. Spencer

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Portfolio Presentations