project lesson plans

Project Lesson Plans

Project #1

PBL Component DescriptionProject Title

Edible Gardens: How Does My Garden Grow?

Project Idea (Discuss the reason behind choosing this issue/question as a beginning point for inquiry.)

Students will participate in a unique outdoor classroom designed (Discuss the reason behind choosing to provide hands-on, experiential learning as they learn about the steps involved in planting, nurturing and harvesting a vegetable garden. Students will learn about the role of the water cycle, life cycle of plants, insects, earth worms, and environmental stewardship. Students will prepare a garden area and plant an edible garden. They will continue to maintain it for the school community to enjoy and from which to learn. Students will maintain a journal, identify beneficial bugs, design a garden layout, use measurements to plan a garden space, and track the growth of plants.

Driving Question(Open ended; employs higher order thinking skills, evokes curiosity)

How will my garden grow?

Grant Objectives Addressed Objective 1.1 ) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating21st CCLC students (at least 30 days in attendance) will demonstrate increased reading proficiency.

Objective 1.2) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will demonstrate improvement in writing I language arts skills and abilities consistent with the Common Core Standards.

Objective 1.3) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will demonstrate improved knowledge, skills, and abilities in mathematics consistent with Florida's Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

Objective 1.4) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating students will show improved understanding and application of scientific principles consistent with state standards.

Academic Subjects Language Arts, Mati1ematics, Science

Common Core State Standards to Address

(Write out the Domain and Cluster, then include the numbers of individual standards that will be explicitly taught/reinforced by the project.)

Language Arts:LACC.2.SL.1.2: Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.LACC.5.W.3.8: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase in formation in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.

Mathematics:MACC.4.MD.1.3: Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real world and mathematical problems.MACC.2.MD. 1.1: Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.

Next Generation Sunshine Standards:

Science:SC.K.L.14.3: Observe plants and animals, describe how they are alike and how they are different in the way they look and in the things they do.SC.1.L.17.1: Through observation, recognize that all plants and animals, including humans, need the basic necessities of air, water, food, and space.C.2.E.6.3: Classify soil types based on color, texture (size of particles), the ability to retain water, and the ability to support the growth of plants.SC.4.L.16.2: Explain that although characteristics of plants and animals are inherited, some characteristics can be affected by the environment.SC.5.L.15.1: Describe how, when the environment changes, differences between individuals allow some plants and animals to survive and reproduce while others die or move to new locations.Health:HE.K.C. 1.1: Recognize healthy behaviors.HE.1.B.3.2: Identify healthy options to health-related issues or problem.HE.l.P.1.1: Demonstrate good personal health habits.HE.1.P.2.1: Encourage others to make positive health choices.HE.3.B.3.6: Describe the outcomes of a health-related decision and the relationship between behaviors and

personal health.

Personal Enrichment Categories Dropout Prevention and Character Education

Service Learning Physical Education Arts and Music Education

21st Century Skills to be taught(Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)

Identify and describe how these will be utilized.

Collaboration: Students will be working in cooperative groups to create, design, and maintain the edible garden.

Communication:Students will communicate with each other to ensure they build a successful garden.

Critical Thinking/Problem SolvingStudents will discuss what would happen if there weren't any gardens and other organisms living in the gardens and how our world and community would be different.

Expected Duration of Project 4 Weeks

Students Involved (#, grades) 100 students, grades K - 8:

Staff Involved (#, specialties) • 3 Certified Teachers• 2 Instructional Specialist• 1 Director

Additional Staff: • Master Gardener

Frequency of Project(# of days/week # of hours/day)

5 days per week, 90 minutes per day

Entry Event(Designed to engage students’ attention)

Field trip to a local garden, farm, farmer’s market or grocery store.

Week by Week Timeline of Key Tasks and Activities, as well as Enrichment Topics/Lessons

(Add as many weeks as necessary through the duration of the project.)

Week 1: Explore Gardening During the week students will:

• Read about gardens, especially types of gardens that are successful in Florida.

• Learn about safety when working in the garden.• Discuss different tools and supplies needed for the

garden.• Create a layout/plan to use for the school garden using

area and perimeter.• Plot out the garden space using a blueprint; and• Draw and describe different gardening tools in there 21st

CCLC journals.

Books for Week 1 :An Apple a Day by Melvin BergerGreen Thumbs: A Kid’s Activity Guide to Indoor and Outdoor Gardening by Laurie CarlsonGrowing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

Week 2: How to Grow a Successful GardenDuring the week students will:

• Explore the best soil options.• Conduct research on how to prepare soil.• Made compost using leftovers from breakfast and luch.• Learn about plant needs and how they differ from animal

needs.• Create a comparison chart of plants and animal needs in

their 21st CCLC journals;• Learn the role of the water cycle, and• Prepair the soil for the seeds and seedlings.

Books for Week 2:Big Red Tomatoes by Pamela GrahamThe Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat BrissonPlanting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

Week 3: Plant LifeDuring the week students will:

• Learn about different plant and parts of plants.• Dissect a bean seed and attach the parts of the seed

to a piece of cardboard and label each part of the seed.

• Learn about the plant life cycle.• Discuss the anatomy of the tree and the anatomy of

the flower then compare and contrast the two in their journal.

• Examine different types of seeds and seedlings.• Plant seeds/seedlings; and• Observe plants daily and record plant height in a

table.

Books for Week 3:Eating the Alphabet by Lois EhlertFlower Garden by Eve BuntingThe Vegetable Garden by Melvin Berger

Week 4: Good Bugs, Bad Bugs During the week students will:

• Research different bugs that will be beneficial/harmful to the garden.

• Create a wanted poster for a good type of bug that students would want in their garden using descriptive language.

• Learn about the butterfly life cycle; and• Demonstrate knowledge of the butterfly life cycle by

creating a mobile illustrating each of the parts of the cycle.

Books for Week 4: The Best Book of Bugs by Claire LlewellynFrom Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heiligman

Presentation Methods and Audience

• Students will present the teamed information to parents and families at a Family Literacy event

• Students will take their parents on a tour of their garden and present the information they know about gardens to their parents.

Expected End Result/ProductCreate, design, and maintain an edible garden.

Connection(s) to Regular School Day

Students will be using their reading and writing skillsthroughout the lessons. They will .have literature that relates to the human body along with learning how to research. A journal will be provided to the students to write about what they learned and how it relates to their life.

• Language Arts:o Descriptive Languageo Recording Informationo Compare and Contrast

• Science:o Parts of the Planto Plant Life Cycleo Water Cycleo Making Observationo Life Cycle of Butterflieso What are Some Plant Structure?

• Mathematics:o Perimetero Areao Measurement

Adult Family Member Literacy and Involvement

Parents/guardians will be invited to assist in getting the garden ready to begin. This will include cleaning the garden area, preparing the soil, assisting w i t h t h e planting of the

seeds/seedlings and continuing the maintenance of the garden.

Students will prepare and serve simple recipes such as vegetable soup, veggie snacks, salsa, and garden salads for Family Literacy Night.

At the Family Literacy Night, students will educate the parents about an edible garden.

Educational Research that supports the project *

Please site the source and provide a short description of its relevance.

Summers, W. (2013). Tomatoes, cucumbers, and salad tag: A farmer goes to school. Language Arts, 90(4), 268-272.

Will Summers, an experienced farmer, had the opportunity to intern for a small community-supported agriculture farm located in Austin, TX. Summers' experience with agriculture has been primarily with nonprofit organizations in cultivating vegetables, raising chickens, and milking goats. Through his work with the non-profit organizations he introduced young people to farming and gardening. This article illustrates his story of working with groups of teachers and students in order to integrate good health and fanning into K-12 curriculum as part of a program cal led "Farm At School."

Block, K., Gibbs, L., Staiger, P. K., PhD., Gold, L., Johnson, B.; Macfarlane, S., Townsend, M. (2012). Growing community: The impact of the Stephanie Alexander kitchen garden program on the social and learning environment in primary schools. Health Education and Behavior, 39(4), 419.

This mixed-methods study focused on structured cooking and gardening in Australian primary schools. The focus of the study was on the social and learning environment in the school setting. In particular, this article addresses The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program objective that "has a positive impact on student engagement, social connections, and confidence within and beyond· the school gates." The evidence supporting the research question came from a qualitative sample collection from the parents, students, teachers, volunteers, K-12 principals, and specialist through interviews, observations, and focus groups. Quantitative data was collected on child quality of life, cooperative behaviors, teacher perceptions of the school environment, and educational-outcome. Results indicated that

some of the program attributes included increased student engagement and confidence, l e a r n i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s , teamwork, social skills, and connections and links between schools and communities.

Rye, J. A., Selmer, S. J., Pennington, S., Vanhorn, L., Fox, S., & Kane, S. (2012). Elementary school garden programs enhance science education for all learners. Teaching Exceptional Children.. 44(6 ), 58-65.

Gardening is an activity that benefits all children; and is especially beneficial for students with special needs in order to foster inquiry and develop motor skills. GBL and National Science Education report engaging students in the planting, observing, measuring, and investigation of soils and weathering. Hands-on experiences are key in unlocking the learning of students with disabilities.

* Please be sure all research is cited using APA format. For more information on how to format APA citations, go to: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Project #2

PBL Component DescriptionProject Title Getting Healthy, Staying Healthy: My Body and

Me!


The key to happiness starts with our bodies. America is getting to be an obese nation, reaching down into childhood, with far too many elementary school students in the School Palm Bay Academy classified as obese or morbidly obese. A bad body image i s t h e primary source o f sham e d isappo in t ment , and shyness among our elementary school students. Together, mind and body form a whole. Although t h e body is designed to support the mind, unhealthy bodies and lack of knowledge about physical wellbeing leads to poor development and a mind that does not reach its full potential. Awareness has tremendous power. It tunes into every cell. Awareness is the invisible, silent a g e n t that lets your body know what your mind is thinking, and at the san1e time it sends feedback from the body so that the mind feels supported and understood. This project will include an awesome range of experiments, science projects, interesting facts, amazing videos, challenging quizzes and more to help boost the mind-body awareness of mu students. Students will learn about health and growth, the human skeleton and all kinds of interesting human body topics. As well as activities for children, there will be activities for parents.


What makes our bod y work?

Grant Objectives Addressed Objective I .I) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students (at least 30 days in attendance) will demonstrate increased reading proficiency.

Objective 1.2) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will demonstrate improvement in writing / language arts skills and abilities consistent with the Common Core Standards.

Objective1.3) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will demonstrate improved knowledge, skills, and abilities in mathematics consistent with Florida's Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

Academic Subjects Language Arts, Mathematics, Science

Common Core State Standards Common Core State Standards

to Address(Write out the Domain and Cluster, then include the numbers of individual standards that will be explicitly taught/reinforced by the project.)

Language Arts:LACC.2.RI.2.5: Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes , electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.LACC.2.SL.2.4: Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

Mathmatics:MACC.3.MD.2.3: Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less" problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs.

Next Generation Sunshine State Standards:Science:SC.K.L.14.1: Recognize the five senses and related body parts.SC.2.L.14.1: Distinguish human body parts (brain, heart, lungs, stomach, muscles, and skeleton) and their basic functions.SC.5.L.14.1: Identify the organs in the human body and describe their functions, inc1uding the skin, brain, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, intestines, pancreas, muscles and skeleton, reproductive organs, kidneys, bladder, and sensory organs.

Other:DA.1.S.1.2: Explore how the body parts move by using imitation and imagery.HE.l.C.1.6: Emphasize the correct names of human body parts.HE.2.C.1.6: Recognize t h e l o c a t i o n s a n d funct ions o f major human organs.HE.4.C.1.6: Identify the human body parts and organs that work together to form healthy body systems.MU.K.0.1.1: Respond to beat, rhythm, and melodic line through imitation.E.2.L.2.2: Identify the components of health-related physicalfitness (cardio respiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition).PE.5.L.2.9: Describe the benefits of maintaining a healthy body composition.TH.K.S.3.1: Use imagination to show a person at work using the body and voice to communicate ideas.

Personal Enrichment Categories Dropout Prevention and character Education Service Learning Physical Education Arts and Music Education



Collaboration:Students will provide peer assistance to students in other groups to assist with the completion of their drawings and projects; and work together in SPARK activities to learn healthy exercise routines. Families will learn to collaborate planning balanced meals for healthy living.

Communication:Students will discuss the job of each part of the body as they learn about them; teach younger students how to properly wash their hands. Written communication will be utilized in students' journals..

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving:Students will discuss what would happen if one part of your body isn't working, how the rest of your body will function, and whether they could live without that part of your body; how germs are spread through touching objects and other people. Additionally, students will create a nutritionally balanced menu of meals.

Expected Duration of Project The duration of this Project Based Learning project will be for a ten week period: October 3, 2014 - December 19, 2015.

Students Involved (#, grades)

100 students, grades K - 8

Staff Involved (#, specialties) • 3 Certified Teachers• 2 Instructional Specialist• 1 Director


5 days per week, 90 minutes per day


• School nurse will discuss the different parts and systems throughout the body.

• Invite the St. Johns Water Authority to dissect a frog or shark under the document camera for the students.



Week 1: My Body and the SensesAn out l ine of everyone’s body will be created working withpartners. As parts/systems are studied, items will be added to the bodies to represent their actual size and labeled. During the week students will:

• Explore the five senses to learn how senses work together.

• Participate in an activity with different items placed in paper bags to use their senses exploring to guess the items in the bag.

• Record the prediction and senses that helped them guess.

• Look in the bags to see if other senses helped them figure out what the items were; and

• Write predictions and a reflection of the activity in there journals.

Books for Week 1 :My Five Senses by AlikiThe Senses by Adolfo Cassan

Week 2: Skeleton and BonesDuring the week students will:

• Create/build a model of the human skeleton using Q-tips and a large paper; and

• Base their model off of research done on bones to accurately portray how many bones are in the human body (large, small, etc.)

Complete models will be added and labeled to their life-size human creation from week one.

Books for Week 2:The Bones You Own: A Book about the Human Body by Becky BainesYou Can’t See Your Bones with Binoculars: A Guide to Your 206 Bones by Harriet Ziefert

Week 3: Muscles, Joints, Ligaments, TendonsDuring the week students will:

• Research and read about muscles.• Use rubber bands to represent the muscles stretching.• Create a model of their hand showing how all of the

bones, muscles, ligaments, joints, and tendons work together.

• Use a different material to represent each part of the hand; and

• Show how muscles and bones work together to help the body move by adding muscles (rubber bands) and labels to their life-size human body.

Books for Week 3:My Muscles by Rena Korb abd Anthony J. WeinhausUsborne’s Understanding Your Muscles and Bones: A Guide to

What Keeps You Up and About: by Rebecca Treays

Week 4: Digestive System During the week students will:

• Explore the digestive system by learning how a hamburger goes through the digestive track through a web quest, “the hamburger project.”

• Conduct research based on different websites of other students or schools who have participated in digestive projects on the hamburger.

• Add the different digestive organs and fluids including saliva, esophagus, stomach, gastric acid, bile, large intestine, etc. to their life-size human body creation; and

• Label each of these items.

Books for Week 4:

The Digestive System by Christine Taylor-Butler The Quest to Digest by Mary K. Corcoran

Week 5: Circulatory SystemDuring the week the students will:

• Research the circulatory system and sue plastic tubing and colored water to recreate the circulatory system.

• Build the circulatory system using the plastic tubing.• Run the colored water through the tubing to show how the

heart moves blood through the body; and• Add and lable the parts of the circulatory system, such as

the heart, to their life-size human body creation they started during week 1.

Books for Week 5 :

The Circulatory Story by Mary K. CorcoranThe Heart by Lisa Greathouse

Week 6: Respiratory SystemDuring the week students will:

• Actively listen and participate in presentation by the American Lung Association, which will include a demonstration on how smoking affects the respiratory system.

• Create anti-smoking posters to display around their school.

• Divide into groups to create models of healthy lungs and unhealthy lungs.

• Compare and contrast the two different lungs and discuss how smoking turns healthy lungs into unhealthy lungs; and

• Add and label parts of the respiratory system , such as the lungs, to their life size human body creation.

Books for Week 6 :The Lungs by Lisa GreathouseThe Remarkable Respiratory System: Slim Goodbody's Bodyby John Burstein

Week 7: GermsDuring the week students will:

• The importance of hand wahing.• Understand how germs get and stay on their hands.• Pass around a wet sponge covered in flour (each time the

sponge is passed to the next student, the flour is released unto the student’s hands.)

• Walk around and shake hands of the other students in the classroom.

• Observe how every time they touch something or someone, they pick up/spread more and more germs.

• Learn the proper way to wash their hands using soap and water.

• Discuss what happens to the flour (which represents the germs) when they properly wash their hands.

• Create signs and work in groups to create posters to be placed near sinks and around campus on how to properly wash hands; and

• Older students will be guest speakers in Kindergarten classrooms during the school day and will teach students how to properly wash their hands using soap and water. he posters made by the 21st CCLC students will be hung up in the kindergarten classrooms for reference.

Books for Week 7 :Germs Make Me Sick! by Melvin BergerThe Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body by Joanna

Cole and Bruce Degen

Week 8: Healthy Choices for your BodyDuring the week students will:

• Brainstorm a list of healthy foods and a list of junk foods.• Collect food wrappers and will examine the nutritional

facts on the back of the packages.• Research different foods and the effects that different

food choices have on the human body by using the USDA website.

• Analyze the different components to a healthy meal; and• Use the My Plate guide to create a weekly food plan

which will incorporate recommended daily serving from each of the food group.

Books for Week 8 :An Apple a Day by Melvin BergerEat Healthy, Feel Great by William Sears, M.D., MarthaSears, R.N., and Christie Watts Kelly

Week 9: ExercisingStudents have been learning a variety of SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids) games and activities during PE/Wellness time with their counselors.During the week the students will:

• Brain a list of SPARK activities that they enjoy.• Discuss how much exercise they should be getting daily.• Create a monthly calendar of daily exercise activities to

participate in; and• Each group will teach other groups different exercises

that they enjoy.

Books for Week 9:Kids in Sports by Kristen HallWallie Exercises by Steve Ettinger

Week 10: Oral HygieneStaff from the District’s Health Department will visit the school to teach students proper oral hygiene care.During the week students will:

• Discover why it is important to take proper care of their teeth; and

• Work in cooperative groups will make a bar graph showing how many teeth each person has and describe it to the class.

• Question to help guide the group include: What is the smallest number of teeth on your graph? How many people have the smallest number of teeth? What is the largest number of teeth on your graph? How many people have the largest number of teeth?

Books for Week 10:At the Dentist by Carol GreenBrush! Brush! Bunny by Lizzie Nanna


• Students will present and display their life-size human body creation to the entire 21st CCLC program since students worked in groups among the different grade levels.

• Students and parents will pru1icipate in a Family Literacy event where students will help their parents plan a weekly menu for the family including all of the recommended food groups and the daily recommended servings from each.

• Students can then post these menus on the fridge and help their parents prepare healthy meals all week long!

Expected End Result/Product • Make a life-size poster of the human body that incorporate

• all of the different body part and systems explored throughout the unit.

• Students will create a healthy one-week menu with their parents.

• Students will learn the role of exercise and movement in their daily lives by creating a fitness video that students choreograph and then present to family and community members.


• Students will be using their reading and writing skills throughout the lessons.

• They will .have literature, that relates to the human body along with learning how to research.

• A journal will be provided to the students to write about what they learned and how it relates to their life.

• Language Arts:o Retelling Important Information from Informational Texts.o Readers Know Ways to Find Information in a book.o Notification Text - Scienceo Compare and Contrast

• Science:o What Makes Up the Human Body?o What Changes Your Heart Rate?o Growing Healthy and Strongo What Body Parts Enableo Movement, Support, Respiration, and Circulation?o What Body Parts Enable Digestion, Waste Removal, and

Reproduction?• Mathematics:

o Draw Actual Size/To Scaleo Draw Diagram Strategyo Create Various Graphs


Parents will be invited in at least two times per month for an open house. They will work with the students to build the models of human body parts. To prepare for the open house, students will create project boards to present to the parents and use as a resource as they are building the models.

Students and parents will have a Family Literacy Night that is focused on nutrition. Together the students and parents will create a menu for one week incorporating the daily recommended servings from each of the food groups. Students and parents will extend this activity by cooking together at home according to the menu they have created.

Educational Research that supports Carison, S. A., Fuiton, J. E., Lee, S. M., Maynard, L M., Brown, D.

the project *


R., Kohl HI, H. W., & Dietz, W. H. (2008). Physical education and academic achievement in elementary school: data from the early childhood longitudinal study. American Journal of Public Health, 98(4), 721-727

Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, the research in this article found that increased levels of physical education may be associated with improved achievement in mathen1atics and reading. In elementary school students, does not negatively affect academic achievement. Therefore, concerns about a decline in academic achievement are not grounds for limiting physical education programs.

Inagaki, K. & Hatano, G. (1993). Young children's understanding of the mind-body distinction. Child Development, 64(5), 1534-1549.

Four experiments that investigate children's understanding of the mind-body distinction are reported in this article. The first experiment studied children's understanding of changeable. versus unchangeable human properties and bodily versus mental properties. The second experiment studied children's understanding of causal explanations for biological phenomena. The third experiment compared children 's and adult's understanding of causal explanations for biological phenomena. The final experiment compared children’s and adult's understanding of causal explanations for psychological phenomena. The results show that children as young as six years of age understand that biology is independent from psychology.

Tremblay, M. S., Inman, J. W., & Willms1 J. D. (2000). The relationship between physical activ1ty, self-esteem, and academic achievement in l 2-year-old children. Pediatric Exercise Science, 12(3), 312-323.

This article discusses the relationships between phys ica l activity levels of students, body-mass index, self-esteem, and reading and mathematics scores. As expected, the higher the levels of physical activity, the lower the body-mass index.The study also reports a positive correlation between increased levels of physical activity and improved self-esteem. Increased levels of physical activity, which leads to higher self-esteem, may be related to increase academic achievement in some students.



Project #3

PBL Component DescriptionProject Title Habitats in the World !


Florida in itself demonstrates a wide variety of habitats, being a home to thousands of different plants and animals. Students will learn all about habitats in Florida as well as their parts of the world. Through exploration of habitats such as oceans, deserts, the arctic, the rainforest, and so much more, students will see how animals survive by adapting to their environment. Students will have the opportunity to research different plants and animals and see some up close by exploring different habitats in Florida and at local zoos and nature centers.


What is the importance of habitats in our world? How do animals survive and adapt to harsh climates

Grant Objectives Addressed • Objective 1.1) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students (at least 30 days in attendance) will den1onstrate increased reading proficiency.

• Objective 1.2) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will demonstrate improvement in wr i t ing / language arts skills and abilities consistent with the Common C o r e Standards.

• Objective 1.3) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CLCC students will demonstrate improved knowledge, shills, and abilities in mathematics consistent with Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine Standards

• Objective 1.4) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will show improvement and application of scientific principles consistent with state standards.

• Objective 2.1) By July 2015, 90% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will show improved physical fitness and knowledge of healthy behaviors.

• Objective 2.2) By July 2015, 85% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will show an increased understanding an appreciation of visual and performing arts.

• Objective 2.3) By July 2015, 85% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will demonstrate improved community awareness and service commitment.

• Objective 1.4) By July 2015, 90% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will show increased dedication, motivation, and commitment to the

educational process.




Common Core Standards:Language Arts :LACC.4.RI.3.9: Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.LACC.2.RI.3.7: Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify text. LACC.1.RI.2.6: Distinguish between in fo rmat ion provided by pictures or other and information provided by the words in a text.Mathematics:MACC.l.MD.1.2: Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a sh01ter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the nun1ber of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps.

Next Generation Sunshine State Standards

Science:SC.2.L.16.1: Observe and describe major stages in the life cycles of plants and animals, including beans and butterflies.SC.l.L.17.1: Through observation, recognize that all plants and animals, including humans, need the basic necessities of air, water, food, and space.SCA.L.16.4: Compare and contrast the major stages in the life cycles of Florida plants and animals, such as those that undergo incomplete and complete metamorphosis, and flowering and nonflowering seed-bearing plants.SC.5.L.15.1: Describe how, how when the environment changes, differences between individuals allow some plants and animals to survive and reproduce while others die or move to new locations.

Personal Enrichment Categories Drop Out Prevention and Character EducationService Learning Physical Education Arts and Music Education



Collaboration:Students will collaborate as they create the biome of the ocean.

Communication:Students will work in cooperative learning groups. They will work in groups to create models of dolphins, fish, coral reefs, ocean levels, as well as food chain posters. Students will collaborate with their parents to create

other sea animal and plant life to add to the biome.

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving:Students will work together to find facts and design the ocean model based on the information learned and researched

Expected Duration of Project The expected duration of the project based learning project will before nine weeks: January 5, 2015 through March 6, 2015


100 students, grades K - 8Staff Involved (#, specialties) 3 Certified Teachers

2 Instruction Specialist1 Project Director

Additional Staff:St. Johns River Water Authority Professional


5 days per week, 90 minutes hours per day


Invite outreach educators from St. Johns River Water Authority Department (Forever Florida Conservation Center) to bring animals and talk to students about different animals and their habitats.



Week 1: PondsDuring the week students will:

• Read about what types of plants and animals survive in fresh water ponds.

• Create a poster demonstrating the food chain in the pond.• Create a model of the life cycle of a frog after researching

it.• Learn that frogs can jump as far as five feet per hop, which

is about 20 times the length of their body.• Each will be measured by a partner and will try to jump one

length of their body.• Measure how far down the field they would need to hop to

be promotional to the frog.• Hop 20 times their length and see how many times it takes,

and• Learn that animals in the pond habitat can do unique

things!

Books Week 1:Pond Circle by Betsy FrancoWould You Rather Be a Pollywog? All About Pond Life by Bonnie Worth

Week 2: DesertsDuring the week students will:

• Learn about desert habitats and what types of plants and animals can survive in the desert.

• Research amount of rainfall each year and will describe how animals adapt to the harsh climate.

• Create their own desert animal and describe how its adaptations allow it to survive in the extreme hot climate.

• Share their designed animals with their classmates.• Research sand dunes and create their own using small

containers, aluminum plans, and sand; and• Demonstrate how sand dunes are not permanent and are

constantly changing by blowing on the model sand dunes to change their shapes.

Books for Week 2:Why Oh Why Are Deserts Dry? All About Deserts by Tish Rabe

Week 3: Savanna/GrasslandsDuring the week students will:

• Learn about grassland in the United States, which are closely related to Savannas in Africa.

• Compare and contrast the plants and animals in the grasslands and savanna; and

• Collect grass, rocks, etc from outside of school and create a model of either a savanna or grassland with a partner.

Books for Week 3:A Mama for Owen by Marion Dane BauerGrasslands by Cathryn SillHere is the African Savanna by Madeleine Dunphy

Week 4: RainforestsDuring the week students will:

• Conduct research on the different layers of the rainforest and learn about which types of animals live in the different layers.

• Create “Save the Rainforest” poster and add real life facts and statistics regarding the rainforest; and

• Use a cereal that box to create a diorama of the rainforest demonstrating each of the three layers and the animals that live in these layers.

Books for Week 4:Amazing Animals Rainforest Romp by Tony Mitton and AntParkerI See Kookaburra! by Steve Jenkins and Robin PageIf I Ran the Rainforest: All about Tropical Rainforest by Bonnie WorthSparrow Girl by Sara Penny Packer

Week 5: OceansDuring the week students will:

• Learn about different ocean animals.• Focus their learning on marine mammals that use

echolocation to communicate.• Use paper towel rolls to demonstrate how marine mammals

communicate with each other.• Conduct research on mammal training at Sea World; and • Record observations regarding marine mammal training.

Books for Week 5:Dolphin Talk: Whistles, Clicks and Clapping Jaws (Let’s read-and-Find-out-Science Book Series) by Wendy PfefferOne Small Square Seashore by Donald M. Silver

Week 6: ArticDuring the week students will:

• Research plants and animals in the tundra/arctic.• Create an experiment called "blubber gloves" to learn how

animals that live in the arctic can deal with the harsh climate.

• Place their hand in one bag plastic bag with shortening and submerge it in ice water to see how long they can keep it in the water before they begin to feel cold.

• Repeat the same experiment except this time they will place their hand covered with just a plastic bag and no shortening into the water.

• Use a stopwatch to keep track of the amount of time their hands are in the water and record this time in a chart; and

• Write about this experience in their 21st CCLC journals.

Books for Week 6:Animals in Winter by H. Bancroft & Richard Van Gelder

Week 7: Everglades/WetlandsDuring the week students will:

• Read about the Florida Everglades and what makes it so unique.

• Compare and contrast alligators and crocodiles; and• Create models of alligators and crocodiles with modeling

clayThe models will demonstrate the differences between two and will be labeled.

Books for Week 7:Deep in the Swamp by Donna Bateman

Week 8: CavesDuring the week students will:

• Research caves and what kinds of plants and animals can survive in caves.

• Focus on bats and compare bats to other types of mammals, such as marine mammals discussed in week 5, and humans.

• Conducts research on different types of bats; and• Create a model cave out of clay and will include animals

and plants that survive in caves.

Books for Week 8:Caves (Nature in Action) by Stephen KramerWho EatsWhat? Food Chains and Food Webs by P. Lauber

Week 9: Habitats Around the WorldDuring the week students will:

• Create an information book about each of the different habitats they learn about.

This book will include elements of the habitat, plants, and animals including non-fiction text features including captions, illustrations, sidebar/fact boxes, and charts and graphs.

Books for Week 9:Habitats Around the World by Debra CastorWhat's For Dinner? Quirky, Squirmy Poems about the Animal World by Katherine B. Hauth


• Students will present their created animal habitat books to different groups of students.

• The books will be displayed in a 21st CCLC library where students can go and read different students books.

• Students will create an animal habitat book including elements of the habitat, plant, and animals.

• Students will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on learning at St. Johns River Water Authority during and or following the project.

Expected End Result/Product Students will create an animal habitat book includingelements of the habitat, plants, and animals.


Within the PBA Learning Village Scope and sequences during the school year.

• Language Arts:o Compare and Contrasto Create Information (Non-Fiction) Texto Text Feature

• Science:o What are some Animal Life Cycles?o What are Animal Needs?

o Where do Plants and Animals Live?o Basic Needs and Environmentso Living Things Change

• Mathematics:o Measurements in Inches and Feeto Proportional Distance

Adult Family Member Literacy and Involvement • Students will host a Family Literacy night where they can

read and their habitat books to their parents.• Parents can add to the book with their child or translate to

make a bi-lingual book.



Fanner, J., Knapp, D. & Benton, G. M. (2007). An elementary school environmental educational field trip: Long-term effects on ecological and environmental knowledge and attitude development. The Journal of Environmental Education, 38 ( 3),33-42,

A group of fourth grade students visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park on an environmental school field trip. This article discusses the effects of the trip on the students. One year after the field trip, the author conducted interviews with the students. Most students could recollect what they saw, heard, and learned on the field trip. In addition, findings suggest that this trip impacted the students’ attitude towards the environment, and most students developed a pro-environmental attitude as a result of the first hand experience.

Knipper, K. J. & Duggan, T. J. (2006). Writing to learn across the curriculum: Tools for comprehension in content area classes. 17ie Reading Teacher, 59(5), 462-470.

Reading and writing are reciprocal processes. When students write about what they read, they interact with the text, and become more engaged in the learning process. This author shows how using both reading and writing across the curriculum can improve student learning. Implementing writing lessons into the science class will reinforce students' comprehension of new concepts and extend their critical thinking. When students "write to learn," they extend the meaning-making process and deepen their understanding.

Pringle, R. M. (2005). Such low temperatures in the arctic region: How can polar bears call it home? Science Activities: Classroom Projects and Curriculum Ideas, 41(4), 29-32.

This article reinforces the need to hands-on, active learning in the classroom. When students learn about biological concepts in elementary science classrooms, they learn best through direct experiences. Students learn about habitats in their immediate environment by exploring outdoors and interacting with the plants and animals. However, when learning about habitats that are not as accessible, simulations and models can be utilized to provide similar experiences. In the lesson "How do polar bears keep warm in their homes?" students explore animals adaptations through imitations and models.

Upadhyay, B. & Def ranco, C. (2008). Elementary students: retention of environmental science knowledge: Connected science instruction versus direct instruction. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 20( 2), 23-37.

This article describes a study conducted on two different third grade science classes to determine the effects of connected instruction versus direct instruction. For the purposes of this study, connected instruction refers to lessons that are specifically designed to connect to the students' prior knowledge. The study shows that while students gain general science knowledge through direct instruction, long-term retention of knowledge is improved when students receive connected science instruction. Meaningful science instruction comes from creating experiences that connect with the students' lives. Hands-on experiments and discussions improve knowledge retention rate because the students are provided with experiences that connect to their prior knowledge and allow for opportunities to practice and relearn new knowledge. Students are more likely to learn when new science concepts are connected to actual experiences.



Project #4

PBL Component DescriptionProject Title Come Dive With Me!


Many students have never been to the local beaches to see the ocean. Students will learn that our ocean covers 73% of the Earth’s surface and is still the home of the majority of Earth’s living creatures. They will also learn the oceans are a vital part of the water cycle that brings rain to our crops and forests and shrinking water to our cities. Students learn about plant life, shells, coral reefs, fish, endangered sea life, such as manatees and sea turtles. They will understand the significance of keeping beaches litter free by presenting a PowerPoint highlighting the impact of litter on marine life and encouraging others not to litter.


Why is the ocean important?

Grant Objectives Addressed

Objective 1.1) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students (at least 30 days in attendance) will demonstrate increased reading proficiency.

Objective 1.2) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will demonstrate improvement in writing/ language arts skills and abilities consistent with the Common Core Standards.

Objective 1.3) By July 2015, 80% of actively participating 21st CCLC students will demonstrate improved knowledge, skills, and abilities in mathematics consistent with Florida's Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

Objective 1.4) By July 2015, 80% of actively participatingstudents will show improved understanding and applicationof scientific principles consistent with state standards.

Objective 2.1) By July 2015, 90% of actively participating21st CCLC students will show improved physical fitness andknowledge of healthy behaviors.

Objective 2.2) By July 2015, 85% of actively participating21st CCLC students will show increased understanding anappreciation of visual and performing arts.

Objective 2.3) By July 2015, 85% of actively participating21st CCLC students will demonstrate improved community awareness and service commitment.

Objective 2.4) By July 2015, 90% of actively participating21st CCLC student will show increased dedication, motivation, and commitment to the educational process.




Language Arts: LACC.3.RI.1.3: Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.LACC.1.SL.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

Mathematics:MACC.5.MD. 1.1: Convey among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g.,convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.MACC.4.l\ID.1.2: Use the four operations to solve wordproblems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.

Next Generation Sunshine State Standards

Science:SC.K.L.14.3: Observe plants and animals, describe how they are alike and how they are different in the way they look and in the things they do.SC.4.L.17.4: Recognize ways plants and animals, including humans, can impact the environment.

Personal Enrichment Categories Dropout Prevention and Character EducationService LearningPhysical EducationArts and Music Education



Collaboration:Students will collaborate as they create the biome of the ocean.

Communication:Students will work in cooperative learning groups. They will work in groups to create models of dolphins, fish, coral reefs, ocean levels, as well as food chain posters. Students will collaborate with their parents to create other sea animal and plant life to add to the biome.

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving :Students will work together to find facts and design the ocean model based on the information learned and researched.

Expected Duration of Project The duration of this Project Based Learning project will be for asix week period: March 9, 2015 –May 1, 2016


100 students, grades K - 8

Staff Involved (#, specialties)

21st CCLC staff:3 Certified Teachers2 Instructional Specialists

1 Project Director

Additional Staff:St. Johns River Water Authority


5 week, 90 minutes per day

Entry Event(Designed to engage students’ attention) Field trip to the beach and ocean.

Video of the ocean.



Week 1: Ocean Zones: Sunlit Zone, Twilight Zone, Midnight ZoneDuring the week students will:

• Be split into three groups and will research their zones.• Create a news broadcast of “Entering the Sunlit Zone”, “Entering

the Twilight Zone”, or “Entering the Midnight Zone” (prior to doing the broadcast, students need to create a written plan.)

• Add this plan to their 21st CCLC journal (In the broadcast, students will explain their zones, and why the animals are likely to live in the zone. They will discuss plant life and temperature

as well.); and• Students will present the broadcast to the two other groups so

all students will learn about each zone of the ocean.

Books for Week1 :A House for Hermit Crab by Eric CarleSea Turtles by Carol K. Lindeen Sea Turtles by Gail Gibbons

Week 2: Ocean Zones: Abyss and Hada!During the week students will:

• Create a diagram of the different zones of the ocean drawn to scale.

• Label the different ocean zones and use their math skills to create their diagram so it is proportionate to the actual ocean.

• include animals in each zone of the ocean based off the animals and their needs for survival; and

• Write in 21st CCLC journals to explain why certain animals live in different zones of the ocean, i.e. ocean animals that breathe air must live in the sunlight zone, animals that can survive temperatures above freezing can live in the hadal zone, etc.

Books for Week1 :Life in the Oceans by Claire A. NivolaOcean Life for Kids! The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen

Week 3: Marine MammalsDuring the week students will:

• Describe cetaceans.• Discuss, compare, and contrast marine mammals and land

mammals.• Chart the basic needs of marine mammals.• Create a model of a porpoise (dolphin) by labeling the different

parts of the dolphin help with survival in the ocean as a mammal; and

• Reflect on the adaptations water animals and mammals have.

Books for Week 3: Dolphins by Carol K. LindeeI'm a Manatee by John Lithgow Whales by Carol K. Lindeen Whales by Laura Mars

Week 4: FishDuring the week students will:

• Create a model of a fish to show how a shape and size of a fish affect what they eat, where they live, and how they swim.

• Learn about camouflage, coloration, and scales on fish.• Create a fish using recycled plastic water bottle based off of

what they know about fish sizes and shapes.

• Write a summary of their fish in their 21st CCLC journal; and• Discuss the importance of specific fish living in certain areas

and how the ocean can change when animals that do not belong in certain areas are placed there, such as lionfish.

Books for Week 4: Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz RyanThe Magic School Bus the Fishy Field Trip by Martin SchwabacherThe Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow

Week 5: SharksDuring the week students will:

• Understand the importance of sharks in the ocean by creating a poster of ocean food chain.

• Show in their posters the predators and prey of sharks and other sea animals; and

• Discover how important sharks are to the ocean ecosystem.

Books for Week 5: Sharks! by Anne SchreiberSharks by Jody SullivanWhat Color is the Ocean? by Gary Collins and Maggie Rose Parson

Week 6: Coral ReefsDuring the week students will:

• Research natural coral reefs and man-made coral Florida and other states in the United States.

• Research and create a model of a coral reef using butcher paper, tissue paper, etc,; and

• Show how different animals find homes in the coral reef.

Books for Week 6: Crabs by Jody SullivanOver in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne BerkesSea Stars by Jody SullivanWeird Sea Creatures by Laura Marsh

Presentation Methods and Audience • 21st CCLC students will host an event during the school day

based on the theme "Come Dive with Me.”• Other students in the school will have the opportunity to

learn from their peers about the different zones of the ocean and how plants and animals adapt to their environment

Expected End Result/Product • 21st CCLC students will host an event during the school day based on the theme "Come Dive with Me.”

• Other students in the school will have the opportunity to learn from their peers about the different zones of the

ocean and how plants and animals adapt to their environment.

• Students will recreate the ocean scene including animals,plant life and facts about the ocean in a biome. The biome will be in one room where all 21st CCLC students can add mini projects they have created throughout the unit.

• Students can create and add to the biome other plants and animals not previously made.

• The biome will be used as a host room for a Family Literacy Night.

Connection(s) to Regular School Day Within the School Districts Learning Village Scope and

Sequence for the school year.• Language Arts:

o Compare and Contrasto Skim and Scan for Information with Notificationo Presentation Skills

• Science:o Classifying Plants and Animalso Changes in Environmento Oil Pollutiono What are Some Adaptations to Life In Water?

• Mathematics:o Item Drawn to Scaleo Proportional


• 21st CCLC students will host a Family Literacy Night and work on models of other sea animal and plant life to add to their biome.

• 21 st CC.LC students will host a Family Literacy Night based on the theme "Come Dive with Me." The 21st CCLC parents will explore the different zones of the ocean and learning about the different animals in each of the zones. The students will be able to teach their parents about the ocean.



Eidietis, L, & .Jewkes, A. M. (20i 1). Making curricu1um decisions in K 8 science: The relationship between teacher dispositions and curiculum content. Jounal of Geoscience Education, 59( 4), 242-250.

This study indicated dispositions of teachers regarding teaching ocean science. Data collection was done through the means of a survey where 89 K-8 teachers reported

their feelings on their preparedness to teach on the topic of ocean literacy and their attitudes toward ocean science. Results showed that teachers' dispositions predicted the frequency of teaching ocean literacy. These findings indicated that this decision likely reflects feelings of preparedness to teach.

Bruno, B. C., Wiener, C., Kimura, A., & Kimura, R. (201 I ). Ocean FEST: Families exploring science together. Journal of Geoscience Education, 59(1), 13-21.

Ocean FEST engages elementary school students, parents, teachers, and administrators in ocean-themed family science nights based on a scientifically proven model. The key goals are to educate the participants regarding the ocean and earth science issues relevant to their communities and to inspire more under-represented students to pursue careers in ocean and earth science.

Wolf, M., & Laferriere, A. (2009). Crawt into inquiry-basedlearning: Hennit crab experiments. Science Activities, 46 ( 3), 32- 38

There is a need for inquiry-based lessons in the early elementary grades due to the development of analytical skills at the early stages of a child's life. The authors of this article present an inquiry-based lesson for first and second grade students that have been previously and successfully used by graduate teaching associates involved in the National Science Foundation GK:12 program at the 'Oregon ·Institute of Marine Biology. The lesson involves using live marine or terrestrial hermit crabs where students learn about the anatomy, ecology, and classification of the hermit crabs. The students makedetailed observations and have the opportunity to askquestions regarding their live subjects. The students thenraise an experimental question regarding hermit crabs and carry out an experiment where they make a hypothesis, record and report results, evaluate their experiment, and suggest possible improvements.



project lesson plans

Documents

cclc students

participating students

garden area

garden space

garden grow

garden layout

vegetable garden

growth of plants