Outdoor Curriculum Project

By:

The teachers at Stonewall designed a curriculum for K-5 students based on the annual cycle of events in the garden. This is how it all came together:

 

 

THE WORK BEGINS

• June-July, 2010—Kate Cromwell, the president of Stonewall Gardens worked on a grant to pay teachers to write a formal outdoor lab curriculum for science instruction at Stonewall

 

• July 2010—Teachers met to organize the process

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE MASTER GARDENER

• Mark Painter taught the outdoor lab classes for many years keeping his lessons correlated to the national science standards and Dallas ISD curriculum objectives. 
• In 2008, Mr. Painter’s position with the school was cut due to unforeseen budget shortfalls.
• The first job of the curriculum writers was to interview Mr. Painter concerning many of the annual processes in the garden, and the activities he has normally done each year with the students.

 

 

 

SAMPLE OUTDOOR LAB GARDEN CALENDAR

August

• Safety
• Systems
• Set up journals
• Role of a scientist
• Start seeds in pots and transplant (cabbage broccoli, Brussels sprouts spinach, kale, lettuce, beets)
• Observe insect life cycles and seed dispersal
• Help disperse wildflower seeds in new areas
• Observe temperatures, weather data

 

 

 

 

CURRICULUM FORMAT

After writing the calendar, the team decided to use a curriculum format similar to the curriculum planning guides used by the Dallas ISD.

 

NEW STATE STANDARDS

—  The state of Texas had adopted new curriculum standards, so every grade level needed a new copy of the standards that they could compare across grade levels.

SAMPLE:

Grade 5 Science TEKS

(1)  Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student conducts classroom and outdoor investigations following home and school safety procedures and environmentally appropriate and ethical practices. The student is expected to:

(A)  demonstrate safe practices and the use of safety equipment as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations; and

(B)  make informed choices in the conservation, disposal, and recycling of materials.

(2)  Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses scientific methods during laboratory and outdoor investigations. The student is expected to:

(A)  describe, plan, and implement simple experimental investigations testing one variable;

(B)  ask well-defined questions, formulate testable hypotheses, and select and use appropriate equipment and technology;

(C)  collect information by detailed observations and accurate measuring;

(D)  analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct (observable) and indirect (inferred) evidence;

(E)  demonstrate that repeated investigations may increase the reliability of results;

(F)  communicate valid conclusions in both written and verbal forms; and

(G)  construct appropriate simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts using technology, including computers, to organize, examine, and evaluate information.

(3)  Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:

(A)  in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student;

(B)  evaluate the accuracy of the information related to promotional materials for products and services such as nutritional labels;

(C)  draw or develop a model that represents how something works or looks that cannot be seen such as how a soda dispensing machine works; and

(D)  connect grade-level appropriate science concepts with the history of science, science careers, and contributions of scientists.

 

SAMPLE LESSON:

Stonewall Jackson                             Grade 4         Time Frame: 1st 6 wks        Outdoor Lab Curriculum                                                             WKS 1
Written	Taught		Tested
Standards	Instruction	Resources	Student Products	Assessment
Scientific investigation and reasoning. (4.1)   The student conducts classroom and outdoor investigations following school and home safety procedures and environmentally appropriate practices. The student is expected to: (A)  demonstrate safe practices and the use of safety equipment as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations	Scientific Investigation and Reasoning Standards are integrated throughout the year. What does safety look like in the garden? How will we plan for safe investigations in the garden? Connect safety rules from classroom investigations to garden investigations and make appropriate adjustments based on environmental factors. · What are the do’s and don’ts we already know to follow during classroom investigations? How are these alike or different from the safety rules we should follow in the garden? Why? Together, the student and teacher will brainstorm a list to establish procedures for the garden and the indoor classroom investigations with regards to: Safety Garden Journal Data Collection Note-Taking “Meeting Place”	Science Notebook Classroom Safety Rules as defined by FOSS Outdoor Lab Garden & Lab Tools	Cooperative Group Lists Class List / T-Chart / Venn Diagram Student Journals	Pre-Inventory of garden knowledge (Teacher Made) Student Journals Behavioral observations in garden

 

STONEWALLGARDENS.ORG

As the school year comes to a close, the curriculum products are almost complete.  They will be uploaded on www.stonewallgardens.org for all Stonewall Jackson teachers to access.  The school now has a resource to continue the garden program even when Mark Painter retires.  The effort that the community has put into the outdoor lab will be a legacy to be enjoyed by many future generations of students.