How Does My Garden Grow? A Brain- Targeted Teaching Unit created by Linn Thorburn May 21, 2012

Brain Target 1: Setting the Emotional Climate Morning Choice -- In addition to the usual choice activities, students can use their morning time to write in garden journals or read content- related books. Arts Integration - This unit incorporates music, drawing, poetry, drama, and collage

Brain Target 1 (cont.) Here are some students observing the class caterpillars during morning choice time:

Brain Target 2: Physical Learning Environment Natural Light Classroom Plants Novelty - Wall Space and bulletin boards grow with the unit Many natural movement opportunities built into the day

Brain Target 2 (cont.)

Brain-Target 3: Creating the “Big Picture” Concept Map:

Brain Target 3 (cont.) Guiding Questions: How do plants and animals work together in nature? How do living things change as they grow? Learning Targets ( kind of like kid- friendly, long-term objectives)

Brain-Target 4: Learning Activities Most lessons followed the same format of big- picture overview, read aloud (or mini-lesson), hands-on application time, journal or reflection. Lessons included dissecting seeds, documenting plants in our school community, and nurturing / observing our class “garden”. Students recorded much of their learning in their garden journals.

Brain-Target 5: Teaching for Extension and Application Students enjoy LOTS of field work during this unit, including trips to the Science Center, Farmers Market, Brookside butterfly gardens, and community service in Carroll Park.

Brain Target 5 (cont.) To promote creativity and innovative thinking, this unit includes many open- ended questions, opportunities for reflection, and hands-on investigations that allow students to learn about the world around them first-hand.

Brain Target 6: Assessment Garden Journals provide an ongoing, formative assessment Summative Assessments include specific “assignments” in the journal, such as “Draw each plant part and explain it’s job,” and postcards, designed in the style of Lois Ehlert, that teach information about plants or insects. The postcards are still in progress....

Thanks for watching! Here’s an outtake...