Identify & Define the Problem or Opportunity
Students will observe plants in their real environment, notice how sunlight and location affect them, and interview high school agriculture partners to understand how people help plants meet their needs. They will document observations and questions to define what plants need to live and grow healthy.
Days 1 - 2
🌿 Plant Adventure Walk Observations
Launch 30m
β˜€οΈ Sunlight & Shade Temperature Check
Knowledge/Skill Building
πŸ—ΊοΈ Sunny vs. Shady Plant Map
Deliverable
πŸ‘©β€πŸŒΎ Interview with Ag Buddies
Community Experience 30m
πŸ“ Plant Interview Notes & Drawings
Deliverable
Research & Gather Insights
Students will gather deeper insights about plant needs by organizing interview information, observing patterns in sunlight and plant growth, and mapping how plants interact with their environment. They will synthesize user feedback and create visual experience maps that show relationships between plants, people, and places.
Days 3 - 4
🌞 Sunlight & Soil Warmth Lab
Knowledge/Skill Building
🧠 Sorting Plant Needs Patterns
Knowledge/Skill Building
πŸ—£οΈ Plant Interview Highlights Chart
Deliverable
πŸ—ΊοΈ Plant & Place Model Demo
Knowledge/Skill Building
🧩 My Plant Experience Map
Deliverable
Develop Ideas & Plan
Students will analyze what plants need most in their environment and plan user-centered designs for their garden habitat models and Plant Knowledge Fair displays. They will define key plant β€œuser” needs, prioritize usability (sunlight, water access, space), and create simple plant personas and design criteria to guide their upcoming prototypes.
Day 5
🌱 What Do Plants Need Most?
Knowledge/Skill Building
β˜€οΈ Sunny Spot or Shady Spot?
Knowledge/Skill Building
πŸͺ΄ Our Plant Persona Cards
Deliverable
πŸ—οΈ Garden Habitat Must-Haves Chart
Deliverable
Create & Test Prototype(s)
Students will build a quick garden habitat prototype that shows how a plant meets its needs in a specific place, test it with classmates as users, and collect feedback to improve their design before the final version.
Day 6
🧱 Quick Garden Habitat Model
Deliverable
πŸ‘€ Peer Plant Test Walk
Research
πŸ—£οΈ Explain & Defend Our Design
Assessment 10m
Improve & Refine
Students will refine their Kindergarten Garden Habitat Models and Plant Scientist Posters by analyzing usability feedback, improving clarity of plant needs and environment connections, and creating a simple evidence-based usability report to prepare for the Plant Knowledge Fair.
Day 7
πŸ” Feedback Sorting with Smile Cards
Knowledge/Skill Building
✏️ Garden Model Fix-It Plan
Deliverable
πŸ› οΈ Habitat Model Improvements
Project Work
πŸ–οΈ Poster Label & Evidence Upgrade
Deliverable
🎀 Practice Share & Peer Feedback
Project Work
πŸ“‹ Usability Improvement Report
Assessment 30m
Launch & Share
Students will launch and share their finalized plant models and posters during the Plant Knowledge Fair, demonstrating how plants meet their needs in specific environments and how people and plants change their surroundings. They will present evidence from their journals, ensure their displays are understandable for different visitors, and complete a final accessibility and evidence-based mastery check.
Day 8
15 min over capacity (30 min available across 1 day)
🌱 Plant Knowledge Fair Showcase
Assessment 30m
πŸ”Ž Visitor Accessibility & Evidence Check
Assessment 15m
Evaluate & Iterate
Students will observe how visitors and classmates interact with their Kindergarten Garden Habitat Models and Plant Scientist Posters, gather simple feedback, and revise their models and explanations to better show how plants meet their needs in specific environments.
Day 9
πŸ‘€ Watching Visitors Use Our Garden Models
Research
πŸ’¬ Plant Feedback Circle
Deliverable
πŸ› οΈ Improving Our Habitat Models
Project Work
β˜€οΈ Checking Sunlight Evidence
Knowledge/Skill Building
πŸ“ Our Model Improvement Plan
Deliverable
Reflect on Competency Growth
Students will reflect on how they have grown as plant scientists and designers by revisiting their journals, models, and presentations, identifying evidence of their learning about plant needs, sunlight, environments, and how people and plants change their surroundings. They will share concrete examples of growth connected to BCPS competencies and celebrate their progress during the Plant Knowledge Fair.
Day 10
30 min over capacity (30 min available across 1 day)
🌱 Revisiting My Plant Journal Wall
Knowledge/Skill Building
πŸͺ΄ My Growth as a Plant Scientist
Deliverable
β˜€οΈ Sunlight & Soil Evidence Share
Assessment 30m
🌼 Explaining Our Garden Habitat Model
Assessment 30m