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Deeper Learning Competencies
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Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
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- I can turn my observations of my house plant (e.g., yellowing leaves, dry soil, drooping stems) into a simple question and explain why it is relevant to plant health.
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- I can evaluate several possible questions and choose one that I can test in our 4-week school setting, then I can state a clear hypothesis and identify the independent and dependent variables I will measure.
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- I can design and adjust a testable plant-care investigation by comparing options and considering constraints (time, materials, light/water/soil access), and I can justify how my hypothesis connects to expected cause-and-effect relationships.
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- I can critique my investigation using new observations and/or peer feedback, refine my hypothesis and variables to better test the cause of stress, and explain how my evidence supports or challenges my original claim about what the plant needs.
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Deeper Learning Competencies
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Effective Communication
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- I can use evidence from my plant care log (photos, dated observations, and simple notes) to explain what I noticed and why I think it matters for plant health
- I can respond to peer questions by pointing to specific observations (e.g., leaf color, soil moisture, light exposure) from my own data.
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- I can clearly communicate a testable question, hypothesis, and plan by linking my reasoning to observations from my plant and the variables I will change (light, water, or soil)
- I can present my data story with a simple graph and explain how my results support or don’t support my hypothesis using scientific language (independent vs
- dependent variables).
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- I can construct a claim-evidence-reasoning summary that evaluates which care change made the biggest difference and I can justify my conclusion with multiple pieces of data from my investigation
- I can refine my explanation based on feedback by addressing gaps (missing measurements, unclear variables, or unexpected results) and updating my visuals or written reasoning.
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- I can communicate my plant-care recommendations and investigation results to an audience by connecting plant growth/stress patterns to weather or indoor climate conditions and ecosystem ideas
- I can strengthen my argument by challenging alternative explanations, explaining limitations of my design/data, and revising my model or reasoning with clear, accurate evidence.
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Deeper Learning Competencies
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Content Expertise
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- I can identify and describe patterns I observe in my house plant’s daily care (light, water, soil, and growth/stress) and connect them to basic plant needs
- I can use my observations to propose a simple question about one variable that could be tested within our classroom/time limits.
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- I can evaluate whether my plant-health question is testable and relevant by explaining what I would change (independent variable) and what I would measure/record (dependent variable)
- I can explain a clear, evidence-based hypothesis using plant growth ideas (e.g., how light and water affect growth) and show how it fits my real observations.
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- I can refine my investigation by comparing competing explanations for stress (such as light vs
- watering vs
- soil/mold) and selecting the most testable approach
- I can design a simple process with interacting care factors, describe criteria for success, and justify how I will keep other conditions as consistent as possible while tracking weather/indoor climate effects.
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- I can analyze and explain my data using a clear claim supported by my plant observations and records, interpreting relationships between variables (independent vs
- dependent) rather than just listing results
- I can use my findings to refine a model or explanation of plant growth in a small ecosystem, challenge alternative interpretations, and propose next-step questions or design improvements.
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Deeper Learning Competencies
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Self Directed Learning
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- I can use a teacher-provided checklist to plan my next steps for plant care (observations, watering, and recording baseline data) and follow the plan to collect consistent daily evidence in my care journal.
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- I can independently set a clear, testable question about plant health based on my observations (light, water, soil, or indoor climate) and choose an investigation plan that I can carry out with the materials and time available.
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- I can revise my investigation plan and care decisions using feedback and new observations, refining my hypothesis and variables (independent/dependent) so my data better answers the question about plant growth or stress.
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- I can monitor my own progress and make informed, data-based adjustments to my plant-care investigation, justifying changes in my hypothesis and method, and clearly explaining how my evidence supports what helped the plant most.
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Deeper Learning Competencies
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Collaboration
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- I can work with a partner to share ideas from my plant observations and help keep our plant-care journal and data table organized during daily care
- I can listen respectfully, take turns, and follow agreed-upon roles for collecting light, water, soil, and growth information.
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- I can collaborate with my team to co-plan a testable question and simple investigation about plant health (light, water, soil, or indoor climate) and explain why it is testable within our resources
- I can communicate my hypothesis and help decide what to measure (independent vs
- dependent variables) while incorporating peer feedback to refine our plan.
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- I can collaborate to evaluate and improve our investigation by using observations and emerging data to adjust the hypothesis, controls, and data collection procedures
- I can clearly describe how weather or indoor climate may affect plant growth and work with peers to resolve differences in interpretations using evidence from our logs and photos.
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- I can lead or co-lead effective collaboration by coordinating roles, timelines, and decision-making to strengthen our plant-care experiment and recommendations
- I can actively challenge assumptions, defend our design choices with evidence, and use peer/family feedback from the House Plant Health Expo to revise how we explain interdependent effects on plant health.
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