Documenting standards while developing curriculum

[Karen Saake]

When developing a garden / cooking lesson do you identify the standards (NGSS, Common Core, etc...) that you are trying to teach before developing the lesson or do you review the lesson post development to determine which standards have been delivered? The quintessential chicken or the egg  question!

Thank you so much,

Karen

[Jenna Deane]

Happy to share what I do to create an NGSS aligned garden lesson.  Basically, a lot of back and forth.  I'll review grade level standards (usually getting more ideas from life and earth sciences) first to get a general idea of theme (life cycles?  habitats? weather and climate?).  Then I'll think of a seasonally appropriate topic that matches, then back to NGSS to pick a specific standard to structure the lesson on.  From there I generally write the lesson, then review and modify using an NGSS screening tool.

Maybe there is a simpler way?  I love NGSS but I don't find it quick work to write an aligned lesson!  :)  

Would love to hear other strategies.

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Jenna Deane (she/her) 

Program Manager

Common Threads Farm 

360-927-1590

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We are grateful to the Lummi and Nooksack Peoples for stewarding the waterways and land that have grown and continue to grow our food and nourish our bodies since time immemorial.

[Echele, Alise]

Hi Everyone,

 

I use the method Jenna shared. I’ll add that I also review which disciplinary core ideas (i.e. themes) that are assigned to each grade level, so that I can craft an age appropriate lesson connected to the core idea.

 

Warmly,

Alise

 

Alise Echele, RDN, Healthy Schools Project Coordinator

Food and Nutrition Services

Ventura Unified School District

 

255 W. Stanley Avenue

Ventura, California 93001

805.641.5000 x1310

venturausd.org

 

For the future of every student

 

 

We are grateful to the Lummi and Nooksack Peoples for stewarding the waterways and land that have grown and continue to grow our food and nourish our bodies since time immemorial.

 

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[jennas...@gmail.com]

Hey ya'll,

For teachers in Atlanta Public Schools, we always have to start at the standard. Our district has a Pacing Guide (or "Scope and Sequence") that lays out which standards each grade level is required to teach each week. So we start with the standards we're going to teach that week and then build a hands-on lesson (that can happen in the garden that time of year) that will be an application of that standard. 

Many other schools and districts may be more flexible on when each grade-level standard is taught throughout the year... so in that case, maybe you could start with an idea of what would be a great activity in the garden and then add standards that are covered sometime that year (they can be a preview or review of a standard if the kids have/haven't covered it yet that year). Also, when we have visitors or volunteers from outside non-profits come teach our kids they are not always bound to our Pacing Guide (depending on how strict your principal is with instructional minutes) so it may be more flexible depending on who is teaching too! 

I have found that writing lessons and organizing lessons by the standards is typically the best way to encourage classroom teachers to lead the lessons in their instructional time. Then you can say, "Hey, I see your teaching graphing next week!  Instead of the kids creating a bar graph on that boring worksheet, here's a lesson that teaches kids how to create a bar graph based on the birds they see in the garden." ;) 

Hope that perspective is helpful!

Jenna 

[education]

Hi all,

Great ideas here! I wanted to make sure to mention that a group of us will be diving into these questions soon as part of the SGSO Leadership Institute, and we'll be sharing ideas and resources from organizations across the country on the topic of "Finding and Sequencing High Quality Garden Lessons" via a SGSO Network webinar on Weds, 3/17 at 11am Pacific Time. Save the date if you're interested in this topic!

All My Best,

Whitney