A creative science project plan

1. Ericka Eppler
STANDARDS-FOCUSED
PROJECT BASED LEARNING
PLANNING FORM
Project title: Sustainability for Life
Teacher(s): Science and Social Studies Teachers
School: Central Junior High
Grade level(s):7th
, 8th
, and 9th
grade
Subjects:
7th
Grade: Social Studies and Geography
8th
Grade: Earth Science
9th
Grade: Life Science

2. Ericka Eppler
Begin with the End in Mind
Summarize the theme for this project. Why do this project?
The theme of this project revolves around understanding and incorporating sustainability
into everyday life. Students will exhibit a greater understanding of nature, science,
sustainability, and personal responsibility to care for Earth.
Identify the content standard that students will learn in this project (two to three per
subject).
7th Grade: Social studies and geography: The students will learn about environmental
sustainability and understand where food is grown in the world.
8th Grade: Earth science: The students will gain understanding of the earth’s crust and
other layers and will learn about common and soil types found in different regions.
9th Grade: Life science: The students will learn about common insects found in
gardening, earth-friendly insect control and common pest-management implementation
processes.
Identify key skills students will learn in this project.
7th Grade: Social studies and Geography:
The students will learn about:
• Environmental sustainability.
• Gain insight about where food is grown in the world.
• Identify areas of the world with scare food.
8th Grade: Earth Science
The students will gain understanding of and/or demonstrate:
• Earth’s layers crust and their impact on the surface.
• Use of Earth’s layer in detecting global warming.
• Common soil types.
• How different soil types affect crops.
• Students will work in groups to imagine a method that improves soil conditions.
9th Grade: Life science:
The students will;
• Identify stages of plant life.
• Identify common crops grown in their geographic region.
• Specify correct plant spacing and depth in which to sow seeds.
• Name stages of insect life forms.
• Recognize common insects found in gardening and recognize natural methods to
deter common garden pests.
• Determine common pesticides found at the grocery store and other food sources.
• Create a natural way to control insect infestations in gardening situations based on
this information and use the scientific method to formulate a hypothesis that
test’s their plan’s effectiveness and determine if it meets the predicted outcome.

3. Ericka Eppler
• Demonstrate knowledge of garden tool safety
• Collaboratively create a garden plan for the junior high based on this information.
Identify the habits of mind that students will practice in this project (one to two per
project).
7th Grade: Social studies and Geography
Environmental sustainability: Students will remain open to continuous learning as they
gain greater understanding of how environmental sustainability personally affects them
and their local communities.
8th Grade: Earth Science
Application of Previous Learning: Students will apply past knowledge to new
situations based on their current understanding of the world in which they live.
9th Grade: Life Science
Plant life cycle: Students will strive for accuracy when understanding the plant life cycle
and use creativity, innovation and imagination to create an excellent garden plan.
Insect life cycle: Students will practice responding with curiosity when investigating the
insect world.
Pest control project: Students will utilize the concept of persistence to complete and test
their products.
• Does the project meet the criteria for standards-focused PBL?
Craft the Driving Question
Why should we learn about sustainability?
• Have you posed an authentic problem or significant question that engages
students and requires core subject knowledge to solve or answer
Plan the Assessment
Step 1: Define the products for the project. What will you assess?
7th Grade: Social Studies and Geography
The instructor will assess:
• Student knowledge of environmental sustainability.
• Students’ ability to identify the world’s primary food sources.
• Students’ understanding of world food scarcity.
• Students demonstrate knowledge of module content by working in groups to
select a country known for food scarcity and providing a group presentation

4. Ericka Eppler
8th Grade: Earth Science
The instructor will assess:
• Student understanding of the earth’s crust and other layers.
• Students name common soil types.
• Students demonstrate knowledge of the impact of different soil types affect crops
through their soil projects.
9th Grade: Life science
The instructor will assess:
• Student knowledge of plant life cycles and insect life forms.
• Students name common crops and insects for their geographic region.
• Student ability to synthesize knowledge by students’ abilities to create garden
plans which will be depicted in an infograph.
• Students name common pesticides found at grocery stores and other food sources.
• Student application of the scientific method in their attempts to create a natural,
pest control product.
• Student understanding of tool safety with Invent-A-Tool activity
• Students write a one-page reflection paper demonstrating their learning.
End of the Project:
The Central Junior High will hold a Sustainability Fair. Students in all grades will create
projects respective to their learning: 7th
Grade: Social studies and Geography; 8th
Grade:
Earth Science; 9th
Grade: Life science. Parents will be invited to the fair.
Plan the Assessment (2)
Step 2: State the criteria for exemplary performance for each product:
Product:7th
Grade Sustainability Group Presentation
Criteria:
• Demonstrates content knowledge
• Follows school integrity and technology policies
• Group members come ready to participate
• Follows provided task sheets
• Offers to explain assignment to peers when they do not understand
• Respectful of classmates and team members
• Provides at least 2 sources per source evaluation guides
• Actively participates in group presentation

5. Ericka Eppler
Product:8th
Grade Soil Research Project
Criteria:
• Demonstrates content knowledge
• Follows school integrity and technology policies
• Group members come ready to participate
• Follows provided task sheets
• Offers to explain assignment to peers when they do not understand
• Respectful of classmates and team members
• Demonstrates basic application of research process
• Submits a 2-page, double-spaced report using 12 pt. Times New Roman Font
• Provides at least 3 sources per source evaluation guides
• Documents sources
Product: 9th
Grade Synthesis Project: Collaborative Garden Plan Infograph
Criteria:
• Summarily demonstrates content knowledge of all concepts learned
• Shows understanding of how to use technology to create an infograph
• Selects the most pertinent information to add to infograph planning a garden
• Demonstrates application of research process
• Follows provided task sheets
• Follows school integrity and technology policies
• Group members come ready to participate
• Offers to explain assignment to peers when they do not understand
• Respectful of classmates and team members
• Documents any sources used on a separate page that is double-spaced,12 pt.
Times New Roman Font
Product: 9th
Grade Collaborative Natural Pest Control Project
Criteria:
• Creates a natural way to control insect infestations in gardening situations
• Specifically identifies each step of the scientific method in projects
• Demonstrates application of scientific method to formulate a hypothesis that tests
their plan’s effectiveness, determining if it meets the predicted outcome
• Demonstrates application of scientific method
• Follows all lab guidelines, including wearing appropriate personal protection
when mixing liquids
• Follows provided task sheets
• Follows school integrity and technology policies
• Group members come ready to participate
• Offers to explain assignment to peers when they do not understand
• Respectful of classmates and team members
• Group participants each write a two-page reflection (along with sources) about
their experience: double-spaced,12 pt. Times New Roman Font

6. Ericka Eppler
• Do the products and criteria align with the standards and outcomes for the
project?
Map the Project
What do students need to know and be able to do to complete the tasks successfully? How
and when will they learn the necessary knowledge and skills? Look at one major product
for the project and analyze the tasks necessary to produce a high-quality product.
Product:
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
NEEDED
ALREADY
HAVE
LEARNED
TAUGHT
BEFORE
THE
PROJECT
TAUGHT
DURING
THE
PROJECT
1. Basic science background x
2.
Sustainability definitions
x
3.
Identify/understand world food sources
x
4.
Identify/understand world food scarcity
x
5.
Basic understanding of world
geography
x x x
6.
Collaborative skills
x
7.
School integrity & technology policies
x x
8.
Follows directions and task sheets
x x x
9.
Follows class rules
x
10.
Basic evaluation of sources
x
11.
Documenting sources
x

7. Ericka Eppler
What project tools will you use?
□ Know/need to know lists
□ Daily goal sheet
□ Journals
□ Briefs
□ Task lists
□ Problem logs
□ ________________________________
□ ________________________________
□ ________________________________
□ ________________________________
□ ________________________________
□ ________________________________
• Do the products and tasks give all students the opportunity to demonstrate what
they have learned?
Map the Project (2)
This project is secondary to other core geography requirements, thus we will not discuss
the topic every day in class at first but then will work on it every day after Spring Break
Second semester
Week 1: Sustainability basic concepts
Week 2: Sustainability basic concepts
Week 3: Sustainability basic concepts
Week 4: Geography concepts r/t sustainability
Week 5: Geography concepts r/t sustainability
Week 6: Geography concepts r/t sustainability
Week 7: Social studies r/t sustainability
Week 8: Social studies r/t sustainability
Week 9: Social studies r/t sustainability
Week 10: Spring Break
Week 11: Concepts refresher, school integrity & technology policies, introduction to
evaluating and documenting sources
Week 12: Concepts refresher, collaborative skills, following assignment task sheet
Week 13:Practice all skills learned
Week 14: Group presentations
• What challenges or problems might arise in this project?
Manage the Process
List preparations necessary to address needs for differentiated instruction for ESL
students, special-needs students, or students with diverse learning styles.
• Allow students to demonstrate knowledge in a way that works for them (if
possible)
• Provide visual aids and allow students extra time to process what they learn in
class
• Avoid colloquial language or jargon
• Sometimes students do not know that they need to ask a question, thus saying,

8. Ericka Eppler
“Any questions” will not always be effective. Instead ask open-ended questions to
assess learner understanding.
How will you and your students reflect on and evaluate the project?
□ Class discussion
□ Fishbowl
□ Teacher-led formal debrief
□ Student-facilitated formal debrief
□ Individual evaluations
□ Group evaluations
□ Other:
□