Learning Expedition Plan
Title
How Does Your Garden Grow?
School
Expeditionary Learning Mountain Region
Grade Level
First Grade
Discipline(s)
Life Science and Earth Science, Economics, and English Language Arts
Specific Topic
Plants and Soil
Start & End Dates
Yearlong- September through May
Author(s)
Marnie Cooke and Katie Shenk - Based upon Emily Bremer’s 1st grade
Plants and Soil Expedition, the Odyssey School
Summary
Farms/gardens and plants are vital to the health and survival of humans and other animals. A region’s
climate or conditions have a significant impact on what a farmer/gardener or farm can grow. Although all
plants need soil, water, sun, and air to survive, each species of plant has physical characteristics that help it
survive in varying conditions. Soil is a critical resource for all farmers and plants. It is one of the Earth’s
most important resources.
We will begin with a case study of a local farm. Students will learn who works on a farm, and what goods
and services are exchanged for money. Students will learn what plants grow there, how the different parts
of the plant help them grow, what they need to grow, and the plant life cycle. Students will discover soil’s
importance in plant growth. Students will also learn what can grow locally and why, based on the region’s
seasons and weather.
After studying a local farm and its goods, students will learn what soil is made up of, how it is formed,
what lives in dirt, and how we can keep soil healthy. Students will learn about the organic and inorganic
parts of soil and how they work together. We will also research how soil is formed and look closely at the
rock cycle. Earthworms will provide the lens with which to study how other organisms perform a specific
job in maintaining soil and plant health. Students will look closely at worms through direct observation,
experimentation, and research. Students will learn about worm anatomy, how worms help keep the soil
healthy, and how vermicomposting can help the soil’s health.
Finally, students will use their knowledge and experiences from the expedition to either plan, plant and
grow an edible school garden or advocate for its creation in the community. Students will work with
master gardeners and community members to design, create or advocate for a garden that provides food
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for our community.
Guiding Questions
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Why do we need farms and gardens?
What makes up healthy soil?
What makes my food grow?
Standards Assessed in the Learning Expedition*
*Note: For Science and Social Studies content standards, we have included other grade level
standards that are developmentally appropriate and explicitly taught in this case study/expedition.
Discipline
Standard
Earth Systems Science*
1st Grade Earth Systems Science 1: Earth’s materials can be compared and
classified based on their properties
Standards from other grade levels:
2nd Grade Earth Systems Science 1: Weather and the changing seasons
impact the environment and organisms such as humans, plants and other
animals.
3rd Grade Earth Systems Science 1: Earth’s materials can be broken down
and/or combined into different materials such as rocks, minerals, rock cycle,
formation of soil, and sand – some of which are usable resources for human
activity
Life Science*
Standards from other grade levels:
2nd Grade Life Science 1: Organisms depend on their habitat’s nonliving
parts to satisfy their needs
2nd Grade Life Science 2: Each plant or animal has different structures or
behaviors that serve different functions.
Economics*
1st grade Economics 1: People work at different types of jobs and in
different types of organizations to produce goods and services and receive an
income
Reading
RL.1.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
RI.1.2. Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
RI.1.3. Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or
pieces of information in a text.
RI.1.4. Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of
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words and phrases in a text.
RI.1.5. Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents,
glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a
text.
RI.1.6. Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other
illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
RI.1.7. Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.
RI.1.8. Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
RI.1.9. Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the
same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
RI.1.10. With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately
complex for grade 1.
Writing
W.1.1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the
book they are writing about.
W.1.2. Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic,
supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
W.1.5. With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to
questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing
as needed.
W.1.6. With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to
produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
W.1.7. Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a
number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a
sequence of instructions).
W.1.8. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from
experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a
question.
Listening and Speaking
SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about
grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
– Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with
care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
– Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of
others through multiple exchanges.
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Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under
discussion.
SL.1.2. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or
information presented orally or through other media.
SL.1.3. Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to
gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.
Language
L.1.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.1.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning
words and phrases based on grade 1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from
an array of strategies.
Case Study One
September-November
1. Case Study Title
Case Study Content
What’s Growing at _____ Farm? (insert local farm case study site)
Economics
 People who work on a farm
 Goods and services provided by a farm
Life Science
 What plants grow at a local farm
 Basic needs of plants (soil, water, shelter, sun, air)
 Plant parts-(form and function - seeds, roots, leaves, flowers, stems)
 Plant life cycle
 Plants as food: sorting and classifying fruits and vegetables grown on
the farm based on their plant parts (e.g. potato is a root, lettuce is a
leaf)
Earth Science
 Colorado’s seasons and weather
 How the seasons and weather affect plant growth
Scientific Inquiry Content
 Asking questions
 Using senses to make observations
 Collecting data
 Making predictions
 Creating scientific drawings
 Sorting/Classifying
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Big Ideas/Broad
Concepts
Key Standards that Drive
the Study


Using scientific tools
Conferring with experts

Farmers contribute to their communities by providing goods and
services, which in turn provide them an income with which to live.
A plant’s parts exist to meet its basic needs; these parts affect whether
a plant can grow in a given climate or condition.

1st Grade Economics 1: People work at different types of jobs and in
different types of organizations to produce goods and services and receive an
income.
2nd Grade Life Science 2: Each plant or animal has different structures or
behaviors that serve different functions.
2nd Grade Earth Systems Science 1: Weather and the changing seasons impact
the environment and organisms such as humans, plants, and other animals.
Case Study Two
December-January
2. Case Study Title
The Dirt on Dirt
Case Study Content
Earth Science Content
 Community of soil and how components below work together
 Small grains of rock
 Humus
 Bacteria
 Water
 Air
 Plants
 Animals
 How soil is formed
 Rock cycle
 Weathering
 Erosion
 Identifying and sorting types of soil
 Sand
 Silt
 Clay
 How loam supports plant growth

Properties of different kinds of soil
 Color
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
 Porosity
 Texture
Uses of soil
 Soil as habitat
 Soil for planting/growing
 Soil for building/constructing
 Soil for food/supporting life
Scientific Inquiry Content
 Asking questions
 Using senses to make observations
 Collecting data
 Recording data
 Making predictions
 Creating scientific drawings
 Using scientific tools
 Conferring with experts
 Using precise scientific language to describe findings
 Effective fieldwork practices and skills
Big Ideas/Broad
Concepts
Key Standards that Drive
the Study

Soil has many different components of which all living things are
dependent
1st Grade Earth Systems Science 1: Earth’s materials can be compared and
classified based on their properties.
3rd Grade Earth Systems Science 1: Earth’s materials can be broken down
and/or combined into different materials such as rocks, minerals, rock cycle,
formation of soil, and sand – some of which are usable resources for human
activity.
Case Study Three
February-March
3. Case Study Title
Case Study Content
Wiggly Worms at Work


An earthworm’s anatomy
What earthworms do
 Eliminate castings that add nutrients
 Mix and aggregate soil
 Increase porosity
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


Big Ideas/Broad
Concepts
Key Standards that Drive
the Study


 Improve water-holding capacity
 Provide channels for roots
What is Vermicomposting?
 Process of using worms to turn organic matter into humus
 Red wigglers
How to create and care for a vermicomposting bin
 More surface than depth
 Air holes in bottom
 Low sides for ventilation
Soil health (how scientists use worms to determine health of soil)
A worm’s body parts serve different purposes that benefit the
environment
Soil supports a variety of living things that use its resources in
different ways
2nd Grade Life Science 2: Each plant or animal has different structures or
behaviors that serve different functions.
1st Grade Earth Systems Science 1: Earth’s materials can be compared and
classified based on their properties.
Case Study Four
April-May
4. Case Study Title
We’re Diggin’ It
Case Study Content
If a classroom garden is viable...
 Garden design
 Choosing appropriate soil and seeds to grow
 Tools and methods for planting
 An opinion letter to community businesses to secure gardening
materials
If a garden is not yet a reality...
 Research on a good location
 Determining best purposes/uses for a garden in that location
 An opinion letter to a community board, neighborhood
association or developer advocating for a garden plot
Big Ideas/Broad
Concepts


Key Standards that Drive
the Study
Gardens support a variety of plants and animals that use its
resources in different ways
Plants and animals are affected by weather and changing seasons.
2nd Grade Life Science 2: Each plant or animal has different structures or
behaviors that serve different functions
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2nd Grade Earth Systems Science 1: Weather and the changing seasons
impact the environment and organisms such as humans, plants, and other
animals.
Project(s)
Project Title
Project Summary
Product/Audience*
Farm to Feast
1st Grade students will build their background
knowledge about the vital roles that farms and plants play
in our community by visiting local farms to consult
with expert farmers. During these fieldwork
experiences, students will learn about a farm’s goods
and services and conduct research on plant parts and
functions. In the classroom, students will engage in
science talks and perform scientific experiments and
read informational text about plant life cycles and
record their learning in science journals. These
experiences will prepare students for embarking on a
fruits and vegetables investigation, in which students
will discover a specific plant’s basic needs, how its parts
assist with growth, its life cycle, and whether it grows
locally and why.
Option A:
Fruit/vegetable mystery
pieces (may be individual
cards or an anthology) for
a grocery store, farmer’s
market or local farm if
there is a need/interest.
(see EL Commons link for
model:
http://elschools.org/stude
nt-work/fruit-andvegetable-mystery)
For this project’s culminating product, students will
participate in a series of informational writing
workshops and scientific drawing lessons where they
will plan, draft and revise fruit/vegetable mystery cards
or an informational book on a local farm’s goods and
services. The scientific drawings or illustrations may be
done in collaboration with an art teacher. The mystery
cards or informational book may be shared with a
grocery store, farmer’s market or a farm.
Dirt and Worms
In order for students to understand the interaction of
living things within a growing garden, they will
investigate soil science. Students will conduct
experiments with soil and read informational texts to
research what soil is made up of, how it is formed, and
compare and contrast different kinds of soil. Students
will meet with Pedology experts to better understand
what affects the soil’s ability to support plant life.
Students will create picture dictionaries that help them
learn new words/terms and synthesize them into their
thinking.
Mountain Region K-2 Curriculum Project, May 2013
Option B:
A Walk Through _______
Farm: informational book
about local farm that
describes people/roles on
the farm or something that
grows on the farm.
Informational paragraphs
to be accompanied by
illustrations or
photographs from the
farm.
Option A:
A class alphabet (ABC)
book on earthworms and
soil (See examples in EL
Commons)
Option B:
How-To Create Healthy
Soil text card for
distribution at a local
garden center or nursery
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Students will then apply their knowledge of soil to
engage in scientific inquiry that focuses on
decomposers. Students will learn about earthworms’
anatomy and how it affects the soil through
observations and experiments. In addition, they will
conduct research on worm anatomy and the worm life
cycle, as well as engage discussions with
vermicomposting experts. Lastly, students will create
and maintain a vermicomposting bin with which to
observe how earthworms help the soil, how a worms’
color can determine soil health, and how
vermicomposting contributes to soil health.
For this project’s culminating product, students will
participate in informational writing workshops and
science talks in which they will plan, draft and revise an
Earthworm/ Soil alphabet book or How to Create
Healthy Soil text card. They will also create scientific
drawings or illustrations that may be done in
collaboration with an art teacher. The Alphabet book or
How to text cards may be shared with a local community
garden or nursery.
Getting Grounded:
Community Garden
Students will apply their learning from the previous
case studies and projects to take action by creating their
own garden on school (or adjacent) property or
advocating for one to be created in their community.
Students will collaborate with expert gardeners to
generate a design plan determined the best match for
plants and soil to be used, as well as seek assistance in
planting the garden. The class will conduct research by
visiting other school-based gardens to determine best
practices.
Once the students have collected data and generated a
thorough and high-quality garden design for their
purposes, students will either write opinion letters to
secure resources for the garden or an opinion letter for
advocating for a garden in the community.
Option A:
A garden design and
opinion letter to secure
gardening materials, a
school-based and planted
garden
Option B:
A garden design and
opinion letter to ask for
the creation of a
community or school
based garden
*Note: We have provided a couple of suggested products. When selecting a product
format/audience, consider the following:
o An authentic audience
o Alignment of the product with standards
o The product Is individually assessable, and
o It is realistic/doable for your context.
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Connections to Community & the Larger World
Fieldwork
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Local farms (Berry Patch, Anderson, Delaney)
Community Gardens
Farmers Markets- Cherry Creek market (Wed)
Whole Foods
Denver Urban Gardens - Vermicomposting
Denver Botanic Gardens - Soil Class (Contact Laurel)
Local DPS elementary community gardens (Stedman, Steele, Lincoln)
Waste Farmers
GrowHaus
Experts
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Jungle Judy (Vermicompostor from Denver Urban Garden)
Pedology experts (CSU, CU, etc.)
Master Gardeners
Lucas Newman (Roots and Shoots- William Smith HS)- garden
design
Service Learning
Identify a place or people that could benefit from a local garden. Students
write an opinion letter to advocate for the creation of a community garden.
Expedition Kick-off
BBK experience
Expedition Culmination
Students will showcase their work in various contexts throughout the
expedition (1. Local Farm night in November to share their learning about
plants 2. Pedologist Exhibition Night in March to share ABC book or Soil
Text cards 3. Community Garden culmination to share plans or celebrate
school garden creation (this may also be combined with the Pedologist
Exhibition Night)
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