Curriculum Integration
Avicenna Academy is accredited with AdvancED, a global accrediting body. As a private school with independent accreditation, we abide by the Indiana state standards as a minimum guideline for our students. Our proposed community garden project addresses a number of state standards in science, mathematics and for our younger students, social studies. The following table shows the task that each grade level was given and the standards that have been touched upon or are planned to be touched upon prior to the garden's creation in the spring. There will be many more standards addressed once the garden is planted.
|
| Standards Addressed & Current Integration (K-Grade 7) |
Grade | Task(s) | Standard(s) Addressed | Integration |
PS & K | Determine whether or not we will need earthworms to help the plants grow. | SC.K.4.1 2000; SC.K.4.2 2000; MA.K.5.1 2000; MA.K.5.2 2000; MA.K.1.8 2000; MA.K.1.9 2000 | Students worked with older students to count the number of worms found in a cubic foot of soil from our garden area. (Identifying, counting, observing, functionality.) |
1 | Determine what native, flowering plants we can grow in our garden for aesthetic enjoyment. | SC.1.4.2 2000; SC.1.4.4 2000; SC.1.6.2 2000; SS.1.3.9.2007 | Students will research various native, flowering plants to determine which will best create a pleasant seating area for outdoor classroom use. (Identifying, comparing, observing.) |
2 | Choose appropriate plants to use as pest deterrents. | SC.2.2.5 2000; SC.2.2.3 2000; SC2.1.1 2000; SC.2.3.4 2000; SC.2.4.1 2000; SC.2.4.2 2000; SC.2.4.3 2000; SC.2.5.4 2000; MA.2.4.1 2000; MA.2.4.3 2000; MA. 2.6.1 2000; MA.2.6.2 2000; MA.2.6.3 2000; MA.2.6.4 2000 | Students used the internet to research appropriate plants, selected a plant type and then used estimated measurements to determine how many are needed. (Environmental relationships, changes over time, reasoning, measuring and physical characteristics.) |
3 | Choose vegetables to be planted, based upon NWI Food Bank's need. | SC.3.1.5 2000; SC.3.1.3 2000; SC.3.3.5 2000; SC.3.4.7 2000; SC.3.4.8 2000; SC.3.4.4 2000; SC.3.6.4 2000; SS.3.3.10 2007; SS.3.3.7 2007 | Students used the internet and garden books to determine appropriate vegetables to be planted in our garden. Communication between third grade and sixth and seventh grade led to an understanding that some crops would need to be grown in elevated beds with pH altered. (Identifying, communication, nutrition.) |
4 | Create rain barrel system for collecting water to use in our garden. | SC.4.1.3 2000; SC.4.1.6 2000; SC.4.1.8 2000; SC.4.2.1 2000; SC.4.4.9 2000; SC.4.4.5 2000; SC. 4.4.6 2000; SC.4.6.1 2000; S.C.4.6.3 2000; SC.4.6.4 2000; SC.4.6.2 2000; MA.4.5.1 2000;, MA. 4.5.2 2000; MA.4.5.3 2000; MA.4.7.1 2000; MA.4.7.2 2000; MA.4.7.3 2000; MA.4.7.8 2000; MA.4.7.8 2000 | Students researched various rain barrel system designs, adapted one for the use of our system and will build six of these systems for use in our garden. (Water cycle, environmental relationships, measurement, tool use, following instructions.) |
5 | Create a compost system and work with fourth grade in incorporating the rain barrel systems into the garden. | SC.5.1.6 2000; SC.5.2.3 2000; SC.5.2.6 2000; SC.5.2.7 2000; SC.5.3.10 2000; SC.5.6.1 2000; SC.5.6.1 2000; MA.5.5.2 2000; MA.5.5.6 2000 | Students investigated use of compost for gardening, various means of storing compost and created a design for a compost "house". (Environmental relationships, nutrition, measurement, tool use.) |
6 & 7 | Determine soil type/size, chemistry, and drainage. Also, plan the layout for the garden, working with all other grade levels. | SC.6.2.3 2000; SC.6.2.7 2000; SC.6.4.1 2000; SC.6.4.8 2000; SC.6.4.2 2000; SC.6.5.1 2000; SC.6.5.2 2000; SC.7.1.6 2000; SC.7.2.7 2000; SC.7.4.6 2000; SC.7.4.7 2000; SC.7.4.8 2000; SC.7.7.3 2000; SC.8.2.8 2000 | Students determined pH, soil type, percolation, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In addition, students worked on designing a layout to accommodate various vegetable types through use of elevated beds. These students are putting all of the other pieces, given to them by the younger students, together to create one garden. (Communication, collaboration, integrating multiple plans, problem-solving, design, measurement, investigation, soil testing.) |
|
