Cross-Curricular Goals

What is a cross-curricular goal?

Deeper learning can often occur when teachers combine relevant content areas. This type of learning helps engage the whole student with their heart, mind, body, and soul. Using the STEAM component, students will answer the driving question in an effective, creative way.

Why do Cross-Curricular goals challenge students?

They are engaging for students
They reinforce learning by exposing students to content and skills in multiple areas
They help students make connections
They serve as spiral review
They save instructional time because you can teach two things at once

Driving Question:

“How can students create a sustainable home, school, and community?”

Students will work as a group to come up with solutions to this question. They will find out ways to get outdoors, enjoy some fresh air, and create something practical with their hands such as managing square foot garden, build school with herbs and construct green roofs, etc.

We believe that square foot gardening is the best way to demonstrate interdisciplinary teaching units across elementary school curriculum as it incorporates SMART goals that are simple but challenging enough for our students, 21st Century Knowledge and Skills, and STEAM components.

Here is how SFG integrates the SMART Goals:

SPECIFIC- Students will learn about sustainability and work on a specific project to foster a sustainable environment. Specifically, students will design, maintain, and harvest their favorite plant, herb, or vegetable using a square foot garden.

MEASURABLE- Creating sustainability is something that requires a concrete action. By successfully making their own mini garden, students will be able to see a beautiful product with their own eyes. Students love the feeling of being useful and making a positive influence. Gardening is a great way for students to track the process as their plants blossom into a beautiful product. The process of tending a plant and seeing it bloom or produce food takes time and patience, but the payoff in satisfaction is equal to the investment.

ACHIEVABLE- Square foot garden is an achievable goal for all students regardless of age and learning levels. Students with special learning needs and English language learners can easily be differentiated with teacher’s supervision. For example, teachers can provide a written instruction with a translation device (such as an online dictionary) that lists specific instructions for planting a seed. Also, assistive technologies can be used to help students with learning difficulties when creating a square garden.

RELEVANT- Creating environmental sustainability is not an option but our responsibility. It’s about learning to co-exist and leaving a legacy for future generations to come. With a square foot garden, students will start with small changes to look after the planet.

TIME-BOUND- From planting seeds to harvesting the product will require 4 weeks to a couple of months depending on the type of plant. For this project, elementary students will be strongly encouraged to choose plants/veggies/herbs that take less than a month to harvest so they can all celebrate the end product.

How it crosses various subjects and grade levels:

Our group consists of elementary level teachers and sub-teachers in different grades so our project will target students of all elementary levels in grades 1-6. The sustainability gardening project is a collaboration project for all elementary school students, so we will divide the students into two main groups: sprouting learners (G1-3) and blooming learners (G4-6).

Sprouting Learners (G1-G3)

For these sprouting learners, learning about outdoor gardening will provide an opportunity to get outdoor and have hands-on experience in the nature. Teaching students about sustainability can start as early as in Grade 1. Sprouting learners will learn the basics of plants, insects, soil which make up the basics of gardening. Also, students will understand that seed is part of the life cycle of a plant. Here are the example lessons and activities for sprouting learners. For every lesson and activities, we plan to incorporate STEAM education and 21st century knowledge and skills. For specific STEAM components and related activities, explore our STEAM section on the menu bar.

Sprouting Learners will:

(1) Learn the about seeds (Science)

Lesson 1- What is a Seed?

Lesson 2- The Parts of a Seed

Lesson 3- How does a Seed Grow without Soil

Lesson 4- How Does a Seed Grow in Soil

(2) Draw different parts of plants and insects (Science)

(3) Learn the life cycles of plants (Science)

(4) Color, design, and create a flower pot and garden fences (Art)

(5) Compare lengths and sizes of fruits and seeds (Math)

(6) Learn about native plants in different countries (Social Studies)

Blooming Learners (G4-G6)

Blooming learners refer to students in grades 4 to 6 who are building solid academic foundations in various subjects including Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Science, etc. Blooming learners will collaboratively plan, design, create, maintain, and harvest Square Foot Garden. Each class will create a classroom garden with each student managing one square foot grid of the entire garden. For extension activity, students will hold farmers market with their harvested plants, herbs, and veggies and celebrate their outcome. Here are the example lessons and activities for blooming learners. For every lesson and activities, we plan to incorporate STEAM education and 21st century knowledge and skills. For specific STEAM components and related activities, explore our STEAM section on the menu bar.

Blooming Learners will:

(1) Learn about sustainable farming (Social Studies)

Lesson 1: Read articles about different ways of farming in the modern world and compare and contrast the methods

Lesson 2: Students will define, compare, and contrast industrial and sustainable farming

(2) Hold farmers’ market with plants, herbs, and veggies they harvest (Social Science)

(3) Learn Classification of organisms (Life science)

(4) Learn what sustainability means and create an awareness poster and videos (Writing, Social Studies)

(5) Learn different measurements, conversions, and volumes to measure the garden (Math)

(6) Learn about how food systems feed the world (Social Studies)

(7) Learn about names of national flowers in each country, their history and symbolism (Social Studies/History)