Inspirational Context Resources
Want to Be a Creative Leader? Look to the Garden
UGA Center for Urban Gardening
Connect to 2nd Grade Learning Outcomes
Launching Pad for DEEPdt challenge: Visiting an Urban Garden downtown ATL
Users: Senior Citizens @ Mt.Vernon Village + MVPS Peeps + Kitchen + ?
Discover
- Do a Jots & Sketches: What questions can we bring to the Urban Garden? How will we capture these questions and more importantly how will we capture the answers? Could certain students be assigned recorders? What is the purpose of the Urban Garden? Mission? Intent behind the Urban Garden. Who are the Users it serves?
- Visit Urban Garden
- Have students take pictures (Close-Up pictures and panned out pictures)of the space, the garden beds, tools used, the people, individual vegetables. Encourage students to capture pictures of interest, things they don’t understand, areas of Why, and also if they see any needs or problems with the space
- Capture things, moments, interactions, transitions, faces, hands, Actions via camera, video
- Upon returning to classrooms…. Do an I Like, I Wonder, I Wish feedback with 2nd graders about their experience- capture their responses on post-its for the Cork Board…. Ask if they see any connections or spaces at MV that might be a good (& available) space to grow an urban garden.
DAY 2
With each HR (or this can be conducted w/ Stephenson/Rothbard & Bradford/Terry), print out 10-20 pictures from the experience. We can send them to CVS to get real printed photographs- If you want send them my way, I can take care of it.
- Have students create a collective Discover Board of the photographs. It would be pretty cool to connect the photos to words, phrases, ideas that are sparked, etc
- Take a Gallery Walk of the boards to encourage students to go to the other HRs Discover boards to add their observations
DAY 3
Let students know they are going to visit the Bird Sanctuary. Maybe you will want to do an I used to think… but now I think… On 1 sentence strip have them complete the sentence… I Used to think...
What do they think the Bird Sanctuary is? Why was it created? Who are its Users? Why? Have they ever been there? Can they draw it from memory? What do they expect to see when they visit the BS? How Might they Connect the Urban Gardens to the Bird Sanctuary? Are there connections? Are there possibilities?
When they visit the Bird Sanctuary--- Will they bring a notebook to record observations, make sketches of the space, write questions they have that need answering?
DAY 4
- After observations and such have been made from the Bird Sanctuary- Can these be added to the Discover Board?
- Have Students complete their I Used to Think… But Now I Think… VTR on a 2nd sentence Strip. But Now I think… Is there a space to display this VTR?
Pose this question to students HMW… combine a bird sanctuary + an Urban Garden?
What will be done? Can the students be tasked to collaborate together to create a plan of action? What about mixing the HRs into teams? Is there potential for adding an Urban Garden to the Bird Sanctuary? Can the students draw up plans on butcher paper- Map the Space as it sits. Then with a different color draw additions to the space. Create a Map Key?
DAY 5
Do a KNTK on a WhiteWall
When it comes to combining the Bird Sanctuary + an Urban Garden, what do they already know? and what do they Need To Know?
DAY 6
Using their Plan of Action, students are almost ready to go seek Users.
Who are their Users? Can they list them?
Feel free to utilize: USER Map
DAY 7
What questions can they create that will help them understand the needs of the Users of this space?
How can we learn more?
Who can help us understand?
What can we do to understand?
It is through the Users the students will craft the purpose, mission, and hopes for the Bird Sanctuary + Urban Garden.
The students are generating
Interview Questions to seek Understanding, Needs, & Answers
Could they try a Question Starter + Question Sort VTR?
DAY 8
How will students have access to their questions? What will they use to capture their Users’s answers? For example, the SpaceBox Challenge used this after doing a Q Sort:
In groups of 3-4, have students discuss how they will go about the Needfinding. Is it possible to have students practice interviewing? Who will record the answers? Will they take turns? Can a Mock interview be done for the whole class to observe & give feedback?
Taking their Plan of Actions, their Questions, and a plan to conduct interviews… Have the groups go for it. Remind them to show their Plan of Actions to their Users for Feedback.
DAY 9
Have each group go over their NeedFinding notes & feedback with their Plan of Action. Can they fill out the MoVe Man with some information? Would it be easier to do a few as a whole class? Could they draw MoVe Men on the Chalk Board and fill it in with information they feel is valuable?
MoVe Man
Students can work as a whole, in pairs, individually and fill out the MoVe Man.
DAY 10
What needs were identified? Can they be listed? Have they identified a specific problem? Do they understand the WHY?
Have Users given them some ideas of what is needed in the space and how to go about making an Urban Garden & adding to the Bird Sanctuary?
EXPERIMENT
DAY 11
Is it possible for the class to create HMW… statements? based off of their insights from their Users?
Using HMW… questions 4th Word starters.
HMW...create…
HMW...improve…
HMW...design…
HMW...make…
HMW...invent…
HMW...encourage…
HMW...solve…
DAY 12
In their Empathy Groups..
Once the HMW…? is selected, have the groups brainstorm answers to the question on the WhiteWall and/or tables
The students need to generate at least 5 solutions-
Has their Plan of Action Changed at all? Do they need to create a NEW Plan of Action?
Have the Students narrow down to their favorite solution- and Draw their Solution on a fresh new sheet of butcher Paper
DAY 13
With their New Solution for the space, have the class do a gallery walk and provide feedback
Here is an example (other than I Like, I Wonder,I Wish- but either one will work) Or even just leaving post-its on the Plan of Action...
Back to Experiment Mode
DAY 14
Is it possible to either combine solutions or is there one that stands out among the group? It is important for the 4 HRs to come together with a collective Plan of Action. I personally, would just see which plan is most executable and manageable as well as supports the purpose of the Bird Sanctuary.
DAY 15-16-17-18
The time has come to get dirty and clean up the Bird Sanctuary, Prep the Beds, Create New Beds, and prepare for planting…
It is hard to predict what will happen over these several days but a few thoughts
- Encourage Ss to bring in garden gloves to use
- Ask for volunteers to bring in shovels
- Bags of Dirt need to be purchased- at least 15
- What can be used as a border for the New Vegetable Beds?
- Is it possibile to have a bench built? Or repurposed?
- I think it would be best if each HR had an area and Veg. Bed of responsibility
The Next Steps are really up in the air based on timing of install of Vegetables, Flowers (they will be delivered early Oct.) and then maintenance/care/study of the space by students during the next several months.
I can pick up the decided upon Veggies, dirt, & such at HD when you are ready for them. I will also bring Pansies and such based on what is decided for flowers (http://www.premiergrowersinc.com/)
