Sydnee and Raelyn – School Garden SAE
This FFA lesson plan, “School Garden,” uses a video about Sydnee Weintraut and Raelyn Butler’s school garden SAE (a school-based enterprise) to teach students how to plan a vegetable garden. Students research their growing zone, identify suitable vegetables, complete a vegetable planting chart, and sketch a garden plot to scale. The resource includes student worksheets (“In the Garden,” “Veggies Everywhere!”), an answer key, and a Vegetable Garden Plan Rubric.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
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- Research what growing zone they live in and identify vegetables that are suitable for their area.
- Plan a vegetable garden using growing zones and plant requirements.
- Calculate how to space plants in a garden plot and sketch based on a scale.
- Time required
- 180 minutes
- Materials
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- A copy of the "In the Garden" worksheet for each student
- A copy of the "Veggies Everywhere!" worksheet for each student
- A copy of the "Vegetable Garden Plan Rubric" for each student
- Internet access to play the video in real time or embed it in a PowerPoint ahead of time
- Cross-Curricular Connections
- Science: Use growing zones and plant requirements to plan a vegetable garden. Mathematics: Calculate how to space plants in a garden plot and sketch based on a scale.
- Partnership for 21st Century Skills
- Communication; Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Implement Innovations; Information Literacy; Information, Communications, and Technology Literacy; Initiative and Self-Direction; Productivity and Accountability; Think Creatively
- Resources/References
- Video: "School Garden SAE | Sydnee Weintraut and Raelyn Butler," https://vimeo.com/379629138; Website: Growing Zone Finder, https://www.burpee.com/findgrowzone; Website: Burpee Growing Calendar, https://www.burpee.com/growingcalendar; Website: Burpee Vegetable Seeds and Plants, https://www.burpee.com/vegetables/; Article: "Planning a Garden," https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/gardening/planning-a-garden/
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
AFNR Career Ready Practices
- CRP.02Apply appropriate academic and technical skills. Career-ready individuals readily access and use the knowledge and skills acquired through experience and education to be more productive.
- CRP.04Communicate clearly, effectively, and with reason. Career-ready individuals communicate thoughts, ideas and action plans with clarity, whether using written, verbal and/or visual methods.
- CRP.05Consider the environmental, social and economic impact of decisions.
- CRP.06Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
- CRP.07Employ valid and reliable research strategies. Career-ready individuals are discerning in accepting and using new information to make decisions, change practices or inform strategies.
- CRP.08Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Career-ready individuals readily recognize problems in the workplace, understand the nature of the problem, and devise effective plans to solve the problem.
AFNR Performance Element
Common Career Technical Core
Common Core – Literacy in Science & Technical Subjects: Writing
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.7Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.9Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Common Core – Math Practices
- CCSS.Math.Practice.MP1Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
- CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP3Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
- CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP6Attend to precision.
Common Core – Science & Technical Subjects
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.4Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9-10 texts and topics.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.9Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.
Common Core – Speaking and Listening
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1.ACome to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
FFA Precept
- FFA-CS-M.CommunicationEffectively interact with others in personal and professional settings.
- FFA.PG-J.Mental GrowthEmbrace cognitive and intellectual development relative to reasoning, thinking and coping.
- FFA.PL-A.ActionAssume responsibility and take the necessary steps to achieve the desired results, no matter what the goal or task at hand.
FFA Precepts
- FFA.CS-N.Decision MakingAnalyze a situation and execute an appropriate course of action.
NASDCTEc
- AGPB01.02Examine and explain basic plant anatomy and physiology using taxonomic and other classifications to build a working understanding of functional differences among plant structures.
- AGPB01.03Examine and apply fundamentals of production and harvesting when producing plants to demonstrate plant management and production techniques.