The resource provides a hands-on learning experience that allows students to explore their ideas for designing and building a greenhouse to solve a problem their community might face in the future.
The students are tasked with a set of 5 challenges that walk them through the process of designing, building, testing and modifying a small-scale greenhouse building. The resource includes videos to support the testing process as well as reflection questions to guide the students through the inquiry process.
The students will first determine their purpose by watching a video that introduces the learning experience and gives the students necessary background information.
In the second challenge the students will create a detailed plan for their structure by using the provided greenhouse research cards and the worksheet that details the necessary steps.
In the third challenge the students are to build their small-scale greenhouse with the provided materials such as cereal boxes, plastic bags, saran wrap, balloons, straws, tape, string, etc.
In the fourth challenge the students will test the efficacy of their build. The testing process involves:
The resource's goal is to allow the students to explore their ideas and test them regarding building a greenhouse. It promotes research, design, testing and presentation skills.
The Greenhouse Effect is an inquiry resource best suited for the middle school Science classroom. It helps to address the curriculum outcomes related to Structures and Forces in addition to discussing ideas related to the environment and climate change.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Very Good | The resource encourages the students to pursue their own ideas while considering the information presented on the pros and cons of different designs. They also make modifications once they have tested their ideas in order to improve their build. This can also occur after they have been presented with the ideas of other groups in their class. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Satisfactory | The resource effectively addresses the environmental aspect of the issue. The teacher will have to ensure that the discussions in class help to highlight the economic and social connections as well. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Very Good | By engaging and empowering the students from the beginning of the activity, the resource allows them to get a sense of the many factors that are involved in the building of a greenhouse that will satisfy the needs of the environment but also fit the purpose of their design. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Satisfactory | The resource has a goal of allowing the students to explore their ideas, develop them into a design, build the structure and then test it. They develop an understanding of the needs of their build. It does not work towards a tangible change in their lives |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Very Good | The resource is open-ended allowing the students to consider alternative points of view and express their own ideas via their learning and subsequent model. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Poor/Not considered | This is not a focus of this resource. |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Satisfactory | The resource develops a concern for the natural world by allowing the students to consider their own solutions to a possible environmental problem faced by their community. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Good | The resource makes the learning relevant to the lives of the students by having them consider a future community problem that needs to be solved. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Satisfactory | The resource is an inquiry resource focusing on develop an understanding of the strengths of various shapes and materials. It does ask the students to consider the future and address a problem that may exist. It also shares information regarding the present state of the environment. |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Very Good | The students are in control of the process from the beginning of the lesson. They choose their own purpose and let it guide their build and then test their ideas and make their own modifications as needed. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Satisfactory |
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Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Very Good | This exploration is very much self-directed throughout. |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Good | The resource does explain that the learning experience is not meant to be prescriptive but that the teacher can modify the length, content, etc. as they see fit to meet their level of comfort and teaching experience in addition to the needs of the students. However, the resource does not provide any guidance nor materials for this. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Good | The students' experience in the resource allows them to explore and test their ideas in an authentic manner. They are provided with the information on different designs and also different methods to help them test the effectiveness of their choices. |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Poor/Not considered | There are no materials for the evaluation of learning provided. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Satisfactory | |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Good | The students are provided with research cards that contain a great amount of information on design models and their pros and cons. These descriptions of real buildings allow for the students to consider authentic structures for their greenhouse design. |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Very Good | The students have the opportunity to lead and make all of the choices in the activities in this lesson with minimal need for input or direction from the teacher. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |