Growing for Tomorrow

Grade Levels

2nd - 5th (Multi-age, 13 students)

Duration

60 minutes

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Unit Context

Unit: Exploring Farming Systems (Lesson 8 of 16)
Focus: Sustainable Farming Practices
IB Phases: Identity Phase 3, Interaction Phase 4

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Learning Objectives (IB Aligned)

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identity Phase 3:
  • Express their understanding of sustainable farming as a part of personal and community identity.
  • Reflect on their role in supporting sustainable practices within their community context.
• Interaction Phase 4:
  • Collaborate in group discussions to analyze sustainable farming practices and their effects on the environment and community health.
  • Create actionable ideas to promote sustainable farming practices in their daily lives through inquiry and peer communication.

Key Concepts

• Sustainability
• Community health
• Responsibility and action

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Success Criteria

• Students will articulate at least two sustainable farming practices and explain why these are important for community health.
• Students will generate 3 or more actionable ideas to promote sustainability at home or school.
• Demonstrate respectful collaboration and peer feedback during group discussions and project planning.

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Materials Needed

• Large chart paper and markers
• Picture cards depicting various farming practices (including sustainable and non-sustainable) - dyslexia-friendly with colorful visuals and minimal text
• Sticky notes
• “Idea Tree” display board (constructed from paper or cardboard)
• Student journal or sketchbook (for reflections)
• Sentence starters printed in dyslexia-friendly font for written reflections

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Lesson Structure

1. Engage (10 min)

• Inquiry Starter Question (Whole Class):
  “What do you think makes farming good for our community?”
• Teacher shows picture cards of different farming scenarios: traditional, sustainable, and harmful farming. Students sort cards into “Good for Community” and “Not so Good for Community” with partner discussion.
• Teacher connects their ideas to the definitions of sustainability and community health, highlighting how farming choices affect both.

Differentiation: Provide picture clues with simple labels on cards. Students with reading challenges can work in pairs and focus on images and group discussion instead of text.

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2. Explore (15 min)

• Group Brainstorming:
  Split class into 3 groups (4-5 students each, mixed abilities). Each group receives chart paper and markers. They brainstorm sustainable farming practices (examples: crop rotation, composting, water conservation, organic farming) and why these help keep the community healthy.
• Groups use sticky notes to write or draw their ideas, which get posted on the Idea Tree display.

Differentiation:

• Students with writing difficulties can draw or dictate ideas to peers/adults.
• Visual learners respond by creating pictorial representations.
• Encourage use of sentence starters like: “A good farming practice is ___ because...”

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3. Explain (10 min)

• Teacher guides a whole-class discussion using the Idea Tree as a reference. Links are made to IB learner profile attributes, e.g., caring and balanced.
• Emphasize the concept of action in IB curriculum - how students can help their communities.

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4. Elaborate (15 min)

• Student-Led Inquiry Project: “My Sustainable Promise”
  Students individually or in pairs decide on one way to be sustainable related to food or farming (e.g., composting at home, planting a garden, choosing local produce).
• They use journals/sketchbooks to plan their action, including drawings and written steps (with sentence starters available).
• Share plans in small groups for peer feedback and encouragement.

Differentiation:

• Provide alternative formats (drawing only, verbal explanation) to accommodate diverse learners.
• Use graphic organizers for students needing structure.

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5. Evaluate (10 min)

• Students reflect on what they learned and write or verbally share one thing they can do to promote sustainability in their lives or community.
• Teacher collects reflections or assesses participation through observation and journal entries linked to the success criteria.
• Positive peer feedback is encouraged during sharing.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Research a local farm using books or community resources and present how it practices sustainability.
• Design a mini sustainable farm model in small groups using recycled materials.
• Write a short persuasive letter convincing others to adopt a sustainable farming practice.

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Differentiation Summary

Learner Need	Strategy
Reading difficulties/Dyslexia	Use picture cards with minimal text, dyslexia-friendly fonts, sentence starters, oral discussions, paired reading/writing, multisensory methods
English Language Learners	Visual materials, peer collaboration, sentence starters, gestures, and modeling vocabulary
Advanced Learners	Provide research extension, leadership in group tasks, creative modeling projects
Attention/Engagement	Short structured activities, variety of oral, visual, and tactile tasks, peer support groups

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Teacher Reflection & Researcher Role

• Teacher records observations on student inquiry engagement, collaboration, and ability to link farming practices to community health.
• Notes on student-led ideas for sustainability can inform ongoing unit teaching and support differentiated learning paths.
• Consider connections with community farmers or garden visits for future lessons.

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Alignment with IB Curriculum Framework

IB Phase	Aspect	Lesson Alignment
Identity (Phase 3)	Sense of belonging and self-awareness	Students relate sustainable farming to their role in community health
Interaction (Phase 4)	Communication, collaboration, and responsibility	Group discussions, shared action plans, peer feedback, student inquiry resulting in sustainable action plans
Learner Profile	Caring, Communicators, Reflective	Empathy toward environment and community, sharing ideas respectfully, considering personal impact

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This creative and student-centered lesson encourages inquiry, peer learning, and personal connection to sustainability, aligned with both IB philosophy and Reggio Emilia values. It engages diverse learners through multimodal activities and nurtures holistic understanding and responsible action.