Procedure

Students will generate charts to begin to identify what they already know concerning vegetables and vegetable gardening.The students are asked "How can we turn the unused plot of land in the schoolyard into a vegetable garden?"Student responses will be placed in the "Ideas" column of the PBL(Problem Based Learning) chart.Facts that the students are already aware of concerning vegetables and vegetable gardening are placed in the second column. The third column(Learning Issues) contains student questions and concerns.In the fourth column, students identify the ways and means to answering the issues arising from the discussions of vegetables and gardening.

    Cooperative learning groups are designed to include a variety of student levels and abilities.Students will gather information from a variety of books, manuals, periodical articles and websites.Student groups will be given assignments such as measuring the plot, turning over the soil and adding fertilizer and nutrients. Students will also formulate a plan for rotating daily maintainance of the garden such as weeding, watering and upkeep of fencing and garden supports.

    Throughout this endeavor, an on-going dialogue between student and teacher will occur through the use of a journal.Students will create web pages as a culmination of the activity which will also document the entire process.