Q3 Theme: Spring Growing Things
This quarter follows a naturalist's eye through the life cycle of plants. We start with the basics of plant biology, grow seeds of our own, and nurture a Garden Science Journal throughout all nine weeks. We read "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown, a beautiful story about a robot learning to survive and adapt in nature alongside animals. This becomes our bridge into plant science. We'll also be working on a fantasy short story with a creature protagonist that we will write, illustrate, and publish. Math connects to geometry and spatial thinking. Social studies explores ancient civilizations (China, India, the Silk Road) and how cultures traded and shared knowledge across vast distances. This quarter invites hands-on growing, careful observation, imaginative storytelling, and careful study of a real garden.
Oregon State Standards - Quarter 3
This quarter aligns with Oregon Common Core ELA and Math standards, as well as Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for middle school life science and Oregon Grade 6 Social Studies standards. The standards below guide all daily lessons and projects.
Language Arts (ELA)
- RL.6.1: Cite textual evidence from literature to support analysis
- RL.6.2: Determine theme or central idea; summarize
- RL.6.3: Describe how plot, character, and setting interact
- RL.6.10: Read and comprehend literature grades 6-8
- W.6.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences (fantasy short story)
- W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to task and audience
- W.6.5: Develop and strengthen writing through planning, drafting, revising, editing
- W.6.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question
- W.6.10: Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames
- L.6.4: Determine or clarify meaning of unknown words using context clues
- SL.6.4: Present claims and findings using appropriate eye contact, volume, and pronunciation (story sharing day)
Math (Common Core Grade 6)
- 6.G.A.1: Find area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons
- 6.G.A.2: Find volume of right rectangular prisms with fractional edge lengths
- 6.G.A.3: Draw polygons in the coordinate plane given coordinates
- 6.G.A.4: Represent three-dimensional figures using nets; find surface area
- 6.EE.A.2: Write, read, and evaluate expressions in which letters stand for numbers
- 6.EE.B.6: Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions
- 6.EE.B.7: Solve real-world problems by writing and solving equations of the form x + p = q and px = q
Science (NGSS - Life Science)
- MS-LS1-5: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms
- MS-LS1-6: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy
- MS-LS2-1: Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms
- MS-LS2-3: Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem
Social Studies (Grade 6)
- SS.6.H.1: Analyze chronological reasoning and historical cause/effect in ancient civilizations
- SS.6.H.2: Gather, evaluate, and use multiple sources to understand ancient history
- SS.6.GEO.1: Use geographic tools and spatial thinking to analyze human patterns
- SS.6.GEO.2: Analyze human-environment interaction in ancient China and India
- SS.6.EC.1: Analyze economic systems, trade networks, and goods exchange (Silk Road)
- SS.6.CV.1: Analyze how power and authority functioned in ancient China and India
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Garden Science Journal: Project Instructions
This is an ongoing project across all 9 weeks, not a one-time build. You will make entries weekly on Thursdays and watch your plants grow from seed to young plants ready for spring.
Use a Blank Sketchbook
Dedicate a sketchbook or blank journal to your garden observations. This will become your science record and a work of art you can treasure.
Date Every Entry
Write the date at the top of each page. This helps you track time and growth over the 9 weeks.
Each Entry Includes Four Things
Sketch: Draw your plants in pencil or colored pencil. Show leaves, stems, roots if visible, flowers if present. Be detailed and observant. Measurement: Use a ruler. Measure the height of the plant from soil to top. Record in centimeters or inches. Observation Note: Write a few sentences about what you notice. Is it growing? What color are the leaves? Are there any changes since last week? Question or Wonder: Write one question or curiosity: "Why are the leaves turning yellow?" or "When will it flower?" or "Does this plant like sun or shade better?"
Weekly Check-Ins on Thursdays
Every Thursday, spend 15-20 minutes observing your plants, sketching, measuring, and writing. This consistent routine builds scientific thinking and careful observation skills.
Final Entry in Week 9
In Week 9, create a growth chart or graph showing measurements from Week 1 through Week 9. Write a final reflection: What grew best and why? What surprised you? What would you change or do differently next season? What did you learn about plants?
Fantasy Short Story: Project Instructions
Over 9 weeks, you will brainstorm, outline, write, revise, illustrate, and publish a fantasy short story with a creature protagonist. This is YOUR story, so let your imagination guide you.
Week 1 Thursday: Brainstorm
Who is your creature? What kind of animal or fantasy being is it? What does it look like? What are its special abilities or traits? What world does it live in? Is it similar to Earth? A magical realm? Underwater? A forest? Space? What is the problem or quest your creature faces? Spend time imagining and jotting down ideas.
Weeks 2-3: Outline
Create a simple outline or use index cards. Write one scene or main idea per card. Organize them in order: Beginning (introduce the creature and the world, what is the problem?), Middle (the problem gets harder or more interesting, what challenges does the creature face?), End (how does the creature solve the problem, learn something new, or grow?). You should have 5-8 cards or outline points.
Weeks 4-5: First Draft
Write the story! Follow your outline but don't worry about making it perfect. This is a first draft, so focus on getting the story down on paper. Aim for 3-5 pages handwritten or 1.5-2 pages typed. Don't stop to fix things. Let the story flow. Trust your imagination.
Weeks 6-7: Revision
Read your story aloud. Listen for places where it gets slow, confusing, or unclear. Mark those spots. Fix them: add more detail, clarify confusing parts, add dialogue if needed. Add more description of your creature: what does it look like? What color? Texture? Size? What does it feel like to be this creature? Read aloud again. Notice how it sounds.
Week 8: Final Draft and Illustrations
Write a clean, final copy of your story. Decide which scenes are most important or exciting and plan one illustration for each major scene (3-4 illustrations total). Sketch roughs first, then create finished illustrations using pencil, colored pencil, or ink. Design a cover page with your story title, your name as author, and an illustration that captures the essence of your story.
Week 9: Publish and Share
Arrange all pages in order: cover, title page (if you want one), story pages, illustration pages. Staple them together or bind them with brads or string to create a finished book. On Thursday, read your story aloud to family or friends. Share your illustrations. Celebrate what you created! This is YOUR published book.
Escape Room: Garden Lab (Solver Edition)
You are designing and building an escape room puzzle for a friend or family member to solve. The theme is "Garden Lab"—all puzzles connect to plants, seeds, soil, and what you're learning in Q3. Use real objects from your garden or home as props.
Puzzle 1: Plant Cell Decoder
Create a matching puzzle where players match symbols to the parts of a plant cell: nucleus, chloroplast (where photosynthesis happens), cell wall, cell membrane, mitochondria. Each symbol has a letter. When matched correctly, the letters spell out a clue word that leads to the next puzzle. Example: symbols might be a sun (chloroplast = C), a wall (cell wall = W), a gate (cell membrane = M), etc.
Puzzle 2: Soil pH Puzzle
Create a logic puzzle: "If soil pH is 6.5, it is acidic. Blueberries like acidic soil. What other plants like acidic soil? If you plant 3 blueberry bushes, 2 azaleas, and 1 rhododendron, how many acid-loving plants do you have?" The answer might be a number that unlocks the next clue or opens a box.
Puzzle 3: Plant Name Cipher
Create a simple cipher (like a substitution code) where each letter is replaced by another letter or symbol. Write the names of 5 plants you've learned about: "tomato," "basil," "carrot," "lettuce," "bean." Players must decode the cipher to find the plant names. Once decoded, they might form an acrostic that spells out the next clue.
Puzzle 4: The Hidden Seed (Final Puzzle)
Create a treasure hunt using plant biology clues. Example: "I am found in the soil beneath roots. I hold the plant up and absorb water. Where would you find the next clue?" (Answer: the roots, and the clue is hidden near a potted plant.) Each clue leads to the next hiding spot: "I am the part where photosynthesis happens. Find the next clue in a leaf." Continue until they find a small box or envelope labeled "The Hidden Seed"—the final answer or prize.
Build Your Room
Set up the escape room in a room or corner of your home. Use real props: potted plants, soil, seed packets, a ruler (for measuring), magnifying glass, colored pencil, paper, books about plants. Arrange puzzles in order. Test your room with someone: can they solve all the puzzles? Is it too easy? Too hard? Just right? Make adjustments based on their feedback. Time them to see how long it takes to escape.
Resources for Q3
Books
- The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (core novel)
- The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock (detailed plant observations)
- Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon (plant science made clear)
- Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy (hands-on gardening for kids)
Videos and Online
- Crash Course Kids: Photosynthesis (YouTube)
- Crash Course Kids: Plant Life Cycles (YouTube)
- Khan Academy: Geometry lessons (free, aligned to your math work)
- PBS Learning Media: Plant science videos (free, short segments)
Supplies You'll Need
- Seeds: herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro), vegetables (tomatoes, beans, lettuce, carrots), or flowers
- Small pots, seed trays, or garden bed space
- Potting soil and garden soil
- Soil pH test kit (inexpensive, available at garden centers)
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Blank sketchbook for Garden Science Journal
- Index cards for story planning
- Colored pencils, pencils, or ink for story illustrations