Students will investigate the schoolyard as a possible pocket forest site, gather evidence about sunlight, soil, water, wildlife, and human use, and use that evidence to begin understanding who the design should serve and what the place needs.

Students will sort schoolyard evidence and user needs into a focused pocket forest design challenge, then write and refine a clear problem statement that names the site conditions, the people and living things the design should support, and why the challenge matters.

Students will generate multiple pocket forest ideas from earlier site evidence, compare options using habitat and people-centered criteria, and choose one promising team direction to carry into model drafting.

Students will turn their selected pocket forest ideas into first-draft plans and models by applying site evidence, native plant information, and user needs for plants, animals, and people. They will build, explain, and revise an initial prototype through teacher check-ins and a peer feedback round before moving into formal testing.

Students will test their pocket forest drafts with peers and an outside plant expert, gather evidence-based feedback about habitat quality and visitor use, and document revisions they will carry into the next build cycle.

Students will use structured critique to study how well their pocket forest models meet habitat, plant, and visitor needs, give specific evidence-based feedback to classmates, and revise team designs before the final reflection phase.

Students will share their finished pocket forest models with authentic visitors, explain how evidence shaped their design choices, and reflect on how feedback, revision, and teamwork improved their solution for plants, animals, and people.