Launch
Students will launch the alley green space project by noticing needs in a real place, discussing first reactions and possibilities, and learning the design inquiry routine they will use in later phases.
Days 1 - 2
🚶 Alley Adventure Walk
Launch 45m
🧭 Design Cycle Steps
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
Research & Map
Students will investigate the alley through photos and a simple map, record what users might notice and need, read a short community garden text to gather ideas, and write a brief response naming a sustainable goal their class design should support.
Days 3 - 5
🚶 Alley Walk Notes Map
Launch 45m
📚 Community Garden Text Hunt
Knowledge/Skill Building 40m
✍️ Sustainable Goal Response
Assessment 45m
Design Brief & Ideas
Students will turn alley walk notes, map evidence, and community garden research into a simple class design brief, generate several green space ideas, and use structured peer feedback to revise the strongest options before moving into prototyping.
Days 6 - 8
🧩 Alley Needs Pattern Sort
Knowledge/Skill Building 40m
✏️ How Might We Sketch Set
Project Work 45m
💬 Idea Gallery Feedback Revision
Deliverable 45m
Prototype & Validate
Students will turn earlier research and idea sketches into quick physical and drawn prototypes, test those ideas with peers and a community-connected audience, revise twice using feedback, and finish the phase with a refined scale plan and written design justification they can carry into the final showcase.
Days 9 - 11
🧰 Alley Model Materials Mini-Lab
Knowledge/Skill Building 25m
✂️ Alley Prototype Feedback Round
Project Work 45m
🗣️ Partner Plan Pitch Practice
Deliverable 20m
🌿 Groundworks Plan Check
Community Experience 25m
📏 Refined Alley Scale Plan
Deliverable 20m
Showcase
Students will share their final alley green space design with families, neighbors, and community partners through a public walk-through, explain how research, measurements, feedback, and sustainability shaped the plan, and complete a brief reflection on what they learned as designers.
Day 12
🌿 Green Space Grand Opening
Assessment 45m