Students work in partners to investigate how climate, soil pH, water, and sunlight affect where a fruit or vegetable can grow, using short research to answer authentic questions about crops and place. They create and present a paper-based slide with a hand-drawn image, evidence from multiple sources, and a claim about whether their crop could grow successfully in their community and what support it would need. The experience builds collaboration, communication, and content knowledge through shared decision-making, public presentation, feedback, and daily reflection on both learning and teamwork.

Students will conduct a short partner research project using multiple reliable sources to investigate how climate, soil pH, water, and sunlight affect where a fruit or vegetable can grow. They will collaborate to make shared decisions, divide responsibilities fairly, and combine their findings into a clear paper-based visual with an evidence-based explanation of whether the crop could grow successfully in their community. Students will communicate their learning through a class presentation, respond to peer feedback during a gallery walk, and reflect on both their scientific understanding and their contribution to a respectful classroom community.

Partners will create a shared research note-catcher with facts from multiple reliable sources about their chosen fruit or vegetable’s climate, soil pH, water, sunlight, and nutritional benefits or drawbacks, along with a claim about whether it could grow in their community. They will also produce a paper-based slide featuring a hand-drawn illustration, clearly organized research findings, and an explanation of what supports or changes would be needed for successful local growth. As a final public product, each pair will give a short class presentation using the slide to explain how growing conditions affect where the crop can thrive. Students will also complete a written reflection paragraph about their own contribution, their partner’s contribution, and what they learned about working in a functional classroom community.

Kick off with a “Produce Passport” experience: set out real fruits and vegetables or photo cards at stations, and have partners rotate quickly to observe, taste if possible, and record first guesses about each crop’s climate, soil, water, and sunlight needs. After the rotations, partners choose one crop they can both agree on and write a short prediction about whether it could grow in their community without extra support. Close with a brief whole-class share where teams explain one surprising observation and one question they want to research, setting up the investigation for day one.

Host a classroom “Crop Showcase” where each partner displays their paper slide and gives a 1–2 minute presentation explaining their fruit or vegetable’s growing conditions, nutritional benefits or drawbacks, and whether it could grow successfully in the local community without extra support. Invite classmates, another science class, or families to circulate, ask questions, and compare how climate, soil pH, water, and sunlight affect where different crops can thrive. Build in a gallery walk so visitors can leave sticky-note comments about what they learned from at least two projects and what resources or changes might help each crop grow locally. Close with a brief whole-group share-out where students name one new insight about crop growth and one collaboration move that made the showcase successful.