Roots of Belonging Garden Project

Learning Goals & Products

Learning Goals

Students will be able to investigate user needs, site conditions, and shared-space problems in the current outdoor area to define a clear human-centered design challenge for the Student Legacy Garden.

Students will be able to calculate area, perimeter, scale, and approximate material quantities for the 30×50-foot garden to plan designs within the $13,000 budget and space constraints.

Students will be able to research and evaluate native California plants, drought tolerance, pollinators, and maintenance needs to justify plant choices that support biodiversity and long-term stewardship.

Students will be able to prototype and test multiple garden design ideas, including pathways, entrance features, seating, water features, and legacy elements, to improve comfort, accessibility, and belonging.

Students will be able to justify final design choices using evidence from user feedback, scientific research, and trade-off analysis to explain how the garden supports reflection, learning, and community use.

Products

individual

Student Legacy Garden User Research Portfolio and Prototype Board

Each student creates a research portfolio with interview notes, site observations, plant or materials evidence, and a simple prototype for one garden feature. The product proves individual understanding of the design problem and shows how evidence shaped one testable idea.

team

Student Legacy Garden Design Package and Public Walkthrough Pitch

Teams produce a shared problem statement, revised site plan, budget summary, and higher-fidelity prototype or service solution for the garden. They present the design to authentic stakeholders and explain how user needs, evidence, and trade-offs shaped the final proposal.

Rubric

Competency Progression Rubric Competency-first rubric

Category	Learning Goal	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4
Deeper Learning Competencies	Collaboration	I can work in a team by taking on a role (like measuring, sketching, or recording) and following agreed team steps during the design sprint and critiques.	I can collaborate to co-design by sharing my ideas, listening to others’ input, and using group notes to revise our plan after critique—while helping keep teammates on task and respectful.	I can lead and negotiate during design decisions by proposing options, resolving disagreement with clear reasons, and coordinating materials/measurements/models so our team design meets constraints (cost, safety, accessibility, maintenance).	I can strengthen shared decision-making and relational agency by organizing equitable participation, facilitating critique and tradeoff discussions, and documenting how our team reached and improved decisions that support biodiversity and ecosystem needs.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Critical Thinking & Problem Solving	I can help define a garden design problem and list several criteria for success (comfort, safety, accessibility, belonging) along with clear constraints (cost, time, materials/maintenance) using measurements and observations from the site.	I can compare at least two design options by using evidence from research and site data (sun/shade, native plant needs, water conservation, maintenance) to explain how each option supports biodiversity and ecosystem services.	I can test and revise my team’s design by prioritizing criteria, making tradeoffs (e.g., cost vs long-term care), and using simple models or checks to improve safety, accessibility, and usefulness based on critique and data.	I can optimize and justify a final design by independently leading the design cycle—planning tests, re-testing after changes, and explaining how my decisions met constraints while strengthening biodiversity/ecosystem services and the experience for future users.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Effective Communication	I can use sentence starters and focused notes to explain my team’s garden design ideas during checkpoints (e.g., why we chose a feature, plant, or path) and answer simple questions from classmates or a community partner.	I can clearly share my design thinking with supporting evidence from site measurements, photos, and research notes, and I can revise my explanation after feedback so my message matches the evolving plan and constraints (cost, safety, maintenance, accessibility).	I can present and defend design decisions at multiple points in the design cycle by connecting specific criteria (comfort, belonging, biodiversity, ecosystem services) to tradeoffs I made and the revisions my team tested or refined.	I can independently communicate a coherent “design story” for a public audience by organizing visuals (plans, scale drawings, models, before/after boards, labels) and using precise, evidence-based explanations that show how our solution optimizes performance through testing, iteration, and community feedback.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Content Expertise	I can use evidence from native plant, soil, water, and maintenance research to choose between a few garden options (with teacher support) and explain how my choice supports biodiversity and comfort in the school community.	I can describe and defend a garden feature design by selecting criteria and constraints (cost, safety, accessibility, maintenance) and using research plus site observations to evaluate at least two competing solutions and justify my revision decisions.	I can independently improve a design by optimizing performance: I can make clear tradeoffs, test or model alternatives (e.g., rough models, draft layouts, simple checks), and revise plant, water, or layout choices to better meet criteria for ecosystem services and long-term care.	I can evaluate the final garden plan like a designer/scientist by connecting biodiversity/equity goals to specific evidence (measurements, research, expert feedback, and test results), and I can explain how my optimized choices and tradeoffs will work for future students under real constraints.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Self Directed Learning	I can identify my next step in the design cycle (measure/research/model/critique/revise) using checklists and examples, and I can explain how my work connects to design criteria (comfort, safety, accessibility, cost, maintenance).	I can plan and track my progress through the design cycle by setting a clear goal for what I will investigate or revise next, then using feedback from peers/partners and garden constraints to make a specific change to my plan or model.	I can independently monitor the quality of my work against multiple criteria and constraints by collecting evidence (measurements, plant/water notes, test results, expert feedback), reflecting on what I found, and proposing a revised approach when my first idea doesn’t work.	I can take ownership of my learning by iterating thoughtfully across design cycles—prioritizing criteria, making tradeoffs, and re-testing or re-checking my design—while explaining my reasoning, documenting decisions in my portfolio, and adjusting my strategy without needing step-by-step prompts.