Seed Sale - Our Project's Product is Nearly Ready! (What PBL Looks Like in Early Elementary)

In project based learning, it is important that the actual product that the students produce is something meaningful to their learning. Ideally, it should be a way of documenting what they have learned, it should be made for an audience, it should be somewhat open-ended so it can allow children to become invested, and it should answer a driving question. 

A few days ago, the first/second grade teaching team sent out an email with the following information:

Both classes have been hard at work the past few weeks learning various methods for harvesting and saving seeds as a part of our sustainability theme study. This week, they began designing seed packets that include all of the information a buyer might need - a beautifully colored picture, the name of the seed variety, whether or not it is organic, and how many seeds are included in the package. With some careful research the children will even add some growing instructions to their packages as well. 

On Monday, May 20th, the children will be selling our seed packets for $2.00 at a Seed Sale in the entryway of the school. Our seed stand will open at 2:45 and we will continue until 3:45 (or until we sell out). If you are available, please come to support our seed company, "SK 1st and 2nd Grade Seed, Sprout, and Grow." 

This seed sale is an example of a great culminating "product" of a project. In a very age-appropriate way, first and second graders were introduced to various ways that planting and saving seeds is "sustainable," as well as learning terms like organic, heirloom, and conventional. They've learned how to do basic research, and how to pick out important information to include. They've practiced making scientific sketches, and then how to pick the best sketch for a final product. The children learned how to work as a team to form a company, pick a company name, decide on pricing, etc. It answers a driving question: Where does our food come from, and how can we make it more sustainable? 

Thursday, the 16th, the students will be counting seeds and placing them into the packages. We will then be ready for our sale on Monday, the 20th.