How do we design a machine that helps a plant grow in all stages of its life cycle?
That was the challenge posed to our first and second grade science students in a new unit exploring the needs of seeds, plant structures, and plant life cycles. To deepen their understanding of plant life cycles, teacher Ryan Chung introduced a project-based challenge to not only study plants but also to design a solution for growing them (and then composting them) in new ways.
During this six-week hands-on project, students completed a full design process interspersed with timely lessons on hydroponics, plant structure, and collaboration. The culmination was a public presentation of their plant-growing prototypes to the Marin Horizon community. We loved hearing the teams of young scientists share their final creations made entirely of recycled materials and, of course, no two were alike.
“One of the fun parts of this unit has been hearing students come up with ideas on what to do with plants at the end of their life cycles. In their prototypes you will see things like a “plant shredder” or “compost bucket” that will facilitate decomposition so that the plant can be used to make compost. Seeing students smile as they hot-glued plastic knives and forks on their prototypes speaks to the love of learning we hope to foster in our students.”
Hear more about this project from Ryan and his students in the video below!
The Project Process: From Guiding Question to Design Iterations to Prototypes
Students started with a guiding question and moved quickly into hands-on exploration. They sketched initial machine designs before taking a pause to get a lesson on hydroponics - a method of growing plants using a nutrient-rich water solution instead of soil - and dissect plants. They returned to their machine sketches and refined their ideas through multiple iterations, receiving feedback from their teachers.
“Another highlight of this unit has been the chance for our young students to collaborate with fifth and sixth grade students, who are currently doing a study on restoring soil. They shared with us what nutrients plants get from the soil, and together they germinated and planted sprouts together.”
Then came the exciting part—building their prototypes! Using recycled materials donated by the school community, students brought their ideas to life with bottles, containers, utensils, and other repurposed items. Students’ creativity, problem-solving, and communication skills were put to the test as they constructed “machines” capable of supporting plant growth without traditional sunlight and soil.
Said second grader Mateo, “When I was making my plant prototype, I thought I was going to make it before everyone, like oh, me and my partner are going to finish way before. But then we noticed, everybody noticed, that it was way harder than we thought.”
