Practice Performance Task: Garden of Life
- In Part 1 you will examine several sources about gardening. Then, you will answer three questions about what you have learned.
- In Part 2, you will write an argumentative article about school gardens for your school newsletter.
Steps you will be following:
In order to plan and compose your essay, you will do all of the following:
1. Examine several sources.
2. Make notes about the information from the sources.
3. Answer three questions about the sources.
Directions for Beginning:
You will now examine several sources. Take notes because you may want to refer to your notes while writing your article. You can re-examine any of the sources as often as you like.
Notes (you can use the handout in class or take notes on the PDF)
Notes Handout- if completing electronically, download and save as to English folder.
Source Information:
Stimulus #1
Read this article about a school garden program.
by Jeannine Pao, from Appleseeds Magazine.
Copyright ©November 2001 by Carus Publishing Company.
Stimulus #2
Read this experiment about making compost, which is very similar to dirt. Compost is made by combining materials such as leaves, leftover vegetables, and grass clippings. After sitting for a certain amount of time and being stirred about once a week, these materials break apart, mix together, and start to look like dirt. The compost can then be added to dirt to give food to plants.
by Hallie Warshaw with Jake Miller, from Get Out! Outdoor Activities Kids
Can Enjoy Anywhere (Except Indoors). Copyright © 2001 by Orange Avenue, Inc.
Stimulus #3
Watch this video about the costs involved in starting a community garden.
“Community Gardens: Typical Costs” video by Kansas Healthy Yards and Communities.
