when they reached me. These were students who needed an extra challenge during the school day. They were chosen for their ability to work independently and cooperatively. I chose four so that I could have three students observing and one as a back up and in charge of the watering and maintenance of the plants. The first project that our class worked on was a simple experi-

ment to test the marketing claims of Miracle-Gro™ garden soil. According to the package, the Miracle-Gro dirt would grow plants better than regular soil. We had three stations: one was a control with normal store-bought soil, the second tank had the same soil with added fertilizer, and the third had the Miracle-Gro soil. In class, we had a quick session with the whole group and

set out to hypothesize which tank would grow the healthiest green bean plants. We decided to measure plant size, num- ber of leaves, and to count bean pods as indicators of plant health. The class discussed their thoughts and recorded them on a standard experiment report form that I had devised years ago. Each week from then on, my four students would take

twice weekly observations and measurements. Working closely with Katherine Merlini and Kara LaBissoniere, two interns from Central Connecticut State University, my stu- dents took careful readings of plant height and pod numbers

and drew illustrations. The student experts would check in every few weeks with some observations to share with the class. I taught next to nothing here. Instead, my students came back to the group, shared what they had found and the whole class was able to record observations that the experts had reported. In addition, my four students who worked on the experiment were able to eloquently

answer questions posed by the class, share their insight, and present information to their peers in a way that kids could understand.

The Whole Group Experience

While I was a bit concerned at first that I would have students concluding and hypothesiz- ing based on an experiment they weren’t actually participating in, the ability to informally observe the grow station on the way to recess and the conversations that ensued when the expert group met back with the whole class put my mind at ease. While it would seem that the rest of the class is just copying the data collected by the

experts, they are actually having a conversation. The students were asking questions of the experts and using the answers from these questions to help guide what they wrote in their reports. I was actually quite amazed at the poise my four had when confronted with the barrage

of questions that the class posed to them. It was really great to see the kids having a scien- tific discussion without any interjections from the adults in the room. Our discussions also focused on any mistakes or errors that could have been made.

How This Translates to the Tests

Ultimately, making observations of plant growth is important, but I really like focusing on the hypothesis and conclusions because it forces the students to use their critical thinking

Page 12 • Connect ©synergy learning • 800-769-6199 • May/June 2011

student work courtesy thomas reed-swale