Pre-K–K
Notice, draw, and describe.
“What looks different?”The St. Ann Learning Relay
Small discoveries.
Shared purpose.
A question starts in one classroom. Another class takes it further. Together, we learn something we can use to care for our world.
Pre-K–8 · Classroom or home · No account needed
NoticeExplainHelp
MISSION 01Every drop has a purpose.
Mission 01 · Care for creation
Can a little cover help us use less water?
Compare two matching potted plants. Cover the soil of one, observe both, and measure the water each needs. Then explain what your evidence can—and cannot—tell us.
This is an activity you can start. No school experiment or water savings are being claimed. Example numbers are always labeled.
Start with curiosity
Where does the water go?
Plants need water. Some water also leaves soil through evaporation. A cover may change how quickly soil dries—but plants, light, and temperature matter too.
Your question to carry
Will the covered pot need less added water over five days while both plants stay healthy?
Your contribution matters
Read or listen with an adult if you need help. You can draw, speak, or write an answer; there is no score.
Before you measure
What do you think will happen?
Need a starting point?
Use similar plants and matching pots, the same amount of soil, the same starting moisture, the same light, and the same daily observation time. Change only the soil cover. A prediction can turn out differently from the evidence.
Five days of noticing
Make the comparison fair.
Gather with an adult
- Two similar, safe plants in matching pots with drainage and trays
- Equal soil, water, and similar light
- A measuring cup marked in milliliters
- A thin layer of plain, uncoated paper pieces for one pot
- A notebook or this page
Your investigation
- Label the uncovered pot A and the covered pot B.
- Begin with equally damp soil. Record this setup separately from daily added water.
- Cover only B's soil. Keep the plants together in similar light.
- At the same time each day, check both. Add only enough measured water to keep each lightly damp; never flood the pots.
- Record added water and plant condition. Record zero if no water was needed.
Adult setup and supervision: use safe plants and clean materials, keep water away from electronics, wash hands after soil handling, and do not taste plants or soil. If mold appears or a plant wilts, stop and tell an adult. A small experiment does not justify changing garden watering without a teacher's review.
Our observation notebook
Five complete days are needed for a full comparison. Blank means missing; 0 means measured and none added. Amounts are in mL.
Your observations · Nothing has been recorded yet.
On a small screen, scroll across the table to reach both pots and the observation notes.
| Day | Pot A · Uncovered (mL) | Pot B · Covered (mL) | What did you notice? |
|---|
Teach it back
Help someone else understand.
Check your thinking after you explain
A fair comparison helps us separate the effect of a cover from differences in plant size, soil, light, or starting moisture. Less added water is useful only if plant health is also considered. Five days with two plants offers a clue, not proof for every garden. Zero or unexpected differences are worth reporting honestly.
The relay question
Care for creation
Let the evidence guide a small act of care.
In St. Ann's spirit of learning and service, ask: how can careful observation help us care for living things and use shared resources wisely?
A teacher can pass a printed class note to a partner grade and publish an approved summary below. This notebook does not send answers to another class.
One question · Many contributions
The class relay
Each age brings a different way of seeing. A teacher can pair any two groups; the whole school does not have to start at once.
Grades 1–2
Measure, count, and compare.
“How much did we add?”Grades 3–5
Graph the measurements.
“What does the pattern suggest?”Grades 6–8
Question the evidence and plan a better test.
“How sure can we be?”Discoveries shared by teachers
Checking for updatesLoading the class showcase…
A practical first pilot
A relay that fits your classroom.
Start with one partner class, a shared question, and one useful observation to pass along.
Before you begin
- Choose two grades and agree who will prepare and supervise the plants.
- Allow about 20 minutes for setup, 5–10 minutes of observation on five school days, and 20 minutes to compare and explain.
- Use adult scribing, spoken responses, drawings, or paper as needed. Older learners can do the arithmetic for a younger partner.
- Choose observation days together and keep notes on any gaps or weekend care. Five observations need not be consecutive days; record gaps in the notes.
A useful relay note
- Our class's question and prediction
- What stayed the same and what changed
- Measurements, dates or gaps, and plant condition
- One claim supported by the observations
- One uncertainty and one question for our partner class
Use Download relay note to prepare a local text file. Review it before sharing through your school's established classroom channels.
Look for learning
- Notice: describes an observation rather than a guess.
- Measure: uses a consistent unit and distinguishes missing data from zero.
- Explain: connects a claim to the measurements.
- Question: names another possible explanation.
- Serve: proposes a proportionate, teacher-reviewed next step.
No automated grade or student ranking is produced.
Share and revisit
In the existing staff Content Manager, open Mission Lab. Add a class summary, choose its type, review it for accuracy and privacy, then publish.
Only entries marked both reviewed and published appear here. Use class-level descriptions and no student names, photos, or individual records. Examples remain visibly labeled.
A later class can revisit an older dated entry, describe what it would change, and publish a follow-up. Existing entries remain in the mission history until staff remove them.
One question to take home
“What did you change your mind about—and what helped you change it?”
Families can listen to a two-minute explanation. Buying supplies or running an experiment at home is optional; classroom participation is organized by teachers.