Standards

Science

• 3-ESS2-2. Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.

Math

• 3.OA.1. Use multiplication and division within 100 to solve word problems in situations involving equal groups, arrays, and measurement quantities, (e.g. by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem).

Reading

• W.3.9. Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories. (3-LS4-1)
• RI.3.7. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

Learning Objectives

• Students will identify and match vocabulary words with their definitions.
• Students will identify and solve math problems.
• Students will read and identify the order of events in a text.

Materials

Print Materials

• All It Needs Is Water, Sunlight and Soil Worksheet
• Farmer John’s Field Map
• Corn-Dinal Directions Sheet
• The School Garden Worksheet
• Sweet Corn Growing Day Calendar
• “Corn-Gratulations You Broke Out” Certificate

Breakout Edu Tips

If this is your first time using a Breakout Edu box, you are in for a treat. Once you’ve done one breakout box your students will be ready for the next time.

• You can use breakout boxes as a whole class, in addition to small groups.
• You have the opportunity to give students hints. Every box comes with at least two hint cards. If you have a high performing group, you may want to challenge them with less hints, while a different hour may need more hints.
• Having a visual timer for students while they are working is really helpful. It allows them to budget their time and when they may want to use their hints.
• As the teacher, you have the discretion to hide things wherever in your room you deem best. Feel free to make adjustments. Just make sure the clues for the locks don’t change. Otherwise, students may not be able to get in.

Background

Your students are going to work on a Breakout that will introduce key vocabulary from the lifecycle of a plant. This will also integrate standards across the third-grade curriculum. Students will work on word problems related to math and cardinal directions.

Breakout Activity

Recommended Ages: 3rd Grade
Ideal Group Size: Small Groups of 3 or 4
Suggested Time: 30

Story

Mr. Chadwick loves teaching about farms and how they operate. This year, he is starting a classroom garden and having his students help. Unfortunately, the seeds for their garden have been accidentally locked in the garden toolbox. The combinations have been encrypted on tasks he planned on assigning to his students. Help Mr. Chadwick get his classroom garden going by unlocking the toolbox.

Online Lock Combinations

The following codes will open the locks on the online version.

3-Digit Lock – 3 Numbers
5,4,6

4-Digit Lock – 4 Numbers
8,4,2,0

Word Lock – 4-5 Letters for the ABC Multilock
GROWS

Shape Lock – 5 Shapes for the shape Multilock
circle, diamond, circle, triangle, star

Lock Combinations

The following codes will open the locks on the box.

3-Digit Lock – 3 Numbers
5,4,6

4-Digit Lock – 4 Numbers
8,4,2,0

Word Lock – 4-5 Letters for the ABC Multilock
GROWS

Shape Lock – 5 Shapes for the shape Multilock
○,◇,○, △, ⇨

Setup Instructions

Steps

1. Print off the following resources: All It Needs Is Water Sunlight and Soil Worksheet, Corn-Dinal Directions Sheet, Farmer John’s Field Map, The School Garden Worksheet, and Sweet Corn Growing Day Calendar. The resources need to be printed in color and enough copies per the number of boxes you plan on using. Print enough copies for each group.
2. Change the locks to the appropriate lock combinations found in the lesson plan. If you are unsure on how to change the locks, please watch the official breakout videos on YouTube entitled, “Setting Breakout EDU Locks.”
3. Place the resource entitled, “Corn-Gratulations You Broke Out”, inside the larger breakout box. Once complete, place the multi-lock mechanism on the bigger breakout box.
4. If you are planning on a breakout reward (Twizzlers are a fun corn-based product to use), set it in the box before placing the locks.
5. Once you have placed the multi-lock mechanism on the larger breakout box, you are ready to start placing the locks associated with the lesson on the multi-lock mechanism. It is always a good idea to double check your locks before beginning to lock them.
6. *Optional* Project a copy of the locks to give a visual representation. Explain to the students how to use the locks. You can also either read the Class Garden Story out loud or project it.
7. The beginning. We have found using a visual representation of the breakout timer to be running in the background to be helpful. This can be found on YouTube by searching, “Breakout EDU Timer”.

Teacher Resources

This breakout box works well when used with “Staying Alive” lesson which comes with free materials for Kansas teachers.

Reflection and Conclusion

Questions

1. What were some vocabulary words that you learned or read? (germinate, air, water, etc.)
   *Follow up: What do we think would be a good definition for the word? What would be a good example?
2. Do we think it is important to water crops through irrigation on every farm? Why or why not?
3. I’m thinking of the word, germinate. What causes a seed to germinate? (Leading to answer, water)
   *Follow up: Do you think a seed can only germinate in water? (Leads into the Staying Alive lesson.)
4. Can plants germinate or grow without sunlight?
5. Can plants grow in all conditions well?

Disclaimer

Any educator electing to perform demonstrations is expected to follow NSTA Minimum Safety Practices and Regulations for Demonstrations, Experiments, and Workshops, which are available at http://static. nsta.org/pdfs/MinimumSafetyPracticesAndRegulations.pdf, as well as all school policies and rules and all state and federal laws, regulations, codes and professional standards. Educators are under a duty of care to make laboratories and demonstrations in and out of the classroom as safe as possible. If in doubt, do not perform the demonstrations.