Week 5 — Getting Crowded
“Our plants are crowded. What do they compete for, and what should we do about it?”
Monday Mission
Hook video (3:00) + discussion + class task — “The Big Thin and Measure Blitz”
Prep: print Prediction Slips (1 pg) · 4 min · 23 min total
Daily Ritual
Measure everything (pre-harvest) · 5 min
Main Block (Wed)
“Predict the Harvest” · 33 min
Prep: 1 printable, cups from kit · 5 min
Friday Recap
Predictions resolved + graph moment + parent note
Printables (3)
Teacher notes
Read 2 minutes before Monday. The science idea is competition: when too many plants share one spot, they compete for light, water, and room, and all of them stay small. The gardener's answer is thinning, which sounds harsh but is genuinely kind to the keepers, and it is worth naming that feeling honestly with the class. Wednesday turns all of our weeks of data into a prediction: using the growth trend and a full measurement blitz, the class predicts the harvest weight in grams, which sets up the big reveal next week. If your school policy allows it, the thinned greens can be a tiny optional taste preview, but only with the same opt-in framing as harvest week; otherwise simply compost or send them home.