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Courtyard WebQuest
introduction | task | process | resources | evaluation | conclusion
Introduction
Courtyard is commonly defined as an open space surrounded by walls and
buildings. Instead of looking to the middle of our school and seeing
a useless area of grass I want your team to transform it into an outdoor
learning center by creating a landscape plan.
The outdoor learning center that is designed by your team should keep several
basic guidelines in mind. The design should balance both attractiveness
and sensibility. Think about the possible uses of the courtyard by
teachers, students, and faculty. Could the courtyard be a place to
conduct science experiments? What about a place to take a class for
free reading. Would this be a place to have a school garden?
The possibilities are endless but it all starts with a design.
The winning design will make a presentation to the Metamora Consolidated
School Board at an evening meeting to seek permission to continue with
the project. With board approval the entire school district, working
cooperatively, will seek completion of the project.
Task
Landscape is commonly defined as a stretch of land or countryside forming
a single scene or having its own special appearance or characteristics.
Your task for completing this project is to complete a landscape plan and
project report for transforming the courtyard, from its present state,
to a useful area for the benefit of teachers, students, and faculty.
Here are a few minimum requirements to get you started.
1. There should be enough seating
for 30 students. The seating does not necessarily need to be all
in one area.
2. A common path (walkway) should
link all parts of your design together.
3. A concious effort must be made
to minimize all interference to classrooms that have windows to the courtyard.
4. To control temperatures, shaded
areas need to be developed.
Process
This project is overwhelming when it is viewed as one giant problem.
Instead of looking at the project as a whole, look at it as a series of
smaller tasks, when completed finishes the project. Your team will
begin the project by simply visiting the courtyard and becoming familiar
to the area that is going to be changed. Each time a step is completed
a new challenge is waiting for your team to solve. After visiting
the the courtyard, have at least one brainstorming session before you begin
to make decisions that effect how your team is going to solve the problem.
Seven steps are listed below to help you plan to solve this problem.
Introduction/Visitation
of Courtyard | Brainstorming Session(s)
Research
| Landscape Plan Developed | Project
Report Developed
Self
evaluation/Changes | Presentation
Introduction/Visitation
of Courtyard
This is a time for your team to become familiar with the construction site.
Walk over the whole area keeping track of observations that will likely
impact your landscape design. While at the site find out specifications
relating to the size and area of the site. Find answers to
questions like what characteristics can be changed? What characteristics
cannot be changed? Where are doors and windows located? What
are other possible problems that the site presents?
Brainstorming
Session(s)
During this phase discuss ideas and thoughts about the site. The
following questions will help spark discussion for your team. What
information needs to be discovered before you can continue with your plan.
Should you return to the site for more analysis and research of the area?
What does your team think would go well with the site? What would
not work out and should be avoided? Start to think about the things
that will, and will not work, so that you know what ideas to check into
during your research phase.
Research
After the completion of the first two steps, your team will setup a conference
time and come with a research plan describing specific areas that each
team member is going to research and why that area is important to the
project as a whole. With approval of the research plan you may then
move on to the remaining steps of the project. At the completion
of the project each team member must submit a works cited page that lists
the sources found while researching.
Landscape
Plan Developed
A scale drawing needs to be completed that details a complete illustration
of all additions to the construction site. Geometer's SketchPad would
be an appropriate piece of technology to aid in your development of a plan.
This plan will be on display during your presentation to the student body
and will then be used during construction to find the location of specific
plants, walkways, and other additions called for in your plan.
Project
Report Developed
A detailed report explaining the entire construction process, from the
way the site is currently until the completion of all construction, needs
to be created in a professional manner. Use a form of technology
(word processor, power point, or web page design) to convey to the public
what you plan for the construction project. Included in the report
should be a budget with a detailed listing of expenses, lists of products
that will need to be ordered, and other important information.
Self-evaluation
and Changes
This a chance for your team to stop and evaluate what you have done.
Find qualified professionals, if you have not already, and see what recommendations
they have about your project plan. Notice I did not say find a professional
and fix your project. In our immediate school there are several sources
to help you evaluate your current plan. Administration, faculty,
teachers, and students are just a few groups that can give you feedback
that is going to be helpful. Find people with experience in areas
like landscaping, budgets, and project plans. They have actually
done what you are doing and will have a large amount of ideas and suggestions.
Once you have had quality feedback it is time to decide what changes to
make. Your team should make any changes before the final step, which
is presenting your design at an open house for the students of Metamora
Grade School.
Presentation
A school wide open house will be held to give all of the teams a chance
to display their plans. The entire student body of Metamora Grade
School will vote on the design they feel is best for the school district
as a whole. This is the culmination of all your team's previous steps.
All of the work you have done from the first time you arrived at the construction
site to the last few adjustments will be displayed in a professional manner.
Resources
Even though this is a WebQuest and a large majority of material can be
found on the Internet do not view it as your only source of information.
Other areas that can provide information vital to completing your landscape
plan and project report are e-mail, interviews with professionals, searching
databases, and print items such as books and documents. Do not forget
that you are to record information about all sources, even if you do not
use it, for a works cited page that will be turned in for credit at the
end of the project.
Print
Resources
Better Homes and Gardens Step-by-Step
Landscaping: Planning, Planting, Building. Meredith Books, 1994.
ISBN: 0696025582
Landscaping Illustrated: Complete Guide to Ideas, Planning & How-to-do-it by John K. McClements. Sunset Books, 1984. ISBN: 0376034599
Courtyards and Patios: Designing and Landscaping Elegant Outdoor Spaces by Chuck Crandall. Metro Books, 2000. ISBN: 1586630105
Landscaping for Dummies by Philip Giroux. IDG Books Worldwide, 1999. ISBN: 0764551280
Web
Resources
Evaluation
It has been mentioned several times that work should be done at a professional
level. This means that projects, plans, and research should be done
without flaw. The information presented by your group should have
a sense of uniqueness and creativity. Similar to the business world,
the best will be rewarded with the most points.
Click on the following link to access the Courtyard WebQuest rubric Courtyard
Evaluation Instrument
Conclusion
There are two different conclusions to this project. The first is
your reactions and comments to the things that you have learned through
this process. Use the form provided by clicking
here to answer a series of questions about the project and process
you have just completed.
The second conclusion to this project is actually beginning the work of
constructing the new courtyard. As we move through the landscape
and construction phases we will have a whole new set of reactions and realizations.