Free Daily Starters · Middle School
Garden Bed Mixup
Problem Solving · Look Closely
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One page for the student and one for the teacher, with the answer and what a strong response looks like. Print either or both.
Casey is rinsing soil from the trowels at the school garden work day. The group already agreed to leave the pea trellis standing for Monday. Near the herb bed, a tray of tomato seedlings sits beside the compost cart. Casey notices three seedlings were planted in the shaded mint patch by mistake. The hose is coiled, the tool buckets are almost packed, and the gate is being pulled closed. Moving them now could save the plants, but the label stakes are still missing.
Study the scene and answer the questions.
- What is about to go wrong if Casey leaves the garden as it is?
- What was forgotten before the tools were packed?
- What should Casey do next so the mistake does not carry over to Monday?
Think about it: Which unfinished step would cause the biggest problem later, and why?
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