My Green Thumb STEAM Adventure: Cultivating a love for reading, responsibility, and cross-curricular learning

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Background

Hong Kong Taoist Association Wun Tsuen Ng Lai Wo Memorial School has innovatively enhanced its English Language curriculum by integrating STEAM education with Reading across the Curriculum (RaC). The school transformed its standalone annual "One Person One Flower" planting project into a cross-curricular initiative called "My Green Thumb STEAM Adventure", involving collaboration between English Language teachers and colleagues from other subjects in a primarily Cantonese-medium instruction environment.

This STEAM education project offers unique opportunities to develop students' subject knowledge, 21st-century skills such as observational and analytical thinking, and attitudes like appreciation for nature. By connecting various subjects, it deepens students' understanding of plants and nature while fostering character development and enhancing crucial generic skills.

This report explores how the English Language subject facilitated this innovative project in Primary 2, demonstrating its multifaceted impact on promoting RaC, boosting students' interest in English reading, and cultivating essential skills and character traits. The holistic approach exemplifies how cross-curricular learning contributes to students' overall development, preparing them for future challenges in an interconnected world.

Level

P2

Strategies used

The following strategies were employed to facilitate the planning and implementation of the STEAM education project, using it as the context to promote RaC and enhance students' English skills and overall learning:

1. Collaborative planning and integration

   English Language, General Studies, Visual Arts, and Mathematics teachers worked collaboratively to transform the school's annual "One Person One Flower" Planting Project into a cross-curricular STEAM initiative. Teachers from each subject met to identify topics in their P2 curriculum that were most relevant to the planting project and pinpointed the target knowledge and skills to be covered. Joint meetings were held to share plans and discuss how students could apply the knowledge and skills acquired in different subjects within the STEAM project. Adjustments were made to teaching schedules to ensure that relevant topics were covered concurrently, facilitating a seamless integration of subjects to help students connect their learning across subjects.

2. Connecting reading with real life

   To encourage students to connect their reading with real-life applications and enhance their motivation, the English teachers provided a practical example within the STEAM project. After reading a text about the types of light that favor plant growth in an English lesson, students tested the credibility of the information presented in the text through an experiment during their Class Periods. They created tinted covers of different colours under which three plants grew and recorded their growth, subsequently using their findings to help their potted flowers thrive in the STEAM project.

3. Empowering independent reading

   The English teachers focused on empowering students to read independently, enhancing their interest and knowledge base for the STEAM project. They initially provided explicit instruction on essential reading strategies through clear teaching and scaffolding across several units. For example, when teaching inferencing skills, teachers broke down the process by first asking students to identify explicit information in texts, then guiding them to connect this information with their prior knowledge through structured questions. As students became more confident, teachers gradually reduced the scaffolding, moving from heavily guided questions to more open-ended ones that encouraged independent inference making.

   This approach involved modeling techniques, guiding practice, and gradually releasing responsibility to the students to ensure deeper comprehension and engagement. Reading strategies taught included pre-reading techniques, drawing conclusions from textual clues, guessing word meanings, and making inferences using contextual clues. This systematic instruction across units was essential for preparing students for reading more extensively and independently in a later stage.

4. Encouraging extensive reading through STEAM context

   The STEAM project served as a context to encourage extensive reading. The English Language teachers designed an appealing book report template shaped like a potted flower. This grade-appropriate design encouraged students to reflect on their learning from the texts they chose to read, focusing on the most important things they learnt, interesting facts, and new vocabulary about plants and how to take care of them. A reading chart displayed in the classroom allowed students to add a star upon completing a book, providing a sense of accomplishment, tracking progress, and enabling teachers to acknowledge efforts and encourage those lagging behind to catch up with their reading.

   Sample of a Potted Flower Book Report

5. Providing access to multimodal text sets

   Teachers curated grade-appropriate, high-interest multimodal text sets to facilitate students' interest and knowledge in the STEAM project topic. Students read multiple texts about plants, such as types, parts, and growing methods, as part of the "My Green Thumb STEAM Adventure" Project. These multimodal texts included fiction and non-fiction books from the school library, eBooks, and videos of books read aloud. An online library was also established to provide students with easy access to these resources.

   Curated multimodal texts on the STEAM project theme in the online library

6. Designing cross-curricular learning tasks

   Learning tasks were designed to enable students to apply their knowledge acquired from cross-curricular learning and RaC in the STEAM project. Students integrated vocabulary and knowledge learnt through extensive reading of the multimodal texts on the STEAM Project theme in the online library and in General Studies lessons, and measurement and counting skills from Mathematics lessons into the completion of the STEAM project tasks. During Visual Arts lessons, students decorated their plant pots and created small tinted covers using the knowledge they acquired from the text read together in class and verified in their experiment. This hands-on approach ensured that students could see the practical application of their reading and learning across different subjects, thereby reinforcing their understanding and skills in a meaningful context.

7. Organic integration of priority values and attitudes with the cross-curricular STEAM project

   The cross-curricular STEAM project was designed to organically integrate the priority values of responsibility and appreciation of the natural world. By embedding these values into the curriculum, students were provided with opportunities to connect their learning to real-life experiences. Through activities such as caring for plants and building a "greenhouse", students could witness the direct impact of their actions, which enhanced their engagement with the project. This approach not only reinforced the importance of being responsible caretakers but also helped students develop a deeper understanding of responsibility in their daily lives.

What happened

Stage one: Planning of the cross-curricular STEAM project
At the start of the school term, teachers from English Language, General Studies, Visual Arts, and Mathematics collaborated to create a cohesive planting project. They identified relevant topics and target skills, ensuring that knowledge from each subject seamlessly integrated into the STEAM project. Joint meetings facilitated discussions on applying cross-curricular skills, and teaching schedules were adjusted to cover these topics concurrently.

Science	During General Studies lessons and in the extensive reading programme of the English Language subject, students explored plant biology, learning about the life cycle of a flower, the role of water, sunlight, and soil in plant growth, and the light colour that favors plant growth. They applied this knowledge to care for their plants at home for three months.
Technology	Outside class time, supported by their families, students learnt to take photos of their plants to track their growth for their Planting Journal.
Engineering	In Visual Arts lessons, students built a "greenhouse" with tinted transparent covers for their plants using knowledge acquired through RaC about the most favourable light for plant growth.
Art	Students decorated their plant pots during Visual Arts lessons. At the end of the Green Thumb Project, they wrote and drew a four-panel picture story about their experiences in their project from their plant's perspective, combining writing and art.
Mathematics	Students used counting and measuring skills learnt in Mathematics lessons to record their plant's growth accurately.

An overview of the P2 "My Green Thumb STEAM Adventure" Project:
The P2 STEAM project integrated various subjects and learning outside class time to enhance students' learning experience.

Stage two: Implementation of the project inside the classroom

1. English Language

i.	Reading strategies: Since the beginning of the school term, reading strategies such as pre-reading techniques, drawing conclusions from textual clues, guessing word meanings using contextual clues, and making inferences using contextual clues were introduced explicitly and recycled regularly in reading lessons. This was done to enhance students' reading skills and prepare them for RaC.
ii.	Curated multimodal text sets: English teachers curated grade-appropriate, high-interest multimedia fiction and non-fiction texts related to plants. These resources, including library books, eBooks, and videos of read-aloud books, were made easily accessible in an online library.
iii.	Book report template: To build students' interest in reading and plants, teachers designed an appealing book report template shaped like a potted flower for students to reflect on and record their learning through RaC. A non-fiction book was used to teach students to use the new template, and a book report writing competition was held to acknowledge students' good effort and performance. Students then reflected and took notes on the content of the books of their choice using the template.	Proud winners of the Potted Flower Book Report Writing Competition
iv.	Reading chart: A reading chart displayed in the classroom allowed students to add a star upon completing a book, providing a sense of accomplishment, tracking progress, and enabling teachers to acknowledge efforts and encourage those lagging behind.
v.	Light and plant growth: In English lessons, students read a text to learn about the types of light that favour plant growth. The class then created three tinted covers, of different colours, for three plants to grow inside and recorded their growth.	Students recording plant growth under different coloured covers
vi.	Plant care assignment: Students were given a potted flower to take care of for three months. They participated in a class discussion to review what they had learnt about plant care through extensive reading and emphasised the importance of being responsible to ensure their plant grew well before they brought their potted flower home.



2. General Studies (GS)

   1. Plants, Fruits, and Their Seeds: During the GS lessons on the topic of "Plants, Fruits, and Their Seeds", students learnt about different kinds of fruits and their seeds through observation of real fruits. They also made and enjoyed drinks made with fruits and leaves, enhancing their appreciation of plants in their life.

      Students cutting open real fruits to learn about their seeds

      Students making drinks with fruits and leaves

   
   
3. Visual Arts (VA)

   1. Greenhouse creation: In the VA lessons, students applied their understanding from the light and plant growth experiment to design small "greenhouses" using tinted paper, enhancing the growth of their potted flowers.

   2. Pot decoration: Students decorated the pot of their plant, giving them a stronger sense of ownership and motivating them to strengthen their care for it.

      Students constructing mini greenhouses for their plants during Visual Arts lessons

      Display of students' plants in their decorated pots

Stage three: Cross-curricular activities of the STEAM project outside the classroom

1.	Plant growth record: Students recorded the growth of their plant during the three-month period, taking photos of their plants and applying their counting and measuring skills acquired in Mathematics lessons. Sample pages of plant growth records showcasing students' use of photos, leaf counting, and plant height measurements in the STEAM project
2.	My Green Thumb STEAM Adventure Competition: At the end of the "My Green Thumb STEAM Adventure" project, students brought their plants back to school for display. The winner was chosen based on the plant's health and appearance, including growth in height, abundance of green leaves, and presence of flowers.	Proud winner with his plant and its greenhouse
3.	Four-panel picture story: Students wrote and drew a four-panel picture story about the growth of their plant from their plant's perspective in English based on their Plant Growth Record, combining writing and art.
4.	Award presentation: A celebratory award presentation ceremony was held, where the three winners shared their experiences in English about growing their plants. This event celebrated their achievements and the learning journey they undertook.

Display of students' four-panel picture stories

A winner sharing his experience of growing his plant in English at the Award Presentation Ceremony

Impact

Curriculum development

1. Integration of RaC, extensive reading, and values education
   The English Language curriculum now incorporates RaC and extensive reading initiatives, significantly enhancing students' engagement with English texts, particularly those related to the STEAM project. This integration promotes a holistic learning experience, allowing students to apply their reading skills in various contexts, and enhances their overall understanding and retention of knowledge. Additionally, values education has been organically woven into the curriculum, providing students with opportunities to connect and apply target values and attitudes to real-life experiences. In the Green Thumb STEAM Project, fostering responsibility and appreciation for the natural world were the key target values. Students learnt to care for their plants over three months, which instilled a sense of accountability and care for living things.

2. Cross-curricular collaboration
   The project has fostered greater cross-curricular collaboration among English Language, GS, VA and Mathematics, with STEAM education being successfully piloted. After the project, English Language and GS teachers continued to work together to develop two more cross-curricular units that aligned with both subjects' objectives and target proper values. These collaborative efforts ensure that students can see the practical applications of their learning and understand the interconnectedness of different fields of knowledge. The following table shows two cross-curricular English Language and GS units after the implementation of the STEAM project:

   Target value and attitude	Subject	Topic/unit	Learning activities
   The second cross-curricular unit
   Benevolence	English Language	“Busy Days”	Students discussed making time for their elderly family members based on a text from their textbook. Their learning was extended through reading multimodal texts about accessible facilities for the elderly, showing how society can make life easier for them.
   	GS	“Elements of a Good Community”	Students went on a field trip to learn about different community facilities needed by various people in the school’s neighbourhood. They then shared photos taken during the field trip with English captions on an online platform to describe the facilities.
   The third cross-curricular unit
   Respect for Different Cultures	English Language	“Seasons and Weather”	Students learnt about the relationship between clothing, homes, and seasonal weather in different countries through reading their textbook and multimodal texts. They had a class discussion on respecting people who may look different from them in Hong Kong. They gave a very brief oral report in English of their learning from the interviews with the school NETs on an online platform.
   	GS	“Colourful Life in Hong Kong”	Students extended their learning by interviewing their NETs about their favourite activities in different seasons in their home countries and their favourite seasons.

Teacher development

1. Enhanced professional capacity and confidence
   The P2 teachers found their professional capacity in cross-curricular planning and STEAM implementation significantly enhanced. They observed how integrating subjects enhanced students' holistic understanding of the factors that affect plant growth, while the hands-on nature of activities increased engagement and provided authentic contexts for language use. Linking classroom learning to tangible outcomes motivated students to apply English skills practically.

   English Language teachers, in particular, gained valuable experience in implementing RaC within the STEAM context. They developed strategies to boost students' reading interest by connecting texts to STEAM-related hands-on activities, thereby improving comprehension and knowledge retention. This integrated approach demonstrated the effectiveness of STEAM projects in creating meaningful learning experiences that promote critical thinking and problem solving skills, while simultaneously enhancing language proficiency.

2. Nurturing a collaborative culture
   A collaborative culture has been nurtured at the school. Teachers initiated further collaboration in two additional units, connecting related topics in the P2 English Language curriculum with experiential learning activities in GS. This collaboration involved extensive RaC reading, book reporting, and the use of multimodal text sets available online for easy access, allowing students to use the language and vocabulary acquired through RaC to report their GS experiential activities in English.

3. Raising teachers' awareness of and capacity in teaching reading strategies and integrating values in the curriculum naturally and organically
   The implementation of the RaC initiative has heightened teachers' awareness of the necessity to explicitly teach essential reading strategies. To empower students to eventually read independently and expand their knowledge base, English teachers focused on strategies such as pre-reading techniques, drawing conclusions based on textual clues, and making inferences using contextual clues. They modeled these strategies, providing guided practice, and offering immediate feedback to their students. Through this process, teachers have not only gained more skills in these areas but also recognised the importance of explicit instruction in reading strategies. This approach has enriched students' learning experiences and reinforced teachers' commitment to explicit teaching of reading strategies to enable students to learn to read and to read to learn.

   Additionally, teachers have developed an awareness of the importance of integrating top priority values and attitudes organically and naturally into the curriculum. This integration has provided students with opportunities to connect and apply these values to real-life experiences, thereby enhancing their personal development alongside their academic growth.

Student learning

1.	Student engagement and interest in reading Students displayed a marked increase in interest in reading English texts, particularly those related to the STEAM project. Teachers reported a significant rise in the number of books read by students, doubling from an average of 1 to 2 books per student in previous years to more than double that number this year. This improvement is attributed to the explicit instruction in reading strategies, variety and appropriateness of curated multi-modal texts, easy access to thematic reading materials, and an appealing, grade-appropriate book report template design.	Reading chart displaying students' progress in the RaC Extensive Reading Programme
2.	Enhanced communication skills through cross-curricular STEAM integration The STEAM project, used as a context for RaC, has significantly enhanced students' communicative proficiency. Through class discussions, presentations of their picture stories, and project experiences, students' oral and written communication skills improved. This improvement is evident in their four-panel picture stories, which demonstrate both linguistic development and scientific understanding. Students showed sophisticated narrative skills by creating coherent stories with clear progression across time periods (ten days, one month, forty days, two months). Their work reflects a solid grasp of plant care concepts through: Plant care concepts Examples extracted from student work Understanding of environmental needs “…grow next to the window…” shows knowledge of plants requiring sunlight Recognition of plant growth stages From seedling to a mature plant with flowers Awareness of proper care routines “…water me every day…” Comprehension of cause-effect relationships Linking care actions to plant health Understanding of plant responses “I am happy when David takes care of me.” Moreover, their narratives seamlessly integrated concepts of time, growth, and care throughout, reflecting a deeper understanding of cross-curricular learning. This structured approach not only enhanced students' reading and communication skills but also fostered a greater appreciation for cross-curricular learning. By engaging in these varied activities, students were able to apply their knowledge in a practical and creative context, effectively bridging the gap between different subject areas and reinforcing their learning in a meaningful way. Samples of four-panel picture stories
3.	Development of proper values and practical skills Through the project, students developed a sense of responsibility by taking care of their plants over three months, learning practical skills such as watering daily, ensuring sufficient light, and safely positioning the plants. Interviews with students during the award presentation ceremony revealed that nearly all could articulate these necessary care steps, with one student highlighting the importance of not placing the plant on a window sill to avoid the risk of it falling. Additionally, students became more aware of how nature works and cherished the plants and nature around them. They developed a stronger sense responsibility through plant care. This holistic approach ensured that students not only improved their practical skills and values but also deepened their understanding and appreciation of the natural world.	Students sharing their learnings from plant care during interviews at the Award Presentation Ceremony
	Student's Reflection: "I was happy and have learnt how to take care of plants patiently." Parent's Comment: "I think the annual 'One Student One Flower' can help students bond better with their parents and develop their sense of responsibility." Student's Reflection: "Happy." Parent's Comment: "Watching the plant grow with my child has been a magical experience. It allowed my child to feel the wonder of life." Reflections and comments in Reflection Logs showing students' growing sense of responsibility and appreciation for plants and nature

Way forward

To sustain the impact of the "My Green Thumb STEAM Adventure" project and extend its benefits to more students, the teachers at Hong Kong Taoist Association Wun Tsuen Ng Lai Wo Memorial School are considering several key steps for the near future. Firstly, they are exploring the possibility of expanding cross-curricular STEAM projects across other grade levels. This would ensure that the integration of RaC and values education continues to engage students and promote cross-curricular learning throughout their school journey, while providing continuity in the learning experiences of the P2 students who participated in this project.

The teachers are also contemplating ways to further strengthen home-school partnerships to encourage greater involvement of parents and families in STEAM projects and reading activities. This could help reinforce the skills and values taught in school.

Additionally, they will continue to leverage technology and resources to expand the collection of multimodal text sets and online resources. For students at higher levels, this could include developing an interactive platform where students can not only access resources but also share their thoughts and collaborate with peers. This would ensure that students have access to a variety of engaging materials while promoting collaborative learning.

By considering these steps, the school hopes to build on the success of the "My Green Thumb STEAM Adventure" project, ensuring that more students benefit from a holistic and engaging educational experience that fosters a love for reading, interdisciplinary learning, and the development of STEAM-related proper values and attitudes.

Conclusion

The "My Green Thumb STEAM Adventure" project has successfully enriched the curriculum, enhanced teachers' professional capacity, and significantly improved students' learning experiences. This innovative model integrates STEAM education with Reading across the Curriculum (RaC), using hands-on, cross-curricular activities to create meaningful contexts for students to apply knowledge across multiple subjects. By continuing to refine and expand this STEAM-RaC integration model, the school is well-positioned to foster an increasingly engaging and impactful educational environment. This approach not only promotes cross-curricular learning but also equips students with the skills needed to thrive in an inter-connected world, setting a promising precedent for related educational initiatives in the foreseeable future.

Bibliography

Curriculum Development Council. (2017). English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6). Retrieved from:
https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/curriculum-development/kla/eng-edu/Curriculum%20Document/ELE%20KLACG_2017.pdf

Curriculum Development Council. (2024). Primary Education Curriculum Guide. Retrieved from:
https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/tc/curriculum-development/major-level-of-edu/primary/curriculum-documents/Primary_Education_Curriculum_Guide/PECG%202024_full.pdf

Hong Kong Taoist Association Wun Tsuen Ng Lai Wo Memorial School
Ada LAM (Language Support Officer)