Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose? To inquire into the following:

Class/grade: Second School: Oak Forest

Age group: 7-8 School code: 006610

transdisciplinary theme Teacher(s): Berry, Harris, Long, Michenko, Parker, Potts, Rice, Vester, Walkley, PYP planner Woods Date: September 9, 2011 Proposed duration: 16 hours; 4 Weeks

How the world works An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

central idea

Natural disasters cause human interactions around the world

Summative assessment task(s): What are the possible ways of assessing students understanding of the central idea? What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?

2. What do we want to learn? What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?
Key Concepts: Form, Change, and Causation

1.

Task Class created projects (small groups) and demonstration for several natural disasters (tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, volcano, tornadoes, hurricanes, drought)

Related Concepts: Transformation, Discovery, Pattern, Adaptation, and Cause-Effect

What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
Characteristics of ecosystems Natural disasters Effects of changes in the natural world

2.

Evidence o o Students understand how a natural disaster may affect human interactions Tracking a Hurricane, Building a Weather Vane, Tornado Water Bottles, Drought Simulation, Earthquake Diorama, Video Taped Weather Cast of the most recent weather report, Investigating Air Density and its role in a Tornado

What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?

1) 2) 3) 4) What are the physical components of the world? What is an ecosystem? What is in my ecosystem? How do weather and climate affect my world? What is weather? What is climate?

3.

Assessment Teacher-made rubric

Taught: September 2011 International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Revised: September 2012

Planning the inquiry

3. How might we know what we have learned?

This column should be used in conjunction with How best might we learn? What are the possible ways of assessing students prior knowledge and skills? What evidence will we look for?

4. How best might we learn?

What are the learning experiences suggested by the teacher and/or students to encourage the students to engage with the inquiries and address the driving questions?

KWHLQ Charts Thinking Maps o o o Double Bubble Circle Map Flow Chart

Week 1-(Pre-Assess and Engage) Student and Teacher interactive journal/notebook o Weekly writing (Think-Pair-Share)

Week 2-(Explore and Explain) Centers and Observations Week 3-(Extend) Technology to research o Tsunami, earthquake, flood, volcano, tornado, hurricane, drought

Group Discussions o o Whole/Small Groups Student/Teacher Lead

Week 4-(Evaluate) Student-led presentations of chosen natural disasters o Tsunami, earthquake, flood, volcano, tornado, hurricane, drought

What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What evidence will we look for?

What opportunities will occur for Transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile?

(Characteristics of Ecosystems) o Circle Map Tree Map

(Natural Disasters/Effects of Changes)

Centers/Workstations/Experiments -Graphing the weather: newspaper forecast activity, Weather Internet Sites (See resources), Student-made weather books, and Lakeshore Science Kit Center

Reflection Journals o Students will reflect weekly in journals

Rubrics

Teacher-made rubric specific to each summative

assessment task (See project list #1)

Transdisciplinary Skills 1) Research Skills Observing changes in human response to various natural disasters Recording data-journaling 2) Communication Skills Speaking-oral presentation Learner Profiles 1) Inquirer Researching using the internet 2) Reflective Journal Notebook Reflections 3) Knowledgeable Speaking-oral presentation 4) Communicator Using oral language to get the information needed

5. What resources need to be gathered? What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available? United Streaming: www.discoveryeducation.com , www.weather.com, www.wunderground.com , www.usatoday.com/weather/wfront.htm , Exploration Centers, Science Textbook, Trade books on natural disasters, Google Earth, Magic School Bus, Houghton Mifflin: Bringing Social Studies Alive student textbook, Art inspired weather drawings How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry? Visit from local weather man/woman, Classroom tours to view peers projects, Smart Boards, Graphic Organizers (See # 3), Reflective interactive journals, Specialty Teachers

Reflecting on the inquiry

6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose?

Assess the outcome of the inquiry by providing evidence of students understanding of the central idea. The reflections of all teachers involved in the planning and teaching of the inquiry should be included. The students were able to identify many natural disasters. Most importantly, the students could tell what was needed in order for a natural disaster to take place. The students even watched the news and came back to school to report their findings. We believe that this unit made the students more aware of their surroundings, globally minded. The students identified and researched natural disasters and reported their findings daily. we know that the students took ownership of the unit because they showed positive feedback as they worked on student selected projects. The students researched, watched videos, brainstormed the disasters hitting their neighborhoods, and had discussions about how it impacts everyone in the world. The students understanding of the central idea was evidenced by their projects, thinking maps, and peer discussions. Students generated questions and their own extension activities that gave evidence of the internalization of the central idea. The students greatly enjoyed the natural disaster unit. Their interest was surprising and their inquiry was amazing. The use of trade books and short videos was helpful. They were able to relate several of the natural disasters to real world concepts. We created individual books containing facts about each natural disaster, as well as, incorporating several math activities. We also graphed weather and compared temperatures. How you could improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would have a more accurate picture of each students understanding of the central idea. As a team, we believe that our students would thrive more if we had more individual but guided research time at school. We also believe that we were thinking in terms of more elaborate projects instead of actually using tools that the students are familiar with to show their understanding, such as thinking maps. The consultant guided our thinking on this issue and gave us a more practical way to assess.

7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP? What were the learning experiences that enabled students to:

develop an understanding of the concepts identified in What do we want to learn? demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary skills? develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?

In each case, explain your selection. The students wanted to know what a natural disaster was. Some asked how were they made. So, we know that the students learned the answers to the questions that they asked because they were actively involved by watching the news and making connections from home to school.

Most students kept a natural disaster journal and wrote in them daily. They also made a thinking map showing what they had learned during the unit. Some students drew pictures of a natural disaster of their interest.

The students were definitely inquirers because we had to peak their interest about natural disasters. They were also knowledgeable because they used pictures and videos to explore various disasters.

What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme? Students had questions about natural disasters and man-made disasters. They talked about how those are connected and both impact each other. All of our classes internalized the connections because they learned that natural disasters come to realization due to another disaster.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Reflecting on the inquiry

8. What student-initiated inquiries arose from the learning? Record a range of student-initiated inquiries and student questions and highlight any that were incorporated into the teaching and learning. The students inquired about natural disasters versus man-made disasters. So the learning took another direction and caused the students to think deeper.

9. Teacher notes

The teachers on the second grade team were all in agreement that more time was needed to adequately explore the central idea. We also discovered that students did not need to create elaborate summative projects to show that they understood the central idea.

At this point teachers should go back to box 2 What do we want to learn? and highlight the teacher questions/provocations that were most effective in driving the inquiries. See box 2 The most effective teacher question that was used in driving the inquiries was the question about weather and climate. The students had to understand that weather and climate play a major role in the world of natural disasters. The students were intrigued about them because they produce such mass destruction, so they were captivated by how the world works.

What student-initiated actions arose from the learning? Record student-initiated actions taken by individuals or groups showing their ability to reflect, to choose and to act.

Develop a natural disaster survival plan/kit with their family Discussed how to help victims of recent natural disasters (Red Cross, UNICEF, Salvation Army, etc.)

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007