Planning the inquiry

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

Class/grade: First School: Oak Forest

Age group: 6-7 School code: 006610

transdisciplinary theme PYP planner Teacher(s): Graham, Barnes, Mason, Neely, Redden, Spanier ,Leach, Hall, Ying, Parker, Stephenson, Babb, Tanner Date: December 2011- January 2012

Where we are in place and time: An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

central idea

Documenting personal histories allows us to reflect on who we are.

Proposed duration: number of hours 20

over number of weeks 4

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: Causation, Change Related Concepts: Development (Growth), Family

IB Journal: Students will write in their IB journal about topics being discussed that are linked to our central idea. Teacher Observation: The teacher will observe students actively working in groups or writing in their journal.

What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?

Circle Maps: Are created in whole or small groups to organize their thoughts about various types of families and shelter. Students will create a house glyph to answer questions where they live. Students will create bar graphs that will include information about their families and where they live.

Ways of documenting personal history Personal change from birth to present; self and family Reflecting on past experience

What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?

What is our personal history? What is the role of the family? How do families work together?

Provocation

Students will be shown a animated movie about family histories. They will write in their journal what is viewed in the movie.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Will re-teach January 14, 2013

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? The students will interview their family and share information learned. The students will create a bar graph of their individual families members. Students will create glyph to show and explain information about themselves. Students will predict and illustrate how they will look in fifty years. The teacher provides the context for inquiry Communication skills-The students will share information of their interviews with class.

Brainstorm and discuss on importance of their place and time. Anecdotal records will be maintained to assess the students understanding. The student will exhibit thinking skills and communication skills.

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

Thinking skills-The student will write daily in their journals about information gained from their inquiry. Leading and facilitating student inquiry

The students will make circle maps, web maps, Venn diagrams of their place and time in the current year. (Born through present) Rubrics will be used to assess students understanding of projects completed. Parking lot questions will be used to drive inquiry. Daily journal writing and illustrations will be used to assess topic being taught during unit. Students will interview peers to check for understanding of key concepts of time and place.

Social Skills- The students will accept responsibility, respect others and cooperate as they do peer interviews.

What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile? Transdisciplinary skillsCommunicators- Understand and express ideas of past and present in journals and illustrations. Reflective- Students will look at their peers photos and compare with their family photos.

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?

map, globe, Atlas, smart board, www.Discoveryeducation.com / www.Brainpopjr.com / www.Schooltube.com/ www.pbskids.com / Social Studies book Art/Music/Librarian/Chinese teachers

How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?

Central Day School sixth grade buddy group will meet with first grade students to discuss and create a family timeline together.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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 enjoyed drawing pictures in their journals. The students were able to connect to the central idea when working in groups.

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. 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. We would ask Grandparents to come and speak and students will ask questions. The students will interview their family and share information learned. The students will create a bar graph of their individual families members. Students will create glyph to show and explain information about themselves. Students will predict and illustrate how they will look in fifty years. The teacher provides the context for inquiry Communication skills-The students will share information of their interviews with class. What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme? Class discussions Family pictures House Glyph Thinking skills-The student will write daily in their journals about information gained from their inquiry. Leading and facilitating student inquiry Social Skills- The students will accept responsibility, respect others and cooperate as they do peer interviews.

Key concepts Causation, Change

Transdisciplinary skills Communication skills-The students will share information of their interviews with class. Thinking skills-The student will write daily in their journals about information gained from their inquiry. Leading and facilitating student inquiry Social Skills- The students will accept responsibility, respect others and cooperate as they do peer interviews.

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.

9. Teacher notes All subjects were integrated when teaching the unit on Where We Are In Place and Time. The students wrote in their journals about their families and friends. As a group, we created circle maps to discuss our families and our homes. The students were excited and enthusiastic about creating their house/family glyph. They were very attentive when learning about their classmates families. The unit was long enough where the students were not bored. The Art teachers helped when working on the house/family glyph. Next time we will include all support staff when planning this unit to give us more input.

Why do we have families? What is a family? Are animals part of a family?

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. Show a picture of our immediate family. Show pictures of extended families. Do you think animals are a part of our families?

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.

None

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007