Planning the inquiry

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

Class/grade: 1st School: Oak Forest Elementary

Age group: 6-7 School code: 006610

transdisciplinary theme PYP planner Teacher(s): Barnes, Graham, Hall, Leach, Mason, Neely, Redden, Romley, Date: September 2012

How we organize ourselves: An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

central idea

Proposed duration: number of hours:

over number of weeks: 4

A community is organized around people, places, and the tools they use.

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, function, connection Related concepts: roles, identity, needs of a community

Students will make community models to show their understanding of an organized community. The students will communicate in groups and write the words to identify what is in the community. Teacher will observe students while working in their groups. Teacher will take pictures of students progress and finished product.

What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea? Community helpers have different roles in the community. The places in a community have different functions. Community helpers use various equipment to perform their jobs in the community.

What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries? What is a community? What is a community helper? How does a community function? What kinds of jobs are in a community? What tools do community helpers use?

Provocation The teacher will provide a mystery box with an item that introduces students to community helpers. For example- a picture or a toy of a hammer.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Taught 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?

Teacher will assess students through questions and responses. Teacher records responses on white board. Teacher will follow up discussions as changes are made.

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

Assessment for first line of Inquiry-Students will draw a picture of the community helper and write a sentence explaining the community helpers role.

Assessment for second line of Inquiry-Students will role-play the community helper in the community,

Assessment for third line of Inquiry-Students will match the community helpers with their equipment.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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? Week 1 (Preassess) Assess prior knowledge using a KWL chart about a community helper. Provocation-the mystery box Class discussion about the mystery box Students will write/draw about what is in the mystery box. Assessment for first line of Inquiry-Community helpers have different roles in the community. Week 2- (Explore and Engage) Use the KWL chart to generate a list of Jobs in the Classroom, Jobs in the School, Jobs in the Community Read books about various jobs that people do in a community. Students will sort pictures of tools that will match the community helpers. Assessment for second line of Inquiry-Community locations have different functions within a community. Week 3-(Extend) Invite community members to visit the classroom. The students write thank you notes to the community helper. Students view virtual tour of Paws in Jobland (paws.bridges.com/ihaveaplan.php) Assessment for third line of Inquiry-Community helpers use various equipment to perform their jobs in the community. Week 4 Summative Assessment: Students will make community models to show their understanding of an organized community. The students will communicate in groups and write the words to identify what is in the community. Teacher will observe groups while working in their groups. Teacher will take pictures of students progress and their finished product. What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile? Transdisciplinary skills Communication-Students will share their ideas within their group work. Social Skills-Students will cooperate and make group decisions to develop their summative project. Self-management-Students will use their organization skills to develop their summative project. Learner Profile: Knowledgeable: Students will develop an understanding of the community via communicating, developing, and using vocabulary terms. Attitudes: Cooperation: Students helping and working together.

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available? Books: Scotts Foresman text- Who Works Here by Melissa Blackwell Burke, Leveled Readers book 2: Neighborhoods, My Neighborhood, and Mayor Mom Website; Paws in Jobland-http://paws.bridges.com/ihaveaplan.php How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry? Invite community members into the classroom. Students will put together a community puzzle.

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 enthusiastic while working on their community project and community helpers. The students were able to connect to the central idea by creating models of community helpers and writing about what they learned.

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 allow each student to make individual communities. The students wrote and drew what was in the mystery box and explained how the community helpers have different roles in the community. Students sorted pictures of tools that will match the community helpers. Students viewed the virtual tour of Paws in Jobland. Students made community models to show their understanding of an organized community. What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme? The students participated in class discussions. The students used pictures. The guidance counselor came in and talked to the students about community helpers. Transdisciplinary skills Communication-Students will share their ideas within their group work. Social Skills-Students will cooperate and make group decisions to develop their summative project. Self-management-Students will use their organization skills to develop their summative project. Key concepts Form, Function, Connection

Learner Profile: Knowledgeable: Students will develop an understanding of the community via communicating, developing, and using vocabulary terms.

Attitudes: Cooperation: Students helping and working together.

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 The unit on How We Organize ourselves was a very successful unit as students were excited in showing their understanding of an organized community. All of the subjects were integrated in this unit. The students worked very hard when creating their community helpers, maps, and community models. They exhibited a full understanding of working together in groups. The timing of the unit was perfect. Mrs. Jessee, the School Guidance counselor visited each class to do a presentation on community workers and their tools. She brought visuals, she played games and the students role played. Something we plan to do next year is to invite community workers (firefighters, police officer, nurse, doctor, etc.).

Why do we need community helpers? What is a community helper? What does a community helper do?

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. What is a community? What is a community helper? How does a community function? What kinds of jobs are in a community? What tools do community helpers use? The teacher will provide a mystery box with an item that introduces students to community helpers. For example-a picture or a toy of a hammer.

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