Planning the inquiry

Sruden 1. What is our purpose?

To inquire into the following:

Class/grade: 1st grade School: Oak Forest

Age group: 6-7 School code: 006610

Transdisciplinary theme PYP planner Teacher(s): Spanier, Neely, Hall, Mason, Leach, Graham, Barnes, Redden, Babb, Taylor, Winton, Tanner, Coach, and Ying. Date: January 23, 2012 through February 17, 2012 Proposed duration: number of hours 20 over number of weeks 4

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 undertstanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
How the World Works:

Central idea: Change progresses through cycles 2. What do we want to learn?

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?

What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry? Key concepts: Change, Connection, and Form Related concepts: cycles and transformation

Student write daily inside their IB journals about water, life and mathematical cycles that are discussed. Students produce illustrations in their IB journals or as an individual assignment about a single topic being studied. Thinking maps such as bubble maps, Venn Diagrams or TCharts that are created with whole group or small group. Students create models with modeling clay, egg cartons, construction paper, tissue paper or crafts supplies that are assembled and demonstrate various cycles that are studied. Class discussions that relates to any cycle studied. Students perform oral presentations such as interviewing an insect or acting out the water cycle.

What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea? Cycles How things change over time Developmental stages of various things

What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries? Why do things change? How do cycles work? Why does change take place? Provocation: The students will be shown different scenes from the movie The Lion King. They will be asked to write and illustrate what they observed and have learned about cycles.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Taught: January 23, 2012 through February 17, 2012 Revised October 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? Students will brainstorm ideas about various cycles and how they progress. In whole group students and teacher will create thinking maps of cycles. Teacher and students will read different literature about change and cycles.

Students and teacher will work together to create a KWL chart about animal life cycles, insect life cycles, water cycles, and plant life cycles. Students will inquire about topics discussed and write them on sticky notes and attach them to their parking lot. Records will be maintained to assess the students understanding of the topics inquired and learned and maintained in their portfolios.
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What evidence will we look for?

The teacher provides the context for inquiry Students will read stories, ask questions, lead discussions, and create thinking maps to encourage inquiry thinking and discussions. Leading and facilitating student inquiry. Students will have the opportunity to perform research on the internet, ask questions to be placed on the parking lot, and student-teacher discussions will allow for inquiry to take place inside and outside the classroom.

Students will create models of animal, plant and water cycles with various crafts supplies such as construction paper, egg cartons, markers, crayons, etc. and will write about them inside their daily IB journal. Students will plant seeds and observe their life cycle. Students will create illustrations of plant life changes and the steps that occur during the growing process. Students will listen to the story A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and create a flow chart of the butterfly life cycle stages. Students will write in their daily journal and illustrate about topics discussed. Students will use magnifying glasses to observe insects, soil and seeds more closely. Teacher will ask higher-order thinking questions about students obervations.

What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile? Transdisciplinary skills- Communication skills: Students will share their views on cycles of nature. Class will travel through Oak Forest nature trail to explore and discuss what they learned. Thinkers: Students think of various cycles of nature. Reflective: Students will look for different cycles that take place at home and at school. Curiosity Skills: Students will inquire about cycles of nature in the natural world around them.

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available? Books: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle ISBN 781375-21819-0, Unit 3 stories Reading Street Scott Foresman ISBN: 0-328-26117-3 Internet: www.discoveryeducation.com / www.brainpopjr.com / www.nationalgeograhickids.com / www.cookie.com / Field Trip: Lichterman Center, Memphis, TN How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry? Students will experience the natural world around them by taking a nature walk with their class at Oak Forest Elementary. Students will create models of different cycles that represent the world around them.

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. Students were excited about created models of their animals. Students were eager to write in their journals daily.

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. Students brainstormed ideas about various cycles and how they progress. During whole group instruction, students and teacher created thinking maps of cycles. 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 buy the Kit for Life Metamorphosis. (tadpole-frogs, larvae-butterfly) Key concepts Change Connection Teacher and students read different literature about change and cycles.

What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme? The class participated in class discussions. Students draw pictures. Teacher uses Discovery Ed. Transdisciplinary skills Communication skills: Students shared their views on cycles of nature. Thinkers: Students thought of various cycles of nature. Reflective: Students looked for different cycles that took place at home and at school. Curiosity Skills: Students inquired about cycles of nature in the natural world around them.

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. Why do we have life cycles? How does an egg change into a butterfly? Why does a tadpole look like a fish? What is the difference between a toad and a frog? Why do butterflies fly away when a person gets close to them.

9. Teacher notes

The unit on How the World works was one of our favorite units. All of the subjects were integrated in this unit. The students were thrilled to learn about butterflies, frogs, seasons, water, owls, and how they change through cycles. The students enjoyed creating models of cycles. They were excited that they were allowed to select the cycle of their choice. We wish that we had more time to teach this unit to expand it further because the students enjoyed it so much. The next time we teach this unit we will include all of the support staff (Chinese, P.E., Music and Art). We will also plan more field trips (Zoo, Museums, etc)

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. Why are you wearing a butterfly on your hat? How does water come out of the faucet? Why do some animals come from eggs?

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.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007