Planning the inquiry
1. What is our purpose?
Class/Grade:
1st grade
Age group: 5
and 6 year olds
To inquire into the following:
School: Makowski
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Transdisciplinary theme
Title:
Sharing the Planet
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Central idea
Living things need specific conditions and a healthy environment.
School code
Habitats, Who Needs ‘Em?
Teachers: Margaret Moberg, Michelle Weymer, Debbie Jax, Yolanda White, Elissa
Armstrong, Sarah Johnson, Kathleen Carpenter, Cathy Battaglia , Lisa Cullen
Date: April 15, 2013 Planning
Proposed duration: number of hours 25
4/19/13-5/17/2013
overall number of weeks 5
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?
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2. What do we want to learn?
What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective,
and responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?
Form, change, responsibility
Students will draw and orally explain the essential components of
a thriving habitat for a freshwater and woodland animal.
o Detailed illustration including: appropriate animals, food
sources, water source, shelters, appropriate environmental
surroundings
o Explanation will include name of animals, and why it needs
each thing labeled in the picture
Students will illustrate and write an explanation of how humans
can be responsible for the well being of woodland and wetland
habitats.
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
What teacher questions/provocations will drive this inquiry?
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For organisms to survive, their needs must be met.
Habitats are defined by their characteristics.
People are responsible for the well-being of our planet.
What teacher questions/provocations will drive this inquiry?
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What is a living thing/non-living thing?
What do animals need to survive?
What makes a woodland? What makes a freshwater habitat?
How do habitats change?
How do animals change to survive?
How have human actions changed habitats over time?
What are some things we can do to preserve our habitats?
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 expressing student’s prior knowledge and skills?
What Evidence will we look for?
Put a picture of an animal (perhaps domesticated, freshwater, woodland) on the
whiteboard and have them draw where the animal lives, what it eats, what other animals
might also be there.
As an example, use two different animals from very different habitats.
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of
inquiry? What evidence will we look for?
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Class discussions –accurate use of unit vocabulary, comments which
show understanding of unit concepts
Illustrations – Detail which shows understanding of habitat components,
animal needs
Small Group work – productivity, cooperation, discussions using relevant
details, products show understanding of task
Journaling – detailed illustrations, labels, show changes over time, lists
of things found in the habitats
Responding to stories (read and listened to) – find appropriate and
accurate information
Venn diagram– accurate understanding of woodlands and freshwater
habitats, animals needs and interconnectedness
Written explanations – show understanding of habitats, animal needs,
animal protections, change in habitats, dangers to animals
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?
Block 1: Sort living/non-living things; Woodland:What makes a woodland habitat
(CCLS video baby fox) characteristics (food, shelter, animals,etc)
Compare/contrast two woodland plants
Block 2:Freshwater: (river, pond, stream, lake) define, example, etc
Block 3: Human Reflection of human interactions (recycle, preservation, etc)
could do planting, habitats
Block 4: Examples of habitats – dioramas, planting
Block 5: Summative (draw/label 3d display), reflections
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Webs of living/non-living
Class habitats for freshwater and woodlands: class discussions, journaling
to include illustrations, labels, and changes over time
Books and experiments from Science Kit
Draw their own habitat (home with needs met)
Listening to and reading books about woodlands and freshwater habitats.
Labeled pictures of woodlands and freshwater habitats posted in room
Drawing and labeling pictures to show woodlands and freshwater habitats
Compare/contrast woodland animal to freshwater animal needs
Pond Succession Activity?
Read “The Little House” change over time, urban and rural
Picture Walk through time (human actions connected to well-being of earth)
Pictures of human pollution, habitat use, read “Where Does the Garbage
Go?”
Read “The Great Kapok Tree”
Pictures, stories, movies of habitat loss.
Journaling what actions people can take to preserve habitats
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the
development of the attributes of the learner profile?
Knowledgeable – habitats, ecosystems, predator/prey, listening for information
Thinker – observes carefully, using what they have learned to make decisions,
curiosity, justifying, noting details Principled - reasons for laws, endangered species,
poacher vs. hunter, cooperative learning skills, respect for animals’ habitats, human
responsibility to animals Caring – humane treatment of animals, taking care of the
environment
Presentation Skills: speak in complete sentences, voice level, staying on topic, speaking
clearly, listening to information, audience participation.
5. What resources need to be gathered?
What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc. will be available?
http://www.k12.hi.us/~shasincl/Freshwater.html Teacher resource, www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/arcticanimals.shtml Teacher resource, Barb Fassel (video: See How They
Grow: Forest Animals) http://www.americazoo.com/goto/safari.htm http://www.americazoo.com/kids/arctic.htm (pictures, sounds of animals, good site)
http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/arctic/Awildlife.html
library – 574.5, 577, 591, 599 http://www.leslietaylor.net/gallery/animals/mammals.htm rainforest animall pics
http://www.leslietaylor.net/gallery/forest/forest.htm - rainforest pics
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
Photos posted throughout room, listen to animal sounds, science kit habitats, experiments, journaling, class discussions, looking at photos on line together, Tift farms visit, drawing
components of habitats, needs of animals, graphic organizers for habitat dangers, endangered species, need for laws, humane behavior
Promethean Planet
The Lorax,
BrainPopJr: public speaking
6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose?
Assess the outcome of the inquiry by providing evidence of student’s understanding of the central
idea. The reflections of all teachers involved in the planning and teaching of the inquiry should be
included.
How could you improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would have a more accurate picture
of each student’s understanding of the central idea?
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the
transdisciplinary theme?
7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP?
What were the learning experiences that enabled the students to:
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Develop an understanding of the concepts identified in “What do we want to learn?
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Demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary skills?
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Develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?
In each case, explain your selection.
8. What student-initiated inquiries arose from the learning?
Record the a range of student-initiated inquiries and student questions and highlight any that
were incorporated into the teaching and learning.
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 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.
1-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
*The performance expectations marked with an asterisk integrate
traditional science content with engineering through a Practice or
Disciplinary Core Idea.
April 2013 NGSS Release
1-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by
mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external
parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.* [Clarification
Statement: Examples of human problems that can be solved by
mimicking plant or animal solutions could include designing clothing or
equipment to protect bicyclists by mimicking turtle shells, acorn shells,
and animal scales;
stabilizing structures by mimicking animal tails and roots on plants;
keeping out intruders by mimicking thorns on branches and animal quills;
and, detecting intruders
by mimicking eyes and ears.]
1-LS1-2. Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of
parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
[Clarification Statement: Examples of patterns of behaviors could include
the signals that offspring make (such as crying, cheeping, and other
vocalizations) and the
responses of the parents (such as feeding, comforting, and protecting the
offspring).]
9. Teacher Notes
Vocabulary:
Adaptation
Habitat
Shelter
Woodland
Freshwater
Pollution
Camouflage
Environment
Instinct
Predator
Prey
Survival
Migration
Hibernation
Living/non-living
Space
Ecosystem
NGSS:
Students are also expected to develop
understanding of how plants and animals use their external parts to help them survive,
grow,
and meet their needs as well as how behaviors of parents and offspring help the
offspring
survive. The understanding is developed that young plants and animals are like, but not
exactly
the same as, their parents.
s. In the
first grade performance expectations, students are expected to demonstrate gradeappropriate
proficiency in planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data,
constructing explanations and designing solutions, and obtaining, evaluating, and
communicating information. Students are expected to use these practices to demonstrate
understanding of the core ideas.
The performance expectations above were developed using the following
elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science
Education:
Science and Engineering Practices
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Constructing explanations and designing solutions in K–2
builds on prior experiences and progresses to the use of
evidence and ideas in constructing evidence-based accounts
of natural phenomena and designing solutions.
problem or a solution to a specific problem. (1-LS1-1)
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating
Information
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in K–
2 builds on prior experiences and uses observations and
texts to communicate new information.
-appropriate texts and use media to obtain
scientific information to determine patterns in the
natural world. (1-LS1-2)
----------------------------------------------Connections to Nature of Science
Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence
observations about the world. (1-LS1-2)
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS1.A: Structure and Function
parts. Different animals use their body
parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect
themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in
food, water and air. Plants also have different parts (roots, stems,
leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive and grow. (1-LS1-1)
LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms
animals, parents and the offspring themselves engage in
behaviors that help the offspring to survive. (1-LS1-2)
LS1.D: Information Processing
fferent kinds
of information needed for growth and survival. Animals respond to
these inputs with behaviors that help them survive. Plants also
respond to some external inputs. (1-LS1-1)
Crosscutting Concepts
Patterns
n be
observed, used to describe phenomena,
and used as evidence. (1-LS1-2)
Structure and Function
natural and designed objects are related
to their function(s). (1-LS1-1)
---------------------------------------------Connections to Engineering, Technology,
and Applications of Science
Influence of Engineering, Technology,
and Science on Society and the Natural
World
-made product is designed
by applying some knowledge of the
natural world and is built by using natural
materials. (1-LS1-1)
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-level: will be available on or
before April 26, 2013.
Articulation of DCIs across grade-levels: will be available on or before
April 26, 2013.
Common Core State Standards Connections: will be available on or before
April 26, 2013.
ELA/Literacy –
Mathematics –
Generative Topic:
I now understand that a habitat is part of an environment that an organism
calls its home. I also know that living things are plants and animals.
There are different kinds of habitats like tropic, arctic, freshwater and
woodland. Organisms adapt tot hei habitats and can only survive in
homes where their needs are met and they can thrive.
Outside influences (people, climate, weather, or othedr living things)
impact habitats. There are many things I can learn about how to save and
protect habitats so that the things that live there can survive.
Chapter I – What is a habitat?
Part of an environment that a living thing calls its home.
Organism, habitat, environment, survival, adapt, thrive
Chapter II –Habitats of Western New York
Freshwater-plants and animals unique to this habitat
Woodland- plants and animals unique to this habitat
Chapter III –Outside influences impact habitats
Definition of impact
How we save and protect habitats
What can I do?