Planning the inquiry
1. What is our purpose?
To inquire into the following:
• transdisciplinary theme:
How we organize ourselves: An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made
systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decisionmaking; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.
• central idea:
Class/grade:
Year 1
Age group:
School:
Eagle Valley Elementary - an IB
World School
School code: 004111
Title:
1st HWOO COMMUNITY
Teacher(s):
Elizabeth Karr, CAROL WICK, KRISTINE ATKINSON,
SEBASTIAN MELGAREJO
Date:
01 September 2012
PYP planner
Proposed duration: 6 weeks
People work together to provide services that are needed by the community.
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?
2012: Students will be provided with a choice of pictures of community workers. The
directions for the summative are:
1. Cut out pictures of three people from the community and glue them on top of your paper.
2. Label each worker.
3. Draw and describe how they depend on each other. (Emphasis on connection to each
other.)
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
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?
• Function • Connection • Responsibility
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
1. • Communities that we belong to (connection)
2. • Services needed to support a community (function)
3. • Roles of community members (responsibility)
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
Provocations:
1.
In what ways do you contribute to your school community?
2.
What makes our school community unique?
3.
What roles and responsibilities do you have in your school community?
4.
What opportunities do you have to participate in school events and daily classroom
Page 1
Planning the inquiry
3. How might we know what we have learned?
4. How best might we learn?
What are the possible ways of assessing students’ prior knowledge and skills?
What evidence will we look for?
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?
Unit Opener 2012-2013: Who Am I? Pictures of community helpers are taped on the backs of
the students. Students then give clues to one another about the things the community helper
does in the community. The child wearing the picture makes guesses about who the
community helper might be. (Baker photo is on back of child. Clues from classmates can be:
“You make cookies. You wear an apron.” The child with the photo on the back guesses that...
(Please see End Notes section).
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines
of inquiry? What evidence will we look for?
•
• Communities that we belong to (connection)
F
Project
Identify a community you belong to.
ASSESSMENT - Draw pictures/write about communities in which they are
members.
Create Venn diagram to compare two types of communities.
STRATEGY/TOOL: Take of tour of the school community and...
•
(Please see End Notes section).
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the
development of the attributes of the learner profile?
Selected Learner Profile Items
• Thinkers: They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to
recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.
(Please see End Notes section).
Attitudes
Appreciation, Cooperation, Commitment, Creativity.
Transdisciplinary Skills
• Research Skills: Formulating Questions.
(Please see End Notes section).
• Services needed to support a community (function)
F
Project
Jobs and responsibilities at home, school, community
LOI - #2 Services needed to support a community (function)
ASSESSMENT - draw a picture and write words reg. jobs and
responsibilities at school and home, label photos with attitudes
demonstrat...
•
• Roles of community members (responsibility)
Oral
F
Interview a community member
LOI - #3 Roles of community members (responsibility)
ASSESSMENT – Interview a community member. ID roles in a given
community group (classroom or school community)
STRATEGY/TOOL: explain to c...
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
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Planning the inquiry
5. What resources need to be gathered?
What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
(Please see End Notes section).
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
Page 2
Reflecting on the inquiry
6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose?
7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP?
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.
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to develop an
understanding of the concepts identified in “What do we want to learn?”
My students responded well to the opener. A few students weren’t sure who the worker in a
given picture was so they had difficulty describing the work to their partner. Many students
didn’t have the vocabulary to give the worker a label (“cartero”). This did not affect the
outcome of the activity and provided me with important information. As a group they struggled
with figuring out how all the photos went together until one student hit the nail on the head by
saying that they were all workers. She elaborated saying that the people went to work to make
money...
(Please see End Notes section).
How you could improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would have a more
accurate picture of each student’s understanding of the central idea.
The summative assessment definitely focuses on the connections between community
helpers/services. It still seems to be at a lower thinking level on Bloom's Taxonomy. Perhaps
adding a personal reflection to the assessment would help. (Maybe a comment about how the
child would be impacted if the workers didn't work together or provide the services needed.)
Perhaps the central idea is too basic.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and
the transdisciplinary theme?
Students commented often about how many services in a community rely the the services of
others. (The grocer needs the farmer. The farmer needs the trucking company.) When a
classmate did not follow through on a classroom job, many problems arose. (Pencils weren't
sharpened so the kids couldn't write.) These situations helped students see the need to be
responsible for their roles and how connected they are to one another.
Students were each given a piece of pipe and asked to construct a long tunnel/tube through
which a small ball could pass and drop into a can. No teacher direction was provided. Some
students rose naturally to positions of leadership, others followed their lead, others wanted to
do their own thing, etc. Following numerous attempts students were asked to reflect, orally in
group and individually in journals, on the experience. This activity provided students with a
hands on opportunity to gain an understanding of all 3 concepts: responsibility, function and
connection.
Creating an outdoor space on the computer helped students gain an understanding of all 3
concepts.
Listening to stories and guest speakers supported the connection concept thoroughly.
The walking field trip and creation of the map of downtown Eagle supported connection and
function.
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to demonstrate the
learning and application of particular transdisciplinary skills?
•
Research/Thinking Skills/Communication Skills/Self-management: The discussion around
workers in our school community led to opportunities to use a Venn diagram to compare/
contrast the teacher and the custodian.
•
Communication: During ESL time during this unit we have been working through a variety of
activities to learn English vocabulary about our community. Students first completed a
matching activity in which they matched pictures of community workers with their name. Then
using sentence stems students used these same pictures to connect the members of the
community. Example: The _____helps us by _____. The _____helps the _______ by _______.
This will help them in their classroom to communicate with their peers.
• Social and Self-Management: People and Pipes engagement
• Communication/Thinking/Self-Mangagement: Listening and responding to guest speakers.
Following up...
(Please see End Notes section).
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to develop particular
attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?
Thinker/Cooperation/Commitment: People and pipes, spider web of interconnected roles in
the community, creation of a map of the Eagle community
Appreciation/Creativity/Open-Minded: Landscape designs on the computer
Appreciation/Reflective: Listening to guest speakers
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
Page 3
Reflecting on the inquiry
8. What student-initiated inquiries arose from the learning?
9. Teacher Notes
Record a range of student-initiated inquiries and student questions and highlight
any that were incorporated into the teaching and learning.
Students inquired about leadership roles in the community. We were able to help them make
connections to the roles of leaders, workers, follows, etc. by comparing similar roles in the
classroom jobs and jobs of the adults in our school. The suggestions made by students during
People and Pipes were acted on during the engagement. This experience was compared to
other situations during the school year in which students needed to be responsible for their
roles in cooperative groups and games.
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.
The roles and responsibilities in the school community was a foundation for other learning
throughout the school year. It was enlightening to hear the students' perspective on the roles
of the principal vs. the teacher in the school.
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.
Some students created maps of the community or designed landscapes for other settings and
shared them with the class. Some children were inspired to save their money after the visit
from the banker.
Some children made suggestions for additional classroom jobs so that the classroom ran more
efficiently.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
Page 4
End Notes
3. How might we know what we have learned?
What are the possible ways of assessing students’ prior knowledge and skills? What evidence will we look for?
... he is a baker.) Once the child guess the helper, the photo can be taped to the front of him. Following the Who Am I game, gather students together to view all of the photos in the meeting area.
Discuss how the photos of the community helpers are connected. Introduce the Central Idea.
LOI - #1 Communities that we belong to (connection)
ASSESSMENT - KA: Draw pictures/write about communities in which they are members. Create Venn diagram to compare two types of communities.
STRATEGY/TOOL: CW: Take of tour of the school community and identify community workers. Take their photos. Mount photos on a chart, labeling each and describing their role in our community.
LOI - #2 Services needed to support a community (function)
ASSESSMENT - draw a picture and write words reg. jobs and responsibilities at school and home, label photos with attitudes demonstrated , formulating questions
KA: list services needed in a community and who provides those services
STRATEGY/TOOL EVIDENCE - Evidence – Are students listening to the presenters? Are they being respectful of the presenter? Are they asking questions?
explain to classroom teacher
LOI - #3 Roles of community members (responsibility)
ASSESSMENT – job interview with family member KA: ID roles in a given community group (classroom or school community)
STRATEGY/TOOL: explain to classroom teacher
EVIDENCE- Do student understand what a question is? Can students understand the different types of questions? Are students using question words - interview questions Do students understand
how to ask a question beyond the simple yes/no question? Are students listening to the presenters? Are they being respectful of the presenter? Are they asking questions?
See school district CFAs
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?
COLLABORATE/LEARN:
•
What is a community? Draw pictures of a community at the beginning of the unit to assess prior knowledge. Frontload with books, video clips, conversations.
• If this unit is early in the year, try to have a minimum number of classroom helper jobs. As needs arise for lunchbox helpers, playground equipment attendants, etc., the students will (hopefully)
suggest the needs for these services in the classroom.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
•
•
Vocabulary: students will provide illustrations and descriptions/labels of the terminology introduced.
•
We used highly engaging photographs of community workers in the process of doing their jobs. Students formulated questions that inquired about the photographs. Students were to make sure they
used question marks and did not ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions.
•
What are community helpers and how do they work together? Form questions for guest speakers. Discuss ways we think medical, fire, and police personnel work together. Generated lists of
questions for guest speakers in those fields.
•
Walk around the community and reflect how we rely on various businesses and services. Reflect on how they rely on each other, also. Create a map and a web showing their interconnectedness.
(2009)Students will create a questionaire and survey others (parents?/teachers?) to find out who they rely on in the community, compile/graph results, draw conclusions about how people rely on
others in the community.
•
Formulating questions for community helpers students are interested in interviewing.
•
Read aloud/discuss stories where characters are working together. Also read nonfiction about communities.) Children were directed to make connections between the story and the central idea of how
community members work together.
•
Guest speakers: Invite community helpers. View pictures of community members working together.
•
Recognizing interconnectedness of people’s contributions to the community. Share personal stories.
•
Beginning of year job chart and importance of jobs and the responsibilities of them. Listing workers in our school. (office manager, custodian, etc.)
• Assign students with roles of community workers. Have them use yarn to pass back and forth (spiderweb). Discuss their interconnectedness. Follow up with presenting a scenario in which a child
is lost, or the garbage workers are not available.... Let the kids identify how their pretend community member (role) could participate in the solving the problem.
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile?
Selected Learner Profile Items
• Open-minded: They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are
accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.
• Reflective: They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and
personal development.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
Transdisciplinary Skills
• Self-Management Skills: Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Organization, Codes of Behaviour.
• Thinking Skills: Acquisition of Knowledge, Comprehension, Analysis.
• Social Skills: Cooperating, Group Decision Making, Adopting a Variety of Group Roles.
• Communication Skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing.
5. What resources need to be gathered?
What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
Journal:
photos and illustrations of community workers to be used with the opener:
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
guest speakers talking about roles in the community
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.
...
so they could buy food for their families.
Taking photos of community workers in our school helped students identify community members. Using the photos on a large chart with a label and description led us toward an understanding of the
importance of individual roles within the community. The walking field trip around downtown Eagle also led us toward this understanding. Although we only met a few community workers, we saw a
lot of places that helped us identify various workers and their roles.
EJ: I agree with Carol taking photos and labeling how community workers were connected.
Students connected classroom jobs (line leader) to the services we need in our classroom community. When the lunchbox helpers forgot to do their job, the entire class was impacted. This gave them
a clear understanding of being responsible for the roles you are assigned.
7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP?
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary skills?
...
• with using the computer to design an outdoor space similar to that of the Landscape Architect.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007