Planning the inquiry
1. What is our purpose?
To inquire into the following:

Class/grade: 3rd Grade
Age group: 8-9
School: Roberts Elementary
School code: 7207
transdisciplinary theme
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.
Title: Where We Are in Place and Time
Teacher(s): 3rd grade team
PYP planner
Date: 11-15-2012 revised
Proposed duration: 12 hours a week over 7 weeks

central idea
We create and use maps to help our understanding of where we are.
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?
Students will be given 2 maps (topographical and population) and 1 article (weather
and natural hazards) for 2 different locations (Galveston, TX and Los Angeles, CA) to
review. Students will then compare and contrast the following characteristics of each
location - landforms, natural hazards, weather, populations, and recreation areas
Assessment includes: Teachers will use a rubric that assesses the criteria.
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?
form, causation, connection
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?




map skills
earth’s landforms
how the geography affects communities
how people affect the earth
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
1.
2.
3.
4.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
What are landforms?
How does the geography of an area affect a person’s lifestyle?
What are some of the ways that people have changed the geography of an
area?
How does geography influence where a person lives?
Planning the inquiry
3. How might we know what we have learned?
4. How best might we learn?
This column should be used in conjunction with “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?
What are the possible ways of assessing students’ prior knowledge and skills? What
evidence will we look for?



The class will dissect the central idea and discuss the meaning of the words.
Students will given a variety of maps, such as amusement parks, zoos, museum, weather,
Olympic Village, and various cities to observe and list their noticings. What am I noticing?
What am I learning? How is it helpful? What is the purpose? Who uses this type of map?
Is a title helpful?
The class will read a description of the travels of Lewis and Clark discussing how they
made the maps.
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines
of inquiry? What evidence will we look for?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
After researching landforms, participating in science labs on the earth’s crust and
weathering/erosion, students will choose landform(s) and describe how it is formed
through a poster/brochure or student/teacher selected method.
Students will draw a realistic map of their choosing in order to develop map skills.
Students will pick a landform or community that they would want to live in and write about
why they would chose to live there.
Students will examine population maps and then determine possible geographic reasons
for the greatest/least populations. Maps from the world, Australia, and Texas will be used.
After reading The Little House, students will create a visual project (mural, shoebox,
diorama, mosaics) illustrating how humans affect geography, why people live where they
do, and how geography affects lifestyle.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
TSW inquire about the variety of places they have lived throughout the world and what types of landforms
are present. C, I, RF
TSW explore landforms through pictures, facts, and books to learn about the vocabulary and features. R,
S, C, I, K
TSW complete a vocabulary landform activity (matrix) including: What is it? Can you describe it? What
does it look like? R, C, K
Throughout the unit, anchor charts will be created identifying the characteristics (landforms, population,
weather, natural hazards, etc) of Galveston, TX and Los Angeles, TX. R, C, K, RF
Science Labs: S, T, SM, C, I, K

Landform-shaving cream models; Weathering/erosion; Hurricanes/Tornadoes/Volcanoes
TSW use maps and globes, cardinal and intermediate directions to locate places, use a map scale to
determine distance, identify and use a compass rose, grid system (latitude and longitude), map symbols,
locate places such as Rocky Mountains/Mississippi River, map titles, map legends. R, T, K
TSW view different kinds of maps such as population/density, political, physical, etc… R, T, I
TSW define population and give reasons why some areas are more populated than others. R, T, C, I, RF
TSW explore and inquire through virtual field trips (Google Earth) important landforms such as Grand
Canyon, Mt. Everest, Pompeii, Hawaii’s volcanoes etc…. R, T, C, I
TSW explore slow changes such as erosion and weathering. R, K, I
TSW look at natural hazards such as hurricanes, landslides, droughts, tornado, tsunamis, floods, and
blizzards to look for fast changes to the Earth. Students will research using notefacts and a variety of
resources. R, S, SM, T, C; I
TSW will view videos about the tectonic plates and the layers of the earth. R, K
TSW define and describe the differences between urban, suburban, and rural communities. R, T, K
To learn about how people affect the Earth, students will read The Little House and then create a before
and after project (shoebox) about how the Earth changed. R, SM, C, T; RF
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of
the attributes of the learner profile?
S –Social, R-Research, T-thinking, SM- Self-management, C- Communication
I – Inquirer, RF-Reflective, C – Communicator, K - Knowledgeable
5. What resources need to be gathered?
What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?
www.brainpop.com (soil/rock, changes, natural disasters, erosion, and layers of the earth) www.united streaming.com (maps, symbols, geographical features, landforms and living patterns, earth’s
physical features, how mountains affect life, Magic School Bus Volcano) http://news.bbc.co.uk./2/hi/science/nature/4588149.stm - small video on fast changes
Science and Social Studies textbook, The Little House, Google Earth, variety of maps, Time for Kids articles, Fun Maps, Scholastic books on Natural Hazards
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
Field trip to Galveston
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
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:
The students really have a strong understanding of how to use maps and the purposes of
various maps. They could predict why different maps were made. They were able to use the
maps to tell about the landforms of a locations and what the lifestyle of the inhabitants would
like. Students were able to predict what types of natural hazards might occur in various
locations.
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.
We decided that the summative assessment needed to be more cohesive and simplified. We
need to do more preparation and learning activities throughout the unit in order to make sure
that the students are anchoring the characteristics of maps and locations of various places in
the world throughout the entire unit.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea
and the transdisciplinary theme?
When we discuss population and where people choose to live, the students make
connections to past and present and why people make different choices now. They
really start to see how geography and lifestyle are connected.

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.
Concepts
Form – Students researched various landforms and created them with shaving
cream and their bodies.
Causation – After viewing maps, class discussions, and science experiments
students were able to see how landforms are created, slow and fast changes in the
science lab and classroom discussion.
Connection – Students viewed physical and population density maps to identify why
people chose to live in various locations.
Transdisciplinary Skills
Social – worked in groups while making the collage and while acting out the
landforms, students also presented in groups
Research - investigated the answers to their questions, using internet, virtual field
trips, library books, atlases, and each other
Communication – writing and drawing, presenting research
Learner Profile and Attitudes
Students showed curiosity, especially during the frontloading activities. They
showed caring and cooperation while they were working in collaborative groups.
Many of the students really showed their independence through researching their
wonderings and then bringing the information back to the group. The kids were really
excited about their own learning.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
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.
























Do landforms grow?
I wonder how many landforms there are.
Are landforms everywhere?
Can landforms be in metropolitan areas such as New York or LA?
Is a landform surrounded by water?
Can landforms form in water?
Why is the Earth separating?
Why do landforms come in different shapes?
Who made the first map?
Are there really treasure maps in the world?
How are maps made?
How do tectonic plates move?
Why aren’t people in Antarctica upside down?
When was the first map made?
When did they find out the world is round?
How do people know where they are?
How do they come up with the scale? How do they know the measurements?
Is the whole world mapped?
Why do they call maps maps?
If you are in a park, how do you know which way is north?
Why doe the compass point north?
Does the universe go on forever?
How do maps change? Who makes the changes?
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.
While on a field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts students made connections between
the landscapes in the pictures and the landforms they were inquiring about. They
were better able to identify locations on the map and how locations are connected.
A student brought in pictures from her trip to the Grand Canyon. Students brought in
maps from their trips.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007








We need more resource books on landforms and population; buy more atlases,
globes, maps
look for more leveled readers – especially Pearson online, Time for Kids
Houston – why did the Allen Brothers decide to start a community in this area
(what landforms caused the population development)
why do families live here
TSW read and answer questions for chapters 9 and 10 in the science textbook.
TSW read and answer questions for chapters 1 and 2 in the social studies
textbook.
Me on the Map (Me in the city, state, country, continent, hemisphere, planet)
Walking tour of the school using the school map
The idea of change is essential – the earth has been changing for millions of
years, Pangaea – we are still moving.