Planning the inquiry

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

Class/grade:

KK

Age group: 5- 6 School code: 006610

School: Oak Forest

transdisciplinary theme Teacher(s): Gutierrez, Hampton, Sutton, Winstead, Troxel, Batts, Johnson Date: August 20-September 28, 2012 Proposed duration: number of hours 30 over number of weeks 6 PYP planner

How the world works: 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 understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

central idea

Human activities are connected to Earths natural 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? Students design a book page for each season/and or weather type. Each page of the book will identify a season or type of weather. The student will dress a paper doll to fit into this scenerio on each page. Students will also illustrate an activity that might be done during that time. Assessment Rubric The student is able to illustrate how to dress for each season and/or weather type. The student must complete at least four pages but may complete more. What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry? Key Concepts: Form , Causation, Connection Related Concepts: pattern, environment, system What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea? How weather affects our daily lives How we describe, record, and measure weather Why weather and seasons change Causes and effects of the day and night sky What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries? How does the weather affect how we dress? How does the weather affect daily activities? How does weather change with the seasons? Why do objects in the sky change?

Provocation Clothing artifact table TTW dress in clothing (out of season) in order to provoke students to ask questions BBC Website How do you dress for different seasons

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Taught August 20-September 28, 2012

Planning the inquiry

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 One Students will complete a 4-square thinking map depicting the four seasons and a t-chart graphic organizer to differentiate between the objects in the day and night sky. Students will engage in the Parking Lot Week 2 and 3 TTW show discovery education videos exploring weather patterns. Students will engage with the Parking Lot to see if they can answer any questions from information gained while watching the videos The teacher will read-aloud informational texts to the students and revisit Parking Lot questions Students will keep a daily journal reflecting about what is learned each day Students will be allowed time daily to make new inquiries about information presented during the day The class will take a field trip to the Pink Palace Museum Planetarium to discover objects in the night sky. Students will reflect in their daily journal upon arrival back to school Week 4 Students will make weather predictions each day and record the actual weather. Students will role play making weather forecasts Teacher will display weather.com on the SmartBoard to find accurate temperature Students will continue to reflect in daily journals Students will continue to ask questions on the Parking Lot Teacher will continue to allow question-based teaching, using student exploration, Discovery Education, teacher made Powerpoints and books Week 5 6 Students will complete another season 4-square Students will complete another day and night T-Chart Students will report and record the weather during calendar math each day Students will create a Me through the Seasons book Students will participate in a short skit demonstrating the cause and effect relationship between the sun, the rotation of the Earth and the day and night sky

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 square of the seasons as a pretest T-Chart of the day and night sky

What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What evidence will we look for? Use a checklist to observe students describing and recording weather during daily calendar math Using the student created book, TTW assess how the students demonstrate knowledge of how weather and changes affect our daily lives Performance Assessment Role play skit to show how night and day occur

What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile?
Transdisciplinary Skills
Research Skills Students will research answers to Parking Lot questions
Social Skills Students will use social skills to collaborate and present

Learner Profiles
Inquirers: Parking Lot opportunities Communicators Role play and weather reports Reflective: Journal entries

Attitudes:
Creativity - Role playing activities Cooperation - cooperative groups for role-playing Curiosity- Inquiring opportunities through Parking Lot

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.fossweb.com/modulesK-2/AirandWeather/activities/whatstheweather.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/walesbobinogs/games/game.shtml

How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry? 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. Classroom teachers observed that Many students were confused with identifying seasons. Students began talking about how animals adapt to the changing seasons. Students were having difficulty differentiating between seasons and holidays. Students were intrigued by the sun and its function(s). Students were enthusiastic about observing and recording the weather.

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? o Dressed paper dolls and dressed them in appropriate clothing, drew the setting, identified themselves as the character, and used verbs to describe activities for the particular weather/season. Measured weather using graphs, rain gauge, and thermometer. Decorated trees for each season to represent how leaves change for each seasons. Students used flashlights and globe to show the change in seasons and day/night sky.

o o o o

demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary skills? o Social Skills- students work together, collaborated to complete projects/activities, and participated in class discussions and brainstorming.

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. Give students options/choices in what they write when reflecting/describing the summative. Cutting out paper dolls and clothes was difficult for students. Next time, it will be helpful to ask the art teacher for help with the art portion summative project. Students understood the cycle of day and night and the cycle of the seasons. Students gained an understanding of activities that they could partake in during each type of season and types of weather.

develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes? o o o Inquirers - students asked questions and posted on the wonder wall. Communicators- communicated with each other in groups and class discussions. Reflective- student reflected as they dressed their paper dolls, drew the setting, and drew activities for their characters to do during certain seasons/weather conditions. Creativity- students were creative in working on the paper dolls and flip books. Curiosity- Students were curious about why there teacher was wearing winter clothing on a summer day (this was a provocation).

o o What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme?

In each case, explain your selection. Key concepts-

Students understood that they could do certain activities during certain seasons and during certain weather conditions. Students understood what types of clothing is appropriate for various types of weather and seasons.

From- students recognized the pattern of the cycles of the seasons and the cycle of the day and night sky. Causation- Students understood that the weather is what causes us to dress the way we do. Students understood that seasons and day/night is what causes us to participate in the activities that we do. Connection- Students made a connection between why certain weather takes place during certain seasons and why we do certain activities.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Transdisciplinary skills

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.

9. Teacher notes The teacher provocations worked well with sparking their interest. There was an abundance of resources for this unit. Students need more choices on the summative for this unit. o o collage picture book for

How does rain form? Why do we have rain? What happens if there is too much rain? What do we do to protect our homes when it rain? What tool do you use to measure rainfall? Where does snow come from? Why do we have snow? Where does the sun go when the moon is out?

Teachers had difficulty trying to get students to understand the difference between the seasons. Teachers had difficulty coming up with more concrete examples of the changes in the seasons and day/night sky. Students completed their summatives successfully, showing their understanding of the central idea.

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.
Teacher questions How does the weather affect how we dress? How does weather change with the seasons? Why do objects in the sky change?

Single Subjects Integrated Math- graphing the weather, counting Science- weather tools: rain gage and thermometer ELA- character and setting, cause and effect, making inferences, drawing conclusions.

Resources to pre-order for next year: Weather books by Marion Dane Bauer Weather Watch series by Teacher Created Resources Specialist-

Provocations TTW dress in clothing (out of season) in order to provoke students to ask questions BBC Website How do you dress for different seasons

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.

Librarian- Provided reading resources/picture books

Students observed the season changing from summer to fall. Students collected leaves, brought them to class, and shared.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007