InquiryUnitPlan

(Note:Thisisaflexible,workingdocumentbasedonlearnerengagementandcurrentneeds)

EssentialQuestionforTeachers:
Whatdesigncomponentsneedtobeaddressedwhenplanningagrade4crosscurricular
unitthatincorporatesthefollowingpedagogy:UniversalDesignforLearning,STEAMandProfessionalLearningNetworks?

BigIdeasforStudents:

1. Howdoescaringforournaturalenvironmentcontributetoourwellbeing?

2. Howcanwedesignavisuallycreativeoutdoorlearningspaceusingnaturalmaterials?
3. WhatrolecanItakeonthroughoutthisinquirytogainknowledgethroughresearch,collaborationanddemonstrationof
learninginawaythatismeaningfultome?

Curricular
Outcomes

Competencies
Addressed

PLNconnection

GeneralSslearningtask
orrole

IntroductiontoUnitbaselineofknowledge/scaffoldinguponlearnerspriorexperiences
ProjectPlanningandCollaboration

Science:
Problem
SolvingThrough
Technology:
Icaninvestigatea
problemand
developasolution*
Ongoingthroughout
project

Icanrecord
observations&
measurementsby
writing,drawingor
telling.*
Ongoingthroughout
project

SelfDirectedLearner

CriticalThinker

Problemsolver

Collaborator

GloballyAware

*Ongoingformative
assessmentof
networkingskills
(Richardson&
Mancabelli,2011,
p.78).

Mentorwithexperience
ingardeningand
greenspacedesign.
Skype,inperson,&
onlineblog
communication

Onlinesitesregarding

Observationsof
environment.Whatdo
yousee?HowcanI
expresswhatIsee?
Observeandmaptheland,
measuringthecanopy
coverageandperimeters.
Shapes.Texture.Soil.

Findpatterns&shapesin
thenaturalenvironment.
Visuallyrepresent
understandingsusing
individualtools
(differentiation).

Assessments(Making
LearningVisible)

Observationsof
environment
journalsketches,clay
modelreproductions,
onlinemodels,school
blog/individualblog

SelfReflectionstofoster
learnerparticipationin
metacognition(Costa&
Kallick,2008).

Ongoingformative
assessmentofnetworking
skills(Richardson&


Art:
ICAN...create
detail,patternsand
texturesona2D
surface&3D

Math:
Icanshowthat
fractionsand
decimalsarerelated
toeachother.
Icanadd&subtract
decimals.*
ongoingthroughout
project

Social:
SenseoftheLand:

Icancriticallylook
atthephysical
geographyof
Alberta(Airdrie).*
ongoingthroughout
project

Alberta
Landscapes/greenlife
connectswithexperts
fromanywhereinthe
world.

Artteacherguides
discussionson
observingwhatyousee
withdrawing.Shapes
makingmathperimeter
connections.

Mathexpertsorexperts
demonstratinghow
theyinfusemathinto
theirjobroles.

Measureperimetersand
determinevariousshapes
insurroundings(schooland
naturalspaces).

Figureoutproposedlayout.

Create2Dor3D
representationsofwaysto
improveoutdoorlearning
spaces.

Measuringtheperimeterof
shapestheboundaryor
edgeencouragesstudents
toobserveandcompare
regularandirregular
shapesofobjectsintheir
environment(Naested,
1998,p.237).

Classifying,measuring,
communicatinginScience
connectswithdrawingin
art.

responsestovisualforms
innature,designedobjects
andartworks(Art
(Elementary)),p.C.1).

Mancabelli,2011,p.78).

MakingLearningVisible:
Sharediscoveriesonline,
schoolnewsletters,blogs,
hallwaysetc.

Multiplemeansof
Representation
:Provide
informationinmultiple
formats(illustrations,
videos,text,readaloud
etc.)tobuildon
knowledge

MultipleMeansof
Action&Expression
:

Extendtheideaof
patterncanbefurther
exploredthroughtheuse
ofbody
movementhopping,
jumping,steppingand
skippingtomusic[...]or
usingtheirvoices
(Naested,1998,p.236).

multipleoptionsinways
toshareunderstandings:
speech,movement,
dance,writing,sculpture
etc.

MultipleMeansof

Engagement:
Providingoptionsinroles
&methodsofexploration
Math:
Numbers
Icanwrite,drawor
tellaboutfractions
lessthanorequalto
oneandabout
decimals.

FinanciallyandEconomically
Literate

Communicator

SelfDirectedLearner

Collaborator

Continuementorship
withexpertin
gardeningand
greenspacedesign.

Continueartteacher
guidance&math
teachercollaboration.

Usingagooglemapphoto
todeterminethecurrent
percentageofcanopy.

Creatingadetaileddrawing
ofhowtheywouldchoose
toplanttreesandshrubsin
ordertoincreasethe
canopytoatleast20%.

Findinga
ratio
ofopen
space,paths,planned
greenspace(garden)
Usingagridtoenlarge,
distortorreduce.

Buildmodelstorepresent
fractions
Draw/illustratepartsofa
wholethroughvisualarts
projects
Collaborativeartproject
whereeachlearner
contributespartofthe
whole
Ediblefractionsactivities
withcandies

L.A.
1.1Discoverand
Explore
Icansharemy
personalthoughtsto
understandwhatI
read,seeorhear.

Collaborator

Communicator

SelfDirectedLearner

InformationandMediaLiteracy

Onlinenetwork
Twitter,blogs

Decidewhattypeoftask
theywanttodoandwhat
mentortheywillworkwith.

Documentingthrough
writtenandvisualand
reflectinguponideasand
newknowledgeonadaily
basis.Sharingwithgroup
members.

Classblogs,Instagramand
othermeansofsharing
learning.

Journaling
Mindmapping
Writtenreflection
Oralexpressionof
thoughtsthroughiMovie
orvoicerecording
Draw/paint/illustrate
ideasandpersonal
thoughts
Song,dramatic
presentation
Digitaldocumentation

Science:

ProblemSolver

Gardeningmentors,

Discussingthelifecycleof

ParticipationinGreen

PlantGrowth&
Changes:
Icandemonstrate
knowledge&skills
forthestudyofplant
growth.

Communicator

GloballyAware

SelfDirectedLearner

RVSGreenstart
Greenhouseprogram

plants,plantingthemfrom
seedanddocumentingthe
changestheyseeinthe
plants.

Learnersproblemsolveand
experimentwithmethods
Whatwouldneedtobe
addedtomakethespace
20%canopycoverage?
Whatdoes20%coverage
looklikeinotherspaces?

Startsatellitegreenhouse
program
Illustratediagrams
multipleoptionsinways
toshareunderstandings:
speech,movement,
dance,writing,sculpture
etc.

L.A.
1.2Clarifyand
Extend
Icanreflectonmy
ideas&
experiences.

Icanfind
informationto
answerresearch
questionsusinga
varietyofways.

InformationandMediaLiteracy

ProblemSolver

SelfDirectedLearner

Collaborator

Treefarms,RVS,city
planners

Recordquestionsto
investigateonown.

Createaninterviewtoplan
whattoaskexperts.

Recordinterviewanswers.

Useavarietyoftechnology
toresearchquestions,
gatherinformationand
imagestosupportlearning.

Journal/portfolioentries
usingvariousdigitaland
writtenplatforms
Demonstrateonline
responsibilityandmedia
literacythroughdigital
researchskills
Accessresources
throughATlab
Accessprintresourcesin
LearningCommons
effectivelyandefficiently
Searchandlocate
appropriateresourcesto
answerinquiryquestions
connectwithcommunity
membersandexpertsto
askquestionsandrecord
informationeffectively

Art:
ICAN..

Innovator

Civicallyengaged

Onlinenetwork
Twitter,blogs

Designanimprovedgreen
spaceusinginformation
learnedaboutplantsand

multipleoptionsinways
toillustratelearning
visually:drawing,painting,

illustratemy
learningvisually.
C.Materialfromany
subjectdisciplinecan
beillustratedvisually.
(p.Art(Elementary)C.7
)

Icancreateart
aboutthingsIhave
read,seen,or
heard.
L.A.
1.2Clarifyand
Extend
Icanreflectonmy
ideas&
experiences.

Communicator

SelfDirectedLearner

livingthings.

mixedmedia
compositions,music,
movement,dance,
sculpture,cartooning,
VideoScribe,etc.

Multiplepathwaysfor
reflection:oral,written,
visual,digitalcreation,
ongoingjournaland
portfolioentries

Proposal

L.A.
2.4Createoriginal
Text
ICANusedifferent
waystogetideas
andorganizethem
inmywriting

CriticalThinker

SelfDirectedLearner

Otherschoolsthat
havecreatedoutdoor
learningspaces

Designproposal
components(videos,write
musicscore,etc)
Consideraudience.

Useknowledgegainedfrom
experts.

Manualwritten
composition,speechtext
applications,voice
recordings,video
recording,mindmapping,
freewriting,graphic
organizers,tables,charts,
etc.

Health:

ICANcooperate&
workwithinagroup
roletoreacha
commongoal.

Collaborator

Peergroup

Presentproposal/pitch.

ongoingdemonstrationof
abilitytocollaborate,
abilitytocompromiseand
reachconsensus,
participateinrespectful
discussions,etc.
conflictresolutionand
flexibility

Overallfinalpitchtoan
authenticaudience
References

AlbertaEducation.(1985).Art.
ProgramofStudiesElementary.
Edmonton,Canada:CrowninRightofAlberta,CurriculumBranch.Retrievedfrom
http://education.alberta.ca/media/312998/elemart.pdf

AlbertaEducation.(2000).LanguageArts.
ProgramofStudiesElementary
.Edmonton,Canada:CrowninRightofAlberta,CurriculumBranch.Retrieved
from
http://www.education.alberta.ca/media/645777/grade4.pdf

AlbertaEducation.(2007).Mathematics.
ProgramofStudiesElementary.
Edmonton,Canada:CrowninRightofAlberta,CurriculumBranch.Retrievedfrom
http://www.education.alberta.ca/media/8775377/k_to_9_math_pos.pdf

AlbertaEducation.(1996).Science.
ProgramofStudiesElementary.
Edmonton,Canada:CrowninRightofAlberta,CurriculumBranch.Retrievedfrom
https://education.alberta.ca/media/654825/elemsci.pdf

Glass,D.,Blair,K.&Ganley,P.(2012).UniversalDesignforLearningandtheArtsOption.InT.Hall&A.Meyer&D.Rose(Eds.),
UniversalDesignfor
LearningintheClassroom:PracticalApplications
(pp.106119).NewYork,NY,USA:GuilfordPress.

Naested,I.(1998).Chapter12:IntegratingArtwithScienceandMath.
ArtintheClassroom:AnintegratedapproachtoteachingartinCanadian
ElementaryandMiddleSchools
.Toronto,ON:HarcourtBrace&CompanyCanada,Ltd.

Richardson,Will.,&Manacbelli,Rob.(2011).
PersonalLearningNetworks:UsingthePowerofConnectionstoTransformEducation
.
Bloomington,IN,
USA:SolutionTreePress.