Planning the inquiry
1. What is our purpose?
To inquire into the following:
• transdisciplinary theme
How we express ourselves: An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and
express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we
reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
• central idea
Through the arts people use different forms of expression to convey their
uniqueness as human beings.
Summative assessment task(s):
What are the possible ways of assessing students’ understanding of the
central idea?
Students organize a small arts exhibit with tickets, displays, sound etc which
needs to include elements of movement (dance and drama), music and visual
art. For the arts exhibit, students will identify what makes them unique
individuals. They may choose to modify/use one kanji based on their
uniqueness.
All students will take on various roles to organize the arts exhibit.
Dance: choreography and performance of a dance sequence using elements of
dance to express students’ uniqueness
What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?
• Expressing uniqueness in a creative manner
• Arts appreciation
• Artistic evaluation
• Using appropriate arts vocabulary
• Contribution to and participation in whole-class performance (dance)
Arts scope and sequence
Class/grade: 5 Age group: 10–11 year olds
School: K. International School of Tokyo
Teachers: Class teachers and arts teachers
PYP planner
Date: Term 2
Proposed duration: 50 hours over 5 weeks
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?
Key concepts: Function, perspective, reflection
Related concepts: Perception, self-expression, interpretation
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central
idea?
• The diverse ways in which people express themselves
• How everyone can express their uniqueness through arts
• The role of art in culture and society
• Arts appreciation
• Using creative movement to express ideas and concepts (dance)
What teacher questions will drive these inquiries?
• Why do people dance? (dance)
• What function do arts have in the community?
• How can we use arts to express ourselves?
• How do arts affect people?
• How can you ‘tell’ if your artistic expressions are successful?
Provocations
• Capoeira workshop (dance)
• 2 weeks of music, visual arts and movement workshops
Sample planner 3
Planning the inquiry
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?
Teachers and students record what they already know
about the different ways people communicate their
uniqueness to others.
Observe students during the workshops and record what
they wonder about.
What are the possible ways of assessing student
learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What
evidence will we look for?
• Students self-assess and reflect on their own
understanding of the different ways they communicate
their uniqueness.
• Look for examples of how people with different interests
and from different cultures and societies express
themselves.
• Write on unit journal about their thoughts on the role
that arts play in society.
5. What resources need to be gathered?
What people, places, audio-visual materials, related
literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be
available?
Dance videos from http://www.youtube.com, school
dance expert, various types of music from the different
cultures of the class, Svetlana (instrumental
composition for whole-class performance), Classroom
Connection by Kath Murdoch (1998)
How will the classroom environment, local
environment, and/or the community be used to
facilitate the inquiry?
Gymnasium, music room, creating a space in the
classroom to allow arts exploration
Arts scope and sequence
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?
• Tuning in: using a chart, students write what they already know and can do and what they want to find out
about the unit. In dance, students engage in Brain Dance® for brain-body integration.
• Finding out: exposure to explore the different elements of movement (dance and drama), music and visual
art through workshops and by viewing and listening to various forms of dance and music like haka, Noh
theater, Stomp, etc
• Sorting out: linking elements of dance to expression (feelings, thoughts, ideas, etc.); using elements
of dance to choreograph a simple dance performance expressing what makes us unique (in small
groups); creating generalizations and finding misconceptions
• Going further: viewing and interpreting a peer’s dance performance; compare/contrast with your own
performance; students create 3 questions based on the 3 chosen key concepts on which they will base their
artist statement and artistic expression.
• Reflecting: in preparation for dance performance, how has the class connected as a community? What
makes the class unique? Which creative movements best express various aspects of our uniqueness? Why
did we select these movements?
• Taking action: whole-class choreography and performance of a dance expressing the class’s
uniqueness. Students will use instrumental composition from music class.
Demonstrating understanding: Learning experiences in BOLD have been specifically chosen to enable students
to demonstrate their understanding
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of
the attributes of the learner profile?
Learner Profile: open-minded, risk-taker
Attitude: appreciation, creativity, confidence
Thinking Skills: evaluation; acquisition of knowledge (through workshops); application (applying their skills and
understandings about artistic expressions); synthesis; metacognition
Social Skills: group decision-making; cooperating; accepting responsibility, respecting others; adopting a variety
of group roles
Communication Skills: viewing; presenting; non-verbal communication; listening
Self-Management Skills: motor skills; spatial awareness; safety; organization; time management
Research Skills: formulating questions; observing; planning; presenting; research findings
Sample planner 3
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.
Students across the classes have shown very good understanding of the
central idea. Students displayed this understanding through the arts
exhibit, their artistic statements, research and initiative to visit art galleries.
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.
Suggested improvements for formative assessment:
• With the posters some students went a little bit off track but most
students were able to illustrate how their art form linked to arts
concepts.
• Assesings cue cards used for speech – checking for key points and
understanding
• Assessing the kinds/levels of questions used for research
Suggested improvements for summative assessment:
Perhaps use symbolism and beliefs to lead into ways of expressing their
uniqueness. Perhaps we needed to focus earlier in the unit on how “you
are unique” – this is a great opportunity for a personal and social
education lesson.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the
central idea and the transdisciplinary theme?
The teaching team discussed the possibility of including a process journal
so that the thinking behind the elements used in their creations could be
assessed. For next year, students should have greater exposure to
different media.
Arts scope and sequence
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?”
• Function – by allowing students to express themselves through different arts
mediums
• Perspective – during the workshops, each presenter talked about why different artists
do different things
• Reflection – students are invited to think about their own uniqueness and how they
show this to others
• demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary skills?
Students demonstrated the learning and application of transdisciplinary skills through the
following:
• Thinking skills – in analyzing the different arts and synthesizing the different parts or
elements together in creating an ‘artist statement’
• Social skills – respecting others and justifying each other’s right to express
themselves
• Self- management skills – organizing own resources, time management, use of
motor skills for all arts workshops
• Communication skills – through the students’ ‘artist statement’ they explained to the
viewer the ideas behind their artworks or presentation
• Research skills – in putting together content for the posters
• develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?
• Learner Profile: Students displayed open-mindedness during the workshops as they
took on board different perspectives and new ideas from different cultures. They
showed that they were risk-takers when they contributed their ideas to the whole
group on how the choreography could be improved.
• Attitude: The preparation for the art exhibit allowed the students to learn more about
what it means to show appreciation, creativity and confidence. When students
demonstrate this, they are recognized not only by the teachers but also their peers.
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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.
Timing of the unit should be reconsidered so that the events leading to the arts
exhibit is not rushed. Students need extra time to fully choreograph their class
dance by themselves. It is important that they do this as it gives them ownership
This unit was very successful in engaging the students to ask more questions to
over their work.
further their understanding of the central idea. All student-initiated inquiries
arose from their response to the question/challenge of how their presentation in It was wonderful for the whole community to see real and meaningful
the art exhibit can show how unique they are. This resulted in diverse responses connections between dance, arts and the unit of inquiry.
from the class.

Conceptual understandings / School’s scope & sequence connections

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 Physical education – movement to Arts
the inquiries. music

• Why do people dance? Body control • Arts can lead to perceptions and
• What function do arts have in the community? misconceptions.
Spatial awareness
• How can we use arts to express ourselves? • Arts can inform and provoke us,
Elements of dance
provide perspective and
Next year, these questions need a stronger focus: persuade our ideas.
• How do the arts affect people?
• How can you ‘tell’ if your artistic expressions are successful? • Through arts, people convey
their uniqueness as human
beings.
What student-initiated actions arose from the learning?
• The beliefs and values of people
Record student-initiated actions taken by individuals or groups showing can be conveyed through arts.
their ability to reflect, to choose and to act.
• A student brought in a CD to be used in class and said that she liked to
listen to it at home as it made her feel happy and encouraged her to dance.
• Some students visited galleries and museums. IB note: This unit was planned prior to the development of the PYP Arts
• Sharing their research with others and the discussions happening at home scope and sequence (2009). This planner shows how dance concepts
• Students requesting to have more art experiences at school support the understanding of the central idea. To inform future versions of
• At home, students using art to relax this unit, teachers could refer to the arts scope and sequence and in
• Connections between art therapy and art particular to the conceptual understandings identified in the continuums for
responding and creating strands, and the learning outcomes for dance.

Arts scope and sequence Sample planner 3