Planning the inquiry

Class/grade: 3rd grade 1. What is our purpose? To inquire into the following:

Age group: 8 and 9 year olds School code: 006610

School: Oak Forest Elementary Title: Earth Rocks

transdisciplinary theme

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.

PYP planner Teacher(s): Rodgers, Szczodrowski, Murdock, Moore, Johnson, Thorne, Williams, Nicholson, Ding, Michenko, Holmes Date: November 7 December 9 2011 Proposed duration: 9 weeks

central idea

The Earths surface exhibits constant change. 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? What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry? Key Concepts: Function, change, causation Related Concepts: role, cycles, pattern

Students will have a choice of the following tasks: Create a model of one of the earths cycles including one of the following: seasons cycle, water cycle, rock cycle, moon phases, cycle of day and night

What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea? An inquiry into: Earths Cycles Properties of Earths surface Agents of change

Students may create a 2d or 3d model of the cycle. Students may choose how they want to recreate the cycle to present to the class. This can range from anything from the students creating a poster, PowerPoint, kinesthetic performance, or physical display.

Evidence- Students will include the major components of their chosen cycle. They will be able to describe the cycle accurately during their presentations. Students will also be able to answer student-initiated questions during discussion time after the presentation.

What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries? *What season are we in? How do you know? * What causes the seasons to change? * What planet do you live on? Can we live on other planets? * Where does the sun go at night?

Assessment- Student projects and presentations will be assessed by a self assessment and a teacher created rubric.

Provocation * Have everyone draw the moon and share. Discuss why everyones picture is different. * The teacher will bring in an umbrella and open in the classroom to stimulate discussion. *Students go on a nature walk to make observations about the world around them, and will also collect rocks.

Teaching dates:

November 2011

Revised Jan 2012

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?

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 1: (Pre-assessment/Engage/Questioning) Students participate in a classroom discussion and create a KWL chart. Students will go on the nature walk and make observations about the earths surface. Students will collect and sort rocks. After students sort rocks according to their own classifications, teacher will have ask students to explain their rationale behind their groupings. Teacher will stimulate discussion by asking where the rocks came from and why are they here. Week 1 (Explore/ Collect Data/Report Findings): After rock collection and discussion, students will begin to explore the rock cycle. Students will watch TLC Elementary School: Geological Processes (The Rock Cycle Portion) from United Streaming. Students will then participate in the Edible Rock Lab. Weeks 2-5 (Explain/Explore/Extend/Collect Data ): After umbrella provocation, students will draw a picture of themselves during their favorite season. Students will write a paragraph to go along with their picture. Students will watch United Streaming video to learn about seasons and discuss. Students will create a seasons flip book or 4-square paper model to illustrate the seasons. The season activities should lead into types of weather inquiry. Students will learn the water cycle song. Students will create the different cloud types using cotton balls. Students will maintain a weather journal and collect data about the daily weather conditions during the course of weeks 2-5. Weeks 6-7 (Explain/Explore/Extend/Predict): Students will draw the moon (see provocations), and compare/discuss their drawings. Teacher will guide discussion by asking where the sun goes at night. After class discussion, teacher will model using a flashlight and globe the causes of day and night. Students will create the moon phases using oreo cookies. Students will also create a model of the solar system to show the earth in relation to other planets and research why life cannot be sustained on other planets. Students may also keep a moon journal throughout the 2 week span in which they record their observations of the moon nightly. Weeks 8-9 (Evaluate): Students work on summative projects and present to class.

KWL chart about Earths cycles- Teacher will use the Knowledge portion of the KWL chart to assess students knowledge of facts. Class discussion, journal writing

What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What evidence will we look for?

Self Assessment- Students will complete Edible Rock activity and record data on the observation lab sheet. Formative- Students will create a flip book to show understanding of the causes of the different seasons. Formative- Students maintain a weather journal. Formative- Students accurately depict the different types of clouds using cotton balls. Students will be able to label and describe each of the clouds. Peer Assessement- Students perform the water cycle song for peers. Summative- Students will create a model of one of earths cycles. Diagonostic: Students put reflections onto interactive bulletin board daily.

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available? Unitedstreaming videos (www.discoveryeducation.com): TLC Elementary School: Geological Processes (The Rock Cycle Portion), The Earths Tilt Through the Season video, The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over, The Edible Rock Cycle Lab Activity by Nicole Shelby from www.teacherspayteachers.com, chocolate chips, graham crackers, frosting, bread, McGraw Macmillian Science book, Scott Foresman Reading Street Leveled Readers Weather Tools, flashlight, globe, cotton balls, glue, construction paper, Carson Dellosa Science File Folder Games. http://www.neok12.com/Seasons.htm , www.sheppardsoftware.com, Smartboard/projector How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry? Nature walk, field trip to Pink Palace if possible , inquiry table in the classroom International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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 why there is life on earth and not other planets. Students will collect and record data throughout the unit. Students will present their summative projects to the class. Thinking skills- Grasping meaning of earths cycles, making use of acquired knowledge to create a model of one of earths cycles. Communication Skills: Students will listen for directions, others, and for information. Students will read a variety of sources for information, write in their journals, and present to the class. Learner Profile: Knowledgeable, Communicators Attitudes: Creativity, Curiosity

Teaching dates:

November 2011

Revised Jan 2012

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.

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? demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary skills? develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?

Students showed understanding of the central idea daily through the use of an interactive bulletin board. Students added newly learned information and activities to the board. Students demonstrated their understanding of the changing seasons by illustrating the seasons while including information about the Earths tilt in relation to that particular season. Students observed the moon and were able to identify moon phases based on location of the moon in relation to the Earth and sun. Because so much of this unit focuses on other aspects of the solar system, we feel the central idea should be changed to reflect this, thus leading to more examples of student understanding of the central idea. If we choose to keep the central idea the same, we should look at incorporating the solar system in another way.

In each case, explain your selection.

Key concepts Function, causation, and change: Students understanding of function, causation, and change were clearly represented in the examples and explanations of the changing seasons, the changing moon phases, and the occurrence of day and night. Teacher and students questions facilitated the learning and the students were engaged and motivated with each learning experience. Students demonstrated knowledge of the central idea through their summative projects.

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. The students did well with presenting general knowledge of earths cycles with their projects. In the future, we would like to find ways for students to involve more higher order thinking skills when completing their projects. Transdisciplinary skills:

Research skills: Students collected data by observing the moon and creating a moon journal. Students organized data by graphing the amount of occurrences of each moon phase. Students also researched why we are able to sustain life on earth, but not on other planets.

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

Students made a connection between the changing seasons in relation to the Earth exhibiting constant change. Students were able to understand what causes the different seasons as well as the different climates based on regions of the world. Students developed their understanding of the changing moon phases by demonstrating the moon position by using a flashlight and a Styrofoam ball. Students were also able to gain knowledge of how day and night occur through an in class demonstration. Students were able to explain the need for weather tools and their purposes.

Thinking skills: Students built off of prior knowledge of the seasons and Earths rotation to gain better comprehension of why the seasons change. Students applied this knowledge by discussing weather in different areas of the world. Students created a KWL chart and formulated questions about how the Earth changes. They also wondered what effect the change of the Earth had on their lives.

Communication Skills: Students listened for directions, others, and for information. Students read a variety of sources for information, write in their journals, and present to the class.

International Baccalaureate Organization Teaching 2007

dates:

November 2011

Revised Jan 2012

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 We were not able to do as much exploration with rocks as we would have liked. If we are going to keep the rock cycle in this unit, we need to figure out a way to get different samples of rocks for each class, as well as tools to test rocks and minerals. Originally this unit, had 4.5 weeks set aside for it to be taught. We ended up having to extend to unit to 9 weeks in order to get all of the information and projects completed.

Student questions: Why is the weather different in New York than in Tennessee? Why is it hot near Christmas time in Australia? How does the moon change shapes? Why cant we see the moon on some nights? Why can we see the moon during the day sometimes? Would we die on Mars? Are rocks living or non-living?

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. See section 2

A good provocation was to have the students draw the moon and show them. Students wondered why everyone had a different picture of the moon. This led to the students learning of the moon phases and their causes. Students also really enjoyed the nature walk. This got them excited and really intrigued about the whole unit.

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 chose to gather facts and information that interested them about the solar system. They then shared this information with their classmates. Students chose to demonstrate the way the moon orbits the earth for the class. In the library, students chose books that related to the unit in order for them to gain a better understanding. Some students also brought in rocks that they found around their homes.
International Baccalaureate OrganizationTeaching 2007

dates:

November 2011

Revised Jan 2012