Planning the inquiry
1. What is our purpose?
To inquire into the following:

Class/grade: 1st
Age group: 6/7
School: Tates Creek Elementary
School code:
transdisciplinary theme
How We Express Ourselves
Title: Self Expression
Teacher(s): Wain, Robertson, Walker, Case

central idea
PYP planner
Date: 3/25/15
People express themselves through written word and art.
Proposed duration: number of hours
over number of weeks
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?
2. What do we want to learn?
Students will choose either a performance or visual art piece
(open ended task) to express an emotion or idea. Students
will identify a piece by another artist that expresses the
same emotion or idea.
Evidence: Student will use speaking and listening skills to
demonstrate self-expression through a student chosen
performance or art piece. Students will connect their own
art piece/ performance with that of another.
What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection,
perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?
Connection, Perspective, Reflection
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?

People experience different feelings.

People express their emotions and ideas in various ways.

People connect with others’ works of self-expression.
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
What are different forms of artistic expression? (Gallery Walk)
Action: Students will initiate conversation with each other
regarding various ways to communicate emotions.
What are different feelings that people experience?
What emotion or idea is being expressed in a self expression?
How can you express your ideas and emotions?
How do you connect with others’ works of self-expression?
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
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?

Anchor charts

Gallery Walk

Student probes

Performance task (four corner emotions)

Wonder Wall

KWL chart
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of
inquiry? What evidence will we look for?
Identify different feelings in a selected response. (Multiple choice/ matching)
(Definition)
Students will identify different forms of expression through open-ended tasks.
Students will identify emotions/ ideas being expressed through others’ works.
(Journal- Teacher will provide samples and students will interpret emotion being
expressed)
Students will express emotions and ideas through performance assessment. (Rubric)
Students will describe a connection between their ideas/ emotions to someone else’s
self-expression. (Open-ended task- Rubric with interview).
Students will listen to music.
Students will view art pieces from primary and secondary resources (local and global).
Students will view and perform dance.
Students will create their own art pieces.
Students will create a class book of feelings.
Students will read and be read books about emotions and feelings.
Students will read and write poetry.
Students will role play emotions.
Students will participate in a gallery walk of feelings.
Students will keep a journal of other’s self-expressions.
Students will write dialogue (speech bubbles) for works of art.
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development
of the attributes of the learner profile?
Research (Observing, Interpreting)
Communication Skills (Non-verbal communication, listening, speaking, reading, writing)
Thinking Skills (Metacognition, synthesize, dialectal thought)
Profiles: Communicator, Risk Taker, Reflective
Attitude: Appreciation, Tolerance, Creativity, Empathy
5. What resources need to be gathered?
What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?
Guidance Counselor, Special Area Teachers
Poetry Slam
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
High school IB students
© 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:
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.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea
and the transdisciplinary theme?
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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.
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.
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.
9. Teacher notes
P.E.identifying social interaction skills that enhance individual health
using etiquette, politeness, sharing and other positive social interaction skills
(Partnering, grouping, sharing, taking turns)
Music/Theater
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.
Art
STEM
Media Library- stories shared that deal with feelings and emotions
with an emphasis on poetry. Perform and record “poetry
slam” in library (?).
 Resource list can be found on TCE online catalog
Chinese
Guidance
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007