Planning the inquiry
1. What is our purpose?
To inquire into the following:
•
Transdisciplinary theme
How the World Works
Class/grade:
Grade 4
Age group: 9-10
School: KIS International School
School code: 7042
Title: Beyond Our Earth
Teacher(s): Chris, Michelle, Simon (Library)
Date: 1st October – 2nd November. (4 weeks)
•
Central idea
Space exploration and technology has had a major impact on our lives
Proposed duration: number of hours 40 over number of weeks 4
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 analyse their personal connections to the central idea and lines of
inquiry.
Connection, Change, Causation
They will be tasked with the creation of a section of a class website to show how
one aspect of technology (either specific items or materials) relates to the lines of
inquiry. The website will be developed collaboratively.
Criteria will be developed as an ongoing process throughout the unit and utilised
in self, peer and teacher assessment.
What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection,
perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
•
The use of space technology and its impact on our lives (Connection)
•
The ways that space technology has furthered our understanding of the
universe (Change)
•
The technological adaptations needed to make space travel possible
(Causation)
Extension: Students will be tasked with developing a possible future-tech that
may be required to allow for further space exploration. Development of the tech
will be
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
Guiding Questions
How does space technology impact our lives?
How has technology furthered out understanding of the universe?
What adaptations have allowed us to survive in hostile environments?
Provocations
What facts do we know about space?
What technology used for space exploration do we now use here on earth?
© 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?
Students will be tasked with brainstorming their own individual initial
understanding of space technology and exploration through the creation of a mind
map
Students will create and information report based on an artifact or person with
about which they already have prior knowledge. This will be a diagnostic
assessment of their structural technique.
Students will additionally be tasked with a pre-assessment on measurement to
gauge their understanding of standard and non-standard measurement forms.
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of
the lines of inquiry? What evidence will we look for?
Students will be assessed using variety of assessment strategies for their
engagement with the UOI and their conceptual understanding of both the central
Idea and the lines of inquiry as they relate to the key concepts:
Tuning-In
Students will engage with a gallery walk provocation of various artifacts and space technology
spin-offs. In addition they will be introduced to a variety of multimedia experiences to heighten
their enthusiasm for space and stimulate their questioning.
Students will then be tasked with adding their own prior knowledge and questions to the class
wonder wall and discussing some key facts about space travel and technological adaptations.
Students will be given a range of dramatic scenarios based on hostile environments to examine
the requirements of using different materials and technological adaptations to survive.
Finding Out
Students will engage in the development of their own questions regarding space technology and
necessary adaptations. Their eventual aim will be to then develop and information report detailing
one aspect of space technology that is currently being utilised on earth.
Explicit instruction on reading information texts will be carried out during guided reading sessions
which will then lead on to guided writing.
In maths students will be examining the relative distance between the planets and look at
conversions and ratios measuring distance.
Anecdotal notes: Group discussion and conferencing
Sorting Out
Development of information report
Students will be tasked with sorting through their information on space technology and
categorizing it into groups. This will then forms the basis for the development of the classroom
fact wiki.
I
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.space.com/12697-nasa-space-technology-demonstration-missions.html
Google custom search engines, space realted apps for ipad
MYP Guest Speaker
© 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:
The students made strong connections to the central idea through the
examination of the related concept of discovery. Making the initial provocations
highly visual (multimedia clips, iPAD applications) the students were able to
develop their understanding of the purpose behind space exploration. Once this
initial concept was established they were then able to move onto the key
concepts othat drive the central idea. They created a packing list for interstellar
travel which highlighted their understanding of the the need for special
technological adaptations and demonstrated a high level of understanding, and
appreciation for, the actual discoveries that have already been made. This was
revealed in class discussions, art work, expository wriitng etc.
•
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.
Stimulated research questioning and thinking skills:
Students will engage with a gallery walk provocation of various artifacts and space technology
spin-offs. In addition they will be introduced to a variety of multimedia experiences to heighten
their enthusiasm for space and stimulate their questioning.
Knowledgeable/Inquirers/Curiosity
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.
The adapted final assessment was effective in the fact that it allowed the students
to demonstrate their understanding of the three conceptual aspects of the central
idea. Although the website task would have been an effective way to show their
understanding, we were unfortunately hampered by technological constraints.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and
the transdisciplinary theme?
•
The students were tasked with researching one technological adaptation
that is directly related to an adaptation needed for space exploration.
They then had to write an expository information report detailing the
connection between space and earth technology.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
•
Stimulating, dramatic and dramatic video provocations
•
Scale building of the planets
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.
How can we explore a black hole?
What is the furthest we can look into space?
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.
What facts do we know about space?
What technology used for space exploration do we now use here on earth?
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.
Although direct action was not taken the students' passion and inspiration spilled
out into their curiosity to know more, even after the unit was finished.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
Alternate Central Idea:
“Technological adaptations have allowed us to further our
understanding of our place in the universe”