Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose? To inquire into the following:

Class/grade: 3rd grade School: Oak Forest Elementary

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

transdisciplinary theme PYP planner Teacher(s): Rodgers, Szczodrowski, Murdock, Moore, Johnson, Thorne, Williams, Nicholson, Ding, Michenko, Holmes Date: March 5- April 13

How we organize ourselves: An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision making; economic activities and their impact on human kind and the environment.

central idea Proposed duration: 10 hours over 5 weeks

Systems sustain peoples needs.

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: Reflection and responsibility Related concepts: Economics, Production, and Employment

Students will plan an imaginary trip and create a shape book (suitcase) that will include the following: * wants and needs for the trip * a flow map of how one particular want/need went from a natural resource to a finished product * how they will get their wants and needs (money/barter) * an example (picture and sentence) of a time on their trip that were a producer and consumer * a to do list of goods and services and identify them * any other teacher/student suggested pages
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea? Resources in a workplace Organization of Production Different systems of organization in our community

What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries? *What do you need to stay alive? * How do you make sure you meet your needs? * Do you need money to live?

Provocation * Display a picture of a large home and small apartment and have students try to figure out why they are up there and what is similar or different about them. Students should identify that they are both meeting the basic need of shelter. * Show a picture of a finished product and have students figure out how it started as a natural resource. * Give students pictures of random items and have them sort them giving no specific directions. See if students sort them into wants and needs or goods and services. International Baccalaureate Organization 2007 Dates taught: 9/17- 10/26/212 revised 11/2012

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? BrainPoP video Money United Streaming Video From Barter to Currency PowerPoint on wants and needs Flow chart that follows a natural resource to the finished product PowerPoint of goods and services

* Role-play being a producer and consumer. * Have students barter for different items.

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

What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile? Thinking Skills Acquisition of knowledge: gaining facts and using vocabulary Comprehension: communicating and interpreting learning Application: making use of acquiring knowledge to complete a suitcase project Analysis: see relationships between wants, needs, goods, and services Evaluation: Communication Skills Listen for information Speaking/presenting projects and ideas to classroom Read a variety of sources related to concepts Writing: suitcase shape book, flow charts Viewing: interpret videos and multimedia Research Skills Formulating questions: identify what we wonder in OWL chart Observe: use senses to identify wants/needs Planning: develop suitcase of settlements

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, BrainPoP videos, PowerPoints, picture books/trade books, cookies, art supplies, Pink Palace planetarium, flashlight and globe, Scott Foresman Reading Street, leveled readers, Carson Dellosa Science File Folder Games, inquiry table,

How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?

Provide unit related books in the classroom library, invite guests to come speak about the services they provide to their community, re-organize classroom set up to allow them to be in groups.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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. There was not enough time devoted to this unit for students to fully understand and complete the unit. There was a general understand of what the concepts meant, but many of the students didnt complete the tasks that were presented to them to the given expectations.

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?

In each case, explain your selection. Students demonstrated an understanding of how money is used in reference to goods and services.

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. Have students use the reflection of the unit form to show their knowledge of the central idea. This will help teachers better understand the students grasp of the content. Teacher could provide a model of what the finished product should look like. This can provide students with more information about what they need to understand. Teacher could provide a child-friendly rubric.

Students demonstrated an understanding of how money is used based on personal experiences dealing with receiving and spending money. Students participated in discussions related to the central idea.

Students created flow charts to express knowledge of the process of making a natural resource into a finished product. Students differentiated between a money economy and a barter economy.

Students created shape book suitcase for imaginary trips that identified their wants and needs.

What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme? Students were able to create a suitcase that demonstrated their needs and wants for their imaginary trip. Students imagined they had to use two different types of exchange systems on their trip. They were able to use both money systems and barter systems.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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 need to assess the ability of students before starting the unit. Many basic skills are not in place to achieve an understanding of the concepts in this unit.

What is the difference between money and barter systems? How do we get our needs met? What makes a want different than a need? What is more important: wants or needs? How does a tree become a desk? How do you know if its a good or service? Is everything a good or a service? What are services?

We need more time because lessons/activities took longer than expected due to lack of skills.

Students need to reflect more throughout the unit rather than solely at the end of the unit. This will keep information fresh in their minds rather than struggling to come up with a reflection.

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.

We need to have more integration with culture and other subject areas such as art, physical education, and technology.

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.

Students initiated discussions among themselves about the needs and wants relating to holidays and special occasions. Using the provocation visuals, students were able to differentiate between what was a need and what was a want. Students inquired about various services. This led to research about various government services.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007