ASIA INQUIRY UNIT

Year Level: Grade 3/4

Duration: 3 weeks, 6 sequenced lessons
Key Learning Areas: Geography, Art and English


8 LEARNING MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS (LMQ)

LMQ1 What does the learner already know?
The students had begun learning about Asia prior
They knew some information about:
- Some Asian countries
- Cultures and customs
- Asian stories
- Asian myths
- History and the way history has changed the lives we live today

LMQ2 Where does the learner need or want to be?

GEOGRAPHY
Australian Curriculum
Geographical Knowledge and Understanding

Year 3
The location of Australias neighbouring countries and their diverse characteristics
- Describing the similarities and differences between their local place and places
in neighbouring countries in their natural and human characteristics
Year 4
The natural resources provided by the environment, and different views on how
they could be used sustainably
. Identifying some of the resources produced by the environment and
where they come from, for example, water, food, and raw materials,
fibres, timber and metals that make the things they use

SOSE
NTCF
Env 1.1 Place, Landforms and Features
Describe the relationship between people and natural/built environments
. Identify stories, songs and dances from their traditional country/skin
groups




ART
NTCF
Band 1
Res 1.1
use arts language to describe features and elements of artworks and/or arts
experiences, understanding that responses may differ; and explain how the arts are
used for a range of different purposes in their life and the community.
. Talk about a preferred art material or tool and explain why it was chosen
. Look at a variety of pictures/paintings, discuss use of shape, form, line,
colour and pattern and give reasons for opinions and comments
. Participate in, attend and respond to artworks on display in the school
environment or a community event, eg I liked the library mural because
it reminds me of holidays.
. Talk about the spaces they live in and the things they wear/use having
been designed and made by artists, architects, craft artists and designers
. Discuss different forms of art and the different purposes and functions for
which they are made

ENGLISH
Australian Curriculum
Creating Texts
Year 3
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts
demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and
selecting print and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose
. Using print and digital resources to gather information about a topic
. Using appropriate simple, compound and complex sentences to express and
combine ideas
. Using vocabulary, including technical vocabulary, relevant to the text type and
purpose, and appropriate sentence structures to express and combine ideas



LMQ3 How does the learner best learn?
- Preferred learning styles
- Preferred learning environments
- Individual likes and dislikes
- Personality type and traits in relation to learning

LMQ4 What resources do I have at my disposal?
- internet
- Interactive whiteboard
- Engaging with Asia books school library
- ipads
- Art materials
- Art technique books


LMQ5 What is the best content for learning?
- Interactive
- ICT focus
- Ready resources
- Kinaesthetic
- Small group and class work
- Challenging environment

LMQ6 Who will do what?
I will provide
- Learning opportunities
- Resources
- Feedback and guidance
- Modelling
- Hands on experiences

LMQ7 How will I know what they have learned?
- Observation
- Group work contribution
- Class discussions
- Anecdotal records

LMQ8 How will I give feedback?
Feedback will be ongoing
- Verbal
- Annotated on student work
- Anecdotal notes



Reflection Questions
- Have the students had ample time to learn the set learning goals?
- What worked?
- What didnt work?
- Did the students engage and enjoy the learning experiences?
- What improvements could be made to better the unit in the future?



SEQUENCED LESSON PLANS
What I hope the students will learn.
- Asian customs, culture and traditions
- Similarities and differences between Asian and Australian living
- Art techniques
- Research skills
- Report writing understanding and skills
Learning Sequence One
Information Report Writing Introduction
Research on the history of Asian kites

Present a PowerPoint Presentation detailing the structure of an
Information Report, practise collating information to write begin to
write an information report.

NEED:
PowerPoint Presentation document
Smart/Interactive board
Computer
Collated information documents (x2)
Student workbooks

ACTIVITY TEACHING STRATEGIES
What do you know about
information reports?
Why do we have them?
Where can we find them?
What do you know about the
structure?
Go through the presentation slide
by slide
Prompt students to give examples
Show example Information Report What key things do I have in my
report?
Is it interesting?
What have you learnt already about
Asian Kites?
Show the students the collated
information on Asian Kites
Explain key researching
techniques
-eg. Skimming, reading subheadings,
topic sentences, highlighting
important words
In their Asia books students take
notes on the information found on
the worksheets
Explain note taking techniques
Eg. Dot points, short
sentences/important words
During:
Ask random students to share their
findings with the class
Reflection How was the lesson?
Was it difficult? Why? Which part?
Fast Finishers Begin to write information into full
sentences
Learning Sequence Two
Carp Wind Sock

Students explore an art technique (watercolour spraying) to create a
Japanese Carp Windsock

NEED:
- Interactive whiteboard
- Computer
- PowerPoint Presentation of the Japanese Carp Wind Sock
- Carp Sock Templates
- Spray bottles
- Dye/water colours blue, red, yellow, green
- Plastic sheet
- Newspaper
- Textas
- Cut card


ACTIVTY TEACHING STRATEGY
Present PowerPoint on Japanese
Carp Socks
Ask relevant questions to the topic
Eg. Why do you think they fly a carp fish
Explain the steps for constructing
the kite
and the art technique
Colour with texta to highlight parts of
the fish template
Bring template to the plastic sheet and
spray the fish with the dye
Allow fish to dry
Paste card to the top of the fish (mouth)
Staple together
Attach string
Hang in classroom
Fast Finishers/ during drying time Do further research on the Koinobi
Festival




Learning Sequence Three
Using previously taught Information Report researching skills,
students research the history of Asian fans.

NEED:
- iPads
- School workbooks
- Collated information documents (x2)

ACTIVTY TEACHING STRATEGY
What do we know about fans?
Mind-map on the board
What are the uses of a fan?
Where are they used?
What are the types of fans you know?
Where do you think fans originated from
invite creativity (tell a story about how
they were originally made)
Read the two information collated
documents created to the class
Pick out words to extend vocab
Eg. What does ___mean?
Whats another word for___?
What is something new you have learnt
Students return to desks with the
documents and highlight important
words
Dont need high frequency words
Do we need to highlight fan everytime?
Why not?
Use the highlighted words to create
dot points
Set the bar at 5-10
Remind short sentences, using
important words
Use an ipad to research fan further Look for new information
Eg. Pictures, stories


Learning Sequence Four
Create an Asian Fan
Using background knowledge of a Asian fans students create a round
Fan to display in the classroom.

NEED:
- Interactive whiteboard
- Instructions: (website)
- 2 pieces of plain A4 sizes paper per students (x54)
- 2 paddle pop sticks per child (x54)
- 1 approx 10cm piece of string per student (x27)
- Oil pastels
- Watercolour paint/dye
- Paintbrushes
- Model of one already made
- Picture of sample Asian characters/symbols

ACTIVTY TEACHING STRATEGY
Revise what was previously learnt
about fans
What is something we already knew
about fans before the last lesson?
What is something we now know about
fans?
Show the students the end result What can you tell me about my fan?
Features?
Colours?
How do you think I might have made it?
What did I use?
What art techniques did I use?
Model to the students step by step
how to make the kite
Be explicit
Ask and answer questions
Eg. What if I stuck the sticky tape here
instead of here?
Write each step on the board and draw
an accompanying picture
Discuss the colours and techniques Asian themed
- colours?
- Symbols?
- Display Asian symbols/characters
Create Fans Ask students to stand up and show their
work to the class
Learning Sequence Five
5 Chinese Dragons Poster
Students use their knowledge and practise of researching
information to create a poster of one of the 5 Chinese Dragons
Elements in a group of 5-6.

NEED:
- Interactive whiteboard
- Poster paper
- iPads
- Collated information documents of each dragon (x2)
- School workbooks
- Cardboard
- Textas, pencils
- Printer (pictures)

ACTIVTY TEACHING STRATEGY
What do we know about the 5
Chinese Element Dragons?
What is an element?

Explain what they are
Show an example of a star sign
/zodiac
Help to describe someones
personality/characteristics
Read and explain the documents
printed about the Dragons
- Use opportunities to extend vocab.
What does___ mean?, how else could
we say ___?
Students break off into groups with
iPads and information docs.
Nominate a group leader to guide the
group
Encourage student to read and
Write research tips on the board - Highlight important words
- Dot point form
- Write important words
- Skimming
- Read subheadings
- Read sentence starters
- Key search engine words
- Search pictures and stories
When students have sufficient
information begin creating their
poster
(This may have to be done in a following
lesson)

Learning Sequence Six
Asian Reading Response
Read and discuss an Asian themed storybook as a class and create
individual story murals.

NEED:
- Storybook The Royal Bee
- Plain A3 paper (x27)
- Model already created mural (of another story)



ACTIVTY TEACHING STRATEGY
Predict what the story will be about - What do the pictures tell us?
- Where do you think it is set?
- Who are the characters?
- What do you think might happen
in the story?
Read the story - Predict what might happen after
each event
- Discuss the characters personality
- Discuss the setting
- Extend vocab where possible
- Relate the story to the children
would this happen to you? is it
like this in Australia?
- What is the moral of the story,
what is it telling us?
Show the example created earlier Discuss the features of the mural
- Title
- Captions
- Characters
- Setting
- Detail
- Color
Students create their own murals of
the story
Dot point on the board a checklist of
what to include