Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose?

Class/grade: 5

To inquire into the following:

School:

Age group: 9-10

International Magnet School

School code:006272

transdisciplinary theme
Teacher(s): Bergeron, Shannon, Stewart

Who We Are- what it means to be human

Date: September/October

central idea

Proposed duration: 6 weeks

Human systems provide information necessary to sustain life

Summative assessment task(s):

2. What do we want to learn?

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?
function, connection, perspective

(change?)

Related concepts: systems, sustainability, communication

1.
Students will present their understanding of the central idea and lines of
inquiry of how systems are connected to sustain life by using their personal
learning style. (ie visual learner makes a PowerPoint, kinesthetic learner uses
finger puppets, etc.)

Students will use their burning questions formulated at the beginning of the unit to
research a topic related to the central idea. Presentations will show the connection
between the central idea and their research.

Approaches to learning will be self-assessed and discussed with peers to prove

their self-assessment and recognize strengths and areas in need of improvement.
(Teacher will design skills bookmark specific to the unit)

What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?

Functions of body systems

Interpretation of information and responses

Human behavior and responses to change (change?)

What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?

How do our human systems help us to sustain life?
How does the brain function?
What makes human behavior and responses change?

Presentation Expectation:
-

Speaking and Listening Rubric

2.

Catch it! Performance Task (compare to pre-assessment)

Cooperation and Group decision making

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?
Student and parent learning inventory- We will look for students describing what they do to
learn and understanding who they are as a learner. (This will pre-assess knowledge and
skills.)
Pre Assessment using concept map for Human Systems (What do you know about the body?)
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of
inquiry? What evidence will we look for?
Catch It! Performance Task (Cooperation, group decision making, and accepting
responsibility)

Functions of body systems-Students will describe how the experiment shows the
connection between stimuli and response

Interpretation of information and responses- Students will describe how our body
collects information and then then responds accordingly

Human behavior and responses to change- Students will describe the effect of the
information they gathered. Why did this organ respond in this way? Use this information for
post assessment

Assessment for Puberty: Concept map with question starters

***Brain content will be teacher model and students can choose another system in the body to show the central idea
and lines of inquiry

Tuning InProvocation- Catch It!

Apple juice versus grape juice (4 corners)
Prior Knowledge 1st page of Inquiry Cycle Packet
Learning Inventory
Stations: optical illusions, brain games, practice catch and release for Catch It!
Activity 1- Standing several feet away from your child, toss a bean bag back and forth (or two kids can do it together). After a
few tosses, blindfold your child (or children) and yourself. Then try tossing the bean bag back and forth again. Talk about what
senses you had to use when your eyes were covered and what was harder to do when you couldn't see. How many more
times did you catch the bean bag with your eyes open than when you had the blindfold on?
Activity 2- Introduce the Braille alphabet. Braille is what people who cannot see use to read and write! They "see'' the letters
by feeling them with their finger tips instead of looking at them with their eyes. Print out a copy of the (Braillealphabet):
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/gif/braille.gif. To make the letters raised like Braille, put a drop of white glue over each
black dot. When the glue is dry you will be able to feel the raised dots with your fingers. For older children: Encourage your
kids memorize the letters (all or some) of the Braille alphabet. Then write a word with dots of glue, let it dry, and have your
child "read'' it with his or her eyes closed. Discuss how and why it is much easier to read with your eyes than feeling letters
with your fingers.

Reading: Background Knowledge of Reading Workshop.

Student Reading Inventory
Writing: Background Knowledge of Writing Workshop

Classroom Activity for Expectations (Chart, Powerpoint, Poster)

Finding out
Performance Task- model how to research about our findings from Catch It! in order to improve our catch and
release (model a simple experiment) (stimuli, synapses, neurons, sense organs, senses)

Sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foZbv9IjEkg&noredirect=1
Jigsaw/research of 5 sensory systems
Reading: TC UNIT 1: Bend I Finding your voice as a reader.
Interpreting Book Club Communication

Writing: What do professional writers do? Qualities of narrative writing (develop real or imagined experiences
or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences)
Reading literature to find out quality examples of dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences
and events or show the responses of characters to situations.

Sorting Out- (our body is a tool)

Inquiry Task Stations:
1. Non fiction reading- Brain texts- make connections; diagrams; visuals to summarize the information
presented in each text
2. Image Analysis- Optical Illusions (?)
3.Diagram Study- Compare and contrast healthy and unhealthy brains (related to sight and sound- deaf and
blind?)
4. Multimedia Center- Sounds- students will listen to, interpret, identify, then compare and contrast different
sounds. Reflect on how they recognize each sound
5. Helen Keller Read aloud- obstacles and how she overcame those obstacles
(5.2, B20, B21) Describing our tools- diagrams of the sense organs, compare and contrast sense organs and
their responses
Organizing data- develop a theory based on their question (Model how to create a theory)
Puberty- (refer to Social Skills/Human Growth and Development materials)
-

explore and reflect on the changing capabilities of the human body (Discussion and anonymous question

box)

identify and discuss the changes that occur during puberty and their impact on well-being
(discussions and diagram)
Reading: Bend II: Communicating about literature. Connection literature to the real- world.
Writing: Developing a personal perspective and style of writing based on model texts/authors

Going Further- (5.4, B24, B25- we use technology to enhance our tools)

How do we take things further? Comparing the eye and camera, pinhole camera , periscopes, telescopes,
speakers, hearing aids, microphones, etc.
Reading: Written Communication about Reading (Response, using evidence)
Connecting ideas, characters, events, and theories as a reader.
Writing:Generating/applying strategies for personal narrative to further develop drafting by establishing a
situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

Drawing ConclusionsBegin Presentations- Model how to make choices based on your learning style, target audience, and burning
questions/research
Presentation includes research on a human system for presentation.
Reading: BEND III: Developing Themes as a reader and connecting fiction to understand what it means to be
human.
Writing: To understand who we are as writers we complete a final draft for Personal narrative including
strategies/perspectives developed in lessons and modeled texts.
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the
attributes of the learner profile? In each case, explain your selection. (Thinking, research skills, and
Social Skills)
We are principled and act with commitment when cooperating, making group decisions, and accepting
responsibility.
We are inquirers and act with independence and integrity when formulating questions, planning and collecting
data.
We are balanced and act with appreciation and empathy when making safe choices and living a healthy
lifestyle.
We are caring and act with empathy when we resolve group conflicts.

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?
National Geographic- brain games
http://blog.ted.com/2012/09/24/12-talks-on-understanding-the-brain/
Mind Up Curriculum
Catch -It Performance
Task and Student Notes

Sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foZbv9IjEkg&noredirect=1
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
Learning inventory parent surveys

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:

Students were able to make connections between how different human

systems interact to function together to help us sustain life. Evidence was presented
in human systems presentations, key concepts such connection and relation to
central idea was assessed and scored by audience.

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.
Design an outline/checklist to emphasize including the sense organs within
a system
Create a practice-run Inner/Outer circle activity so students can use
feedback from discussion to strengthen their presentations--Jigsaw 5 Sensory
Systems---in order to connect body systems
Give rubric for presentation earlier in the unit so students can familiarize
themselves with the expectations during their research

develop an understanding of the concepts identified in What do we

want to learn?
Function: Students were able to research and identify the different human systems.
They identified how the work and how that systems is valued to sustain life.
Students were introduced to the Narrative writing Diamond through lessons that were
designed to allow the students to discover the Function of each section. Beginning,
Elaboration, Endings etc. With this information, students then wrote a Narrative draft.
Connection: Students were able to research/ explore mentor texts to discover techniques
published authors use successfully. Students connected these lessons to their writing
and developed an Narrative writing draft based on these techniques.
Perspectives: Students showed their capacity to understand different learning styles and
how to cooperate as a learning community. Students researched human body systems
across genders to empathize with their peers. Students explored their fiction novels from
the viewpoints of different characters in order to understand the theme or authors
message.

skills?

What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the
transdisciplinary theme?
Students asked questions about how the systems work together and
identified how they make us human.
Students research the change that happens in puberty to understand what
it means to be human at their age. Students used resources to ask questions,
knowledge scavenger hunt, and answer questions.
Students created Figure Me Out posters in Math based on Who We Are as
Mathematicians
Students wrote Reading goals based on Who They Are as readers
Students designed Who am I character traits posters in their Interpretation
Book Clubs
Students developed a sense of Who I am as a writer based on lessons
based on examples from Mentor Texts

demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary

Cooperating: Students worked in small groups during reading (book clubs) to understand
how we work together as part of understanding our learning styles (who we are). Student
continued peer group work throughout task stations and math tasks; work included
identifying aspects of cooperating that were places of confidences and reflection pieces
what can we work on.
Making Group Decisions: Students make group decisions to decide how and what they
are presenting for the human system research project.
Students worked in small groups to make decisions about how to represent the parts of
the brain using symbols and similes to describe the relationship.
Accepting responsibility: Students learned strategies to keep their bodies healthy and
how to be proactive during Puberty.
Metacognition: Students thought about how they learn new information, according to their
preferred learning style(s), and applied it to their research and presentations
Healthy lifestyle: Students investigated ways to eat a well-balanced diet, keep the skin,
clean and communicate questions and concerns with teachers and trusted adults

Learner Profile

develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?

Principled:Students worked to identify how the essential agreements and being mindful
helps develop strong character and understand who we are and how we act.
Inquirer: Students worked to develop quality burning questions based on their research
topic. Students also used questioning techniques to dig deeper into their character study
and themes of their fiction books.
Balanced: Students used self-management skills to balance time and balance asking
questions, doing researching, and creating presentations. Students identified ways to
stay balanced while understanding the changes that happen to their body.
Attitudes:
Commitment: Students had to demonstrate commitment to the Inquiry process and
develop their research skills in a timely manner when working on their Systems
Research.
Independence-Students showed authority in the design and implementation of their
independent or group presentations on connecting body systems
Appreciation: Students showed Appreciation for their peers, families and communities by
participating in the Appreciation campaign. Students showed Appreciation for their peers
approaches to learning during the creation of their unit presentations.

In each case, explain your selection.

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.

Revisit assessment for puberty unit- PRe and post word sort? Per CREC
curriculum.

What are the parts of the Circulatory/Muscular/ Skeletal etc system?

How can the Nurse and the PE/Health teacher be involved with the presentation of
Puberty Materials.

How is the Digestive system connected to brain functions?

How does the system work with another system?
How is it influenced and get influenced by other systems in our body?
What diseases/ health concerns affect our systems?
How can we treat health concerns of our system?
How does the brain change to fit someones learning style?
How do injuries to the brain affect the body systems?
How can I self-regulate my body to deal with changes in my emotions?
How is our body going to change during puberty?

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 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 chose a human system to research.
Students chose a presentation format that fit with their groups learning style.
Students reflected on their initial research about their system and went further in their
research to fill in gaps.
Students asked questions related to their bodies when being presented with puberty
information.
-Students created mini-Anchor charts with strategies for using learning activities to suit
their learning styles
-Students brainstormed ways to self-regulate themselves in order to maximize
processing information in the PFC
-Students designed multi-media presentations such as Google Slides, PowerPoint,

Student reflection brochure

websites, Google docs and videos to teach peers about body systems and connection to
the brain
-Students created print materials like brochures, posters, research reports, diagrams to
show their knowledge and action

International Baccalaureate Organization 2011