Class/grade: Grade 3 Age group:

School: American International School of Mozambique School code: 002357

Title: Who We Are
Teacher(s): Jessica Boland, Ana Gil, Michael Hibbs, Beverley Neubert, Carmen Elias
Date: W3 August
Proposed duration: 6 weeks PYP planner

1. What is our purpose?

To inquire into the following:
Transdisciplinary theme:
Who we are:
An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships
including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.
Central idea:
Our understanding of heroism can be shaped by our personal values.
Summative assessment task(s):
Presentation S The Living Museum
Students select and research a chosen hero. They will then perform at the Living Museum in which they will
orally give biographical information about their chosen figure. They will have to give supporting reasons for
their choice, include heroic qualities and actions. Their speech must demonstrate how their choice of hero
reflects the ideas, values and beliefs that are important to the student.
Strategy: Performance assessment / Tool: Rubric

What are the possible ways of assessing students understanding of the central idea? What evidence, including student-
initiated actions, will we look for?
Strategy: Performance assessment / Tool: Rubric
Students will select and research a personal hero. They will, then, perform a Living Museum. They will have supporting reasons for their
choice by including heroic qualities and actions. Their speech must demonstrate how their choice of hero reflects ideas, values, and
beliefs that are important to the student.

2. What do we want to learn?

What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be
emphasised within this inquiry?
Key Concepts: Connection, Perspective, Responsibility
Related Concepts:
Connection:
character, stereotype, role model, choice, action
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
Qualities of a hero
Factors which influence our choice of hero
Acts of heroism
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
How do we know someone is a hero? 1
What makes people identify with certain heroes? 2
How do heroes influence my actions? 3
How do my values connect to heroes? 1 2 3
Provocations:
Use fragmented images of a variety of heroes (from a range of walks of life). Students assemble the puzzle pieces and record questions/
comments/wonderings about the person.

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 3. How might we know what we have learned?
What are the possible ways of assessing students prior knowledge and skills? What evidence will we look for?
Strategy: Open-ended task / Tool: Anecdotal records
What Makes a Hero journal entry (or questionnaire)
Class discussion to determine prior knowledge
Brainstorm list of heroes. Create diagram to note differences superheroes, famous heroes, quiet heroes.
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What evidence will we
look for?
Qualities of a hero
Essay F reflection pieces
students are exposed to a range of biographies about notable figures, either through read-alouds or through
video clips. students should identify the most important pieces of information about the studied individuals
and begin to make connections between them. The assessment tool will be a continuum.

Investigation F interview data

Students interview a number of people (for example-a fellow student, their parent, a teacher, a member of
the local community). They collect information about their choices of heroes and they will record it on a
diagram that shows any differences and connections between answers given.

Factors which influence our choice of hero

Investigation F interview data
Students interview a number of people (for example-a fellow student, their parent, a teacher, a member of
the local community). They collect information about their choices of heroes and they will record it on a
diagram that shows any differences and connections between answers given.

Acts of heroism
Essay F reflection pieces
students are exposed to a range of biographies about notable figures, either through read-alouds or through
video clips. students should identify the most important pieces of information about the studied individuals
and begin to make connections between them. The assessment tool will be a continuum.

Investigation F interview data

Students interview a number of people (for example-a fellow student, their parent, a teacher, a member of
the local community). They collect information about their choices of heroes and they will record it on a
diagram that shows any differences and connections between answers given.

Additional Notes:

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?
Students interview parents to find out about parent choices of heroes and their family culture. Model an Interview with a teacher as a
whole group. Interview student, teacher and local regarding their hero. Using the responses the students compile a list of traits that are
common as well as different types of heroes chosen by the interviewees. Use a T chart to record data. Compile a whole group anchor
chart on traits.
Biography research skills with librarian. Introduction to biographies - speed dating (Template in Unit folder).
The focus in Literacy has been on character traits, actions and impact/influence. This has been done through biographies, read alouds,
videos and guided reading. (template available in Unit folder). We are also working with the comprehension skill of making connections.
Students are provided with lots of short stories that tell the life story of people who could be considered to be influential/heroic. Make
use of the continuum for the reflection on heroes.

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 Videos about famous heroes (Library) and quiet heroes (CNN). These support the biography studies done in the class - narratives
Students select a personal hero who reflects their personal ideas, hopes, and values. Students research information about their chosen
hero to write a research article.
In literacy students write an autobiography as a basis for their biography research task.
Create a values wall solidifying the students understanding of the term "values" .
Selected Learner Profile Items
Open-minded: We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We
seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
Caring: We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference
in the lives of others and in the world around us.
Reflective: We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and
weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
Attitudes
Confidence, Empathy, Independence.
Transdisciplinary Skills
Research Skills: Collecting Data, Recording Data, Organizing Data, Presenting Research.
Self-Management Skills: Codes of Behaviour, Informed Choices.
Thinking Skills: Metacognition.
Social Skills: Respecting others.
Communication Skills: Listening, Speaking, Presenting.
Integrated Subjects: Portuguese Mother Tongue, Physical Education.

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
Videos_used_for_Who_We_Are_Provo...
docx 10 KB
Added by Michael Hibbs on August 26, 2016
Summary

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.
The students were able to confidently choose a hero who was relevant to them. They were able to explain why the person was a hero,
although they somewhat struggled to understand fully how their values affected their choice of hero. Using 4 corners, as a culminating
learning experience, students were able to formulate expalnations as well as evidence displaying their evidence of the central idea.
How could you improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would have a more accurate picture of each students
understanding of the central idea.
The revised rubric was easy to follow for students. Maybe a questioning session wit the students would help improve the quality of the
summative assessment. Possibly, students could bring in more visuals/display items to enhance their presentations further.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme?
Very clear links were made to human values (which were unpicked at school and at home). Avalues wall was created in each classroom.
There were clear links to Literacy, in which we focused on character traits

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?
Connection - ongoing videos, read alouds-students had to share reasons why the person was a hero and the connections that they
made influenced their choices. They also made connections between different heroes.

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 Perspective - interviewing different people about their choice of hero.
Responsibility - through stories read to students about fallen heroes.
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to demonstrate the learning and application of particular
transdisciplinary skills?
Throughout this unit our entire literacy program supported research, social skills and communication skills. Students learnt about the
features of biographies and autobiographies, read and research and composed their own.
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or
attitudes?
Throughout all discussions these were focused upon.

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.
Some questions focused on animal versus human heroes.
Others focused on whether or not sports people should be considered as heroes.
Why do we call heroes from the past, heroes today?
Why do people want to inspire us?
Why did whites rule blacks and not blacks rule whites?
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.
One student was inspired to write to local businesses to help children in a local school. She also raised funds at school. This was based
on similar actions that are undertaken by her chosen hero.
Other students conducted their own independent research at home.

9. Teacher Notes
remove responsibility as a concept, replace with reflection.
consider re-wording of the central idea: One possible suggestion is:
"individuals have the power to change their societies and to influence lives."
possible revised lines of inquiry;
-individuals who impact societies
-the different ways in which societies can be changed
-agents of change and how we can be one
-include the "4 corners" activity next year (agree, strongly agree, disagree, strongly disagree) as a final reflective tool at the very end of
the unit

Vocabulary list to be shared:

value, passion, inspiring, influence, perseverance, character traits, initiative, determined, challenge, leadership, discrimination, racism

Visual Arts will connect through the concepts of Connection and Perspective.
Learner Profile: Caring, Open-minded, Knowledgeable, Risk-Taker
Attitudes: Empathy, Independent, Creative
Learning Experiences
The students will watch a video of Chrisford Chayera,a Malawian mouth-painter, who is a personal friend of Ms. Christinas, and they will
identify why he could be viewed as a hero of the art world.
Students will attempt to paint and draw using their mouths and toes to hold brushes and drawing tools in order to develop empathy for
paralysed artists.
Students will learn about Frida Kahlos life and explore how she was inspirational/heroic by over-coming disability and gender inequality.
Students will be introduced to the prolific body of work by Picasso and explore reasons why he has inspired so many artists during and

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 after his lifetime. Students will learn about the rise of Cubism and explore the techniques used by the Cubists in their own Cubist work
and form their own opinions as to whether they like Cubist art.
Visual Arts reflection:
The students loved mouth and foot painting! Many couldnt believe how challenging it was, and every student felt empathy and
admiration for people like Chrisford. The reflections written in response to these sessions described the physical discomfort felt by the
students achy mouth muscles and sore necks. Many also described verbally and in writing how frustrated they felt due to the lack of
control, and likened the experience to being like babies again. Some students also extended their inquiry into disability and tried drawing
with closed eyes, and experimented with oil pastels so that they could feel the texture of the medium to guide where they were drawing.
It would be wonderful to skype Chrisford during the lesson so that the students could ask him questions and show him some of their
work. He was not well this year but this could be a goal for next year.
The students also liked hearing Frida Kahlos story, and the girls in particular responded to her success as a female artist in what was
still very much a mans world.
The students were new to the idea of patronage and having to have sponsors especially when being risk-takers, and enjoyed looking at
Picassos trail-blazing art. We also touched on Jackson Pollock and how he had his break through when Peggy Guggenheim decided to
exhibit his work.
This year the students used a layering/sgraffito technique with oil pastels for the Cubist faces, which they enjoyed, and some have been
using this again in subsequent projects.
I would like to focus a bit more on a range of inspirational artists next year, and encourage the students to find an artist that particularly
appeals to, and inspires, them, and to justify their choice as a summative reflection/presentation. Currently though I would like more
resources biographies of artists and better class laptops for on-going and flexible research, in addition to booking the lab.

Portuguese reflection:
Introducing and talking about themselves that what this unit was all about. We connected to the central idea trough the exploration of
the qualities (adjectives) of each student to apply in different situations, like introducing themselves to a Portuguese classmate or making
friends with a Portuguese speaker outside the school. We explored also the feelings, body parts, family, physical appearance, languages
and nationalities
The vocabulary learned related to how to introduce themselves was about name, age, nationality and hobbies.
Feelings: happy, sad, serious
About the physical appearance: body parts, hair and eyes colours, types of hair, height, weight
Some learning experiences:
We read stories about peoples appearance, like Somos todos diferentes, O meu amigo Alberto.
We played games as formative assessment: Jogo do Corpo Humano, Kahoot about personnel information and describing people.
We sang and learnt songs about Body Parts :Cabea, ombro, joelhos e ps
We practiced dialogues in pairs and trough skits.
As summative assessment, they made a booklet Eu sou especial, where they applied all their learning.

Scope and Sequence

English Oral language - listening and speaking (Phase 3)
Overall Expectations
show an understanding of the wide range of purposes of spoken language: that it instructs, informs, entertains, reassures; that
each listener's perception of what they hear is unique. They are compiling rules about the use of different aspects of language.
Conceptual Understandings
Spoken communication is different from written communication - it has its own set of rules.
Spoken language varies according to the purpose and audience.
People interpret messages according to their unique experiences and ways of understanding.
Learning Outcomes
use language to explain, inquire and compare
begin to understand that language use is influenced by its purpose and the audience
understand and use specific vocabulary to suit different purposes
listen attentively and speak appropriately in small and large group interactions
listen to a variety of oral presentations including stories, poems, rhymes and reports and respond with increasing confidence
and detail
pick out main events and relevant points in oral texts
anticipate and predict when listening to text read aloud
express thoughts, ideas and opinions and discuss them, respecting contributions from others
participate in a variety of dramatic activities, for example, role play, puppet theatre, dramatization of familiar stories and poems

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 English Visual language - viewing and presenting (Phase 3)
Overall Expectations
show an understanding that visual text may represent reality or fantasy. They recognize that visual text resources can provide
factual information and increase understanding. They use visual text in a reflective way to enrich their storytelling or presentations,
and to organize and represent information.
Conceptual Understandings
Selecting the most suitable forms of visual presentation enhances our ability to express ideas and images.
Visual texts can expand our database of sources of information.
Visual texts provide alternative means to develop new levels of understanding.
Learning Outcomes
with guidance, use the internet to access relevant information; process and present information in ways that are personally
meaningful
use actions and body language to reinforce and add meaning to oral presentations

English Written language - reading (Phase 3)

Overall Expectations
show an understanding that text is used to convey meaning in different ways and for different purposes - they are developing
an awareness of context. They use strategies, based on what they know, to read for understanding. They recognize that the
structure and organization of text conveys meaning.
Conceptual Understandings
What we already know enables us to understand what we read.
Applying a range of strategies helps us to read and understand new texts.
Wondering about texts and asking questions helps us to understand the meaning.
The structure and organization of written language influences and conveys meaning.
Learning Outcomes
participate in collaborative learning experiences, acknowledging that people see things differently and are entitled to express
their point of view
wonder about texts and ask questions to try to understand what the author is saying to the reader.
read texts at an appropriate level, independently, confidently and with good understanding
identify and explain the basic structure of a story - beginning, middle and end; may use storyboards or comic strips to
communicate elements
recognize and use the different parts of a book, for example, title page, contents, index
understand sound-symbol relationships
use a range of strategies to self-monitor and self-correct, for example, meaning, context, rereading, reading on, cross-checking
one cue source against another
discuss personality and behaviour of storybook characters, commenting on reasons why they might react in particular ways
discuss their own experiences and relate them to fiction and non-fiction texts

English Written language - writing (Phase 3)

Overall Expectations
show an understanding that writing can be structured in different ways to express different purposes. They use imagery in their
stories to enhance the meaning and to make it more enjoyable to write and read. They understand that writing can produce a
variety of responses from readers. They can tell a story and create characters in their writing.
Conceptual Understandings
We write in different ways for different purposes.
The structure of different types of texts includes identifiable features.
Thinking about storybook characters and people in real life helps us to develop characters in our own stories.
Learning Outcomes
use feedback from teachers and other students to improve their writing
use a dictionary, a thesaurus and word banks to extend their use of language
use graphic organizers to plan writing, for example, Mind Maps, storyboards
use appropriate writing conventions, for example, word order, as required by the language(s) of instruction
use familiar aspects of written language with increasing confidence and accuracy, for example, spelling patterns, high-
frequency words, high- interest words
write legibly, and in a consistent style
proofread their own writing and make some corrections and improvements

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 Mathematics Pattern and Function (Phase 3)
Overall Expectations
will analyse patterns and identify rules for patterns, developing the understanding that functions describe the relationship or
rules that uniquely associate members of one set with members of another set. They will understand the inverse relationship
between multiplication and division, and the associative and commutative properties of multiplication. They will be able to use
their understanding of pattern and function to represent and make sense of real-life situations and, where appropriate, to solve
problems involving the four operations.
Conceptual Understandings
By analysing patterns and identifying rules for patterns it is possible to make predictions.
Learning Outcomes
understand that patterns can be analysed and rules identified
describe the rule for a pattern in a variety of ways
represent rules for patterns using words, symbols and tables
select appropriate methods for representing patterns, for example using words, symbols and tables
use number patterns to make predictions and solve problems

Mathematics Number (Phase 3)

Learning Outcomes
model numbers to thousands or beyond using the base 10 place value system
read, write, compare and order whole numbers up to thousands or beyond
use whole numbers up to thousands or beyond in real-life situations

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