Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose? Class/grade: Age

Transdisciplinary 3 group:
Transdisciplinary Theme
Grade 3
To inquire into the following:
School: The School
How the World Works International School code:
Title: Weather
The natural world and its laws
The interaction between the natural world Teacher(s): Abad, Maria; Ahola-
(physical and biological) and human Weldon, Kristie; Bellamy, Cassie;
societies Briglia, Robert; Buckendahl, Keiko;
How humans use their understanding of Burrola, Adriana; Chang, Maggie;
scientific principles Fornell, Tamara; Fowdy-Drouhard,
Lara; Jansen, Julie; Maruki, Masami;
Musselman, Peter; Olson, Janet; Pack,
Central Idea Dan; Prince, Britt; Torres, Norma;
Wirsching, Teresa ; Woods, Robert;
By understanding the factors that cause Zhu, Renzhen Jennifer
weather, people can predict and prepare for it.
Proposed duration
Summative Assessment Tasks number of hours: over number of weeks:
What are the possible ways of assessing
(Week 8, 6 Weeks)
students' understanding of the central idea?
What evidence, including student-initiated 2. What do we want to learn?
actions, will we look for?
Key Concepts
Summative assessment weather
Key Concepts
Performance Task
What are the key concepts to be emphasized
Summative Assessment - Problem Based
within this inquiry?
Learning task
Function
Situation: You are the reporter of a town that is Causation
in danger of being hit by a natural disaster Responsibility
caused by extreme weather phenomena. You
must issue an emergency broadcast to inform
the locals and global community of the situation.
Related Concepts
You must explain the severity of this disaster.
The goal of this broadcast is to inform the public change, patterns, prediction
of the events that are about to take place and
convince them to make the right decisions to Lines of Inquiry
procure their safety. Use your natural disaster What lines of inquiry will define the scope of
information sheet to prepare your report. the inquiry into the central idea?
Your broadcast must include: 1. Factors that affect different weather conditions
location (where the event is going to happen and (wind, temperature, humidity) (Causation)
the reasons why it can happen there) 2. How we measure and monitor weather
causes (why can this happen) (Function)
evidence based on scientific data 3. Ways to prepare for extreme weather
possible consequences (Responsibility)
what can be done to ensure the safety of the
residents
INCLUDE:
map
images
special effects, scale models or sound effects
(efectos especiales, modelos a escala apoyos
visuales o de sonido)
1) Choose a natural disaster caused by extreme
weather phenomena (tornado, hurricane, snow
storm, rain - floods, drought, hail, thunderstorm).
(huracn, tormenta de nieve, lluvia en exceso -
inundaciones, sequa, granizada, tormenta
elctrica)
2) Do some research and ask questions that
address the different key elements:
KEY ELEMENTS:
Form - What is it like? What is a hurricane like?
Where do hurricanes happen?
Function - How does it work? How is a hurricane
formed?
Causation - Why is it like it is? What causes a
hurricane? What are the consequences?
Change - How is it changing? How does a
hurricane change?
Connection - How is it connected to other
things? What is the relationship of the location
(latitudes and longitud) and the weather
phenomena?
Reflection - How do we know?
Responsibility - What is our responsibility? What
can I do to protect myself in case a hurricane
hits? What could be some responsible choices?
What could I do to help?
Perspective - What are the points of view?
Scientists, victims, observers,
Teacher Questions
What teacher questions/provocations will drive
these inquiries?
Provocation: Observe/Think/Question - Look at
pictures of different types of weather. Look at the
sky, describe what is happening, use descriptive
words involving senses.
Why does it rain a lot in Portland?
Why do we have four seasons?
Why does the weather change?
How often does the weather change?
What do you see in weather forecasts?
How do we know what the weather is going to be
like?
How do we measure temperature, precipitation,
humidity?
What is considered an extreme weather
condition?
What kind of extreme weather is possible to
have in Portland?
What do you do to protect from extreme
weather?
Prompts: Pictures of different kinds of weather,
and different instruments to measure weather.

3) Your form of media can either be a live, an

audio recording or television broadcast.
Broadcast must not exceed 5 minutes. A written
report must also be submitted.
Evaluation tool: A teacher and student created
rubric.

Evidence of learning:
Students will be able to integrate the weather
factors and explain the different kind of weather
condition that is produced.
Students will use weather terminology when
giving their report.
Potential Actions: Students will talk about the
weather at school. Students will notice the
weather on the news. Students will talk about
extreme weather events currently happening.
Rubric Weather
International Baccalaureate Organization 2011
Planning the inquiry
3. How might we know what we have
learned?
Prior Knowledge
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?
Students will make a web of ideas of all the
forms of weather they can think of. Teacher will
look for evidence of prior knowledge about
weather vocabulary.
Students will make predictions as to the purpose
of weather measurement tools by connecting a
picture of the different weather measurement
tool to its description. Teacher will look for
understanding and misconceptions about the
tools used to measure and monitor weather.
As a whole class, students will predict which
weather factors are needed to make different
forms of extreme weather. Teacher will record
predictions. Teacher will look for understanding
and misconceptions about extreme weather.
Formative Assessment
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 given a set of weather
data. Students will predict which weather
factors are needed to make different
forms of extreme weather. Given a set of
weather data, students will explain what
the weather will be. Students will change
the data to change the weather. Teacher
may wish to use the following link to make
4. How best might we learn?
Learning Activities
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?
Function: Students create weather symbols and
create their own weather maps.
Function: Research about instruments to
measure weather: rain meter, barometric
pressure, humidity, wind speed, thermometer.
Students will analyze the data related to
temperature or precipitation collected from their
experiments or by using weather instruments.
Function: Students will construct their own
weather instruments.
Function: Make a graph that records everyday
temperature, humidity and pressure. Compare
how the weather changes. Convert temperatures
to F and C.
Function: Convert F to C degrees or viceversa.
Causation: Science experiments: air pressure,
changes in states of matter related to water, air
density experiment
Causation: sun, rain (flooding, hurricane,
tornado), clouds, snow, wind (blizzards, storm).
In groups students research, specialize in one
area and report
Math connection: Looking at probability by
comparing weather forecasts to see if right or
wrong,
Causation: Given a set of weather data,
students will explain what the weather will be.
Students will change the data to change the
weather. Teacher may wish to use the following
link to make the task more interactive. Interactive
Weather Maker from Scholastic
 the task more interactive. Interactive
Weather Maker from Scholastic
Teacher will look for evidence of understanding
the factors that cause weather and the tools that
are used to monitor it.
Causation: Whole class investigation to answer
the question: why does it rain so much in
Portland? and how is the geography of the area
related to the rain?
Responsibility: Red Cross Guest speaker to
explain what actions to take to prepare for an
emergency. After the Red Cross presentation,
students investigate what extreme weather
phenomena could possibly take place in the
place they live. Explain why that could be
possible. When is it more likely to happen?
Likelihood? What if that happens? Are you
prepared?
Responsibility: Students will survey their homes
to see their emergency preparedness.
Responsibility: Students will research
emergency preparedness for different weather
events.
Responsibility: Students will write a reflection
based on a current weather event.
Function, Causation, Responsibility: Guest
speaker meteorologist will speak with the
students. He will discuss how he monitors
weather, how he collects data, causes of
weather, how it impacts people's lives.
Language Arts connection: Students will write a
glossary related to weather.
English Connections:
1. Informative writing using clear main idea and
supporting details related to weather. Focused
on organization of writing. Read weather related
non-fiction book and take notes. Write paragraph
on topic.
2. Weather vocabulary using Bringing Rain to the
Kapiti Plain as sample text.
3. Weather setting in fictional writing using
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs as sample
text.
3rd grade unit 2.docx
English connection lesson plans
Transdisciplinary Skills
PYP Transdisciplinary Skills
Thinking skills Research skills -
observing, collecting,
Comprehension recording and
Analysis interpreting data
(monitor everyday's
Communication skills weather changes)
 Reading Thinking skills -
Presenting acquisition of knowledge
(vocabulary), analysis,
evaluation (based on
data students predict
what the weather is
going to be like)

Learner Profile
IB Learner Profile
Inquirers
Thinkers
Communicators

Focus Attitudes
Focus Attitudes
Appreciation
Cooperation
Curiosity

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.internet4classrooms.com/science_elem_weather.htm
http://www.quia.com/cm/16529.html?AP_rand=797682966

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations
/es1706/es1706page05.cfm?chapter_no=investigation
http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/en/kids/goes/crossing-words/index.shtml#
http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/en/kids/cloudsat_puz2.shtml
http://www.fi.edu/weatherED/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFjaQoOdJvI (Nashville Tennessee flood
May 1st to 3rd, 2010)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= wave
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= -swim at 12:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/educators/weather_maps.pdf
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjMzMDc2MTY=.html( video of hurricane)
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community
be used to facilitate the inquiry?
KPTV weather station (meteorologist guest speaker), National Weather Service Center of
Portland, Guest speakers by parents (topic: sports and weather, pilot and weather). Les
Shewab.
English Connection
Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Rain
CloudY with a Chance of Meatballs
video on raining animals - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THV83khWYnM
non-fiction books about different kinds of weather
International Baccalaureate Organization 2011
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.
By understanding the factors that cause
weather, people can predict and prepare
for it.
The final assessment was successful
because when students wrote their
weather report they integrated the
factors related to the weather event.
Students initiated conversations
related to weather.
In English class, students were able
to write fiction stories that involved
weather events.
Some students showed initiative in
following local weather by watching
the weather instruments in our
weather station.
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.
By understanding the factors that cause
weather, people can predict and prepare
for it.
1. Factors that affect different weather
conditions (wind, temperature,
humidity)(Causation)
2. How we measure and monitor
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?"
responsibility, causation, function
Causation, Function:
-Experiments: The egg in the bottle
experiment taught kids about air pressure.
Also the experiment with the ping pong ball
and the blow dryer answered the student's
question about clouds.
-OMSI showed the students how to make
low tech tools to monitor weather.
Students visited different stations to
interact with the tools.
-Meteorologist taught students about the
factors that cause weather and also made a
connection to natural disasters. (Bruce
Sussman Channel 6)
Responsibility: The Red Cross guest
speaker taught kids about emergency
preparedness.
English Connection Reflections
The most valuable English connection was
the weather vocabulary. We ended up
making a weather dictionary with each
student contributing a page with a word, a
definition, a sentence using the word, and
an illustration. Homeroom teachers often
ask us to spend time on vocabulary so that
students know the word in both English
and the track language.
The informative paragraphs gave students
weather(Function))
3. Ways to prepare for extreme weather
(Responsibility)
It was hard to integrate the second line of
inquiry in the summative assessment. It
was important for students to understand
how different factors are measured, but the
summative assessment required
understanding of weather patterns and
monitoring weather.
Example: Students were reporting:
"According to our thermometer, the
temperature...." (Did not sound so natural)
Next year we need to consider this issue
when revisiting the summative assessment.
What was the evidence that
connections were made between the
central idea and the transdisciplinary
theme?
Transdisciplianry Theme: How the world
works
The natural world and its laws. - By
analyzing weather patterns.
The interaction between the natural
world (physical and biological) and
human societies - By understanding
the effect of different weather
phenomena. By being aware of how
to prepare for extreme weather.
How humans use their understanding
of scientific principles. - By creating
and testing weather scientific tools.
By measuring and monitoring daily
weather.
International Baccalaureate Organization 2011
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
an opportunity to research a weather topic
while also exploring the elements of an
informative paragraph.
Finally, students wrote a weather setting.
Students were asked to describe what this
setting would look like, smell like, sound
like, and feel like. Again, a chance to delve
deeper into their understanding of weather,
while also focusing on descriptive writing.
demonstrate the learning and
application of particular
transdisciplinary skills?
Research skills - observing,
collecting, recording and interpreting
data (monitor every day's weather
changes)
Thinking skills - acquisition of
knowledge (vocabulary), analysis,
evaluation (based on data students
predict what the weather is going to
be like they used the analysis and
evaluation skills)
develop particular attributes of
the learner
Inquirer - Students did research about
different weather phenomena
Thinker - Analyzing data, monitoring
weather patterns, interpreting weather
maps. The formative and the summative
assessment required students to think
about how and why the weather happens.
Communicator - Students wrote and
presented a weather report. They practiced
listening skills as well when listening to the
other students present their weather
reports.
9. Teacher Notes
into the teaching and learning.
Why is it colder with the increase in
altitude even though we are closer to the
sun?
How do we know that it is going to rain?
Why do we have frost on the car in the
morning?
Why don't we have snow when it is cold?
How do you define "heat wave"?
How does air move and expand?
Is tsunami a weather event?
Why does it rain a lot in Portland?
What causes humidity?
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.
Provocation: Observe/Think/Question -
Look at pictures of different types of
weather. Look at the sky, describe what is
happening, use descriptive words involving
senses.
Why does it rain a lot in Portland?
Is it possible to control, to change the
weather conditions? (Olympic games in
China - clouds)
What do you see in weather forecasts?
Prompts: Pictures of different kinds of
weather, and different instruments to
measure weather.
How do you know how cold it is?
How do you know how much it has
rained?
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 now take weather instruments to
the playground so they can check the
weather. Students are noticing things with
frost in the morning. Students also notice
the sky, looking for weather events. One
parent commented that the child wants
always to know the temperature in Portland
and in the home country of the teacher.
 International Baccalaureate Organization 2011
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