Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose? Class/grade: First Age group: 6-7

To inquire into the following: School: Post Oak School code: 921442
• transdisciplinary theme
Title: Our Family Journeys
Where We Are in Place and Time-An inquiry into orientation in place and
time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations PYPOu
Teacher(s): Renee Turner, Janan Snyder, Ashley Billups, and Weiwei planner
and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the
interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations; from local and global Date: January 21, 2009
perspectives.
Proposed duration: 4-6 weeks
• central idea
Changes over time influence family lives and the journeys they take

2. What do we want to learn?

Summative assessment task(s):
What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection,
What are the possible ways of assessing students’ understanding of the central perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?
idea? What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?
• Change
Students will participate in a Gallery Walk, where each student will create two
• Reflection
paper bag diorama comparing family of the present to the past. Each bag will
need to include examples of family: • Causation

1. Shelter

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

3. Foods
• Personal family histories
4. Recreation
• The difference between past and present
5. Transportation
• The ways people adapt to environmental changes
A rubric will be created to evaluate these dioramas and how they are able to
depict the past versus present.
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
Teachers will present students with pictures/objects of items from both the past and the present.
These will include shelter, clothing, foods, recreation, and transportation. The students will then be
asked to sort the objects. After sorting the teacher will ask:
• In what ways have you sorted these items?
• Have any of these items been used by your family?
After picking 2 items-the teacher will ask;
• What do you notice is the same about these items and was is different?
Planning the inquiry

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? Teacher provides the context for inquiry
What evidence will we look for?
Students will be taught family labels (Grandma, Grandpa, cousin, aunt, uncle, etc…)
Record the ways students sort the items. Teachers will instruct students how to make family trees that go 2 generations back

Record their responses to the teacher questions. Teacher will reinforce vocabulary (e.g.family word wall, or notebook)

Teachers will use songs and poetry to help reinforce vocabulary

Record students’ inquiries to the question, “What are you wondering about these
Teacher will read “The House on Maple Street” and then map out the environment changes and adaptions in the story.
items?”
Teacher will read “The Little House” and discuss the environmental changes in the story. Following the students will create
interview questions to ask local senior citizens about the environmental changes and their personal adaptations.

Teacher will read “Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel” and discuss how humans modify or change their environment. Then
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the using a t-chart labeled with smiley faces and frown faces students will discuss the positive and negative consequences in
lines of inquiry? What evidence will we look for? changing the land.

Teacher will sequence homework photographs in order of time and then ask, “How do we know these photographs took place
Students will be given a sheet with 5 past/present t-charts that have the in the past?”

headings (clothing, shelter, foods, recreation, and transportation) at the bottom Teacher will read, “When I was Young in the Mountains” and then ask the students to look for evidence of the past and record
it.
there will be pictures of both past/present examples of each and then they will
Leading and facilitating student inquiry
be asked to cut and past into the right area.
For homework students will interview various family members in order to understand significant family events and then record
these findings on a timeline

Students will bury a time capsule containing an example of present day clothing, transportation, recreation, shelter, and food.
Students will be asked to create a family tree and then reflect who is part of The teacher will tell the students they will dig it out during fifth grade recognition.

their tree. Students will explore toys from long ago at centers.

Students will write a reflection about the senior citizen interviews and the
information they gathered.
5. What resources need to be gathered?
What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art,
computer software, etc, will be available?
Big books, and other related literature, folk songs, Linda Mondol will investigate using genology.com, Little
House on the Prairie Videos, united streaming
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community
be used to facilitate the inquiry?
A classroom display will be set up containing artifacts from long ago, Students will interview community
senior citizens, a grandparent of one of our students will bring a variety of artifacts from the past, Turner-
Dodge docent, Merdian Historical Village
For homework students will be given the task to bring in a photograph of a parent or grandparent as a child and then share with
the class who is in the photo, when it was taken, where it was taken, and then the date.
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes
of the learner profile?
Transdisciplinary Skills
Communication Skills-Viewing and Presenting-Students will be need to create paper bag houses that visually show their
understanding of how families have changed over time. Students will also need to to interpret each others’ understanding
during the gallery walk.
Research Skills-Organizing Data and Interpreting Data-Students be creating timelines to show their understanding of
personal family histories. When viewing various artifacts from the past, students will need to be able to make conclusions about
family life.
Social-Respecting Others-Students will need to be sensitive to others family’s significant events, as well as, show respect to
the various artifacts that will be brought in
Thinking Skills-Application-Students will be making use of previous learned knowledge from Who We Are planner and apply
to their understanding of how family’s have met their needs and wants over time.
Self Management Skills-Organization and Time Management-Students will need to careful plan what should go inside their
paper bag dioramas to effectively convey their understanding of the central idea. They will need to use their time effectively
and appropriately in order to successfully carry out this task.
Attitudes
Empathy-Students will be need to imagine themselves of children from the past in order to understand family life of the past
Tolerance-When learning about different families, students will need to be sensitive about the differences
Learner Profiles
Open Minded-Students will come to appreciate and understand their own family histories, as well as, other families
Reflective-Students will be giving thoughtful consideration as they reflect upon their own family histories while creating

© 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.
When discussing recreation from long ago, specifically what types of toys
families used Raquel commented that “they had to make their own toys long
ago.” Other students stated that children long ago played the same games we
do today like ring-around-the rosie, duck-duck-goose, hide ‘n go seek, and tag.
The students also identified that long ago that “baby” boys wore dresses until
they were 2 years old. They also stated that girls wore dresses all the time,
“even when playing outside”.
How you could improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would have a
more accurate picture of each student’s understanding of the central idea.
The family trees could have been completed differently as a frontloading activity
by having the students complete these at home with their families and bring
them in to share.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea
and the transdisciplinary theme?
Students came to realization about how their lives are easier know than long ago. For example students commented on
how they are glad they can use the bathroom rather than going outside or at night using a pot. The also stated, “I’m
glad I can take a bath in a bathtub whenever I want.”
While having the students sequence family personal pictures they noticed how the clothing, even within their own family,
have changed overtime. One student stated, “I’m glad I can wear jeans to school and be comfortable. I’m glad I don’t
have to wear a dress all the time.”
While viewing movies from long ago, the students discussed how they are able to “run to the store” to get something
where long ago they had to plan a big trip into town. Thus coming to the conclusion of how more convenient
transportation and has made things as well as the location of stores.
It is still difficult for the students to grasp where their parents fit in when talking about the past. One student stated when
referring to her mom (who is 30), “I bet my mom had to wear dresses all the time.”
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
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.
Transdisciplinary Skills
Communication Skills-Viewing and Presenting-Having the field trips and guest visitors helped the students to view and see
first hand what family life was like long ago. While viewing the artifacts of a visiting community member the students shared
knowledge gain from previous lessons. These comments included “they had outhouses and no phones and cell phones long
ago”. Another student stated, “they had plank roads and they used a wash boards to wash clothes.” After being asked by the
guest speaker how did they get food for their lunches Alex stated, “they used a butter churn and we got to see what that was
like by shaking cream in a jar.”
Research Skills-Organizing Data and Interpreting Data-Students could sequence by themselves their artifacts, specifically
pictures they also were able to come up with specific descriptions for each “moment in time”. For example Dayton wrote under
a football game ticket “1st grade”. Many of the students included in their timeline when siblings were born. Some included
family reunions and get togethers and even family trips. Some students included family holiday celebrations.
Social-
Respecting Others-One of the students brought in a picture for her time line of her deceased sibling. Upon presenting this the
students showed interests and compassion as well as empathy.
Thinking Skills-Application-While discussing chores from long ago students were able to create t-charts comparing chores
from long ago to those of today. Students also commented on how long ago families didn’t have the economic means to
build/purchase the same housing we can offered today.
Self Management Skills-Organization and Time Management-Completing the dioramas was a difficult task for many of the
sutdnets. Students will need to careful plan what should go inside their paper bag dioramas to effectively convey their
understanding of the central idea. They will need to use their time effectively and appropriately in order to successfully carry
out this task.
Attitudes
Empathy-Providing the students with the field trip to Meridian Historical Village along with various pieces of literature including,
“The House on Maple Street” and “I Go To Grandma’s House” allowed the students to share in the joy and sorrows of families
long ago. While making family trees some students noticed that others did not have as many relatives on their family trees.
This was due not knowing or deaths. Also children began to discuss whether everyone” has a dad” or not.
Tolerance-When learning about different families, students began to feel more comfortable in discussing their own “non-
traditional” family situations. For example one student shared that he had older siblings from his dad’s first marriage.
Learner Profiles
Open Minded-Students will come to appreciate and understand their own family histories, as well as, other families
Reflective-udents were able to reflect about significant events while looking at artifacts in order to create their own timeline.
Students also made reflections after the field trip and guest visitors about how things have changed. One student wrote, “In the
school house the boys and girls were separated but know we can sit together.”
Reflecting on the inquiry

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 We need to think about ways to assist children in gathering the artifacts
that were incorporated into the teaching and learning. that are needed and having families follow through on sending them in to
Many students asked why “did they have a horse and carriage and not cars”. “Why couldn’t they just go to a grocery store?” school.
“Why do they have to hunt for their food?” “Why do they have to store their food?” This led teachers to read many books that
addresses these issues of how and why things change over time. When explaining timelines teachers should provide their examples using their own
pictures.
Prior to this unit students did not have understanding of their family connections. While completing their family trees this helped
the students to develop an understanding of how various family members are connected to them. We should have the Turner/Dodge quest visitor come at the beginning of the unit as
In Chinese students while asking what do you call these people (e.g. grandma, grandpa, cousin,etc…)learned that maternal
a frontloading activity.
and paternal grandparents have different names. This than lead to the students asking why? The teacher than led a discussion
about in China the male is more “powerful” than the “female”.

After reading the “Little House” students asked about the different types of transportation with the story thus leading into a
lesson about the different types of transportation there are for land, air, and water. They also debated as they questions the
positive and negatives of the house moving into a city. “A good thing is there are more jobs for people” “ A bad thing is the
noise.”
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.
For the summative assessment we should change the sheets of paper to have clearer
directions. The pages should stay “Transportation/ Past-Present” rather than having
the students label themselves. In addition rather than having a bag for the
summative assessment a poster format would have been better. Also due the
students writing ability it would have been helpful to have an extra adult in the room
to take student dictations.
We needed to have better follow through on confirming dates and times for quest.
Because of the weather, we needed to wait until the ground thaws to bury the time
capsule.

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 of the students during independent writing time chose to write a story about
“Past and Present” which included “In the past they used oil lamps and candles but
in the present we use electricity.” And “In the past they typewriters and today we use
computers.”

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007