Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose?

To inquire into the following:

Class/grade: Fifth School: Oak Forest Elementary

Age group: 9-12 School code: 047

transdisciplinary theme

Sharing the Planet: An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Teacher(s): Jones, Parks, Rice, Legate, Rawlings, Staffa, Stephenson Date: November 12, 2012 January 11, 2013 Proposed duration: number of hours 50 over number of weeks: 6

PYP planner

central idea

Finding peaceful solutions to conflict requires commitment Summative assessment task(s): What are the possible ways of assessing students understanding of the central idea? What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for? TASK In groups, students will select a line of inquiry from this unit and explore the central idea through the lens of one of the related concepts. EVIDENCE Students will present their findings to the class. Visual aids will be a key component of presentation. Students will choose what type of visual aids will best support their presentation. ASSESSMENT TOOLS Students will be assessed by their peers and teachers in relation to knowledge and understanding of the selected related concept according to a group presentation rubric.
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2. What do we want to learn?

What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, and responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry? Key Concepts: Perspective, form, and responsibility Related Concepts: Conflict, rights, nature, technology What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?

A solution is the process of solving a problem. How can we use past experiences to solve current conflicts? How can we work together to resolve differences? There are conflicts in the natural world.

What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries? Why do we need to learn history? What is the purpose of conflict resolution? How can we resolve problems peacefully? What happens if we cant find a peaceful solution to a problem? Is there anything that is not part of the universe? Provocations: SCIENCE: Ask: Why do scientists often compare Earth to an onion? Hold up an onion and explain, as you begin peeling the layers of the onion away, that because Earth is made up of many layers of rocks it is similar to the layers of an onion. As you peel away each onion layer, name the Earths layer.

Taught November 7 December 9 2011 and reflected on December 12, 2011 (civil war unit originally) Updated October 10, 2012 for instruction between November 12 January 11, 2013 Planner is now about 1870s-1900 and Universe, Earth and Atmostphere International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

SOCIAL STUDIES: Provide students will a physical map of the US and ask them to, Pretend you are living in the 1800s and designing a railroad that travels from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. What would the path of your railroad look like? What physical barriers may make your railroad impossible to build?

Planning the inquiry 3. How might we know what we have learned? 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 journal about a conflict they have encountered and what actions they took to resolve the conflict. Was their solution successful? Would they choose to respond the same way if encountered with the same conflict? This will help identify students understanding of the nature of conflict and methods of resolution. Engagement: Evidence of student understanding will occur from written jottings, class discussions and teachers anecdotal notes. Explore and Explain: Students knowledge through initial exploration will occur through hands on experiences. Understanding can be assessed through journal entries, clicker quizzes, and presentations. Extend: Student created models will be assessed by rubric in a variety of ways; self, peer and teacher. Student participation in play, Failure is not an Option, will be assessed by peers and teacher observations. Leading and facilitating student inquiry: Text based on a primary source for conflict resolution will be assessed by the ATTACK the Source rubric. Key components include A) Identify the author, T) Type of source (map, diary, picture, letter, etc), T) Time or era that the source was made, A) Area or where it was made, C) Cause explaining why it was made, D) Knowledge or what else would the student like to know about the source. Student understanding of the greenhouse effect will be assessed by 1) daily temperature data recorded in science journals and 2) science journal entry comparing the two sets of temperature data. The journal entry will be grade by rubric based upon the following components: a) data recorded, b) identify which thermometer recorded the highest, most consistent, and greatest temperature variations within a day, c) visible differences within the jar at the end of the experiment and what caused these differences, d) why did the jars have a higher temperature than the ambient air, e) if another hole was added to the lid of the jar, would that have changed the air temperature? f) explain the effect that happens inside a greenhouse. Students will be assessed on their presentation of the peace heroes based upon class participation and successfully building a Web page about their peacemaker hero.

Taught November 7 December 9 2011 and reflected on December 12, 2011 (civil war unit originally) Updated October 10, 2012 for instruction between November 12 January 11, 2013 Planner is now about 1870s-1900 and Universe, Earth and Atmostphere International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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? Engagement for Social Studies and Science (from Box 2) Ask: Why do scientists often compare Earth to an onion? Hold up an onion and explain, as you begin peeling the layers of the onion away, that because Earth is made up of many layers of rocks it is similar to the layers of an onion. As you peel away each onion layer, name the Earths layer. Provide students will a physical map of the US and ask them to, Pretend you are living in the 1800s and designing a railroad that travels from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. What would the path of your railroad look like? What physical barriers may make your railroad impossible to build? Explore and Explain Create a simulation for the 4 layers of the atmosphere using a cylinder filled with 4 different colors of sand. Students develop an acronym to remember the names of the 4 layers of the atmosphere. Guest speaker from the Memphis Astronomical Society to learn about star gazing in the Memphis area. Explore the night sky by holding a star party where students learn to use and read a star wheel and identify constellations. Teacher reads Pink and Say to students who then identify conflict situations in the world today where global resources are being shared. Working in small groups, students suggest non-violent ways of resolving these conflict(s) and record them on poster paper for display and discussion. Class will be divided into 5 groups which will research and present a particular aspect of a cattle drive. Group assignments: Group 1: Cattle Drive Trails, Group 2: Cattle Markets, Group 3: Cattle, Group 4: Cowboys, and Group 5: Terms and Herd Formation. Information can be found at this website about the Chisholm trail http://www.thc.state.tx.us/publications/brochures/chshlm_trl.pdf Extend Build a volcano model Divide the class into three groups representing each of the three regions of the country in the 1840s: the North, the South, and the West. Ask each group to research and write their region's position on the homestead issue. Ask representatives from each group to conduct a mock congressional debate on a proposed homestead bill. Students calculate their corresponding ages and weights on different planets Students create a model identifying the layers of the earths interior In groups, students will demonstrate how mountains affect weather and climate by creating an experimental landscape with mountains and oceans. Conduct the play, Failure is Impossible about the womens suffrage movement. Students read the stories about young immigrants to the US and answer the questions; 1) do young immigrants today have American dreams? 2) What do you think their dreams are? 3)Do young immigrants today leave their homes and countries to come to America for the same reasons as immigrants did in the past? 4) What are their reasons? 5) Do young immigrants today face prejudice or racism from established Americans? 6) What do you think are some of those experiences? Create a classroom solar system Students design an ABC book that highlights important milestones in the nations labor history. Each book should contain: 1) a decorated cover with the student authors name, 2) each letter of the alphabet on a separate page, 3) a word or term relating to labor history for each letter, 4) an explanation or definition of each word, 5) an illustration for each word, either drawn, traced, or cut from a magazine. Create mini-greenhouses and observe the greenhouse effect and global warming Create an American Journey Scrapbook 1870-1900 Students imagine they are either an ironworker or a female textile worker in the late 1800s. As such, they write letters home to their parents describing a typical day. Most workers had twelve-hour shifts. They were given brief breaks to eat meals at the factory. Students consider how workers found time to wash clothing, socialize, write letters, clean their homes, or visit relatives. Leading and facilitating student inquiry: Cultures in Conflict: Research why the lifestyles of the Native Americans and the white settlers were not compatible in many ways. Identify how the conflict was addressed. Do similar conflicts over the use of land exist in the world today? How are these conflicts being addressed? Present findings to class. Display the Transparency: Quotations(Chief Josephs words and the Declaration of Independence). Working in small learning teams, students interpret the quotations and identify their sources. What do these two quotations have in common? How do Chief Joseph.s words reflect the meaning of the Declaration of Independence?. Students debate in small teams whether or not woman suffragists should have supported the Fifteenth Amendment, which extended the right to vote only to African American men and not to women. Students will research and find the monthly temperature and rainfall for Memphis, chart the data and create a climograph. Students will identify peacemakers heros in their local communities and around the world. Through research, students will describe the qualities and activities that make these individuals peacemakers. Using the Guestbook and Create Program on the MY HERO Web site to build a Web page about their heroes, students will share stories about peacemakers and peacemaking with other students around the world to promote tolerance, respect and peace. What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile? Transdisciplinary skills: Research Skills: students will have the opportunity to observe, record; organize; interpret; and present findings while researching the earths layers, surface and atmosphere. Communication Skills: Students will have to be listeners while learning how to use a star wheel. They will have many opportunities for speaking, while sharing their researching findings to the class, and writing when they have to summarize their findings or write an expository paper. Learner Profile: Curiosity: By creating a classroom solar system, students can release their curiosity about the size, color, and physical differences of each planet. Thinkers: Students will be using dialectical thought as they analyze how the global community has come together to address the depletion of the ozone layer despite cultural preferences.

Taught November 7 December 9 2011 and reflected on December 12, 2011 (civil war unit originally) Updated October 10, 2012 for instruction between November 12 January 11, 2013 Planner is now about 1870s-1900 and Universe, Earth and Atmostphere International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

5. What resources need to be gathered? What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available? Classroom computers and printers; Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco ISBN # 0-590-54210-9, Social Studies text book titled Tennessee by Houghton Mifflin, Discovery Education Online; Supplies to conduct greenhouse effect experiment: 2 glass jars and three air temperature thermometers; poster paper and markers to create conflict resolution posters. http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/Weight.html to calculate weight on other planers http://www.myhero.com/go/teachersroom/lessonview.asp?id=11 for peacemaker hero project http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/HowOld.html to calculate age on other planets http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/today/greenhouse-effect.html The Greenhouse Effect Video http://docsteach.org/activities/search?mode=browse&menu=open&era%255B%255D=the-development-of-the-industrial-united-states to find primary resources (1870-1900) for writing prompts http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/woman-suffrage/script.html to make copies of the play Failure is Impossible about the womens suffragist movement. http://www.thc.state.tx.us/publications/brochures/chshlm_trl.pdf Chisholm Trail website for cattle drives How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry? Guest speakers from government and non-governmental aid organizations, as well as local community groups who are involved in promoting peace will be invited to our school to share. Class star parties will be held in the community where dark skies promote observing stars and planets.

Taught November 7 December 9 2011 and reflected on December 12, 2011 (civil war unit originally) Updated October 10, 2012 for instruction between November 12 January 11, 2013 Planner is now about 1870s-1900 and Universe, Earth and Atmostphere International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Reflecting on the inquiry

The 2011-2012 Sharing the Planet Unit reflection included the American Civil War which is no longer in this unit.

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. Students had multiple opportunities to explore cultural conflict historically as well as in present day. Students reflected through reviews of articles, videos, and research. Students collaborated on developing solutions to global conflicts. Students are currently involved in peer mediation to learn how to successfully resolve conflicts without prejudice.

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?

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. Students may be able to get a better feel for the basis of cultural conflict resolution through writing and performing skits. If students have to represent an opinion that is contrary to their own, then they may be able to learn perspective of anothers opinion.

In each case, explain your selection. Students were able to see how governments are able to play an important role in resolving cultural conflicts. They saw how governments gave power to the states to allow slavery and later abolish slavery. Students learned that slavery still exists today in other countries. Because students had the opportunity to walk in the shoes of someone who doesnt have the same cultural perspectives as they do, they had to develop empathy for anothers plight. Key concepts Students were able to reflect on the central ideal using various tools such as articles, journaling, webbing, and discussions. They also had the opportunity to gain the perspective of another by debating, writing, and role-playing. Students later made a connection with the historical fact of slavery and its existence today. Transdisciplinary skills Students learned how governmental bodies help in sharing global natural resources while respecting various cultures.

What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme? Students selected activities that reflected their knowledge base of the transdisciplinary theme and central idea. This was evidence through their timelines, newsletters, dioramas, research papers, scrapbooks, and debates. The peer mediation student team provided an avenue for students to practice what it means to share the planet.

Taught November 7 December 9 2011 and reflected on December 12, 2011 (civil war unit originally) Updated October 10, 2012 for instruction between November 12 January 11, 2013 Planner is now about 1870s-1900 and Universe, Earth and Atmostphere International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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 into the teaching and learning. 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. A solution is the process of solving a problem. There are conflicts in the natural world. What is the purpose of conflict resolution? Record student-initiated actions taken by individuals or groups showing their ability to reflect, to choose, and to act. Students wanted to start a debate team. They wanted to go to other schools and debate current issues. Students conducted a survey among their peers regarding a gender issue.

9. Teacher notes This unit allowed students to learn that there are currently many points of conflict that exist around the world. Research efforts taught students a great deal about the United Nations (UN) and its many functions. They also recognized that the democratic protests that are presently occurring in the Arab countries resemble the struggles of African-Americans in the U.S. during the civil rights era. Students were also amazed at the depth of discrimination that still exists in America. Some Hispanic students expressed, during class discussions, that they identified themselves as experiencing discrimination in America. The fact that discrimination still exists, sparked a strong desire in students to acquire knowledge and skills to rid the world of such negative behaviors. A cultural conflict that was researched included the whaling activities of the Makah Indians of the Pacific Northwest. Despite their love of whales, some Hispanic students identified with the Makah Indians efforts to hold on to their cultural activity (whaling). One Hispanic student went so far as to say during a class debate, Save a culture, kill a whale!. Many students, despite their own cultural identity, were able to empathize with the Makah Indians desire to maintain their whaling culture. Students really enjoyed the Sons of Confederate Soldiers visit. The soldiers were able to demonstrate for students what life was like for a soldier in the civil war and the type of firearms that were used. A very thought provoking part of this IB unit was our trip to historic Elmwood Cemetery where many key Memphian figures of the Civil War are buried. Although students were interested in the many docent told stories about the civil war, they were fascinated in the fact that this historic cemetery contained tombstones with Chinese writing on them. More importantly, a few students said that they recognized and understood a few of the Chinese characters etched into the stones. The unexpected Chinese aspect of Elmwood Cemetery provided for a very enriching experience. During this unit, two to three fifth grade students from each class were trained to be peer mediators for Oak Forest Elementary. This activity was very timely as our unit focused on the understanding that resolving conflicts is essential for a peaceful world. The students chosen to be peers mediators were selected because they showed that they were good listeners, could remain neutral (dont take sides), were able to help disputants solve the problem themselves, and were able to keep the conflict confidential. In the initial training, students were able to give real life examples of why solving problems peacefully is beneficial. They were able to also give examples of why remaining neutral and not being biased is important to conflict th resolution. Although training for peer mediators was not offered to all 5 grade students, for those who were, this training was very timely and supportive of the learning environment.

The first year of teaching our IB units, the POI included the Civil War as part of the th 5 grade Sharing the Planet unit. However, in the spring of 2012, it became necessary for us to update our POI to include science lessons to meet our learning standard needs. Due to the addition of a science component to our IB units, it was necessary to reconfigure some of our units and Sharing the Planet was one of those units. For school year 2012-2013, the U.S. Civil War is now taught as part of th the 5 grade Where We Are in Place and Time unit.

Taught November 7 December 9 2011 and reflected on December 12, 2011 (civil war unit originally) Updated October 10, 2012 for instruction between November 12 January 11, 2013 Planner is now about 1870s-1900 and Universe, Earth and Atmostphere International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Taught November 7 December 9 2011 and reflected on December 12, 2011 (civil war unit originally) Updated October 10, 2012 for instruction between November 12 January 11, 2013 Planner is now about 1870s-1900 and Universe, Earth and Atmostphere International Baccalaureate Organization 2007