Planning the inquiry

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

To inquire into the following: School: Wauwatosa Catholic School code:

An inquiry into: the similarities and differences of the major religions of the
world Title: Where is the faith?
PYP planner
Transdisciplinary Theme: How we Organize Ourselves Teacher(s): Berg, Cerbins

0 Date: 10/1/15 6/10/16

Summative assessment task(s):
Proposed duration: Year long
Parent/Child form about belief, faith, and religion.
Christianity Denominations Concept Map
Assessment Tool: 2. What do we want to learn?

Golden Rules Across the Religions
The students made 6 sheets that had each of the religions
golden rules on it. (Red Christianity, Orange Judaism,
Yellow Islam, Green Hinduism, Blue Buddhism)
o Golden Rules
http://www.scarboromissions.ca/golden-
rule/thirteen-sacred-texts-multi-lingual-
versions/thirteen-sacred-texts-english-
version
For purple, they wrote their own golden rule
What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change,
connection, perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized
within this inquiry?
Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism
Related Concepts: faith, belief, religion, tolerance, symbol
Central Idea:
Exploring the different global views of religion, beliefs, and values, so a more
tolerant society can be created.
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the
central idea?
An inquiry into: the similarities and differences of the major religions of the
world.

World Religions Journal What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
What is religion?
The students kept a World Religions journal that they What is faith?
completed after the religion we learned about. Where did religion come from?
What do other people believe in?
o PDFs located in folder Why do we believe in something?
How can you respect other peoples beliefs while keeping your own?

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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? What evidence will we
look for? Powerpoints

o Definition of faith, belief, and religion - See files in the folder

Lino it boards (http://en.linoit.com)

o A interview sheet went home for the students to start the conversation with the
students - We visited the boards to talk about if we answered the inquiries, etc.

o Participation in the lessons and learning Visits to Religious places of worship

Visitors to talk about how they worship in that religion

o Inquiries that the students ask
- I was able to find parents that helped with talking to the class about the religions
o I utilized linoit to accomplish the goals of this
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the
evidence will we look for?
learner profile?
o At the end of each short unit on the major religions, the students will be filling out the World Transdisciplinary Skills:
Religions Journal on what they learned and know about those religions.
Research skills: Students formulate questions based on what they are learning. They observe what they are learning and determine
the resources and things they need to do to answer those questions.

5. What resources need to be gathered? Social Skills: Students learned to accept responsibility as human beings to respect one another and their beliefs. The students
learned how, despite varying beliefs, we can cooperate and resolve conflict among ourselves by just respecting all peoples views.
What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?
Communication Skills: Students listened to presentations and other forms of communication to then form inquiries and their
Website: http://kidworldcitizen.org/tag/world-religions/ speaking. Students read about world religions and wrote about what they learned.
Linoit

Youtube.com Learner Profile

Story of Muhammad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSCgkg4Bjuk Inquirers:.Students create inquiries based on everything that they are learning. They continually think about what they are
Life of Buddha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSCgkg4Bjuk learning.

Books on world religions Communicators: Students communicate their questions and also share their knowledge with others.

A Faith Like Mine, Time to Pray, The Kids Book of World Religions, Reflective: Students think about what they are learning and reflect on how they can change theirs and others behaviors by making
others knowledgeable.
Field Trips: Greek Orthodox Church, Holy Hill

Visitors: These were parents of students in the classroom. See sheet in folder

How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
There is a spot in the classroom that has all the unit information on it. With each religion that the students explore, the visuals change.
The visuals were found on Teachers Pay Teachers. Here is the example of Buddhism
(https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Buddhism-1114861)

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

 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
Reflecting on should
the inquiry the inquiry
be included.
The students began using what they learned in this unit in other units. They wrote speeches
for how they could change the world and many used the topic of world religions as one way
they could change the world.
The students went home and shared the information they were learning with their parents and
families.
The students showed more compassion for others and showed growth in understanding and
respecting the varying beliefs of others.
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.
Overall the assessments showed accurate interpretation of the students understanding. If time
were to allot it, it would be nice to have them research or dress up as specific people, etc. in
the various religions.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the
transdisciplinary theme?
The students established the connection that the world is made up of individuals with varying
beliefs and religion. It is our job as human beings to be accepting of others beliefs through
our own beliefs.
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?
o KWL on Religion, Faith, and Belief
o Faith Interview with Parents
o Explored coming up with questions together before each religion
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.
Key concepts
Function: The students learn about how the world functions and how it functions together
Responsibility: The students learn about how it is their responsibility to share this knowledge with
others
Prespective: The students learn to look at things from others perspectives and respecting others beliefs
Transdisciplinary skills
Research skills: Students formulate questions based on what they are learning. They observe what they are learning and
determine the resources and things they need to do to answer those questions.
Social Skills: Students learned to accept responsibility as human beings to respect one another and their beliefs. The students
learned how, despite varying beliefs, we can cooperate and resolve conflict among ourselves by just respecting all peoples views.
Communication Skills: Students listened to presentations and other forms of communication to then form inquiries and their
speaking. Students read about world religions and wrote about what they learned.
Learner Profile
Inquirers:.Students create inquiries based on everything that they are learning. They continually think about what they are
learning.
Communicators: Students communicate their questions and also share their knowledge with others.
Reflective: Students think about what they are learning and reflect on how they can change theirs and others behaviors by making
others knowledgeable.
Reflecting on the inquiry

8. What student-initiated inquiries arose from the learning? 9. Teacher notes

At this point teachers should go back to box 2 What do we want to learn? and 1. Provocation show the map of the religions around the world and how
highlight the teacher questions/provocations that were most effective in driving the they are labeled. Use this to have inquiries develop.
inquiries.
2. Students formulated questions based on what they know about religions
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.
Christianity
- Students share with parents the information that they are learning
The students learned about the various parts of being a Christian. (powerpoint in folder)
- Students ask questions and reflect on the what they have been learning.
The students explored ways to be a Saint.
- Students used technology to record inquiries http://linoit.com/users/MCerbins/canvases/Islam%20
The students learned about a Saint of the Month throughout the school year.

The students visited a Greek Orthodox church to explore other Christian denominations.

The students will come to school dressed as a Saint. They will then do a presentation on basic
facts about their Saint including the Feast Day, what part of the world they are from, and
interesting facts.

Judaism
The visuals guided the lessons and units., along with the students inquiries
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Judaism-1114869
Through the powerpoint, we learned about the deep teachings of the Jewish religion. (refer to
powerpoint in the religion folder)
9. Teacher notes continued
We lit the candles during Hanukkah and listed to the prayers that would be aid on those
The students explored learning about avatars to explore why some of the Gods and Goddesses nights
looked alike
The students made a Hanukkah flip book that acted as their summative.
The students wrote about their favorite God that they were learning about
The students ate traditional Jewish food.
We had a visitor to the classroom that spoke about how Hindus worship
The students had a Hanukkah Party and played dreidel with gold coins
o We would have liked to schedule a visit to the Hindu Temple but ran out of time
Islam
Buddhism
The visuals that guided the topics and lessons , along with the students inquiries
The visuals that guided the topics and lessons, along with student inquiries https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Islam-1114868
o https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Buddhism-1114861
The students explored learning about the Lotus Flower The students watched the youtube video about The Last Prophet in order to learn more about
o An idea I had was to combine drawing the lotus flower with the art unit in How We Muhammad. : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSCgkg4Bjuk
express Ourselves
The students wrote and learned about the 5 Pillars of Islam
We had a visitor who was a parent, that came and visited the classroom to share his believes as
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Islam-The-Five-Pillars-of-Islam-443219
a Buddhist.
The students had a parent visit the classroom that practices Islam.
After all units the students filled out their Golden Rule Color page and their World Religions Journal
Hinduism
At the last 1st grade Mass of the year, the students shared what they had learned through a short
presentation at the church with a song The visuals that guided the topics and lessons, along with the students inquiries.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hinduism-1114865
The students explored many of the various Gods and Goddesses as a part of Hinduism