Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose? Class/grade: PP1 Age group: 3 - 4Years

To inquire into the following:

School: Hillside Academy School code: 300536
transdisciplinary theme
Teacher(s):Mrs. Shaheen banu, Mr. Koteshwar Rao, Mr.Ram Mohan,
Who we are. PYP planner
central idea Mr.Robin , Mr.Sanjeev.

Friendship is important in creating a peaceful classroom environment. Date: 15th of June- 27th of August 2010
Summative assessment task(s):
Proposed duration: number of hours over number of 8 weeks
What are the possible ways of assessing students understanding of the central
idea? What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?

Students gained a clear understanding about friendship and its values.
Students have become more helpful and caring towards their peers.
Their summative task was based on drawing how will you and your
friends make everyone happy"
The criteria was clarity of the concept, drawing , colouring and
neatness.
2. What do we want to learn?
What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection,
perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?
FORM
CAUSATION
Related key concepts( cooperation, Interdependence)

Who are friends? (Form)

Friendship helps in creating a peaceful community? (Causation)

What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
Lines of Inquiry:
School a new place to make friends.
How we make and keep friends.
What I can do to be a good friend?

What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?

Why do you make friends?
What do you do to be a good friend.

What do you like to do with your friends?

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Planning the inquiry 4. How best might we learn?

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?
Children brainstorm on the Central idea. Anecdotal record
Children identify their friends in the class, in the bus and in their colony.
They spoke about their best friend.
They made a friendship wreath and drew different activities that they would like to
do with their friends.
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the
lines of inquiry? What evidence will we look for?
Students made friend ship bands and this is how they made new
friends in the school. They were eager to go to pp2 to make friends
too.
Students were encouraged to orally reflect why his/ her friend is very
important.
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?
Inquiry 1-: The topic was introduced by asking the children the names of
their friends; with whom they play, share, love e.t.c. Students made a
friendship wreath and a friendship rainbow with hand prints all around. They
expressed what they like to do with their friends through free hand drawing.
They learnt that the role of a friend is important in ones life. They made
friendship bands for their friends. They enjoyed singing rhymes based on
friendship.
All the students were involved in group games like: passing the parcel, and
musical chairs which developed the bonding between them and helped them
to understand each other.
Inquiry
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the
development of the attributes of the learner profile?
LP: INQUIRERS; students will inquire about the hobbies of their friends.
KNOWLEDGABLE: Acquisition of knowledge and vocabulary development..
THINKER: children think and express their views.
COMMUNICATOR : Dramatization, roleplays and puppet shows.
Thinking skills, communication skills and social skills.

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?

puzzles , poems and rhymes on friends, Picture dictionary, photographs, Resource parent, Field trip to the Lumbini park

How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?

The classroom was furnished with books related to friendship, Photographs, Drawing, friendship bands were made, Hand printing, Friendship wreath was displayed.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Reflecting on the inquiry

6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose? 7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP?

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 unit went on well.
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to:
Develop an understanding of the concepts identified in What do we
want to learn?

Integration of math was done by counting on, Students compared Responsibility: they started being more helpful and caring towards their
their friends (fat, thin, tall, short). peers.

Music and art was integrated well, it was interesting to see them Demonstrate the learning and application of particular
transdisciplinary skills?
trying to communicate and reflect their understanding about
friendship. Social Skills:- Students enhanced their social skills by actively taking part in
Group activities and group discussion
Communication Skills:- Students developed their communication skills by
How you could improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would talking and reflecting their understanding about friends & friendship.
have a more accurate picture of each students understanding of the
central idea.
Students can make a huge pictorial graph where they can stick the Develop particular attributes of the learner profile and / or attitudes?
pictures of the activities they enjoyed with each of their friends.
Caring :- Students were accepting new friend & started sharing & caring for
each other.
Communicator :- They were able to express their feelings of their friends.

What was the evidence that connections were made between the Open minded:- They were ready to share their views about friendship.
central idea and the transdisciplinary theme?
Students learnt to respect, help, love, share and care for their
friends.
According to the Theme who we are students have a clear
understanding about the role of friends in creating a peaceful
community.
Social studies strand (Identify role and responsibilities in society)

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

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
that were incorporated into the teaching and learning.
All the students learnt about friendship and its value.
How can I help my friend?
They understood the qualities of a good friend.
Why does saanchi have more friends than me?
Math :- They counted and wrote the number of friends they had.

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.
Language :- They inquired about the name of their friend, what they like and so
on. Through this they developed their listening skills, They also enhanced their
listening skills, They also enhanced their oral skills by expressing their view on
the unit.

Why do you make friends?

Social studies (Identifying the Roles and responsibilities of being a good
What can you do to be a good friend? friend.)

Music :- Songs on friendship were sung.

Art :- Students used hand prints and made a friendship wreath and they also
What student-initiated actions arose from the learning?
made friendship bands.
Record student-initiated actions taken by individuals or groups showing their ability to reflect, to
choose and to act.

Yogesh shared his experiences with his friends in the colony.

Saanchi started helping her friends after finishing her work. She also spoke
about her friends and what they play with.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2007