What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?
Form, Function
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
· How and why inventions happen
· The process of invention
· How inventions change lives
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
1. Why do people invent things?
2. How have inventions changed people’s lives?
3. What are the negative effects of inventions?
4. How are things invented?
5. What is the difference between discovery and invention?
Class/grade: 4 Age group: 9-10 years
School: German European School School code: 300219
Title: Great Inventions
Teacher(s): Home/Nontha
Date: March 2nd to April 30th?
Proposed duration: 5-6 weeks (Springbreak in between)
1. What is our purpose?
To inquire into the following:
• transdisciplinary theme
“How the World Works”
An exploration of the physical and material world; of natural and human-made phenomena; of the world of science and technology.
• central idea
People invent things to meet their needs
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?
Design an invention that you feel is going to make life better. Make it out of recycled materials. Write about why you chose it, how you came up with the idea and make a list of advantages and disadvantages.
Students will design their own inventions (must explain form and function)
They will use recycled materials.
Inventions book report-oral presentation. Use rubric as a guideline.
Student Inventions through Persuasive advertisement
Students will make an advertisement for their inventions and present to the class or parents their invention. Public speaking.
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?
Tuning In:
Ø Teachers shared with the class various articles about student invented products.
Ø In small groups, we wrote down inventions in the categories of transportation by air, water, land, communications, medical inventions, transmitting sounds and images, improving nutrition and exploring space.
Ø Make and invention out of stuff in the room and explain to the class
Ø Acrostic poem about the word inventions
Going Deeper
Ø Discussed difference between inventions/discovery (Venn Diagram)
Ø What are the steps taken towards invention
Ø Look into inventions from around the region (ie: China)
Making Connections/Applying:
Ø Individual report on a profile of an inventor, their inventions
o Discuss what impact the inventor and their inventions have had on the world (connection link)
o Create a top ten list of greatest inventions in the 20th century (why are they on the list)
Ø Develop a profile of an inventor (link into Learner Profile)
Ø How do ideas and inventions change over time (look at older inventions and see what has been done to them as time goes by)
Wrapping It Up:
See summative assessments
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile?
TD Skills:
Ø Research skills- research inventor
Ø Thinking skills- development of the invention
Profile- Thinker
Concept: Connection, causation (what are the things that caused the invention)
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?
See Tuning in activity
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What evidence will we look for?
Student reflection when making own invention
How inventions change lives
Student explanation of how their invention can improve lives. Students created an invention seeking a solution to everyday problems or creating a product that could help a specific population group such as the elderly or people with disabilities.
5. What resources need to be gathered?
What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?
www.enchantedlearning.com, www.brainpop.com,
See attached book list on inventions-discoveries
How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
Trip to Singapore Science Center (project week)
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.
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.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme?
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?
9. Teacher notes
Both teachers felt this unit worked very well. We also worked well as a team by exchanging ideas and checking in with one another. We did think that we dragged it on too long. Of course, there were school breaks and other disruptions along the way.
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.
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.