Integrated Inquiry Unit Plan

Tinwald School

Unit Title:

Host Curriculum Area/s: Science

Year Level/s: Year 4-6

Duration: Term 2, 2010

Why this Unit? Guiding Question
What global questions/issues does it connect with? How relevant to our student’s lives? How might this unit help make a difference to their lives or the lives of others? Why is this unit worth doing?
We have chosen to do this unit because of its motivating, fun and engaging influence. Kitchen science uses everyday equipment in attempt to explore children’s environments. It will allow children to take control of simple scientific inquiries and turn home and school into a science lab. Teaching children this unit should bring together the home and school partnership as many of the activities can be repeated easily at home. We hope to bring plenty of parent helpers into our classrooms (especially dads) as we explore everyday, common substances and the changes they can go through. Children will be able to replicate the role of a scientist from the planning stages through to the recording and presenting ideas scientifically. This is the first topic in a year long focus on change.
Rich Concept in 2010 – “The world is in a constant state of change.”
School Value/s ~ Aim High Work Hard Enjoy Learning Together
Key Competencies and Values from the NZ Curriculum
What values/attitudes/issues and skills does the unit promote or develop?
Key Competencies
Language/symbols and texts – scientific investigations
· Use scientific language to communicate information, experiences and ideas
· Use ICT, where appropriate, to access information, provide information and communicate their findings with others.
Relating to others
· Share ideas with others appropriately
· Take on different group roles in different situations
· Interact effectively with a wide range of people (other teachers, parents, helpers, instructors)
Thinking
· Use creative, critical and reflective tools to make sense of new ideas and experiences
· Ask scientific questions
· Solve problems
Key words / definitions
Change – become or make different
- substitute or replace something
Evaporation – the process in which a liquid changes to a
gas or vapour
Change of state – liquid/solid/gas
Matter – anything that can take up space and be
Weighed, the 3 states of change
Fair test – an investigation in which a number of
Trials are run, each trial being different in terms
of one variable only.

Big Ideas/Understandings
These are the ideas that you are trying to get your children to understand after this unit. You will not cover them all and some are better suited to seniors!
(These have come from the Science Concept books)
· The overall look/composition of a food determines the types of changes that it can undergo.
· The different parts of a substance can change in different ways. e.g. egg
· Different processes lead to different changes in the make-up of substances.
· Substances can change in different ways when going through different processes.
· The nature of a change made to substances determines whether the change is temporary or permanent.
· Changes of state always involve a transfer of energy.
· The properties that characterize solids, liquids and gases are related to particle behaviours.
Essential Questions
What are the essential questions (topic questions / key questions) related to these understandings that will guide the students’ inquiry?
How can we make substances change?
Are all changes permanent?
Possible end of unit action/performance/ celebration/task
Is there a major task/event/action that students may undertake towards the end of the unit that will demonstrate understanding and allow them to link theory to practice and provide assessment opportunities? / Science Fair – display of investigations following a scientific method
Make foods that have gone through change e.g. raw ingredient to cooked – share food
(Could be linked to T2 behaviour treat)
Inquiry Task
Is there a rich task/problem the children can work through?
Assessment routines and records for this unit
What needs to be set up at the beginning of the unit to ensure:
· Systematic collection of assessment data?
· Ongoing reflection and self-assessment?
· Portfolio opportunities
· Feed back and feed forward / Fair testing assessment rubric
Experiment recording sheet
Teacher observation checklist – what to look for?
Possible field trips or visitors to come to school / Science Alive visit – Anna investigating
Purpose – Tuning in or Finding out?
ICT Focus
Digital photography to capture the science changes
Use photos when sharing results and/or writing up the experiment in a scientific way - PhotoStory
Flow charts / results completed using:
· Kid Pix
· Comic Life
Blog/wiki - other web 2 tools / Thinking Tools (Highlight)
6 Hats
Thinkers Keys
PMI
Questioning
Graphic organisers
Bloom’s Taxonomy

Curriculum Links

Science Achievement Aims

Material World ~ Properties and Changes of Matter

Level 1

Properties and changes of matter

· Observe, describe, and compare physical and chemical properties of common materials and changes that occur when materials are mixed, heated, or cooled.

Level 2

Properties and changes of matter

· Observe, describe, and compare physical and chemical properties of common materials and changes that occur when materials are mixed, heated, or cooled.

Level 3

Properties and changes of matter

· Group materials in different ways, based on the observations and measurements of the characteristic chemical and physical properties of a range of different materials.

· Compare chemical and physical changes.

Nature of Science

Highlight the aspect you wish to focus on and then add in the relevant achievement aims from NZC

Students will:

Understanding about science

· Learn about science as a knowledge system: the features of scientific knowledge and the processes by which it is developed; and learn about the ways in which the work of scientists interacts with society.

Investigating in science

· Carry out science investigations using a variety of approaches: classifying and identifying, pattern seeking, exploring, investigating models, fair testing, making things, or developing systems.

Communicating in science

· Develop knowledge of the vocabulary, numeric and symbol systems, and conventions of science and use this knowledge to communicate about their own and others’ ideas.

Participating and contributing

· Bring a scientific perspective to decisions and actions as appropriate.

Key Resources
Making Better Sense of the Material World – Levels 1-4
Building Science Concepts
· Making Porridge Level 1/2
· Eggs Level 1/2
· Ice Level 1/2
· Bread Level 2/3/4
· Sand, Salt and Jelly Crystals Level 1/2
Science Resource Unit – Fungi – level 1/2 Moulds – level 2/3
Science Starters (Mixtures, Bubbles, In the Kitchen, What’s the Matter?)
Scholastic – Kitchen Science
Flying Start Science (Heat/Cold)
Science for the Non-Expert Teacher
Lesson
sequence / WALTs / Learning Experiences / Resources
Groupings / Reflection
Assessment
1 /
2 / Tuning In / Immersion
3 / Swimming
4 / Swimming
5 /
6 / Finding Out
Sorting Out
7 /
8 / Going Further/Conclusions
Science Fair Investigations
9 / Parents invited in
10 / Reflecting
Taking action – if any?
11

Level 1/2 sample http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/sci/material/mw_1a_e.php

Level 2 http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/sci/material/mw_2b_original1_e.php

Level 3

http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/sci/material/mw_3a_e.php

Weekly Outline

Lesson
sequence / WALTs / Learning Experiences / Resources
Groupings / Reflection
Assessment
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Tuning In
How can we engage students in this topic? What can we do to spark interest/enthusiasm/curiosity/motivation? Can the topic be set with an authentic issue or problem? How can we assess students’ prior knowledge, values and experiences in relation to the topic? How can we involve them in negotiating the direction of the unit and setting goals?
Highlight
Skills Used:
· Questioning
· Organising
· Representing ideas visually
· Sharing ideas
· Hypothesising
· Listening
· Planning
· Predicting
· Estimating
Teaching Strategies
· Learning Logs
· Think, pair, share
· Think, wink, decide
· Treasures from home
· Mystery Boxes
· Concept mapping
· Brainstorming
· Drawing diagrams
· Topic wheel
· Definitions
· Silent jigsaw
· Listing questions
· Listing statements
· Picture interpretation
· People Bingo
· Bundling
· Progressive disclosure
· Pass the Ball
· Guest speakers
· EOTC
· Cover Puzzles
· KNQ charts / Groupings
used
Finding Out / Sorting Out
What experiences / resources / activities could be used to assist students to gather information in relation to the planned understandings? How will students process and work with the information and ideas they have gathered?
Skills Used:
· Questioning
· Observing
· Locating
· Listening
· Selecting
· Note-taking
· Comparing and contrasting
· Reading
· Viewing
· Inferring
· Recognising bias
· Classifying
· Seeing patterns
· Working co-operatively
· Analysing
· Making choices
· Explaining
· Reporting
· Testing and checking
Teaching Strategies
· Viewing videos
· Interviewing
· Guest speakers
· Surveying
· Observation
· Trips
· Ask an expert
· Emailing
· Experiments
· Investigations
· Picture interpretation
· Structured observations
· EOTC
· Graph making
· Thinking Tools
· Role play
· Mapping
· Time lines
· Told Us/Made Us Wonder
· Jigsaw groups / Finding Out / Sorting Out
Going Further
How can we further students’ experiences and understandings about this topic?
How can we challenge and extend their ideas and give them new perspectives?
How can we cater for individual and small group pathways as they emerge during this unit?
Teaching Strategies
· Learning logs
· Learning maps
· Concept maps
· Blooms Box
· Connect It
· Conserves
· Grids
· Crosswords
· Diamond ordering
· Thinking Hats
· PMI
· Effect Wheel
· Yes/No continuum
· Question ball
· True/false statements
· MI stations
· Putting self in picture
· Time capsule
· Self reflection questions
· Two true/false
· KNQ charts
· Inquiry task / Groupings
used
Drawing Conclusions
How can we assist students to pull it all together and reflect on their learning?
How can we see if they are making connections?
How can we encourage higher order thinking skills? (synthesis/evaluation)
Skills Used
· Synthesising
· Interpreting
· Generalising
· Reflecting
· Self-assessing
· Revising
· Restarting
· Sequencing
· Providing feedback
· Summarising
· Elaborating
· Revisiting
Teaching Strategies
· Learning logs
· Learning maps
· Concept maps
· Blooms Box
· Connect It
· Conserves
· Grids
· Crosswords
· Diamond ordering
· Thinking Hats
· PMI
· Effect Wheel
· Yes/No continuum
· Question ball
· True/false statements
· MI stations
· Putting self in picture
· Time capsule
· Self reflection questions
· Two trues/false
· KNQ charts
· Inquiry tasks / Groupings
used
Reflection and Action
How can we empower students to act on what they have learnt?
Is there a rich authentic task (one that integrates a range of skills and processes) that will help to give the unit real purpose?
How will students show what they know?
Skills Used
· Working to a timeline
· Considering options
· Reflecting
· Responding to the work of others
· Speaking clearly
· Working independently
· Performing
· Justifying
Teaching Strategies
· Self assessment
· Peer assessment
· Learning logs
· Informing others
· Recommendations for the BOT/PR Team/ Student Council
· Letters
· Presentations
· Making CD ROMS
· Making a video, dance, drama
· Exhibitions
· Personal pledges
· Display for parents / Groupings
used