Stage 3: What Do We Want to Learn?

,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 /

PYP PLANNER

Unit Title: Great Inventions /
Focus: Science and Technology, Social Studies
Discipline(s) to receive the major emphasis.
Level: 4 / Proposed duration: 5 weeks
Teacher: Mallika Kripalani
School: German European SchoolSingapore
Stage 6: To what extent did we achieve our purpose?
To what extent: were the purposes fulfilled; was the unit relevant, engaging, challenging and significant; were the resources adequate; were the concepts, skills and attitudes address
Did we achieve our purpose?
Yes, we did. This unit looked at creating inventions, studying other inventions and the student’s own creative process. I was quite pleased with the way it went.
What were the highlights?
Seeing the students own inventions. It was great to see how creative they all were and the things that they came up with! They were very enthusiastic about building their own inventions.
What should I remember for next year?
Using the concept questions to scaffold their initial research into other peoples inventions and then to do it for their own invention was good as their subsequent reports were well thought out.
I would probably change the format to allow for research into famous inventors to come into play more. The students were interested in some of these people and expressed regret at not being able to study history in greater detail.
How were the resources?
Adequate for the unit. The Robotics workshop was great and I would go back.
Stage 2: What resources will we use?
People, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software etc.
The Big Book of Inventions (Brown Watson) – Maureen Spurgeon
Young Discovers: Energy and Power, Environmental Facts and Experiments (Kingfisher) – Rosie Harlow and Sally Morgan
The Way Things Work – Susan Meadows
It’s Science! Machines we use – Sally Hewitt
Fast Forward : Robots – Mark Bergin
Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guides: Invention – Lionel Bender
Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness: Flying Machines – Andrew Nahum
Inventions Inspired by Nature: Wild Technology – Phil Gates
I wonder why zippers have teeth and other questions about inventions – Barbara Taylor
The way things work – Susan Meadows
Crafty Inventions – 7 books.
Stage 1: What is our purpose?
A concise description of the central idea to be addressed and the scope of the inquiry
Central idea: People invent things to meet their needs
An inquiry into:
1.How and why inventions happen
2.process of invention
3. How inventions change lives
Profile: Thinker
Attitudes: Commitment and Integrity
Concepts All

Stage 3: What do we want to learn?

The key questions which will drive the inquiry.

Form
What is it like?
Function
How does it work? / 4
Causation
Why is it the way it is? / 1
Change
How does it change?
Connection
How is it connected to other things?
Perspective
What are the points of view? / 2 / 3
Responsibility
What is our responsibility?
Reflection
How do we know?
Teacher Questions:
1.Why do people invent things?
2.How do we make inventions?
3. How have inventions changed our lives?
Student Questions:

Stage 4: How best will we learn?

Teacher and/or student designed activities which will address the key questions.

Tuning In

1. On several large pieces of paper – write the following titles:

1)Travelling on Land

2)Travelling across the sea

3)Travelling across the sky

4)Using and generating energy

5)Communicating

6)Recording and Transmitting Sounds and Images

7)Calculating and telling time

8)Exploring and Observing

9)Everyday life

10)Curing Illness

11)Improving Nutrition

12)Exploring Space

13)Other Ideas

Each student gets a sheet and had 1 minute to write down as many things under that title as they can. Change until every student has written something on every sheet. (2)

2. On a separate piece of paper, they work in pairs and pick 1 item each from the last page they have and make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of their 2 items. (2)

Stage 5: How will we know what we have learned?
The strategies which will be used to assess learning.
Formative:
Homework list of as many inventions as they can see in their homes
Summative:
Design an invention that you feel is going to help humankind. Make it out of recycled materials. Write about why you chose it, how you came up with the idea and make a list of its advantages and disadvantage (2 weeks)
Student self-assessment:
Journal on what has been learnt and what we can do.
How will we take action?
How the students will demonstrate their ability to choose, act and reflect.

Tuning In (continued)

Whole class discussion (Pros and cons list) of what the benefits and negative effects of inventions are. (2)
Invention books – procedures. Build one of the inventions. Write it down and make it. Bring things from home.

Going Deeper

4. Step One: Finding the Problem
Let the class list problems in their own classroom that need solving. Select one problem for the class to solve using the following steps:

Find several problems. Select one to work on.
Analyze the situation.
Think of many, varied, and unusual ways of solving the problem.

List the possibilities. Be sure to allow even the silliest possible solution, as creative thinking must have a positive, accepting environment in order to flourish.

Step Two: Finding a Solution

Select one or more possible solutions to work on. You may want to divide into groups if the class elects to work on several of the ideas.
Improve and refine the idea(s).
Share the class or individual solution(s)/invention(s) for solving the class problem.

Solving a "class" problem and creating a "class" invention will help students learn the process and make it easier for them to work on their own invention projects.

Making Connections/Applying

5. With a partner, select an invention of your choice. Write about why you want to research it and how you are going to research it (1)

6. Find out about the invention – who invented it, how has it helped humankind. How does it work? Draw a detailed diagram of its workings. (1,2)

Wrapping it Up

7. Design an invention that you feel is going to help humankind. Make it out of recycled materials (see if students get there on their own)?? Write about why you chose it, how you came up with the idea and make a list of its advantages and disadvantage (in class and for homework) (1,2,3)

ENGLISH

Focus / Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5 / Week 6
Spelling / 1. age
2. bridge
3. gems
4. edge
5. gym
6. germ
7. large
8. change
9. page
10. giant
11. judge
12. gentle / 1. eats
2. helped
3. playing
4. singing
5. turned
6. blowing
7. kids
8. missing
9. looking
10. stops
11. friends
12. seemed / 1. elf
2. elves
3. wife
4. wives
5. leaf
6. leaves
7. shelf
8. shelves
9. life
10. lives
11. wolf
12. wolves / 1. hair
2. care
3. fair
4. dare
5. chair
6. scare
7. pair
8. share
9. air
10. rare
11. stared
12. stairs / 1. where
2. thank
3. chin
4. ship
5. fish
6. much
7. shall
8. each
9. white
10. thin
11. catch
12. children / 1. flew
2. blue
3. fruit
4. stew
5. grew
6. glue
7. suit
8. threw
9. new
10. drew
11. juice
12. true
Comprehension / Computer Unit / Real Reading 4:
Map reading / Real Reading 4:
Chocolate / Real Reading 4: Electric, Steam or Petrol / Real Reading 4:
Cures and remedies / Real Reading 4:
Great Mistakes and Bad predictions
Text Type / Procedural writing examples / Invention writing
procedures / Invention writing
procedures / Note taking skills / Note taking skills / Final report on invention
Grammar / Present tense in procedural writing / Present tense in procedural writing / Future tense – inventions of the future / Sentence structure / Conjunctions / Conjunctions
Speaking and Listening / Continuous look at weekly presentations
Understanding that speaking differs for audiences

MATHS

Week 1 / Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5 / Week 6
Revision of place value, addition and multiplication / MEASUREMENT

Develops procedures to find area and perimeter
Determines relationships between area/perimeter

/ MEASUREMENT

Measures and constructs angles: acute obtuse reflex right

/ PATTERN & FUNCTION
Uses real-life problems to create a number pattern (number systems around the world / PATTERN & FUNCTION
Manipulation:

Understands and uses the relationship between addition and subtraction
Understands and uses the relationship between multiplication and division

Specialist PYP Planner

Year Level
4 / Theme
How the World Works / Unit Title
Great Inventions / An inquiry into:

how and why inventions happen

the process of invention

how inventions change lives

Central Idea:
People invent things to meet their needs. / Concept
All concepts
Student Questions: / Teacher Questions :
Why do people invent things?
How do we make inventions?
How have inventions changed our lives?
Profile: Thinker / Attitudes: Integrity / Commitment

English

Maths

German

ICT

Logo – as an invention. Use the programme and relationship with Robotics.
MYP design cycle and concept questions

Stage 3: What Do We Want to Learn?

PYP PLANNER

Specialist PYP Planner

English

Maths

German

ICT

Music

Art

PE

EAL

Learning Support

Reflection