how the world works grade 3 4 sy 2012-2013

Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose?

Class/grade:

1a) To inquire into the following:

School:

● transdisciplinary theme

Title: Energy

How the World Works

Teacher(s): Alfonso

 An inquiry into the natural world world and its laws; the interaction interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

Date:

4

Age group: 8-10 School code: 7800

Proposed duration:

number of hours over

number of weeks 5

● central idea

Energy may be converted, transformed and used to support human progress.

1b) Summative assessment task(s):

2. What do we want to learn?

What are the possible ways of assessing students‟ understanding of the central idea? What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?

What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?

G - to explain how energy may be converted, transformed and used to support human progress during the Science Fair 

Form, causation and responsibility

R- Young Scientist  A- School, Parents, DIS Science Science Fair  S- In today's vastly changing and developing world, man has constantly changed his ever growing needs and wants that have severely limited the world's finite energy resources. As a scientist your task is to come up with different ways or methods that would help promote sustainable and alternative energy practices to help curb pollution, conserve and ultimately protect our limited energy resources. P- Innovations with investigatory board showing findings, methods and alternative forms of energy resources.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

Geology, adaptation, weather and energy What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea? ● Different forms of energy (renewable and nonrenewable) ● How energy is used (transformation) ● Human response response to the earth‟s changes What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries? ● ● ● ●

What are the different forms of energy sources that are both renewable and non-renewable? How is energy energy used, transformed or conserved? Why do we we need need to conserve conserve energy? What is our our role in promoting sustainability?

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 possible ways of assessing students‟ prior knowledge and skills? What evidence will we look for?

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?

Students will dissect the central idea by identifying its key concepts and creating simpler concepts that are related to it.

What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What evidence will we we look for?

(Use Attachment C: Learning Engagement Charts)

What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile?

See Attachment B for Assessment Opportunities Thinking Skills - the students were able to develop and show these skills during their planning and organization of their summative assessment. They further developed these skills by using different strategies to help sort out different information to help in the construction of their project. Research skills - the students were able to develop their research skills by analyzing information that would help drive their inquiry and also come up with information that they would use for their investigatory board. Communication Communication skills - the students were able to develop their communication skills when they presented what they had found out and learned during the Science Fair.

5. What resources need need to be gathered? What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available? ● Video on the energy cycle ● Resource persons: geologists ● Field trips: Meralco Museum and the Center for Ecozoic Living and and Learning (CELL) How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry? ● ●

The classroom will have books related to energy. There will also be experiments showcasing showcasing how energy is used.

Reflecting on the inquiry

6. To what extent did we achieve achieve our purpose?

7. To what extent did we include include the elements of the PYP? PYP?

 Assess the outcome of the inquiry inquiry by providing evidence of students‟ students‟ understanding of the central idea. The reflections of all teachers involved in the planning and teaching of the inquiry should be included.

What were the learning experiences that enabled students to: ● develop an understanding understanding of the concepts concepts identified in in “What do we want to learn?”

a. Relevant The unit was a relevant experience for the students because it exposed them to how simple things work. It was even made more relevant when they were able to visit different field trip sites that helped them understand how energy works and how it supports their needs and wants. b. Significant The most significant experience for the students was the opportunity to construct their group and individual investigatory board. The board contained what t hey had found out during their research process and also the project that they had constructed for the unit as part of their summative. Lastly,they were also given the opportunity to present their findings to the m embers of the school community. c. Engaging The unit was engaging for the students because it gave them hands on experience of how energy works and how it is transformed. They were able to see firsthand through the different field trips how it works and also the different types of energy that are renewable and nonrenewable. Likewise, they were also able to experience how to sustain and protect the environment. d. Challenging The unit was challenging because of the time allotted for the unit. It was also challenging because the students had many misconceptions about the different types of energy that needed to changed. In connection with the time constraints, most of the engagements were compressed to accommodate the summative assessment. e. Resources The unit was rich in resources because it was widely available. Likewise the places the students visited and the people who were invited or interviewed were able to share their knowledge that led cleared up the misconceptions of the students.

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. The assessments done by the teachers were designed and suited to measure the student‟s understanding of the central idea. Likewise the unit‟s unit‟s engagements gave the students the opportunity to research and work independently in order to come up with their project/innovation. Lastly the summative assessment also helped the students to think critically and analytically, likewise the summative assessment helped the students provide their own insights and awareness on the unit.

What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the transdisciplinary theme? The students were able to show connections when they created their own innovation projects and sharing what they have learned by presenting it during the school sc ience fair.

Form - the students were able to understand the different forms of energy and how it works. Causation - the students were able to understand and see how through the use of energy it creates opportunities for advancement but also a responsibility to sustain and protect the environment. Responsibility - the students were able to understand that most of the resources used are finite and must therefore be used responsibly for the use of future generations.

● demonstrate the learning learning and application application of particular transdisciplinary transdisciplinary skills? Thinking - the students were able to show their thinking skills by planning the projects that they would be presenting during the science fair. Social - the students were able to show their social skills when they worked with their expert topic groupmates in researching and investigating on renewable and nonrenewable energy resources. Self-management Self-management - they were able to show their self-management skills when they prioritized and worked to managed their time in preparing for the science fair. They also showed this skill in making group decisions. Communication - the students showed their communication skills when they presented what they had investigated on during their science fair. They were also to develop this skill by interviewing resource persons for their unit. Research - the students were able to show their research skills when they formulated their own questions, planned and organized the information that they had gathered.

● develop particular attributes attributes of the learner learner profile and/or and/or attitudes? In each case, explain your selection KnowledgeableKnowledgeable- the students were able to demonstrate this during the science fair when they shared what they know about their expert topic in energy. They were also knowledgeable in creating their own innovation for the fair. CommunicatorsCommunicators- the students were able to send the message of saving energy through their innovations and through the jingles that their created. The y shared these during the school assembly and during the science fair  CommitmentCommitment- the students spent even their free time just to finish their planned innovation.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

Reflecting on the inquiry

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

● ●

How does solar/wind/water/nuclear and etc... energy work?

●

How do the chemicals inside the battery light up the bulb? What practices can we adopt in order to sustain and conserve energy?

 At this point teachers should go go back to box 2 “What do we want want to learn?” and highlight the teacher questions/provocations that were most effective in driving the inquiries.

●

The students were able to show what they understood about energy by creating new innovations and interesting projects. The students worked collaboratively to show their understanding of their expert topics. The unit was too short for the teachers to effectively execute all of the engagements in the unit. It should have been better if the unit lasted f or 7 weeks. The bulk of unit was focused in coming up with products to be presented for the Science Fair.

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. Students were able to design their own group and individual investigatory boards that they presented during the Science Fair. Each of them was accountable in coming up with information that they would gather f rom various online resources. The students were also able to plan and build their own projects that would show innovation. Each of the students were able to share with the teacher how they planned and went about building their project.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

Attachment...

A. Key Learning Outcomes Key Understanding What do we want students to understand by the end of the unit?

● ● ●

Energy comes in different forms each with its own advantages, disadvantages and limitations in supporting human progress Energy is used to power everyday objects, it is essential in helping current human progress.  As humans we are stewards stewards of the resources resources found on earth and must sustain sustain and conserve such resources future generations

Knowledge outcomes and Skills outcomes What do we want students to be able to know by the end of the unit? What do we want students to be able to do by do by the end of the unit?

● ● ● ● ●

The uses, advantages and disadvantages, and limitations of both renewable and nonrenewable forms of energy To identify current practices in conserving and sustaining energy To recognize how energy is transformed through different means To be familiar with and be able to differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources. resources. To be able to identify how energy is created through the natural cycles of the earth

B. Assessment Opportunities Line of Inquiry

What will be assessed?

How will evidence be collected?

What type of assessment will be used?

●

Different forms of energy (renewable and nonrenewable)

Current energy resources are reliant on renewable and nonrenewable resources that can be found in any part of our planet.

Knowledge product Observations Research findings

Rubric  Anecdotes Performance

●

How energy is used (transformed)

The different forms of energy are used in a variety ways in order to power whole cities or simple m achines/gadgets.

Knowledge product Observations Research findings

Rubric  Anecdotes Performance

●

Human response to earth‟s changes

In order to continue with current energy practices, alternatives and solutions must be sought that would conserve and sustain present energy resources.

Knowledge product Observations Research findings

Rubric  Anecdotes Performance

C. Learning Engagements

Tuning in and preparation to find out: What variety of activities will be used to:

● ● ● ● ●

engage all students in the topic? topic? hook? assess prior knowledge? refine further planning? lead into the „finding out‟ experiences? Engagement and gathering prior knowledge, pre-assessment, pre-assessment, questions for inquiry, goal setting. Sometimes students will require some immersion in the topic if little is known/ experienced.

Students will read and watch videos on energy. They will also create organizers and c harts that would show their current understanding of the different forms of energy and how it is used in school and at home.

Finding Out ● Data collection ● Experiences to assist students to gather new information ●

Teachers & Students Questions ● Teacher and student questions that help drive the inquiry ● Focus questions to for inquiry

Sorting Out ● Gauging, organizing or representing new information

about the topic

●

Experiences and texts that add to the knowledge base. Emphasis on gathering first-hand data in a range of ways (usually shared experiences)

●

Organizing, analyzing and communicating the information gathered using a range of vehicles (e.g through Maths, Arts, English, Drama, Music or IT)

●

Students create a group investigatory board that would show the following: ○ the definition of their group‟s gro up‟s expert topic ○ the uses of that energy ○ advantages and disadvantages ○ ways on how to conserve energy

Reading and watching videos about the unit Visiting the Meralco Museum to find out how energy is used and transformed. Visiting the Center for Ecozoic Living and Learning (CELL) to learn about current sustainable energy practices. Interviewing resource persons on how energy is used and the current state of energy resources in the Philippines. Doing experiments on energy (i.e. constructing a simple flashlight using wires, batteries and a small electrical bulb). Dividing the class into expert topics that would investigate on a specific form of energy.

●

Different forms of energy (renewable and nonrenewable) (Form)

●

How energy is used (transformation) (Form and Causation)

●

Human response to the earth‟s changes (Causation and Responsibility)

 Activities to assist assist students to process and work with the information and ideas they have gathered about the topic (including exploring values)

Going Further  ● Activities to challenge and extend ● Raising new questions, extending experiences, challenging assumptions. May be individually negotiated. The students realized the importance of saving energy after focusing on it for about six weeks. As a result, during their free time in class, they opt to read books now instead of opening the computers like what t hey used to do. It is somehow helpful because aside from saving energy, they were also able to i ncrease our knowledge about the things around them through the books they read. Some of the students even tried to make improvised solar panels to save energy and money in creating their in novations. Drawing conclusions Raising new questions, extending extending experiences, challenging challenging assumptions. May be individually negotiated. negotiated. Students draw conclusions of what they have have learnt. This is an important time to evaluate the success of the unit and the needs and achievements of individuals. This is where students put it all together.

The students came up with their innovations that saves energy. They were able to explain how it works and how it would benefit mankind. Reflecting and Taking Action To reflect on what has been learnt and process of learning. learning. It is important that students be given opportunities opportunities to act upon what they have learnt. Actions are things that students can themselves themselves and from which they can see results.

The students are now more aware of switching off the lights in the classroom whenever we don‟t need them.  As part of their action, they tried to convince the school community community to save energy through through the jingles that they composed composed and presented during them during the assembly