/ / INQUIRY LEARNING PLANNER UNIT TITLE: Are we there yet? LEVEL TEAM TERM DURATION 46 Ashlee Mansbridge, 3 9 weeks Penelope Crombie and Sophie James UNDERSTANDINGS: FOCUS QUESTIONS: Understanding 1: All countries have a specific place on the world map. Understanding 2: All countries have distinct features that make them unique (natural vegetation and native animals) Understanding 3: Each country has their own unique culture and language. a Understanding 4: On the world map multiple countries make up ‘© What does a world map look like? © Where are countries on a map? © What are some distinctive features of countries? ‘© What makes a country unique? * What is a culture? + How many continents are iKere? continents, Z * What are the continents? KEY CONCEPTS: Geography, Culture, Location, Environment, Mapping, L. king Processes Communication Skills Personal Learning Interpersonal Development * Collecting a range of information from different * Broadening ICT skills through creation of brochures; collecting and recording data sources. * Confidently and effectively * Questioning the communicating information validity of learnt through peers travel sources. boxes. Sw * Students seek teacher and peer feedback to develop knowledge and understanding. * Travel boxes promoting other learning styles. * Students demonstrating respect to one another's property and cultural background. + Ability towork effect and ‘cooperatively in a range of group sizes.RESOURCES Australian Curriculum. (2014). Geography Overview. Retrieved from http://www. australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/geography/curriculum/f- 10?layout=1 Australian Curriculum in Victoria. (2014). Geography. Retrieved from _http://ausvels.veaa.vic.edu.au/The- Humanities-Geography/Overview/Introduction Aubin, M. (2002, February 11). Continental Rap [Web blog post]. Retrieved from http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2484,html v Lester, A. (2005). Are we there yet? : A journey around Australia (1st ed.). La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller Book. Heinemann, & Pask, R. (2005).Atlas (4th ed). Location: Port Melbourne, Victoria. TUNING IN Lesson 1: Pre-assessment activity-> Where in the world do | live? Invite students to draw what they know about the world on a blank piece of paper, drawing cities, countries, ‘oceans and continents. 1, Where in the world do you live? ") ad sence home 2. Draw ona blank piece of paper all the countries you know about. / (J) ym 3. Can you draw where you have been? ( 4, Where would you like to go? Where is it? ) Lesson 2: In this lesson students will create a postcard of somewhere they have been either a town, city or country either overseas or Australia, catering to those who have yet to travel outside the Australia. Students may choose to do their parents’ home country, a previous residence, a family holiday, or any other experience they have of a town, city, or country. Students can be creative and colourful and should be as descriptive as possible. To save time postcard templates can be provided. /\7 These postcards must be descriptive and include: the name of the place, Somewhere within their chosen destination they went to that was special to them, what made that place special, and one other aspect that was significant to the child which could include the weather, a popular tourist attraction or a particular food. Post activity information: Students will be informed to bring to theif next class, an item/s or picture/s from another country. This can either be somewhere they have travelled or where their parents have travelled/lived. VLesson 3: Activity 1: Students will display their travel boxes around the classroom, containing the item/s from another country. Prior to the students walk around the classroom, inform them that while they walk they need to think about a country and its travel box that they find interesting and would like to find out more about. Students then begin the walk around the room, looking and touching the content from inside the boxes, being considerate of the importance of some of the items in the boxes. (NOTE: students who have precious items inside the boxes need to put a do not touch sign on the box.) Students fill in a data chat while they look atthe boxes, commenting on 4 countries they found interesting and something they have learnt from the travel box. hey re oe Activity 2: ; errle ie @ es i } Students come back tothe floor and one by oné show their chosen destination to the class by placing a pin on their selected country on the world map. Each student's pin will then be connected to a singular pin located on Australia, dns a waedt Reflection Students will be seated on the floor in a circle with their data sheets. Each student will have the opportunity to reflect on the travel boxes they notes down on their data sheets and list the reasons what they liked about it. Questions can be given to help prompt students to discuss their ideas with the class, for example: ‘What did you find new and exciting in someone else’s travel box?” ee “What items stood out the most about that person's travel box that made you select that one?” FINDING OUT SORTING OUT How can we: Take students beyond what they already know? Challenge their ideas, beliefs and attitudes? Enable them to use skills and knowledge to collect new information? Provide a range of experiences to develop our understandings? How will students sort out, organise, represent and present what they have found out? How can they communicate and express what they know? How will they use preferred ways to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and values? Lesson 4: Lesson 6: Activity 1: Students will be conducting a Continents Race in their classroom. Activity 1: Students will be seated on the floor in a circle so. everyone is visible from wherever they are seated. In groups of six, students will be given an Ad sheet of paper with a blank world map and a copy of the world map. The idea of this activity is to see which group is able to label all the continents and countries correctly first. Making this activity into a ‘race’ can build student's excitement levels up and create a more enjoyable activity. For the more competitive students in the class, setting time limits can boost their focus and concentration gh the task. The teacher will demonstrate how the continents were formed with a giant cardboard cookie while the students observe and mimic the actions and process with their own cookie. The cookie represents the world as it originally was, as one whole continent, a supercontinent called ‘Pangaea’. The world (cookie) over thousands of years began to separate into its 7 continents (the cookies break into sections) that are made up of countries surrounded by bodies of water. By putting the cookie back together the students canActivity 2: ‘After groups have completed labelling all continents and countries on their blank world map, gather the Class on the floor in front of the whiteboard. Before the beginning of inquiry, the class teacher would have printed a blank world map on an A3 sheet of paper with only the continents labelled. Students from each group should have the opportunity to label a country on the maga the whole page is completely labelled. 507 vn (ACHGKO20) (ACHGKO26) (ACHGKO32) |, | To test student's knowledge of countries and possibly cities too. The teacher may wish to label certain areas of the world incorrectly and see if some students notice these mistakes. For example: “sydney is a country in Japan”. Students who know the correct answer is Sydney is a city in Australia may wish to label this on the A3 world map. Reflection: Each student will be given their own sheet of the blank world map which will be completed for the last ten minutes of the Inquiry lesson. Without the use of an Atlas or other sources used throughout the lesson; students must label all the continents and countries they retained from the lesson. This reflection activity will show the teacher how much each student has learnt throughout the Inquiry lesson and what each student was able to retain. 4 be stud ao w begin to see comparisons to the world and how the countries fit together like a puzzle as the recently cracked/separated cookie now does. ‘Asa class the students will then identify the 7 continents and 4 main oceans on a world map through a Rap. Activity 2 (if time allows): ‘Students will further develop their understanding and knowledge of continents through a tables challenge. A world map cut up into continents is placed on each table group. There are also slips of paper containing 3 facts and the continents name. Students are to match the continent with the name and facts of the continent. The complete the challenge will share their results with the class and the first table to complete this activity successfully is the winner. Activity 3: Remembering their chosen country from the previously completed Travel Boxes lesson in Tuning In, students will begin their research for the following lesson where students will complete a Brochure using ICT. The first step will be to identify the continent their country is located on. They will begin to gather the rest of the information from the criteria of the brochure. This info will then be collated into a brochure using ICT, in next lesson. |ACHGS033} Reflection: Students will get back into their table groups and share 2 pieces of interesting information they found on their country that will be included on their brochure in the next lesson. The students will provide peer feedback to each person as they share.Lesson 5: Activity 1: As a class students will read the picture book Are We There Yet. Tell students to look at the main Australian landmarks and features that the family sees throughout the book. Ask tuning in questions to the class before reading certain pages: ‘« Where do you think the family is now? ‘« Why do you think this place so special? What is the family doing now? students the opportunity to analyse the illustrations on certain pages that may describe the ‘weather or location that is focused in on that page. « What do you think the weather might be there? Why do you think that? « Look at the plants and surroundings. Do you think the family is in the desert or rain forest?, / (/ACELY1698) (ACELY1675) (ACELY1701) Activity 2: Before beginning the next activity, brainstorm on the board the kind of descriptive words students may use to describe different landscapes. ‘Boiling hot’ ‘Icy cold water” ‘Soft green grass’ Working individually on tables. Students one or more landscapes from the book that they found interesting and write a creative description of what the students sawinthe pictures. 9% jlo 9 (ACELT1599) (ACELT1791) ’ Y To make this written activity more challenging for early finishers, Students may write a descriptive story of what they may see, feel or do if they were in that location of Australia. Teacher may wish to prompt students by asking them: Jp \ gs « What would you wear in that part of Australia? (Shorts and t-shirt or pants and juryper) « What animals might you see livingthere? (lizards, kangaroos) P ¢ What do you like about this place? (/ACELY1682)(ACELY1704) Reflection: Gather students to the floor. Ask some Lesson 7: In this lesson students will continue working individually on gathering information on their selected country to create their brochure using a range of sources including, an Atlas, books, the internet and other technology available, to create a brochure. This brochure will encourage students to communicate their information using a range of forms including visuals, maps, graphs and tables and in oral form, (ACHGSO31) v Students will use ICT for the design using the program, Publisher to create a brochure promoting their chosen country. rv This lesson will demonstrate student’s capabilities in seeking answers and information to formed questions and personal interests they may have. This lesson will work towards personal learning. Throughout the lesson students will seek correction from their peers and the teacher and thus will be working towards personal learning. a The criteria for the brochure is as follows: - Location - on which continent (world map pic) (ACHGKO20) (ACHGKO26) (ACHGKO31) ~ Language - Weather - Native animals (1 minimum) (ACHGKO20) = Culture/cultural aspect (ACHGKO33 The students will be focused on ‘selling’ their country to their peers, convince them this is where they want to travel to. They will accomplish this through including interesting facts on their country, exciting imagery and descriptions and an) appealing design. / (/ACHGSO35} fray vane Reflection wet Students will form small groups and share their brochures with their group of peers. Students will share what they discovered about their country with the students and receive positive and constructive feedback in return. _/students to share their work and display them on the wall, making sure each student has signed their work. In the last five minutes of class, allow student the chance to label cities and landmarks of Australia on their world maps. This will allow students to note down what they had retained from the picture bo GOING FURTHER How can we extend and broaden the unit? What other perspectives or dimensions can we explore? What are the ways which students can negotiate their own personal inquiries? Lesson 8: Students work with a partner to create a tri-venn diagram, showing similarities and differences between ‘Australia and the two other countries that students individually researched. Firstly model an example of a venn diagram to students, and then explain the difference of a tri-venn diagram. Invite students to give a few examples of similarities and bifferences they have picked up from their research and class activities. (ACHGKO32) (ACHGKO35) Students connect the information they have acquired to their own home Australia, and also broaden their knowledge through the information their partner has learnt about thy chosen country. Lesson 9: Post assessment activity-> Once again ask students to draw what they know and have learnt about the World on a blank piece of paper, drawing cities, countries, oceans and continents. Students can work through these questions when filing out the map. ‘1. Where are the continents located? W/ 2. What countries can you label? ti 3. Can you write an interesting fact about a country you've learnt about? 4, Where would you like to go and why? (ACHGKO20) (ACHGKO26) (ACHGKO31) Reflection Firstly return to students their pre-assessment, so they can see the learning that took place, comparing tt pre and post assessments. Then students sit on the floor in a circle, taking it in turns to talk about what th enjoyed and discussing the final question of their post-assessment, where would they like to go and why, sharing with the class interesting facts they found out about different countries around the world.ASSESSMENT SUMMARY (ONGOING: FOR, AS and OF learning) What are the cumulative and summative opportunities for assessment? How can teachers and students monitor progress? What strategies can we use to cater for variance in learning styles and progress? How can we allow for expected and unexpected outcomes? How can we provide opportunities for self, peer, teacher, parent assessment? INQUIRY STAGE DESCRIPTION PURPOSE Please specify which of the three assessment strategies you are developing e.g. FOR, AS or OF Lesson 1. Pre- This pre-assessment will inform teaching as it will reveal Assessment for learning assessment what the student's knowledge of the world map. Lesson 2 The postcards will determine student's experience with | Assessment for leart travel and the world outside of Australia. It is an ‘opportunity for formative assessment and will indicate student's literacy levels. Lesson 3 Evaluating and discussing other peers travel boxes Assessment for/as learning through the use of data charts. Lesson 4 ‘Ability to use the Atlas correctly and as a group, label all | Assessment of learning continents and countries. Lesson 5 ‘Assessing what students have learnt about Australia _| Assessment for learning after reading the picture book, through creative writing and response. Lesson 6 ‘Assessing communication and research skills - through _| Assessment of learning. their ability to look at Map and locate the continents _| Assessment as learning and share facts about their selected county. Peer feedback Lesson 7 Assessing ICT skills - through their presentation oftheir | Assessment of learning brochure Assessment as learning Peer feedback Lesson 8 Assessing research skills, ability to compare and Assessment of learning contrast and communication within pairs. Lesson 9 Assessing accuracy of pictures and labelling the Assessment of learning countries on a world map, particularly making sure grade 4 students can name Australia, the country they focussed on in their brochure and the continent itis in. By grade 6, students should be able to label countries within different continents W/‘ij INQUIRY EVALUATION / All areas of the inquiry flowed well, allowing students to really engage in the activities. As well as the ability to find connections within the content. Students really enjoyed the opportunity to research and find out new things about places in the world, enjoying the creation of the brochure. ‘The pre and post assessments allowed students to see how much they had learnt within the term and offered a great opportunity to assess their learning. “ Students were all able to give effective feedback to their peer on their were task which began to move away from the standard ‘liked it because it had a lot of colour’ to be more constructive and specific. This peer feedback also assisted in raising student's confidence levels. Improvements: The use of more ICT in other lessons can help students work on their technological skills and knowledge. If the unit were to be redone in the future, teachers could possibly try to cater for more of the mathematical areas such as calculating the flight time and/or distance of each chosen country to Australia, Student may wish to compare distances with each other to see which country is closer to Australia, time wise. Y Overall evaluation of this inquiry unit: Students were able to successfully complete all set tasks with the strong use of peer feedback as a way to support one another in their research. All students were able to test their literacy and ICT skills when completing different set tasks and over time, all students began to show improvement in these areas. V ot ln etek