Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose? Class/grade: PYP 5 Age group: 10-11 year olds
To inquire into the following:
School: IS of Helsingborg School code: 7033
• transdisciplinary theme

Sharing the Planet

Title: Exhibition
An exploration of our rights and responsibilities as we try to
PYP planner
share finite resources with other people; with other living Teacher(s): Cecilia Kristoffersson
things; of communities and of the relationships within and
between them. Date: April 2011

• central idea
Proposed duration: 5 hours/week for 8 weeks
Umbrella CI: Individuals and groups connect and organize to solve
problems and take action.

Group CI’s:
2. What do we want to learn?
1. We must all take responsibility to stop animal abuse.
What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection,
2. No child should ever walk the cancer journey alone. perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?
3. Endangered animals can be saved from extinction if we act
Form – What is it like?
now.
Function – How does it work?
4. People have responsibilities to prevent pollution and stop
Causation – Why is it like this?
Global warming.
Change – How is it changing?
5. Every homeless person has a right to feel like they belong
Connection – How is it connected to other things?
somewhere.
Perspective – What are the points of view?
6. Loneliness is a challenge that many elderly face.
Responsibility – What is our responsibility?
7. Plastic recycling can have an effect on the whole world.
Reflection – How do we know?
Summative assessment task(s): What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
What are the possible ways of assessing students’ understanding of the central
idea? What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?
Umbrella LOI: (See attachments for group LOI):
1. Student will celebrate their learning through a final 1. Our responsibilities to our community
presentation including the following elements: music, art, ICT 2. Our group relationships
components, completed essays and informative display 3. Our global citizenship
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
boards.
1. What is your issue?
2. Students will take appropriate action closely connected to
2. Why is your issue important?
their issues.
3. How will you take action to try to make a difference?
3. Students will self-assess their learning process.
4. How will you share what you have learnt with your peers,
4. Parents, teachers, mentors and PYP students will assess the
families and school?
exhibition presentations and final essays.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

 Planning the inquiry

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?
• Completion of the proposal task where students are asked to
write about a topic they would like to inquire into. A clear
link to the transdisciplinary theme must be evident.
• Whole class discussions and mind maps.
• Organizers e.g. “I think, I see, I wonder..”
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the
lines of inquiry? What evidence will we look for?
• Essays that answer the lines of inquiry.
• Display boards that include important topic information
including answers to the inquiries into and all the elements of
the PYP.
• Actions that are clearly connected to the issue and central
idea.
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?
• The group mentors will play an important part in helping to
organize opportunities to interview experts in each topic
area.
• The class teacher will help each team to find suitable
resources online as well as from the school library.
• The class teacher will provide reading booklets in each topic
area.
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the
development of the attributes of the learner profile?
• Students will continuously reflect over attitudes and profiles
required and displayed during different exhibition related
activities e.g. during group work, individual essay writing,
conducting interviews, planning actions, mentor meeting etc.
• Students will also write individual journal reflections weekly
where they will state how and when these profiles and
attitudes were used.

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?
Mentors: Elizabeth Nilsson – PYP 1 Class teacher, Jonas Henriksson – After School Care Teacher, Magdalena Simmons – PYP Prep. Class
teacher, Carla Johansson – PYP 4 Class teacher, Lill Lomothey – Swedish teacher, Karin Åström – Swedish teacher & Michelle Hortle – Learning
support teacher.
School library & laptops: The library resources will be used frequently and the ICT labs will be available to the students.
Music: The class teacher will facilitate the composition of the groups’ music components.

How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
Groups will contact: Dagverksamhet Gustav (Old age centre), Djurskyddet (Animal Rights Org.), Hemlösas Hus (local Homeless shelter), Nordens
Ark (Swedish zoo for endangered Nordic animals), Lekterapin (Play therapy unit at local hospital), Miljöbyrån (Climate change office at city
library) and Nordvästra Skånes Renhållnings AB (local recycling station).

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

 Reflecting on the inquiry

6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose? 7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP?
Assess the outcome of the inquiry by providing evidence of students’
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to:
understanding of the central idea. The reflections of all teachers involved in the
planning and teaching of the inquiry should be included. • develop an understanding of the concepts identified in “What do we want to
All components were well executed and I am truly grateful for the learn?”
support and active involvement from all the PYP teachers. The ICT • demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary skills?
component was led by Mrs. Falkman and Mr. Van der Gragt stepped • develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?
in to help a group create a website. One thing that could be
In each case, explain your selection.
improved would be to have English subtitles on the ICT components
that were done in Swedish. All key concepts, learner profiles, attitudes and skills were
reflected upon during the whole exhibition process as well as shown
How you could improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would have a on each display board.
more accurate picture of each student’s understanding of the central idea.
I believe that the students had a good understanding of the
umbrella central idea as they all could connect their own CI’s to this
one as well as to the TDT.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea
and the transdisciplinary theme?

Umbrella CI: Individuals and groups connect and organize to solve

problems and take action.
Group CI’s:
1. We must all take responsibility to stop animal abuse.
2. No child should ever walk the cancer journey alone.
3. Endangered animals can be saved from extinction if we act
now.
4. People have responsibilities to prevent pollution and stop
Global warming.
5. Every homeless person has a right to feel like they belong
somewhere. Art out of plastic created by PYP 3.
6. Loneliness is a challenge that many elderly face.
7. Plastic recycling can have an effect on the whole world.

TDT: Sharing the Planet - An exploration of our rights and

responsibilities as we try to share finite resources with other
people; with other living things; of communities and of the
relationships within and between them.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
 Reflecting on the
the inquiry

8. What student-initiated inquiries arose from the 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. I’m on my way (Original song from Brother Bear)
• What is the cause of Global warming and how can we stop it? Tell MYP that I’m on my way,
• How is plastic recycled? New friends and new teachers to meet.
• How do different cultures treat their elderly? Exhibition all over, I’m on my way,
but first dance to a hot summer beat.
• Who becomes homeless and why?
• Which Nordic animals are endangered and why? Tell MYP that I’m on my way,
• What is it like to have cancer? Goodbye, PYP we’ll miss you.
• Which organizations help stop animal abuse? We’ve worked really hard and we’ve made you so proud,
And we’ve smiled every step of the way.
These questions, and others, became the lines of inquiry.
At this point teachers should go back to box 2 “What do we want to learn?” and
Cause there’s nothing like feeling we’ve done so well,
highlight the teacher questions/provocations that were most effective in driving the
inquiries. We’ve proved it this year, yes you’ll see.
And the things that we know will make you really smile,
1. What is your issue?
Oh it really lifts our hearts.
2. Why is your issue important?
3. How will you take action to try to make a difference? Tell MYP that we’re on our way
4. How will you share what you have learnt with your peers, New friends and new teachers to meet.
A new IB program, we know we’ll succeed
families and school?
For we’ll come so prepared, yes indeed.
What student-initiated actions arose from the learning?
Record student-initiated actions taken by individuals or groups showing their ability to Not my mum, not my teacher,
reflect, to choose and to act. Can change my course,
Group actions: It’s time to move on, jump aboard.
Plastic recycling – organized a competition for PYP 3 to make art out of And this feeling of excitement for new things to come my way,
plastic bottles. Oh, this is where I want to be.

Childhood cancer – made colorful clay hearts to sell and donated the Cause I’m on my way now,
money (1700:-) to the Play therapy unit at the local hospital. Well and truly,
Old age and loneliness – organized a concert at the local old age home I’m on my way now.
which included the whole class and a couple of PYP teachers as
performing musicians. Tell MYP that I’m on my way,
New friends and new teachers to meet.
Animal abuse – made a news broadcast about animal abuse and included
Exhibition all over, I’m on my way,
commercials encouraging adoption of local animals in need.
but first dance to a hot summer beat.
Endangered Nordic animals – made a website with a blog to educate
people in this issue at http://www.pyp5exhibition.blogspot.com/ Tell MYP that I’m on my way,
Homelessness – wrote and illustrated a children’s book about what it’s Goodbye, PYP we’ll miss you.
like to be homeless. We’ve worked really hard and we’ve made you so proud,
Global warming – organized a carbon footprint pledge for people to And we’ve smiled every step of the way.
sign. People who signed the pledge also received a sticker made by the
group. We’re on our way. Yes, we’re on our way!

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

 Attachment 1

HOW WE SHARE THE PLANET

Plastic Recycling
Central Idea: Plastic recycling can have an effect on the whole world
world.

Lines of inquiry:

1. The process of plastic recycling

2. Why we need to recycle plastic
3. Alternatives to plastic
 Attachment 2

HOW WE SHARE THE PLANET

Central Idea:: Loneliness is a challenge that many elderly face.

Lines of inquiry:
1. What changes does the body go through as we grow old.
2. What challenges come from retirement.
3. How do different cultures treat their elderly.
 Attachment 3

HOW WE SHARE THE PLANET

Central Idea: Every homeless person has a right to feel like
they belong somewhere.

Lines of inquiry:
1. Who becomes homeless and why?
2. Many organizations help the homeless.
3. Homeless in Helsingborg.
 Attachment 4

HOW WE SHARE THE PLANET

Central idea: People have responsibilities to prevent pollution and stop Global
warming.

Lines of inquiry:
1. What is Global warming? (causes)
2. Evidence of Global warming. (climate change)
3. What we can do? (responsibility)
 Attachment 5

HOW WE SHARE THE PLANET

Central Idea: Endangered animals can be saved from extinction if we act
now.

Lines of inquiry:
1. Nordic endangered animals

2. Causes of endangerment

3. Ways to protect endangered animals

 Attachment 6

HOW WE SHARE THE PLANET

Central Idea: No child should ever walk the cancer journey alone.

Lines of Inquiry:
1.About cancer
2. Coping with cancer
3. Treatment of cancer
 Attachment 7

HOW WE SHARE THE PLANET

Central Idea: We must all take responsibility to stop animal abuse.

Lines of Inquiry:
1. Animal Rights
2. Animal Cruelty
3. Organizations that protect Animals