Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose? Class/grade: 4 Age group: 7-9

To inquire into the following: School: LWIS-H School code:060141

To inquire into the following:
Teacher(s): Sabine Arayssi
 Transdisciplinary Theme:
How the World Works Date: 7/01/2019 PYP planner

An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world Proposed duration/over number of weeks: 6
(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 .

Central Idea

The operations of addition and subtraction are related to each other
and are used to solve real life problems.
Summative assessment task(s):
What are the possible ways of assessing students’ understanding of the central idea? What
evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?
For the Summative Assessment, learners developed their own Math problem related to their
understanding of the central idea. Learners used a range of strategies using addition,
subtraction, or both. After they created their word problem, they shared it with their peers.
Learners’ understanding was assessed using a rubric
.
2. What do we want to learn?
What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection,
perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?
Reflection- Function- Connection
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
 Strategies for addition and subtraction
 Relationships between addition and subtraction
 Selecting an effective strategy to solve real life problems.
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
What is the difference between addition and subtraction?
In what ways are addition and subtraction connected?
Where and when do we use addition and subtraction in real life?
How can we tell whether the problem involves addition or subtraction?
What are some effective strategies to solve the problem?

Provocation: learners were presented with a real life problem and were left
to plan how to solve it.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

 3. How might we know what we have learned?
This column should be used in conjunction with “How best might we learn?” 4. How best might we learn?
What are
Planning thethe possible
inquiry ways of assessing students’ prior knowledge and skills? What What are the learning experiences suggested by the teacher and/or students to
evidence will we look for? encourage the students to engage with the inquiries and address the driving
questions?
Learners were given a problem and they had to choose a strategy that fits the
problem (pictures, arrays, manipulatives…) in order to demonstrate what prior learners were given different number sentences and were asked to brainstorm on
knowledge they have related to addition/subtraction strategies. sticky notes what they notice and wonder (addition and subtraction properties)
Anecdotal records were used to asses learners’ understanding and prior knowledge. through class discussions, they brainstormed different ways of doing addition &
subtraction
they showed their thinking on how numbers should be aligned when adding and
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines
subtracting
of inquiry? What evidence will we look for?
Line of inquiry Strategy Tool
worked on IXL and worksheets to practice addition and subtraction

Strategies for addition
and subtraction
. discussed where could we use addition and subtraction in our everyday life
Relationships between
addition and subtraction
Selecting an effective
strategy to solve real life
problems
Mind map Anecdotal record We looked at the word problems and reflected on the most efficient way to answer
them.
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the
Reflection Rubric development of the attributes of the learner profile?
Thinking skills: learners will gain specific facts, link prior knowledge with new and
think about different points of view/
Open-ended task Rubric
/Communication skills: learners communicated their understanding of using
addition and subtraction operations throughout the unit.
Inquirer: learners will inquire into the different addition & subtraction properties
and strategies//Thinker: learners will display that they are thinkers when they
develop their word problem//
Attitudes: Curiosity: learners will ask questions about the importance of addition
and subtraction in people’s daily lives.
Cooperation: learners will work in groups to solve operations and later share
findings.

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?
Learners watched videos, and used various web sites to search and enhance their understanding

How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
The classroom environment locally and due to the community help facilitate by providing an atmosphere of inquiry through different medias. As well, the classroom helps
learners become more aware of their abilities as learners who are responsible for their own learning styles and techniques. Learners will also display their understanding of the
key concept & lines of inquiry through thinking strategies, self-assessment, peer assessment, challenging games, and manipulatives.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
Reflecting on the inquiry
6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose?
Assess the outcome of the inquiry by providing evidence of students’
understanding of the central idea. The reflections of all teachers involved in the
planning and teaching of the inquiry should be included.
It was evident that learners developed the conceptual understanding of addition
and subtraction since they were able to explain and share their thinking
confidently using various strategies. They were also able to reflect on how it is
used in our daily lives.
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.
learners could have developed their own rubrics/checklists
encourage more self and peer assessment
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea
and the transdisciplinary theme?
- Learners understood that addition and subtraction are operations to
be utilized across different life situations having to do with
everything around them. They associated this with using such
operations to process events like buying things, paying for things or
in purchasing processes.
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007
7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP?
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to:
 develop an understanding of the concepts identified in “What do we want to
learn?”
Function: understood how numbers work
Connection: understood how they can work together
Reflection: understood how and where to use in real life
 demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary
skills?
Thinking skills: learners gained specific facts, linked prior knowledge with
new, and thought about different points of view
 Communication skills: learners communicated their understanding of
using addition and subtraction operations throughout the unit.
 develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?
 Inquirer: learners will inquire into the different addition & subtraction
properties and strategies/
 Thinker: learners will display that they are thinkers when they develop
their word problem//
 Attitudes: Curiosity: learners will ask questions about the importance
of addition and subtraction in people’s daily lives.
 Cooperation: learners will work in groups to solve operations and later
share findings.
Reflecting on 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.
how can we use addition and subtraction in our daily lives? - Use more varied manipulatives
in what ways are addition and subtraction related? - It would be beneficial if we planned a joint session
in what ways are they different? with another grade exploring these concepts and
giving learners the opportunity to apply this
At this point teachers should go back to box 2 “What do we want to learn?” and
highlight the teacher questions/provocations that were most effective in driving the
understanding.
inquiries.
- We need to look up more literature related to these
What is the difference between addition and subtraction?
In what ways are addition and subtraction connected? concepts to make it more engaging especially for
Where and when do we use addition and subtraction in real life? low level achievers.
How can we tell whether the problem involves addition or subtraction?
What are some effective strategies to solve the problem?

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.
some learners used manipulatives and blocks to explain and show their thinking
learners started applying this understanding across different situations at school.
They linked this understanding to other operations such as multiplication and
elaborated on some strategies.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007