IB Inquirer 3

Around the World through Poetry

Unit 4

Transdisciplinary Theme:
How We Express Ourselves – the ways in which we reflect on, extend and
enjoy our creativity

Central Idea:
Poetry reflects culture and self.

A study into (lines of inquiry):

 Structure of poems from around the world (form)
 Culture influences poetry (causation)
 Students write to express themselves (reflection)

Background:
Students will inquire into different genres of poetry, and investigate the
elements of poems. Then, they will develop a working definition of poetry.
They will look at the origins of poems from around the world, and how they
reflect cultural influences. Finally, they will use their knowledge to create
poems expressing their own thoughts & feelings.

Student Final Project:

Students will express a sense of self through their poetry by using specific
word choice and clarity of expression. They will visually represent their poems
using a personal photograph along with the words of their poem. They will
present chosen pieces of poetry at our “Poetry Café” during Charter Oak’s
Inquiry Gallery.

Technology Tie-In:
During this unit, students will use poetry websites, and publish their poems using
Microsoft Word.

Grade 3/March 2015 Unit 4/How We Express Ourselves “Around the World Through Poetry”
Classroom Events:
During the Inquiry Gallery on April 9, they will read their poems out loud, ‘open-mic’ style,
at our Poetry Café.

Learner Profiles & Attitudes:

Taking a risk involves “putting yourself out there.” When students write personal poetry,
they take a risk in sharing their thoughts & feelings. They will independently edit and
revise their work to achieve clarity, and display confidence when performing their poems.
Students will be open-minded in listening to the poems of their peers, understanding and
appreciating the diversity in their cultural backgrounds. They will be tolerant of ideas that
are different than their own as they collaborate with their classmates to review and
critique each other’s work.

Key Concepts:
During this unit, students will study the form of poetry. They will inquire about and
discover the elements (word choice, patterns, rhythm, rhyming, stanzas, etc.). They will
also look at different genres of poetry from around the world. While investigating poetry,
students will look at the cultural causes of poetry: What influenced the poet? What was
the origin of the poem? As they study cultural influence, they will reflect on what they
know about themselves, and bring their own perspectives to their personal poems.

Approaches to Learning:
Throughout the unit, students will use their thinking skills as they analyze poems from
around the world, grasp the meaning of the poems, and apply what they’ve learned to poems
of their own. Students will use their communication skills when they listen to each other
read, and have conversations about poems. They will use rich vocabulary in their poems, and
speak clearly and with expression while reading their personal poetry.

TRY THIS!

 Find any item around the house. Think about its form, function, and how it’s
connected to other things. Does it change? Once you’ve thought about it –
compile a list of words & phrases that describe the object. Then, write a
poem about the object.
 Write little poems to family members telling them how you feel about them – or
what you appreciate. Put them in different places so the other person will discover
them: in a lunch box; on a pillow; tucked in a book; etc.
 Have a family “mic” night. Everyone choose a favorite poem. Practice reading it with
expression. Then get out a snack and listen while family members recite their
poems. You can even turn it into a “Poetry Idol” competition.

Websites: www.gigglepoetry.com or http://play.magneticpoetry.com/poem/Kids/kit/

PARENTS: Please visit our “Parents’ Corner” in the COIA library. You will find books that align with the
current IB unit. You can check out books to learn more about the topic; or to read together at home.
Grade 3/March 2015 Unit 4/How We Express Ourselves “Around the World Through Poetry”
IB AT HOME Name ______________________

Teacher ____________________

Parents: please fill out any that apply and return to your child’s teacher.

My child is displaying the learner profiles from his/her IB unit

(risk-taker, open-minded). Here are some examples:

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Here is how my child is showing the IB attitudes

(confidence, independence, tolerance, appreciation):

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

My child has been demonstrating the approaches to learning (communication, thinking) by:

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

My child has taken action (additional investigations, trying to make a

difference, reading more about the subject, doing an independent project,
teaching others, etc.) regarding this unit. Here’s how:
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Grade 3/March 2015 Unit 4/How We Express Ourselves “Around the World Through Poetry”
 IB Elements that Grade 3 students are focusing on during Unit 4/How We Express Ourselves:

Communication Skills Thinking Skills

Listening Acquisition of Knowledge

Approaches to Speaking Comprehension

Application

Learning
Reading
Analysis
Writing Synthesis

Viewing Evaluation
Dialectical Thought
Presenting (thinking about different points of view)

Non-verbal Communication Metacognition

(thinking about how you think and learn)

Tolerance
We are sensitive towards differences and
Appreciation
We appreciate the wonder and beauty
diversity in our world, and are responsive to of the world and its people.
the needs of others.

Attitudes

Independence Confidence
We think and act independently, making our own We are confident in our abilities. We have the
judgments based on reasoned principles. We courage to take risks, apply what we have
defend our judgments. learned, and make appropriate choices/decisions.

RISK-TAKER OPEN-MINDED
I try new things. I accept other points of view.
Learner I have the courage to try
something new. I’m not
I know that people are
different and may do
Profiles afraid to give it a go,
even if I feel shy. I am
different things. I
understand that not
resilient and determined. everyone will think like
I try to solve problems in me and that’s fine.
different ways. I stand I listen and try to
up for what I believe. understand others.

Key Concepts

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