Kindergarten Project Based Inquiry Unit

“How Are We Alike and Different from Other Kindergarten Students in our Classroom and

School Community?”

By: Rachael Hayes

NCSU ECI 524

Dr. Crystal Chen Lee

July 27, 2020

 Unit Plan Essentials

Rationale:

In this unit students will participate in a project based global inquiry that will allow them

to share aspects of their own culture, make connections to students in our school community and

then make connections to students of another culture. Students will complete a variety of

activities to help them answer our compelling question; How are we alike and different from

other students in our classroom and our school community? Kindergarten is likely the

beginning of a child’s educational experience and even an introduction to other cultures and

ways of thinking. “Students are never too young to build the foundational mindsets, knowledge,

and skills of global citizenship” (Tichnor-Wagner, Parkhouse, Glazier, Cain, 2019, p. 168). This

focus is necessary because it is the perfect time to begin instilling the skills needed for these

young citizens to become socially and culturally competent individuals. It is important for

students to know and understand their own culture and community around them. Once they

know and understand more aspects of their community, they can begin to make connections to

the world around them and gain an understanding of global interconnectedness. Students can

begin to understand global interconnectedness locally. Authors Tichnor-Wagner et. 2019 state

that “Placing your feet on the ground of your own neighborhood and school can help you

‘ground’ the global” (p. 75). When I begin this inquiry project I will be teaching kindergarten at

Polenta Elementary which is located in Johnston County and is a rural community. Due to the

current pandemic situation, I am not sure what the number of my students will be or how

instruction will be delivered. At this time it is likely to be a combination of virtual and face to
face instruction. This project will still be critical in students gaining an understanding of

themselves, their peers and the world around them.

Curriculum Alignment

Content Standards:

K.C.1.1 Explain similarities in self and others.

K.C.1.2 Explain the elements of culture (how people speak, how people dress, foods they eat,

etc.).

RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text

RL.K.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of

characters in familiar stories.

W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose

informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some

information about the topic.

S.L.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten

topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Globally Competent Elements:

● Element 1: Empathy and Valuing Multiple Perspectives

● Element 4: Global Interconnectedness

● Element 8: Creating a Classroom Environment That Values Diversity and Global

Engagement

Objectives:

By the end of this unit students will be able to:

 ● Explain similarities and differences in self and others.

● Explain elements of other students' cultures.

● Use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to provide and share

information about their culture.

● Speak collaboratively with diverse partners in small and large groups.

● Value multiple perspectives.

● Identify aspects of their own culture.

● Make global connections within our classroom and school community.

● Be aware of and value diverse perspectives and cultures in my classroom.

Project Duration

Unit Timeline

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Read aloud: Read aloud: (Gather & Analyze (Gather & Analyze (Creatively
Whoever You Are Same, Same but Sources) Sources) Synthesize Claims
by: Mem Fox Different by: Jenny Students will begin Continue students and Evidence)
-discuss similarities Sue Kostecki-Shaw sharing their culture sharing their culture
and differences -discuss similarities assignment assignment Read aloud:
-Introduce Inquiry of the two Birthdays in Many
by asking characters Cultures
compelling -create a Venn
question: Diagram to compare Students will
How are we alike & contrast them complete their
and different from drawing and writing
other students in to show how they
our classroom and celebrate their
school community? birthday.
-Send home student
culture sheet to be
completed and sent
back
 Day 6 Day7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10
Students will be (Creatively (Creatively (Share, Publish & Birthday
paired up and Synthesize Claims Synthesize Claims Act) Celebration in
complete a Venn and Evidence) and Evidence) Class!
Diagram to compare Students will be
and contrast how Student pairs will Student pairs will paired with a
they celebrate their begin sharing how continue sharing student from our
birthday. their birthdays are how their birthdays partner class to
similar and how are similar and how compare and
they are different. they are different. contrast how they
celebrate their
birthday

Overview of Project Based Inquiry (PBI) Global in the Kindergarten Classroom

The PBI Global approach consists of five phases; ask a compelling question, gather and analyze

sources, creatively synthesize claims and evidence, critically evaluate and revise, and share,

publish and act. Johnson et. al. (2019).

Ask a Compelling Question

As the teacher facilitator I have composed the following question; How are we alike and

different from other students in our classroom and school community?

Gather and Analyze Sources

A letter will be sent home to explain the upcoming unit on exploring our cultures as parents will

need to assist by helping their child complete the “______’s Culture” sheet (Key activity 1).

One of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development focuses on encouraging effective

partnerships. We will begin this on the local level allowing these young learners to make

classroom and school community connections, that we can eventually build on more globally.

We will have another kindergarten class that we will be partnering with to complete this project.

Simultaneously, the kindergarten classroom down the hall will also be completing this project.

The class is part of a Dual Language program where students participate in an immersion

program and instruction is provided in both English and Spanish. We will be interacting with the

class that is mostly comprised of Hispanic students. Having the students complete an activity

about their own culture first will allow them the opportunity to understand components of culture

before exploring aspects of other people’s cultures. Students will share completed assignments

with the class, providing the opportunity to learn about new perspectives and views from our

own classroom. This will build a sense of community and begin the process of empathetic

thinkers and valuing other perspectives. Students will begin to embrace the similarities and
differences amongst their peers. Later on in this unit students will be sharing their experiences

with their assigned buddy from the other participating kindergarten class.

Creatively Synthesize Claims and Evidences

Before beginning this section, I will read aloud the book; Birthdays in Many Cultures. After all

of the students have shared their culture project, students will be assigned a partner and they each

will then use their previous completed assignment to help them draw a picture to show how they

celebrate their birthday (key activity 2). The partners will compare and contrast their pictures

(key activity 3). As an extension, students will complete a sentence stating how they are the

same and different. The pairs will complete a venn diagram to compare and contrast how they

celebrate. Students will then present their pictures and writing to the class, alongside their

partner, to share how their birthday celebrations are the same and different. Lastly they will

make a statement about what they like most about their partner's celebration, to show their

understanding and appreciation of another perspective.

Key Activity 2: Key Activity 3:

Critically Evaluate and Revise

I will review and evaluate three components of the presentations. First, I will evaluate each

individual’s speaking part, making sure they were clearly articulated and audible. Then I will

evaluate if they were able to successfully compare and contrast the two celebrations. Finally, I

will evaluate if they were able to respectfully comment on their partner’s celebration. This will

show me if they are beginning to understand and embrace differences among their peers. If it

appears that some students are having a difficult time understanding or are not valuing their

differences then I will know that we will need more discussion and activities to ensure growth.

Share, Publish & Act

Prior to sharing with their buddy, students will choose which way they would like to share how

they celebrate their birthday. The choices will be; a drawing or craft, writing or storytelling.

Upon completion of our classroom project the students will be able to showcase their learning

with our partner class. Our partner class will also be sharing their completed projects. Students

will be assigned a buddy from the Spanish Immersion class. To guide their discussion, students

will share their culture sheet so they discuss the similarities and differences in each area. They

will then share their birthday celebration component. At the end of the discussion, each child

will be asked to share one interesting fact they learned about their partner. This opportunity will

allow the students to show their understanding of similarities and differences and give them

another opportunity to view multiple perspectives.

Supplemental Key Activities:

● Students will create a class book; The Many Birthdays in our Classroom. We will keep

this book on display in our library center.

 ● Students will create an individual book on what they have learned to share with their

families. This book will include the venn diagram and writing they completed with their

in class partner, as well as the information gained from our partner class.

● Find a kindergarten in a different community than us to partner with. Share with them

our class birthday book and create a video to show how our students celebrate their

birthday. The partner class will do the same and we will be able to compare and contrast

our two communities.

● Find a kindergarten in a different country to partner with. Share with them our class

birthday book and create a video to show how our students celebrate their birthday. The

partner class will do the same and we will be able to compare and contrast our two

communities.

● Have a family culture night.

Assessing Objectives & Global Competency

● Key Activity 1: Personal Culture Sheet (check for completion)

● Speaking Rubric

● Key Activity 2 & 3: Birthday drawing and writing rubric

● Key Activity 3: Similarity and Difference rubric

● Shows Empathy and Valuing Multiple Perspectives with their classroom partner rubric.

● Shows Empathy and Valuing Multiple Perspectives with partner from partner class rubric.
 References

Johnson, L., McHugh, S., Eagle, J., & Spires, H. (2019). Project-Based Inquiry (PBI) in

Kindergarten Classroom: Inquiring About the World. Early Childhood Education

Journal, 47, 607–613.

Tichnor-Wagner, A., Parkhouse, H., Glazier, J., & Cain, J. M. (2019). Becoming A Globally

Competent Teacher. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.