Class/Grade: 

                                                                            Age group:                                                  
P4D 10-11
 
School:  World Foreign Language Primary School            School code:  051518
 
Teacher(s):  Carl, Wing and Karen
 
Date:   February 2017 to April 2017
 
Proposed duration:     6 weeks

1.  What is our purpose? 
To inquire into the following: 
 
Transdiciplinary theme  Where we are in place and time:
 
  The discoveries, explorations, and migrations of human kind.
 
Central Idea 
  People invent and innovate in order to solve problems.
  Necessity is the mother of invention.
 
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? 

Students will participate in an Inventor’s Fair. Each student will work with a partner to come up with an
invention that solves a problem in their own life or someone else’s.
(pitch it like the show Dragon’s den)
1) Complete a poster showing a blueprint/diagram of the invention, a rationale to explain why they decided to
create it, and an explanation of the method of how it would work
2) Create an ad to sell their invention to others. Who would want to buy this invention and why?
3) Presentation at Inventor’s Fair - We will have a fair where students will get to present their “top secret
inventions” to the class and students will decide if they would like to buy this invention or not.
1) Poster – Rubric
2) Advertisement – Checklist
3) Presentation – Peer evaluation
Students will be able to understand that new inventions/innovations need to be researched, designed and
rationalized. Students will be able to persuade others to see the need for their invention.
 
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? 
 
Function, Perspective, Causation
 
 Related concepts: electricity, sustainability, materials, production, discovery, exploration, history
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea? 
 
1. How inventions drive further discovery and vice versa (Function)
 2. The relationship between invention and need (perspective, causation)
 3. How and why things were invented (causation)
 4. How inventions across time and cultures affect people in other times and cultures (Perspective)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries? 
 
- What are the greatest inventions in the last a) 5 years b) 20 years d) 100 years?
 - How did inventions in different cultures affect the way we live and work now?
 - How are products constantly being updated?
 - Why do people invent things?
 - (provocation): Desert island scenario
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.  How might we know what we have learned? 
What are the possible ways of assessing students’ prior knowledge and skills? 
What evidence will we look for? 
 a) Students will discuss this question “What are the greatest inventions of the past 5, 10, 20 years. as a group
 then in a circle as a class.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? 
What evidence will we look for? 
 1) Video, discussion, (reflection)
 2) Construction and innovation of their egg-drop device (Checklist and reflection)
 3) Video, discussion, (reflection)
 4) Research an inventor (peer assessment)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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? 
 9. Teacher notes
Appendix
 Tuning in:
• Students will see a list of the 50 most important inventions. After seeing them all, in small groups they will need to rate the ten most important that they would need to survive on a desert
 island, and tell why. Extension: Draw a map of the island and show how you are using the inventions.
• See, think, wonder chart for “objects in a bag.” Students will reach into a bag and feel an invention that we no longer use. They will need to predict what invention is in the bag and answer 5
 W’s and How pertaining to the object.
• Ipad apps – students will work together to think of inventions that we don’t need anymore since the invention of the ipad. They can draw icons on an ipad graphic organizer to show their
thoughts. Extension: Students can design their own app that makes another invention obsolete.
 Finding out:
• Bizzare Inventions – English UOI – Students will see pictures of different bizarre inventions and
 Decide if they think they are good, bad or unsure by holding up cards. Students will then have to defend their decision and explain why with support.
• Student Questions / Lines of inquiry / Teacher questions.
 •inventor’s
Research an inventor – English UOI – Do a short research project on an inventor. This activity could be used to explain building a thought web for essay writing. They need to include the
past/childhood, famous inventions, what people thought of him/her, inventions that didn’t work, inventors that he/she inspired, etc.
 • Studentsout:will choose or design their own bizarre invention and make a poster to try and convince the others in the class that it is useful. They need to include who would use it, what problems it
Sorting

 would solve and where in the world it could be found.

• “Invention fair” Students will learn about some of the most influential inventions in our history. They will research who made the invention, why it was made, where it was made, if we still

 use it today and if it inspired further innovation. This will be displayed in a poster to be displayed and an oral presentation. Extension: Students can create a timeline showing how their invention
has changed or evolved over time. (eg. Airplane)
• Inventions Around Me – Students will complete a graphic organizer explaining 3 inventions that they use every day , what they use them for, and what they would do if they woke up tomorrow
 and that invention did not exist. They need to think about what they use the invention for and if they can think of an alternative invention.
Going further:
 •Ɇ The teachers will present the EGG DROP experiment. The students will create a device that will transport an egg safely down a 4 floors drop.
Teachers will show a video of an egg drop experiment on the first day to create interest.
 ɆMaking
Students will work in pairs to make their invention using materials from home.
Conclusions:
 •breaking
Students will do a reflection on methodology of their egg drop experiment and decide why it was or wasn’t successful. They need to innovate to improve their invention to make it work without
the egg and re-try the experiment from a higher point. They will do a reflection on the final activity and decide why it did or didn’t work.

 Taking Action:
• Summative Assessment
 
 
 
 
What opportunities will occur for Transdiciplinary skills development and for the development 
of the attributes of the learner profile? 
 Skills
 Planning, Synthesis, Application, Observing, Research, Safety, Presenting research finding, reflection.
 Attitudes
 Curiosity, Independence, reflection
 
 
5.  What resources need to be gathered? 
What people, places, audio‐visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software 
etc, will be available? 
 Building materials, tools, craft materials, field trips, computers, previous designs, books, magazines, eggs.
 
 
How will the classroom environment, local environment and/or the community be used to 
facilitate the inquiry? 
 Resources and pin boards with information around the classroom. Visit to Shanghai Normal University.
 
6.  To what extend 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 should be included. 
 I feel that the students had a great chance to get dive into this unit. They really had a great chance to think
 about the nuts and bolts of the relationship of need and the action taken to make something to fill that need.
Prior to starting this unit, the students hadn't put much thought where all the little inventions come from that
 make our lives so nice. Many listed the iPad as the invention they felt was the most important. Through
 discussion and research they learned about many of the inventions that allowed for the birth of the iPad. Our
sorting out task worked well to allow the students learn about many invention categories they hadn't considered
 before as well, including different types of medicine and some obsolete inventions. I also felt that our egg drop
 experiment really cemented the understanding of our central idea as that project was very black and white in
terms of what they need to accomplish.
 
 
 
 
How could you improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would have a more 
accurate picture of each student’s understanding of the central idea. 
 For our summative assessment, I felt that the students were able to really think deeply about the relationship
 between need and creation for their inventions. We had some wonderful ideas that ranged from a multi
functioning kitchen table to a "5 mode pencil" to a flying house. All of the inventions successfully solved a
 problem in their own lives or someone else's. Next time I may consider only allowing them to invent something
 they can actually understand and build. that way they can get more into the building process and less on the
fanciful ideas that while creative, don't inspire further research due to their inherent complexity.
 
 
 
 
 
 
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and 
the transdiciplinary theme? 
 This unit focused heavily on the the "discoveries" portion of the transdiciplinary theme, but we also were able
 to touch on the inventions of past and present to show the evolution of the inventions humans have used. This
is a very deep topic and even with an additional six weeks, we could continue exploring this area continuously.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7.  To what extend 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?” 
Demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdiciplinary skills?
Develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attributes? 
In each case explain your selection. 
  This unit was great for applying the principles and concepts of the PYP curriculum. In the beginning, the
  students only had a vague understanding of the role of inventions, and the connection between function and
  causation. The students were able to recognize recent modern inventions, but had a very difficult time with
the older ones. Through the summative assessment, the children were forced to consider the details of need
  and what could lead to the causation of someone creating an invention. Considering this was a unit about
  inventions, the students showed their thinking and comprehension skills throughout this unit. Another skill
the students really exercised was cooperation. During their assessment, the teamwork I saw on display was
  some of our best yet. Even better is that it came from groups where two "slower" students were paired
  together forcing one usually quiet girl to take the leading role.
8.  What student‐initiated inquiries arose from the learning? 
Record a range of student‐initiated inquiries and student questions and highlight 
any that were incorporated into teaching and learning. 
 During the tuning in phase, I asked the students to show what inventions they knew. Through this project's
 output, I was able to modify the sorting out activity that I had adjusted to include some inventions connected
with ones they knew and some that they would find interesting even if they didn't. I also was able to find
 videos with modern inventions that were along the lines of student interests. Through the videos themselves,
 the student-initiated inquiry multiplied to the point where even a month later I'm still getting questions about
 how some of the inventions worked as they are thinking about the functions for their own inventions in the
summative assessment.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 inquiries. 
 
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. 
 As of this writing the students are finishing up their assessment and as of now there hasn't been any student
 action to report.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.  Teacher notes: