Junior+Inquiry+Ideas

What Ideas Could Stimulate Your Students Towards An Inquiry for Term 1, one that sets up students as they begin their learning year at school? How Could These Themes Be Translated into Kidspeak?

 * * · // begin to develop a sense of belonging to the school community. // ||
 * * · // introduce to the idea of the classroom being a community and they learn about respect and concern for others and being fair. // ||
 * * · // learn about classroom rules and why they are needed. // ||
 * * · // begin to compare classroom and family rules and other rules that they know about such as those for games and sport. // ||
 * * · // explore their responsibilities and rights and those of others in familiar contexts such as the family, the classroom, the school playground and local recreation areas. // ||
 * * · // learn about and celebrate special cultural, local, community and national days; for example, school sporting events and Clean Up Australia Day. // ||
 * * · // engage in school and cultural events in a responsible and active way. // ||
 * //This quote from BCS (Borculo Christian School): //**
 * //__ Social Studies: __  We’ve been working on answering important questions about school this week such as: Why do we come to school? Why do we need to learn? How do we learn? Through discussion, recording information and hearing stories the class has done a great job answering these questions. Mrs. Kamer read us the book Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten and we learned about the process of getting ready for school. The students also were challenged to see what kinds of patterns they saw in the book – sounds, letters, and the way characters were chosen for the book. //

Possibilities...

 * 1) How Do We Feel About Coming to School? - Chn could make a sock puppet and a play about coming to school
 * 2) My First Day At School - Older chn could photograph the child on their first day. A template could be made up and the photos incorporated with a small amount of text. The book could be printed and sent home with the child as a record of their first day at school.
 * 3) Why do we come to school? What if there was no school ever? This could be developed into a scenario. Each day a new addition. (and ideas below incorporated)
 * 4) What Makes School Cool? Chn could draw a picture in kidpix or paint.
 * 5) What helps us/me to learn? What Do We know about our brains? What do we like to do - (multiple intelligences)
 * 6) What stops us learning?
 * 7) Who Helps Us Learn (include each other)? - People who help us at school
 * 8) How Can We Help People Learn?
 * 9) What makes our classroom great? What is "Great"? What could we do to make it greater?
 * 10) What rules could we write for our classroom that would help us all to learn and keep us safe?
 * 11) Brainstorm and write up ideas. Ask children to choose the 5 rules they think are the most important (Get them to vote - a survey) and make an illustrated poster to communicate for everyone to see. Word them in a positive manner e.g. ‘One person talks at a time" rather than ‘don’t talk when others are talking"
 * 12) Homelink: Have children decorate and colour them. Paste on to card board. Ask Chn to read them to their parents. Give them a copy for their bedroom wall.

Making the Links:

 * Which Principles would these link to? (P 9 of the Revised Curriculum)
 * What Key Competencies would these link to? (P12) How could we engage creative and critical thinking further e.g. Developing a scenario - School has been banned - No-one is allowed to go to school anymore, not even the teacher!
 * What Values are being expressed? (P10)
 * What Learning Areas does this fit into?
 * What Skills Will The Children Develop?
 * What communication formats can be incorporated? How can Literacy learning be developed within this inquiry?

** Ideas for a Guided inquiry ** - http://www.oakland.k12.mi.us/scope/kindergarten/index.html

** How Can We Make Our Class A Great Place To Learn? ** **__ Possible Purpose: __**
 * Through their own discoveries & the use of an inquiry process, students will uncover and construct their own understandings of -**
 * Please add your own, based on your particular students’ needs. What do they need to learn? What is the most important priority etc.


 * From here on is a range to select from or add into….**
 * What Does A Good Learner Do?
 * What is Learning?
 * Why Do We Come To School?
 * What Can We Do To Make Our Class A Place Where Great Things Happen?.


 * Students will co-create an** **inclusive learning culture where all students are valued and where the priority focus is on learning.**
 * To collect and analyse data about the learning classroom and make suggestions to resolve issues.
 * To present thoughts and solutions

**__ Possible Learning Areas: __** Search the Curriculum Docs for Areas That Fit Student Need

SKILLS: Add To & Refine List:
 * Inquiry Process – particular emphasis on Brainstorming
 * Hypothesis
 * Ask questions
 * Create questions
 * Create answers and problem solve
 * Critically analyse ideas/ opinions/ answers
 * Comparing information/Answers with others
 * Working co-operatively
 * Listen/talk within a group

= __ The Big Question __ : also known as "The Essential Question"=

** “How Can We Make Our Class A Place “A Great Place To Learn”? **

(see the Scenario for an idea on how these can be introduced over the term...)

 * 1) What would happen if we did not have rules and routines?
 * 2) How can we be a responsible member of our school and our community?
 * 3) What are the good things that happen in our class?
 * 4) What are other good things you'd like to see happening in our class?
 * 5) Why do we need to make the right decisions?
 * 6) What different roles do we play when we are a member of a group?
 * 7) How can we work with others that are different to us? e.g. culture/sport/behaviour
 * 8) Why is it important to have pride?

**__ Possible Product: __** Children could use the camera & ICTs to record an animation (with narration or text) using to reconstruct various scenes of the story, providing the script and narrating the events and possible outcomes. Children could draw the ideal classroom, the best learner (with breakfast, healthy lunch etc..)
 * Play dough
 * Sock puppets
 * Kid Pix
 * Powerpoint
 * Photostory
 * Flow Chart
 * Moviemaker

**__ Possible Scenario: __**


 * Consider the Hook? How do we get the kids to fall in love with this topic. How long is it realistic to spend on this? Perhaps short sharp bursts along a continuing story with various episodes may work best?**

Going Further – A Guided Inquiry using A Scenario: //** Tama has just arrived in Rotorua and he is living alone with his Nanny. His Nanny used to go to Owhata School and she says he can go there too. He has never been to school before and he is scared. He doesn’t know any kids his own age and his tummy turns to squelch when he thinks about going. **////** - Will it be a good place? - What will he do there? When? How ? Why? - Will people be kind and caring to him? Who? How? **// //** - Who will help him to learn? Who will be in his Learning Community? **//
 * e.g.**
 * **What Is “Great”? What Does It Mean? What Could We Use Instead? ( A mini Inquiry)**
 * **What Word Could We Use To Describe What We Want For Our Classroom?**
 * **Adapt accordingly. May even come up with a new class name….**
 * **Draw a great Teacher / Design the Ideal Classroom / Describe the Best Learner**

What else do you think Tama is thinking?


 * // The night before school starts you meet Tama at your Auntie's place. He tells you he doesn’t want to go to school. He asks you what you do there? //**

Brainstorm all the things you could tell him

How could we make our class a good place for Tama to come to each day?

**Hypothesis**e

 * Students work in small groups or pairs to form hypotheses for their key question before they do their research.
 * Hypotheses are recorded under the questions on the wall charts.
 * Post-it notes of one colour can be used to record the hypothesis.
 * Post-it notes of a different colour can be used for their researched answers.
 * This method of recording answers helps to give the teacher a way of measuring what the students have learned.
 * Why do people go to school?


 * // Tama's Aunty says that kids have to go to school. "It's the law" she says. "Nanny could go to gaol if Tama doesn't go to school. //**


 * Is she correct?
 * What does the law say?
 * Why do you think it is the law?
 * What would happen if we didn’t have school?


 * // Tama gets up the next morning and is feeling very nervous. He doesn’t eat his breakfast. //**
 * Is this a good thing to do?
 * Why is breakfast important?
 * What things do we need to do before we go to school?


 * // Tama spends the whole day at school. At the end of the day his teacher says he has been a “great student.” //**


 * What Makes A Great Student?
 * Children could write letters to the teacher describing why he/she (the teacher) is so lucky to have them in this class, or why we are so lucky to have another student in our class. Could be done in a buddy system.


 * // That night Tama’s Dad comes around and asks Tama what he has learnt at school. Tama asks him what it means to learn. //**
 * What do you think Tama’s Dad said?
 * What is Learning? Y Chart
 * How do you learn best? – M.I Survey
 * Collate data to find out the class view

e.g. Find out what the kids want to learn at school – can use this for future focus. Sleep – have children record their hours of sleep, their breakfast etc over a week. This could be graphed. PMI these
 * Build the scenarios in chunks, each with a slightly different focus…. Based on student need**

**Base the story on what your students needs are – and how you can develop together the learning environment that will enrich all of you and let you learn together. Use chunks of inquiry throughout.**


 * Consider resources that are available to take children beyond that which they alreayd know. (The Research)
 * Order Nat Lib Resources. Have them include CDs, DVDs, Video, Computer Programmes, Web Sites if they have them.
 * Check out online resources:

media type="custom" key="2835673" align="center"


 * What Primary Resources are available (People, People Who Help Us etc)

Possibilities – Multiple Intelligences, How Does This Class Learn Best Now, How Could these Learning Styles Be Extended, Developed etc. Habits of Mind – How do we behave when we don’t know. What do we do when we don’t know.

These can all be mini inquiries which add to the over all Big Idea or Question. This also allows the freedom to grow in a particular direction and follow a lead – as long as it is going to achieve what you have identified a “What My Students need To Know” moving the school towards its vision for learning (both national and local documentation).

Check Your Questions against Blooms - http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learning/exams/blooms-taxonomy.html Could introduce/Integrate Thinking Hats as a tool for coming up with different ways of thinking - http://www.edwdebono.com/cort/magichat.htm - http://www.teachnet.com/how-to/manage/sixhats120800.html


 * Could this work as a way of introducing a class travel buddy, Tama being the buddy?**

**__ Revisit: __**

**“How Can We Make Our Class A Great Place To Learn?”**
 * Have We Answered Our Big Question?**


 * What Have We Found Out?**


 * __ Possible Assessment Ideas: __**

Look to the “Possible Product” (see above)

Students will be able to provide a range of solutions to the essential question such as: o Ways to welcome new people to the class o My role and responsibilities in helping “us” to learn o Identifying processes at home which are important for learning – sleep, breakfast etc. o How I Learn Best o The Importance of each of our class rules

Students could > suggest ways of resolving differences and overcoming challenges. ( another mini-inquiry for next time? "What Do I Do When I Don't Know?") > one group could use the camera to record learning tools in their classroom and create a digital story of Tools that help us learn. Another could apply this to “People Who Help Us Learn”. (Would have to include a self portrait on the cover as a teacher and learner), Another “Rules That Help Us Learn”.
 * draw the ideal classroom, the ideal learner…. (create etc)
 * suggest ways to make the school more enjoyable
 * co-construct or revise class rules and routine (A MIni Inquiry for Next Time? i.e. "Just Because I Can, Should I?)
 * **What Is Learning? – A Focus on Our Brain – What is it, What does it look like? How does it work, How can we care for it? What effect does each part have? How does it help us learn? What sort of classroom does it need?**


 * Possible Surveys **

Students could conduct a statistical investigation which could assist us in belonging and identifying our learning community... (integrating our learning) Check out: New Zealand Maths – Statistics: A Spreadsheet Tutorial (http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/Statistics/SSTutorial/SStutorial.htm)

Possible Survey Questions


 *  What time do you go to bed?
 *  How do you come to school?
 *  What is your favourite colour?
 *  What pets do you have?
 *  What breakfast foods do you like?
 *  From four choices of sweets, which is your favourite?
 *  What do you want to be when you grow up?
 *  From Four Choices what do you like most at school?

You could do a Multiple Intelligences Survey with your class. Great Idea! This then underpins how we communicate our findings. E.g. would a song or rap have a deeper impact (if a high proportion of the class show a strong preference for Music (musical intelligences)

**And another idea.....**

//New Entrant Class Buddies://


 * Purpose:** To reinforce social and co-operative skills between a year 1 class and its year 4–6 buddy class.

//Older Students could use a template that could assist an ongoing project where they take turns in creating "My First Day At School" Booklets. These are printed off in colour before the end of the first day, spiral bound (all by the older student along with the new student). The books incorporate text and photos of the new student e.g. This is where I hang my bag, eat my lunch, read in the library corner, write my name, etc. Students then take their book home with then at the end of their first day, for Mum and Dad.//

//**The Inquiry: What Do We Want To Do/Include? How Do We Do It? …**//
 * // - ////**Brainstorm… Select….**//
 * // - ////**Questions….**//
 * // - ////**Find Out….**//
 * // - ////**Arrange/Use….**//
 * // - ////**Communicate….**//
 * // - ////**Act…**//
 * - //**Evaluate Product & Process**// //(How did we do as Producers/Inquirers?)//