Middle+School

**Suggestions To Trigger Our Thinking:**

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


 * From here on is a range to select from or add into….**
 * What Learning Is
 * Why We Come To School
 * A Sense Of Belonging
 * The Rights And Responsibilities That Underpin Our Roles Within The Class.

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: __** Social Studies: Social Organisation, Level 1? Literacy - Using Language, Symbols & Text / English English - Inquiry Skills Key Competency: Managing Self, Participation & Contribution

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?**


 * 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….**

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? **//  What else do you think Tama is thinking?

 Brainstorm all the things you could tell him
 * // 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? //**

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

**Hypothesis**e
  **// 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. //**
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)"> Students work in small groups or pairs to form hypotheses for their key question before they do their research.
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">Hypotheses are recorded under the questions on the wall charts.
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">Post-it notes of one colour can be used to record the hypothesis.
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)"> Post-it notes of a different colour can be used for their researched answers.
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">This method of recording answers helps to give the teacher a way of measuring what the students have learned.
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">Why do people go to school?


 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)"> Is she correct?
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)"> What does the law say?
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">Why do you think it is the law?
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)"> 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. //**
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">Is this a good thing to do?
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">Why is breakfast important?
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">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.” //**


 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">What Makes A Great Student?
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">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. //**
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">What do you think Tama’s Dad said?
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">What is Learning? Y Chart
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">How do you learn best? – M.I Survey
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">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**

<span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">**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.**

<span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">
<span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)"> >
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">Consider resources that are available to take children beyond that which they alreayd know. (The Research)
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">Order Nat Lib Resources. Have them include CDs, DVDs, Video, Computer Programmes, Web Sites if they have them.
 * <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">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).

<span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">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?**

<span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">**__ Revisit: __**

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


 * What Have We Found Out?**

<span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)"> **__ <span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)">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
 * 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?)
 * 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”.
 * **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?**

<span style="color: rgb(47, 10, 240)"> ** 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)

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//**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?)//