Nursery How We Express Ourselves Sy14-15 226i6v

Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose?

Class/grade: Nursery

1a) To inquire into the following:

School: Domuschola International School

● transdisciplinary theme

Age group: 3 - 4 years old School code: 7800

Title: Creative Play

How We Express Ourselves An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic

Teacher(s): Jazz, Nya Date: October 13- December 15, 2014 Proposed duration: 9 weeks, 18 hours

● central idea Through play we express our feelings and ideas and come to new understandings

1b) Summative assessment task(s):

2. What do we want to learn?

What are the possible ways of assessing students’ understanding of the central idea? What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?

What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?

●

GOAL - Your goal is to create a mini drama area or kidsville using recyclable materials.

●

ROLE - You’re the builder of your chosen job in the drama area or kidsville

●

AUDIENCE - Your classmates, your teachers, and your family or a friend

●

SCENARIO/SITUATION - Using a variety of everyday materials, you are asked to create the building of your chosen job (e.g. Doctor, you will make a Hospital). Pictures will be provided and you have to choose which among these pictures symbolizes your chosen job/ role.

●

PRODUCT - Mini village made of recyclable materials

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

Focus Key Concepts: ● function ● connection ● perspective Related Concepts: ● imagination ● creativity ● communication What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea? ● Communicating through play ● Imaginative use of materials ● The role of toys in play What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries? ● ● ● ●

What do people do with toys and games? (Function) How do people play: alone or with others? (Perspective) How does playing make you think and/or feel? (Connection) How do people learn through play? (Function)

Planning the inquiry

3. How might we know what we have learned?

4. How best might we learn?

This column should be used in conjunction with “How best might we learn?” What are the possible ways of assessing students’ prior knowledge and skills? What evidence will we look for? Clay Art- Children will play in the Drama Area and they will

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?

choose their role/ job. Using clay, they will express their ideas about their specific role. They will identify the different symbols, material and other things that represent their chosen role/ job. They will explain why did they choose the said job/ role.

What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What evidence will we look for? Line of Inquiry

What will be assessed? key understanding

How will evidence be collected?

Communicating through play

Students understanding that play can be a way to communicate with other people.

● Through observations every play time, students will be able to acquire new knowledge and new vocabularies.

Imaginative use of materials

Students understanding that the way we use materials and toys can vary from one person to another

● Students will have the opportunity to explain in front of the class on how they use certain materials. In that way, they will learn that people use same materials and toys in different ways.

The role of toys in play

Students understanding that materials can be used in many ways to make play more meaningful.

● Students will be given various materials. They have the freedom on how they will use it to make and create their planned project.

Tuning in: ● Imagine That- Children play creatively everyday with materials. They have to identify the shapes of the toys and sort out according to its attributes.

● ●

Play Centers- Children visit different centers and play there

●

Show and Tell- favorite toys, new creation, etc. (continued in Attachment A)

Group Games- Children play group games such as Duck, Duck, Goose, Jumping on the Ladder, etc. Children should make simple patterns as they play the game.

What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile? A. Transdisciplinary Skills Thinking: Application- Children will be given the chance to create and innovate toys based on the stories read in the class. Acquisition of Knowledge- Children will encounter and learn new words that can help them understand new things all throughout the unit. Social: Cooperating- Children will be given the opportunities to work in a group, give ideas and participate in every activity. Group Decision- Making- Children will be given the chance to decide on the project they will make individually and as a class. Communication: Presenting and Speaking- Children are highly encouraged to present their creation and explain how it functions in front of audience. Self- management: Gross and fine motor- As the unit goes, children will surely develop such skills because they will handle different material such as pencil, coloring materials, etc. They will also be exposed in different activities that will require the movement of the body. Safety- Since the unit is focused on creative play, children are expected to observe safety measure in handling materials in and out of the room. Spatial AwarenessChildren are also expected to be aware with their actions towards their classmate and the furnitures in and out the classroom. Research: Planning- As early as nursery, they are expected to make their plan on how to create their toy and how it functions. Observing- They should observe and pay attention on the things that the resource speaker is saying. B. Learner Profile ● Balanced- Children should not just play and create things, they should also acquire new knowledge and learnings in doing such. ● Communicators- Students are highly expected to express their ideas while and through playing.

5. What resources need to be gathered? What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available? PEOPLE AND PLACES: Make Believe Production (http://www.play.makebelieve.com.ph); Artist/ Art Teacher; Party Planner and Balloon Twister; Stuffed Toy-maker; Dolljoy, Pasig; Active Fun, BGC; Playground; Kidz Ville, The Podium LITERATURE: Goldilocks and The 3 Bears; Hansel and Gretel; Alice in Wonderland; Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs; Rapunzel; The Little Red Riding Hood AUDIO-VISUAL: Tangled; 3 Little Pigs; Goldilocks and The 3 Bears; Finding Nemo; Rio OTHERS: Art and crafts materials WEBSITES: DIY toys videos

How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry? Play Centers - different play centers where children are encouraged to explore and play creatively will be introduced per week (construction, building, playdough, drama, puppet) Play Ground- children will visit different playground where in they will play and apply the different types of play they learned inside the classroom. Classroom library - books about how we can learn from play will be introduced and read aloud to the class daily © International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

Reflecting on the inquiry

6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose?

7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP?

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 of the inquiry should be included.

What were the learning experiences that enabled students to:

develop an understanding of the concepts identified in “What do we want to learn? By the end of the unit, children expressed their ideas and feelings more as they Function: Students through the different plays/games that they had, they came to experienced different types of play. They also played with some toys in a non- identify the different functions of games for themselves and other children. conventional manner as well as pack them away right after showing that they really Connection: Students were able to explore this concept when investigated the do learn through play. As what the teachers observed, the kids are now more careful connection between plays and feelings/ideas. in playing because safety is one of the things they learned in the unit. However, this Perspectives: Students had this role play activity in the play room where it was unit would have been more beneficial for the students if they got to go on a fieldtrip to emphasized to them that some students might not like the roles you want to give a factory where toys really are made for them to realize how important each piece is. them because they prefer other roles and they need to come up common agreements. ● demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary How you could improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would have a more skills? accurate picture of each student’s understanding of the central idea. Children were engaged playing with the classroom toys by themselves until they got The assessment tasks showed each child’s understanding of the unit as well as comfortable with each other where they learned to cooperate, share, and play sharing of ideas with each other but it would be better if their artwork will be 3D and together. In of skills, children were given a lot of opportunity to develop their gross and fine motor skills through different outdoor and indoor games played and they will explain it on their own with video as evidence of their learning. artworks made in the classroom as well as to communicate their ideas and feelings with others. They learned to present properly on stage as they expressed What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and themselves through a variety of performances whether through words, a song, or a the transdisciplinary theme? dance number. By the end of the unit, children became more responsible for the toys Children realized that they do not need to keep buying toys to keep them happy they played. because they can make use of everyday materials to make their own toys instead. ● develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes? They also realized how lucky and blessed they are because they have lots of toys. In each case, explain your selection. That’s why they’ve decided to donate and give their old and some new toys to sad ● Balanced- Children demonstrated this profile when they didn’t only play and children. created things but they also learned new things like learning how to pack-up of fix their toys properly and cleaning their play area. Also, teachers observed that some of the non-verbal children became more ● Communicators- Students demonstrated this profile when the students were expressive as the unit goes by. They are now comfortable in playing with other playing or were having a role play. They learned that being part of being a children, talking and sharing their ideas. This is a good sign that the unit was effective communicator is being able to listen properly and being able to say kind words to for the children. others.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

●

Reflecting on the inquiry

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 the teaching and learning. ● How can we make other people happy when playing? ● What is role playing? 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. There are some children who are willing to create toys for the less fortunate children so that they can make them happy. They are even willing to go to the house of these children so they can give the toy and play together. There are also some children who initiated play. These children are the ones who were shy from the start. It only shows that this unit is effective for the children who are not that comfortable in expressing themselves.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

9. Teacher notes It was challenging for these 3-year-old kids to express themselves through words what they learned from the unit. But giving them a lot of opportunity to experience types of play was a big help. They sure were able to explain and share ideas and of course, have fun. They were also able to express themselves as they learn and develop their musical skills. Singing songs and moving to music were a big help. Not just that, they were able to develop and demonstrate active play and motor skills as they play modified multisports.

Attachment A Finding Out ● Data collection ● Experiences to assist students to gather new information about the topic ● Experiences and texts that add to the knowledge base. Emphasis on gathering first-hand data in a range of ways (usually shared experiences)

IN PAIRS OR IN SMALL GROUPS: Center: Construction Purpose: To use materials in a creative manner to express ideas and to respond to a story read Intended outcomes: Develop awareness of space; begin to understand rules Scenario: Hansel and Gretel could not find their way back home. What can you make or build to help the two? Materials: tissue paper rolls, cloth scraps, popsicle sticks, stones, play dough, shells, branches, bottles, yarn, glue, scissors, paint, small boxes, etc. Note: This is an opportunity for the students to develop: ● gross and fine motor skills ● in math, identification of shapes, colors, sizes, patterns ● in science, safety scientific method (observing, hypothesizing, questioning, investigating, experimenting, etc)

Center: Puppet Purpose: For students to create and use puppets and toys to role play dramatic and real life situations; for students to talk about their experiences in relation to their model worlds; for students to make up their own stories as part of their play Intended outcomes: Create own worlds using materials and artifacts; develop concept of spatial awareness and use space imaginatively; develop fine motor skills and coordination Scenario: Some people did not get to watch the play. In order for you to retell the story, you have to come up with puppets of the characters in the story. Materials: colored paper, scissors, brown paper bag, yarn, glue, paint, coloring materials, etc. Center: Storyline Purpose: For students to recall a story and express their ideas and feelings Intended outcomes: Create a timeline that shows how they recall a story on their own.

Sorting Out ● Gauging, organizing or representing new information ● Activities to assist students to process and work with the information and ideas they have gathered about the topic (including exploring values)

●

Organizing, analyzing and communicating the information gathered using a range of vehicles (e.g through Maths, Arts, English, Drama, Music or IT)

●

Children display their work and explain what it is, how it works, and what they feel about what they made while teachers will annotate.

●

Children use puppets and other dramatic play materials to tell stories or solve daily conflicts. Teachers help students chart different ways to play and how we can communicate through play.

●

Children will use a variety of mediums to draw and explain aspects of play and what they have learned while playing games and with toys.

●

As a class, children will make a chart to show elements of a story. They should identify the following: Title, Author, Setting, Characters and after every story reading, they should identify an artwork/ craft that they have to make.

Scenario: Goldilocks cannot go back to her house. Help her how to get back home by Materials: scissors, butcher paper, markers, plastic cover Center: Clay Art Purpose: For students to create a clay art as product of their learning. Intended outcomes: Create own worlds using materials and artifacts; develop fine motor skills and coordination; Scenario: Students will choose (per group) their favorite character in the story read. They will come up with a clay art. Materials: colored paper, clay

Center: Games and toys ● Children visit a local playground where they can use the facilities in order to play ● Invite parents, art teachers, PE teachers, or other older students in school to teach the class games from all over the world ● Children make up games in pairs or in small groups using a variety of objects or props, both in the classroom and in the playground

Going Further ● Activities to challenge and extend ● Raising new questions, extending experiences, challenging assumptions. May be individually negotiated. ●

Planning for their own games and toys using everyday materials whether individually or in small groups

Drawing conclusions Raising new questions, extending experiences, challenging assumptions. May be individually negotiated. Students draw conclusions of what they have learnt. This is an important time to evaluate the success of the unit and the needs and achievements of individuals. This is where students put it all together. ●

Students plan for and create their own mini village. He/she will explain what materials he/she used and describe the village and the role or job they have chosen.

Reflecting and Taking Action To reflect on what has been learnt and process of learning. It is important that students be given opportunities to act upon what they have learnt. Actions are things that students can themselves and from which they can see results.

●

Children plan an action project. They collect old and new toys and will donate them to an organization such as Jollibee Toy Scout Movement.