PYP Planner, © IBO, September 2000

Theme: How We Organize Ourselves PYP PLANNERUnit Title: School Days

.Level: Prep Proposed duration:

          6 weeksTeacher(s): Rusnac FeliciaSchool: Ioanid

Stage 6: To what extent did we achieve our purpose?To what extent: were the purposes fulfilled; was the unit relevant, engaging, challenging and significant; were the resources adequate; were the concepts, skills and attitudes address

The most successful aspects of this unit were the “dream” school reflection and the discussion and work relating to the UNICEF images. The children found these activities the most engaging and we as teachers, found them most significant for developing ideas of how schools can be different in different places.

The trip around our Primary School was successful in that the students found it interesting, and their interactions with their local peers were profitable, but we need to extract more value from this trip through follow up discussion and writing, and through maintaining communication with the local school. Another idea is to establish links to a school in a developing country so that children can get first hand experience taking action to help others.

One idea that didn’t materialize was taking part in the Eiso Fun Run to raise money for schools in Sri Lanka affected by the tsunami. This we must definitely do next time.

The survey activity was successful and well understood by the students; the ICT link was a very good match. It would be better to broaden the activity to include older students and even children at other schools.

The summative assessment needs to incorporate understanding of the central idea: one idea is to work in small groups to do a comprehensive “life study” of a child or children in a developing country wherein our students examine all the details of other children’s lives. This then needs to be presented to the class as a whole. Finally, the children need to self-assess by reflecting on how it would be to live in such a way.

The resources are sparse but adequate. We need more books, in particular, and videos, if possible.

Stage 2: What resources will we use?People, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software etc. Library Books :

Vaughan/Benjamin: Oscar’s DayGraves: Meet ErdeneClyne/Griffiths/Benjamin: Going to SchoolUNICEF: A Life Like MineGray: A Country Far Away Video: Crysanthemum Field Trip: Tampines Primary School UNICEF website

Stage 1: What is our purpose?A concise description of the central idea to be addressed and the scope of the inquirya) Central idea: Around the world, children learn in different ways and places.

b) An inquiry into:

the ways, places and reasons we learn opportunities for learning

Stage 3: What do we want to learn?The key questions which will drive the inquiry.

FormWhat is it like? B   FunctionHow does it work?   CausationWhy is it the way it is? A   ChangeHow does it change?   ConnectionHow is it connected to other things? C D   PerspectiveWhat are the points of view? A C   ResponsibilityWhat is our responsibility?   ReflectionHow do we know?   

Teacher Questions:A Why do we go to school?B How can school experiences differ?C Why do school experiences differ?D What happens if we don’t go to school?

Student Questions:

Why can’t all children go to school? Why do we have school?Why do we have to learn?Why don’t animals go to school?Do animals learn more than we do from their parents?What did cave children learn?Are there blind schools in Singapore?What materials do they have for writing in poor countries?How can they build hotels when they don’t have enough money for schools?

     

Stage 4: How best will we learn?Teacher and/or student designed activities which will address the key questions. Discuss:

What experiences of school do we already have?

How are they the same and how are they different?

Why do we go to school? How will school affect our future lives? How has the school changed over the years? How is school related to other forms of

organizations?Examine:

How we learn at home from our parents and at school. Draw and label pictures of things we learn in these two places.

Draw and label what we like and do not like at school,

Survey: Conduct a survey among other classes to discover attitudes about school; collate and present data (link with ICT)Visit: Tampines Primary to experience first hand a different learning environment.Study:UNICEF images of school experiences in developing countries and children who cannot go to school

Children draw and write about images from UNICEF site.Study:Compare our own educational experiences with

1) a child in India2) a child in Australia3) a child in Myanmar

Stage 5: How will we know what we have learned?

The strategies which will be used to assess learning. FORMATIVE:

Anecdotal observations of contributions to discussions.

Anecdotal observation of thoroughness and clarity of drawings and descriptions

SUMMATIVE:

Children work in partners or small groups to design survey questions, gather data and present data in graphical format. Their ability to explain their work is assessed.

Student self-assessment:Students reflect on how they would feel experiencing first hand school life in developing countries. How would they react to the conditions? How would it be different? How would it be similar? How would it be difficult? How would it be easy?

How will we take action?How the students will demonstrate their ability to choose, act and reflect.