Going Further in our Unit of Inquiry

Going Further in our Unit of Inquiry

Having spent the last couple weeks working through the initial stages of the Cycle of Inquiry, pupils were given the opportunity of going further in their inquiry. This is the stage of the inquiry where pupils independently apply the research skills which they have been modeled and guided through in the finding out stage.

Having become familiar with using the chosen key concepts for this unit (form, function and responsibility) to build their questions upon, the children set off investigating how the central idea applies to societies which had not yet been researched. Pupils choose modern indigenous societies or historical civilisations and applied their inquiry skills to discover how these societies organised themselves.

Central Idea: The way societies organize themselves can affect people in different ways.  

Lines of Inquiry:

• How different government systems are organized.
• How decisions are made in different societies.
• The relationship between government and citizens

Having assessed the validity and usefulness of sites using the Website Rating template, pupils then used their summarising skills, which they have developed in language lessons (finding the GIST), to record their findings.

Pupils showed impressive organisational skills to structure their inquiry but found the most challenging aspect finding the appropriate information to answer their questions.

Also as part of going further, the pupils could let loose their imagination as part of a big group project Building Your Own Country. This will be a wonderful opportunity for parents to engage with the children's understanding of the unit so far, as the children will undoubtedly want to tell you all about the new country. Expect the unexpected.

Students from PYP 7 B brainstorming a motto for their country.

We would also like to thank all the parents who came support their children on setting out to achieve their targets during the Goal Setting Meetings held last week. It was great to see many of the children already setting out independently to get to work on their targets the following day. Handwriting cards were been requested, extra care was being made with sentences and the general focus on our learning was definitely cranked up a level. Please keep supporting and checking up to ensure those targets are being followed.

A 7 Sigma Tribes activity - involving shape and requiring cooperation.

PYP 7 Omega using the key concepts to formulate questions