Unit of Inquiry
The transdisciplinary theme of our current unit of inquiry is ‘How We Express Ourselves’. In this unit, students will inquire into how we can express our feelings, experiences, and values through writing. Students will investigate the different themes and structures of a variety of texts and the different perspectives within them. This inquiry has a Performing Arts transdisciplinary focus. Throughout their investigations, students will be encouraged to make real life connections to enhance their learning.
Transdisciplinary Theme: How We Express Ourselves
Central Idea: We can express our feelings, experiences, and values through writing.
Key Concepts:
1. Form – What is it like?
2. Function – How does it work?
3. Connection – How is it linked to other things?
Related Concepts: Voice, Text Structure, Conventions
Lines of Inquiry:
1. Structural features of texts
2. Purposes of different texts
3. Sharing our experiences through writing
Learner Profile Attributes: Communicator & Reflective
Approaches to Learning:
Communication Skills:
C2.2.1 Use appropriate forms of writing for different purposes and audiences.
C2.2.5 Organize information logically.
Thinking Skills:
T2.2.7 Consider multiple alternatives, including those that might be unlikely or impossible.
Language:
In Language, students will become knowledgeable about understanding form and style in reading, identify and describe the characteristics of a variety of text forms, with a focus on literary texts such as a fable or adventure story, graphic texts such as comic book, and informational texts such as a nature magazine.
In writing, the focus is on developing students’ ability to:
· identify the topic, purpose, audience, and form for writing
· to generate ideas about a potential topic, using a variety of strategies and resources
· to gather information to support ideas for writing in a variety of ways and/or from a variety of sources
· sort ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways
· write short texts using a variety of forms, to vary sentence structures and maintain continuity by using joining words to combine simple sentences and using words that indicate time and sequence to link sentences
· use punctuation to help communicate their intended meaning, with a focus on the use of quotation marks to indicate direct speech; commas to mark grammatical boundaries within sentences; capital letters and final punctuation to mark the beginning and end of sentences
· use parts of speech appropriately to communicate their meaning clearly, with a focus on the use of proper nouns for titles; the possessive pronouns my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its action verbs in the present and simple past tenses; adjectives and adverbs; question words.
Mathematics:
In Mathematics, students will focus on deepening their knowledge and understanding of place value. They will learn how to read, compose, decompose, order, compare and represent whole numbers up to 1000. Students will also focus on further developing their addition and subtraction skills and calculate change in cash transactions.
Summative Assessment:
Students will produce a Reader’s Theatre performance. They will create a script and then perform a dramatic presentation focusing on focusing on the characteristics of a variety of text forms, with a focus on literary texts such as a fable or adventure story, graphic texts such as a comic book, and informational of strategies and resources, gather information to support ideas for writing.
They should also generate ideas about a potential topic, using a texts such as a nature magazine. identify the topic, purpose, audience, and form for writing in a variety of ways and/or from a variety of sources, sort ideas and information for your script in a variety of ways.
What can you do for your child at home:
To deepen your child’s understanding of this inquiry you could:
· Share with your child fairytales, fables, folktales, adventure stories, comic books from your home country. These can be told orally, or you may wish to read the story. Throughout the story, help develop your child’s reading comprehension and writing skills by asking them questions, for example- can you identify the topic, purpose, who is this story made for, Who could be the audience?
· Help her
· for example – What do you think might happen next? How do you think the character might be feeling? Is there a time when you felt the same way? What was the problem in the story? How did they solve the problem?
· Each time your child reads, ask them to recount (retell) the story to you identifying the beginning, middle and end elements of the story.
· Assist your child to choose a book from home or a story to share to their classmates.
· Spend quality time with your child reading stories from different cultures.
· Discuss the punctuation within a text such as quotation marks, commas, capital letters and final punctuation to mark the beginning and end sentences.
· This unit is all about writing! Encourage your child to write every day. It would be a great time for your child to start a daily journal to write about their day, their feelings, their goals, or anything at all!
· Become authors! – Write and illustrate a story together with your child! Being creative and having fun will encourage your child to write more!
· When writing, many children become discouraged when they are unable to spell words. To combat this, tell your child to try and sound out the word, put a line under it to check the correct spelling later, and to just keep on writing!