September 2013 Dear Parent(s), Our second unit of inquiry is from the transdisciplinary theme, Sharing the Planet.

The children will have the opportunity to explore their impact upon the environment. This involves examining the everyday choices they can make to help care for our planet. The children will inquire into ways they can be responsible for the environment, such as saving energy and water, reusing and recycling, caring for nature and cleaning up litter. Central idea The environment responds to our choices and actions. Lines of Inquiry

The choices we make The consequences of our choices and actions Our responsibility towards the environment

Key Concepts Causation: What could happen if? Responsibility: Whose responsibility is it? What could I do? What action can I take? How can I support my child in this unit of inquiry? Use the words cause and effect as things happen. For instance, I put up my umbrella (cause) so I didnt get wet (effect). Many stories offer great cause/effect talking points. You can help by discussing everyday things you do at home to help care for the environment. This might include: turning off the lights/ AC when you leave the house/ room; using cloth bags at the supermarket; turning off the tap when you brush your teeth; watering your pot plants. Talk about why you do these things and role model positive action!

Useful vocabulary We seek your support in explaining (in simple words) the ideas and vocabulary listed below to your child in his/her mother tongue.

cause effect environment choices action responsibility

recycle save/ waste energy litter nature planet

Integrated Language Arts Unit This unit provides many opportunities for the children to act as inquirers and communicators. We will be reading fiction and non-fiction books to help us explore the ideas in the unit. We will be sharing our ideas with our teachers and peers. We may create posters to help us promote action in the school and at home (e.g. create a sign for people to remember to turn off the tap). Integrated Mathematics Unit In Mathematics, we will be exploring Data Handling. This will include sorting, organizing, representing and interpreting information relating to this unit. For example we will be collecting objects from our natural environment, sorting them into groups, representing them in graphs and interpreting those graphs. We will ask questions such as: How can I group these things? How can I compare these groups of things? Which group has the most/least things in it? Please contact us if you have any queries concerning this unit. Thank you for your support. Kind regards, The Year 1 team