Tumut Public School Library

PLANNING & PROGRAMMING: A GUIDED INQUIRY LIBRARY STAGE 1 UNIT

Year 1/2: Minibeasts

Integrating Guided Inquiry and Web 2.0 into the Australian Curriculum
Utilising the 7 Stages of the Information Search Process and the 8 associated
Teaching & Learning Phases as well as the 5Es of science learning outlined in
Primary Connections Workbooks.
Year level: 1 and 2

Duration of Unit: Weeks 1-10 Term 4

Lesson time: 45- 60 mins / week / class

Learning areas: English (Description Writing), Science (Minibeasts) and Technology (iPad skills).
Inquiry focus: Minibeasts
Student Outcomes:
English K10
EN1-2A plans, composes and reviews a small range of simple texts for a variety of purposes on familiar topics for known readers and viewers
EN1-4A draws on an increasing range of skills and strategies to fluently read, view and comprehend a range of texts on less familiar topics in different media and technologies
EN1-11D responds to and composes a range of texts about familiar aspects of the world and their own experiences

Science K10
ST1-10LW describes external features, changes in and growth of living things

Wide range of subject

matter including (but not
limited to):
diet
habitat
appearance
lifecycle
special features

Learning area skills

Working in pairs / groups of three, students will:
build their background knowledge of a variety of minibeasts
locate relevant information from a variety of print, audiovisual and
online sources (including nonfiction books, DVDs, websites and
YouTube clips)
formulate their own inquiry questions (Focus question and 4- 6
supporting Contributing Questions)
notetake relevant information using bullet points and keywords

Cross curriculum priorities: (Reference Australian Curriculum

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/)
Sustainability
Australian National Curriculum General Capabilities addressed by this unit:
Literacy
Numeracy
Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
Critical and creative thinking
Personal and social capability
Focus iPad and Computer Competencies:
In pairs / groups of three, students will:
access prescribed websites in order to locate relevant information
independently search the Internet for relevant and user friendly websites, using Internet Explorer
(accessed on library computers) or Chrome (using the librarys set of iPads)
use Book Creator and Popplet apps to document their research (including building of background
knowledge, note taking and question formulation)
save relevant images from the Internet into the iPad Camera Roll and then import these images into
their iBooks
export their iBooks by emailing them as PDF files to the teacher librarian and class teachers
copy and paste website references (URLs)
use a new iPad app to present their final findings
compose jointly constructed self-reflective journal entries about their research journeys, using journal
pages in their iBooks (Book Creator)
complete online Skinny survey (using Survey Monkey). Each student will complete the survey
independently; not with a partner(s)
Assessment:

 pairs / groups research iBooks which are produced on the Librarys set of iPads (Book Creator and
Popplet apps). These iBooks show the building of background knowledge notetaking and the formulation
and researching of students Focus and Contributing questions.
pairs / groups jointly constructed research journal entries which will be included at the back of the
groups research iBooks
pairs / groups final iPad presentations
peers reviews of classmates final iPad presentations
teachers oral and / or video interviews with pairs / groups of students at various times throughout the
unit
Essential Questions Are some little things in life as important as big things?
Unit Questions Why are mini-beasts an important part of our world? interdependence of nature
What do mini-beasts need to survive?
How can we ensure that they do survive?
What effects do some mini-beasts have on the environment?
Content Questions What is a mini beast?
What are the characteristics of a mini-beast?
What is a food chain?
What is the role of mini-beasts in the eco system?
What is the best environment for a mini-beast?

Phase of
Guided
Inquiry

Lesson Focus and

Learning Intention

Resources needed and specific teaching points

Wee
k1

Get the
students
excited
about the
inquiry topicLiving Things

Children draw what they

think a mini-beast is.
Use Drawing Desk App.
Use pieces of paper to
also display.

Ipads
Use for assessing prior knowledge

Give variety of books on

minibeasts-give students
time to become
experts then share
information with others.
Looking at minibeasts in
jars.

Books on minibeasts
Scientific samples of minibeasts

Initiation

Wee
k2

Selection

Wee
k3

Selection

Setting up Book Creator

books.
Demonstrating App.
Children to take photos
of various pages.

Ipads
Printed copy of minibeast booklets for children to take
photos.
Showing how to use book creator app.

Wee
k4

Exploratio
n

Students build further

background knowledge
of chosen subtopic

Garden Detective- explore an Australian Garden

http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/viewing/L1118/index.
html

Explore the school yard

for evidence of small
ipads
animals. Write and draw
look at labelled diagrams- demonstrate before going out.
their observations. Which
mini creatures live in our
school grounds? Observe
movement of various
mini-beasts.
Explore virtual garden.

Wee
k5

Wee
k6

Wee
k7

Formulatio
n

Collection

Collection

Pose big question: Are

some little things in life
as important as big
things?
Children pose their own
questions about what
they would like to know
about mini-beasts (KWL
chart) encourage use of
core questions (see
above)

Ipads- book creator app

Showing how to pose questions

Students access relevant

nonfiction books and
websites to research each
of their Contributing
Questions.
Relevant keywords are
recorded and reference
sources noted, under each
Contributing question (each
on its own page)

Possible Resources
R12128 The lifecycle of monarch
butterflies, http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/viewing/R121

Students complete deeper

note taking about chosen
animal, using nonfiction
books and / or websites.

model question formulation using Popplet app

28/index.html
NDLRN (3:42 min)
L1358 Lifecycles: butterflies, NDLRN
L1472 Part of a pattern, NDLRN
Worksheets
A Life Cycle App,
Nth Fusion LLC. iPad/iPhone application. Lifecycles in images, text and audio.
L17 Where do frogs lay their eggs?
Worksheets

Useful links
L24 Who lives here? NDLRN, Learning object
L25 Whos for dinner? NDLRN, Learning object
L1471 The place thats right for me NDLRN, Learning object

Wee
k8

Presentati
on

Students collate, analyse,

synthesise researched
information and formulate
a response to their Focus
Question.
Draft their written response
to Focus Question (using
paper proforma)

model drafting a written response to a Focus Question

conference with students about their draft Focus Question
response

Students then conference

their written draft with a
teacher.
Students design final
presentation, using a new
ipad app
Pairs of students review 3
design and photocopy class sets of peer review scaffold sheet
other groups iBook
presentations.
Students complete written
evaluation scaffold whilst
rotating around classmates
presentations (eg. What
did you learn about this
animal? presentation?
What impressed you about
this presentation? How
could this presentation
have been improved? What
score / 10?)
Students orally share their
favourite or highest scoring
reviews in an Inquiry
Circle.

Wee
k9

Wee
k 10

Assessme
nt

Thinking back on your

research, what did you find
the most difficult to do?
Please tick as many things
as you like.(tick a box)
-Thinking back on your
research, what did you find
the easiest to do? (tick a
box)
- What skills did you learn
in doing this research
project?
- What did you enjoy about
this research unit?

Plan survey monkey survey

Evaluation