Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose? Class/grade: 4 Age group: 9-12

To inquire into the following:
School: School code:
Transdisciplinary theme: Sharing the Planet
Title: Water
An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the
struggle to share finite resources with other people
Teacher(s): Lindsay Lee
and with other living things; communities and the
relationships within and between them; access to Date:
equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
Central idea: Water is essential to life, and is a limited Proposed duration: 6 Weeks
resource for many people.
2. What do we want to learn?
Summative assessment task(s):
What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective,
What are the possible ways of assessing students understanding of the central responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?
idea? What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?
Goal: Your goal is to create and deliver an inspiring TED Talk that will Function
develop public awareness of the importance of water conservation. Responsibility

Role: You are the presenter on a TED Talk. What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
Audience: The target audience is a TED Talk audience (your parents and
school community), and the Youtube community. 1. Sources of water and how water is used (function)
2. What happens to water after we have used it (function)
Situation: The context you find yourself in is planning and delivering a TED 3. Distribution and availability of usable water (responsibility)
Talk to a chosen audience to inspire people to conserve water. The 4. Responsibilities regarding water (responsibility)
challenge involves selecting a venue, inviting guests, finding sponsors and
planning an after-party for the speakers and guests. What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
Product: You will create an experiment in order to demonstrate that water
is essential to life. You need to explain why people have a social Line 1:
responsibility to conserve water. Students will choose a perspective with
- Where does water come from?
which to give their presentation. They can choose the perspective of
- Why do we need water?
animals and plants or people in different locations and cultural groups.
Line 2:
- Where does water go after we use it?
Line 3:
- How do we get water?
Line 4:
- What causes water contamination?

3. How might we know what we have learned?
This column should be used in conjunction with How best might we learn?
What are the possible ways of assessing students prior knowledge and skills? What evidence will
we look for?
Pre Assessments of Lines of Inquiry go here
1. Students will do a KWL chart for What is water?
2. HMWK: Where does water come from?;How do we get
water? Students will make a collage of where/how we get
water.
3. Students bring in information to share. List of the most uses
for water. How do we use water?
4. Students will each find a picture that they think shows how
they are responsible for water. (ie: running water continuously
while brushing teeth)
What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What
evidence will we look for?
1. Students will create an Educreation of the water cycle and do
a voiceover explaining the process. (line 1)
2. Students will keep a daily log of when/what they watered their
group's plant with. (line 1 and 3)
3. Students will be able to identify the different sources of water
- Why do plants and animals need water?
Provocation: S tudents will be divided into groups. Each group will be given a
potted plant (something fast-growing) and a liquid with which to water
their plant. Each group will receive one of the following liquids: bottled
water, tap water, dirty/contaminated water (containing
petroleum/chemicals), a mixture of liquids: soda, coffee, etc. while one
group will not be given any water with which to water their plant. Students
in each group will be responsible for watering their group's plant daily and
keeping a record of their physical changes (growth rate/stunt, volume of
leaves, vitality, etc.) After several weeks, the instructor will give the
students cue cards with a description of the different scenarios
(locations/socio-economic backgrounds, climates, etc.) and students will
have the match them with each plant. Then, students will reflect on the
influence their watering liquid had on their plant's growth and
development.
4. How best might we learn?
What are the learning experiences suggested by the teacher and/or students to encourage
the students to engage with the inquiries and address the driving questions?
Weeks 1-6: Inquiry Cycle by the week
2-3 Weeks before:
See Provocation
- Formative Assessment: Students will keep a daily log of when/what they
watered their group's plant with.
Week 1:
- Preassessment: KWL chart for What is water?
- HMWK: Where does water come from? and How do we use water?
Students bring in information to share. List of the most uses for water.
- Students share information that they found and questions that they
have in small & large group settings.
- Set up tarp to collect dew on the roof (overnight)
- Explore how the dew collected on the tarp overnight (next day).
-Student reflection and conclusion of the water collecting activity (journal
entry/question sheet/exit card)
- Present students with information about the water cycle. (diagrams,
video, etc.)
- Formative Assessment: Students will create an Educreation of the water
cycle and do a voiceover explaining the process. (line 1)
 (ground water, rivers, glaciers, lakes, wetlands, desalination)
and it's uses (agricultural, industrial, household, recreational
and environmental). Students will understand that the
majority of water on Earth is salt water. (line 1 and 3)
4. After visiting the Arisu Historical Course: Students will explain
what happens to water after we use it (ie: exit slip). (line 2)
5. Students will be able to identify scenarios in which different
socioeconomic groups have unequal access to safe drinking
water. (line 3)
6. Student groups will make a 30 second public service
announcement video summarizing the effects of bad water,
using at least one fact from the article they read. (line 3)
7. Students will be able to demonstrate how citizens should act
responsibly while using water (line 4)
Week 2:
Preassessment: What are the sources of water?
- Present students with a Slides Presentation with information about
groundwater.
- Divide students into 5 groups and assign each group with a different
source of water. Each group has to research their water source and
create a Slides Presentation (provide students with Slides template) with
the information they found. While the other groups are presenting,
students will take notes on their worksheet on the information presented
to complete the task.
-Formative Assessment: Students will be able to identify the different
sources of water (ground water, rivers, glaciers, lakes, wetlands,
desalination) and it's uses (agricultural, industrial, household, recreational
and environmental). Students will understand that the majority of water
on Earth is salt water. (line 1 and 3)
Week 3:
- Do a Popplet (http://popplet.com/)Brainstorm for Where does water
go?http://www.kidzworld.com/article/4902-sewage-treatment-after-th
e-flush
- Field Trip!: Arisu Historical Course: Purification Center, Waterworks
Museum & Seoul Forest:
http://arisu.seoul.go.kr/sudo_eng_2016/sub/watch/arisuTourCourse.js
p
Waterworks Museum: http://arisumuseum.seoul.go.kr/eng/m8_2_1_1.jsp
Yeongdeungpo Arisu Water Purification Center:
http://www.ydp.go.kr/english/page.do?mCode=c010050000_03
fter visiting the Arisu Historical Course: Students
- Formative Assessment: A
will explain what happens to water after we use it (ie: exit slip). (line 2)
Week 4:
LA Connections to Do Throughout Unit:
- Whole-Class Case Study: lead students through a case study.
- Case Study Groups: 4 groups with different case studies to research and
give a presentation about: a city with a water crisis, the Dakota Access
Pipeline, village without water purification, place with a drought,
contaminated/oil spill- can't use the water.etc.
- Students will present the results of their Case Study to the class.
- HMWK: After learning about all of the Case Studies, students will choose
one Case Study and write three reasons why they think that one specific
Case Study has a more urgent need for help than the others.
- Instructor will collect responses and make copies for each group
Students will get into discussion groups, each with a copy of the reasons
behind the students decisions, and they will work together to see the
flaws/strengths in their reasoning.
- Students will investigate What is an argument?
- How can we change our words to make our argument stronger?
- HMWK: Students will take their arguments and their peer feedback and
revise them.

https://thewaterproject.org/
Finding solutions: create a water filter

Distribution of water:
https://www.koshland-science-museum.org/water/html/en/Distributio
n/index.html and
https://www.epa.gov/dwsixyearreview/drinking-water-distribution-syst
ems

Week 5: Where are we going to learn about persuasive writing??

Preassessment:
Formative Assessment:

Week 6:
Preassessment:
Formative Assessment:

Reflection:
Preassessment:
Formative Assessment:

Action:
Preassessment:
Formative Assessment:

What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the
development of the attributes of the learner profile?

Learner Profile:
- Knowledgeable
- Communicator
- Caring
Transdisciplinary Skills:

- Thinking Skills: A
cquisition of Knowledge, Analysis, Application
- Research Skills: F ormulating Questions, Observing, Collecting Data,
Interpreting Data, Presenting Research Findings
- Communication Skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the attributes of the learner profile?

Knowledgeable: We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas
that have local and global significance.
Communicators: We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening
carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
Caring: We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others
and in the world around us.

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?

Books:
Websites:
Videos:
People: Experts?
Programs: Educreations, Slides, Docs,
Tools: Macbooks, iPads, Cameras,

How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community to used to facilitate the inquiry?

Field trips: Arisu Purification Center, Waterworks Museum and Seoul Forest
Learning Environment: Classroom desks should be organized into groups for group work and Jigsaw purposes,
6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose?
Assess the outcome of the inquiry by providing evidence of students understanding of the
central idea. The reflections of all teachers involved in the planning and teaching of the
inquiry should be included.
7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP?
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to:
develop an understanding of the concepts identified in What do we want to
learn?
demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary skills?
develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?
In each case, explain your selection.

How you could improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would have a more accurate
picture of each students understanding of the central idea.

What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea and the
transdisciplinary theme?
8. What student-initiated inquiries arose from the learning?
Record a range of student-initiated inquiries and student questions and highlight any that
were incorporated into the teaching and learning.
At this point teachers should go back to box 2 What do we want to learn and highlight
the teacher questions/provocations that were most effective in driving the inquiries.
What student-initiated actions arose from the learning?
Record student-initiated actions taken by individuals or groups showing their ability to
reflect, to choose and to act.
9. Teacher notes
Learning Experiences:
Persuasive Writing activity: Students will learn how to write persuasive
writing pieces.
http://amaesd.org/media/TWP/Grade%20Level%20Teaching%20Resour
ces/5th/Required%20Units/Persuasive%20Essay.pdf
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B4R3y4PBvkuhelhwNXV5U1ZfV
E0
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lV4b604TwRs5-3rqfQOZSsck7EK
_Fw7Ru1LVk1Jtyok/edit
Letter Writing: Students will write a persuasive letter to Mr. Emin asking
for sponsorship for our TedTalk Event.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/persuasi
on_map/
Debate: Students will be divided into two groups. Each group will plan and
find evidence to support their debate points and then present their
opinion to the class in a debate format.
Whole Group Case Study: Students will discuss a case study in a whole
group setting.
Small Group Case Study: Students will discuss a case study in a small
group setting.
Jigsaw: "Dirty Water, So What?": Students work in a small group, read an
article on a topic (health, poverty, hunger and education) and report
back to the class on the topic. (Members from each group form other
groups, become experts on the topic and then report back to the class
on the article they learned.)
Can be used as a formative assessment.

https://thewaterproject.org/resources/lesson-plans/dirty-water-so-
what

PSA Video: Each group will make a 30 second public service

announcement video using at least 1 fact from the article they read
summarizing the effects of bad water. (Send to PYP Homeroom teachers
to play after Morning Announcements.)

https://thewaterproject.org/resources/lesson-plans/dirty-water-so-
what

Provocation II: Students will be divided into different socio-economic

groups and each group will be given a water allowance.
- Group One will be allowed to fill their water bottle whenever they want.
- Group Two will be allowed to fill their water bottle after walking all of the
way down the stairs to the first floor and back up to the fourth floor.
- Group Three will be allowed to fill their water bottle once in the morning
and once at lunch time.
- Group Four will be allowed to fill their water bottle for the price of 5 Class
Dojo points each time.

Plant Journal: Students will keep a daily log of when/what they watered
their group's plant with.

Water Cycle Educreation: Students will create an Educreation of the

water cycle and do a voiceover explaining the process.

https://www.educreations.com/

Standards:
PYP Social Studies Standards:

RE 4.1 Explain why fresh water is a limited resource

 RE. 4.1 Describe the relationships between the location of water and
population distribution
RE 4.3 Analyse systems of water storage and usage, both natural and
human-made.
RE 4.4 Identify water issues and propose strategies for responsible,
equitable water use.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2011