Inquiry unit

Inquiry Learning - Who We Are

The central idea to our inquiry is 'our bodies are complicated machines that require understanding and need looking after.'

The key concepts are:

• What is the role and function of the systems in our body?
• What are the connections between the body systems?

• What factors influence human well being?

Assessment Rubric - WHO WE ARE

Our bodies are complicated machines that require understanding and need looking after

	Beginning	Consolidating	Proficient	Advanced
What is the role and function of the systems in our body?	I can explain what a body system is I can explain what function and role mean	I can list and explain two or more different body systems and what their role is	I can explain, compare and contrast the role and function of 3 systems in our  body	I can explain and summarise all body systems and present my findings in two different ways
What are the connections between the body systems?	I can share my findings about body systems	I can explain a simple body system	I can create a diagram to show a body system and explain how it is connected to another body system	I can create a diagram to show the connection between two body systems
What factors influence human well being?	I can list ways I can care for my body/myself?	I can discuss ways in which I can care for myself and give details on how to do so	I can explain the causes and consequences of sickness - eg, headache, cold, flu	I can identify ways in which we, as humans, can maintain the health of our body
Key Competency Thinking Relating to others	I can share what I know about body systems and their role	I can ask questions and I am curious to find out about the roles and functions of the systems in our body	I seek, use and create knowledge I reflect on my learning	I problem-solve, question, reflect and share my new knowledge and understanding

Inquiry Learning - Sharing the Planet

The central idea to our inquiry is 'Living things share the world and affect each others’ lives'.

The key concepts are:

• Why do living things live in particular habitats?
• How do living things impact each other?

• What are our responsibilities to other living things?

Click on the link to see the assessment rubric we are using in class. 

Assessment rubric

In class, students will be researching a New Zealand native animal of their choice.

They will write an information report about their animal. 

As part of our Literacy programme, students will present their information report orally, as a speech. 

We will be preparing to present our speeches to the class early next term.

Our new inquiry unit is 'Sharing the Planet'.

We are finding out about animal habitats and their needs. 
Pixie is investigating the morepork. She made this morepork at home.

Pixie made this morepork 

Sharing Our Learning

We had a great time on Monday afternoon, sharing our presentations, information reports and display boards with our whanau. 

We had fabulous feedback and were all very proud of what we produced.

Shaneequa studied the ballet dancer Margot Fonteyn

Ava found out about The Madden Brothers

Katy Perry is Trinatee's favourite singer

Lachlan chose to find out about Vincent van Gogh

Jasmine was pleased with her board. She studied the New Zealand artist C.F. Goldie

Anika likes the band '5 Seconds of Summer'

Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. Millie studied his works of art.

Pixie loves the sound of the violin. She found out about the Stradivarius violin

Rosie is a dancer herself. She studied Martha Graham.

Lily found out about Ariana Grande

Mackenzie studied Colin McCahon. She went to see his work at the Art Gallery in Auckland.

Nina found out about her favourite group, 'One Direction'

Charlie studied his favourite illustrator, Adam Blade

Lucy loves Katy Perry's music. She created a picture showing how the music makes her feel.

Ryder studied the art works of Claude Monet. 

Nate studied the graffiti artist Banksy

Caelan chose the illustrator Jeff Kinney

Samantha chose the New Zealand singer / songwriter Lorde

Liam was pleased with his study of Michaelangelo

Lennox studied Pablo Picasso. He created a piece of art himself, following Picasso's  cubism work

Nathan chose to study William Turner. He found out some fascinating facts about his early life and how this affected his work.

Sam chose the New Zealand sculptor Michel Tuffery

Rory chose Michael Jackson

Inquiry Learning

This term our big question is:

How can the arts be used to communicate our ideas and experiences creatively?

We are asking:

• What are the different forms of art? 
• How have famous artists used the arts to express their ideas and experiences? 
• How can we use the arts to express our ideas, feelings and experiences creatively?

Each student will identify one strand of the arts to investigate and research. They will need to:

• Identify two famous artists in this area

• Research their lives and work

• Present their learning 

• Create a piece of art / dance/ piece of music for our presentation

Some of this background research could be carried out at home.  

Here is a link to the assessment rubric for this inquiry:
Assessment rubric

The Race

Our vehicles, using wheels and axles, are finished. 

We shared our models with Room 4. We had lots of questions to ask about their models.

Then...

We raced them down the hill!

Ready for the challenge!

Ready, set, GO!

We had some pretty fast vehicles!

James was away, so Jordan raced his car for him

These were the best vehicles for speed and distance. They made it to the final.

Ava's English bus was the overall winner!

We have been finding out about simple machines

To finish off our investigations we made a vehicle using the simple machine - wheel and axle.

Millie with her race car

Mackenzie used a black rice box and milk bottle tops for the wheels

Samantha made a bus using cereal boxes with two axles

Lily brought a tissue box and some stars to decorate it. She made a horse float

Lachlan made a car with cardboard

Millie helped Anika make her Christmas float

Rosie made a little taxi with help from Ava

Liam helped Nate make a truck with moving wheels

Caelan, Nathan, Lennox and Ryder worked together to make a bus. They used two axles and four wheels

It was hard to get the axles in place

Pixie made a horse float. She also made the car to tow it!

Hayden made a camouflaged army truck

Lucy used a spare box to make a car

Team work in action!

Lily's car is nearly finished

Nathan's box was transformed by the boys into a bus. Great graphics!

MOTAT Trip

On Tuesday 1 April we are going to MOTAT to find out about simple machines. The big idea for our next unit of inquiry is:

             We use simple machines in our everyday lives to make life easier.

We will be finding out how simple mechanisms work and how they can help us.

Our key questions are:

• How do simple machines work?
• How do people use simple machines?
• How has the development of simple machines changes society?

Inquiry Unit

This term our inquiry key idea is:

'There are challenges, risks and opportunities involved in human migration'

The key questions are:

• Why do people migrate?
• How are communities affected by migration?
• What are the challenges for migrants?

This week we have been thinking about these questions.

First of all we had to find out  - 

What does the word 'challenge' mean?   What does 'risk' mean?    What does 'opportunity' mean? What does 'migrate' mean?

White Thinking Hat - Fact finding

We used our white thinking hat to investigate these words. What did we already know? What do these words mean? 

Our next step is to inquire into reasons why people migrated? Where did they come from? When did they come? Who came with them? 

We will be using our blue thinking hat to see what we need to think about next. 

We had to think about what the words meant first of all

What do you think 'risk' means?

Can you explain what opportunity means?

It was important for us to research the meaning of the word 'migration'.

Our BIG questions...

1. Why do people migrate?

We have been reading stories about people migrating and watching video clips about people who have moved from one country to another.

Here are our ideas about why people migrate. Can you think of any more?

We have been finding out more about people who have to leave their country. These people are called refugees. They have nowhere to live!
In New Zealand there are people who came to live here as refugees. We have been thinking about what it must be like to be a refugee.