Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose?

Class/grade: Kinder

1a) To inquire into the following:

School: DIS

transdisciplinary theme

Title: Homes

An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the
discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the
interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

Age group: 5-6

School code: 7800

Teacher(s): Christine, Greg, Marian, Estriel, Carmina, Brenn, Dean

Date: September 15 to November 2
Proposed duration: 42 hours over 6 weeks

central idea
Homes reflect cultural influences and local conditions.
1b) Summative assessment task(s):

2. What do we want to learn?

What are the possible ways of assessing students understanding of the central idea? What
evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?

What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective,
responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?

Goal: To design a house and the community you want to live in and explain how it is connected
to your family's beliefs and values

Focus Key Concepts: Causation, Connection, Perspective

Related Concepts: Culture, Needs, Locality

Role: You are a home designer

Audience: DIS students, teachers and parents

What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?

What constitutes a home

Scenario: You are asked to re-design the kind of home and the community where you are

currently living in with your family. You need to come up with a creative output of the following:
1. Structure of the house (e.g. condominium, apartment, townhouse)

2. Interior set-up of the house, including the parts and the things that can be found in each part
3. Features of the community where you want to live in

At the end of the unit, you will stage an exhibit inside the classroom and present your creative

output to the other members of the school. You need to orally explain the process you went

through and the connection of your output to your familys beliefs and values.

(e.g. I chose to put a small prayer room in our house because my family is religious and we

value our faith in God. I chose to build my house in an exclusive village near the guard house
because we value safety.)

Note: The creative output will be done as your formative assessment for each line of inquiry.

Product:
1. Diorama
2. Floor plan
3. Community Map and Diorama
International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

Planning the inquiry

How homes reflect family values

How homes reflect local culture
Factors that determine where people live
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
What is a home?
What is the difference between a house and a home?
What do you consider important as a family?
What are the things that can be found in your home? Why are they important?
How will your family values and culture reflect your home?
What are the factors that people consider in determining where they live?
Why do people choose to live in a certain area or place?

3. How might we know what we have learned?

4. How best might we learn?

This column should be used in conjunction with 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?

What are the possible ways of assessing students prior knowledge and skills? What evidence will we
look for?

Tuning-in:
1. Family photo album- Students will bring family pictures and create a photo album with captions
answering the following questions:

Pre-unit assessment:
After doing the tuning-in activities, students will now illustrate what they think a home is through a
painting. They will come up with their best definition of what a home is by writing a sentence that
captures the common idea in their work.

What are the possible ways of assessing student learning in the context of the lines of inquiry? What
evidence will we look for?
Line of Inquiry
What constitutes
a home

What will be assessed?

People
perceive
homes

differently because of their

experiences.

How will evidence be collected?

As part of their summative assessment,
students will be asked to make a house craft
that would show the structure and features
of their re-designed house. They will also
stick a photo of each family member on a
cardboard and display them inside the
house. To complete the task students need
to orally name the family members, talk
about their duties at home, and explain why
they chose to design their house that way.
After the engagement, students will explore
the different structures made by their other
classmates and discuss each others
observations as a class.

Who are the members of your family? (Those that you live with at home)
What are the roles of each family member at home?
What do you usually do with your family inside and outside your home?
Objective: To show knowledge about the needs of their families
2. Grocery game- Students will pretend to go to a grocery store. On the table, they need to choose the
things their family usually buys in the grocery store and explain why they think these items are important
to them.
*Ask the parents a month before the unit to have the children bring a receipt from the grocery store.
Objective: To show prior understanding about the concept of home
3. Structures of home- Students will do a field trip and explore different structures of home (e.g. homes
in exclusive subdivision, squatters area, etc.). After the field trip, the students will be divided into groups
and they need to draw what they have seen and explain how it is a home for them.
Objective: To show knowledge about their community and the factors that their family considers in
choosing where to live
4. Community mapping- Given a diorama with different kinds of environments (e.g. exclusive
subdivision, residential buildings, mountains, beach, etc.) they need to plot their house using a house
stick where they are currently living in and orally explain why they think their family choose to live there.

(continuation: see attachment A)

What opportunities will occur for transdisciplinary skills development and for the development of the
attributes of the learner profile?
A. Transdisciplinary Skills

How homes
reflect family
values
How homes
reflect local
culture

Factors that
determine where
people live

Homes display what families

need and value.
People
perceive
homes
differently because of their
experiences.

People consider various factors

in determining where they live.

As part of their summative assessment,

students will be asked to make a floor plan
of their house to show its parts and the
objects that can be found in each part. The
students will be given a chance to draw or
cut pictures from the magazines to show
whats inside their house and what their
family needs and values. To complete the
task, students need to orally explain the
objects and parts that they chose to include
inside their house and be able to connect
these to their beliefs and values.
As part of their summative assessment,
students will revisit their house craft and
create a community where they want to live

in by creating a diorama. They need to

design their diorama using illustration board,
photo cut-outs, and cardboard and put their

Thinking Skills:
Evaluation - Students will plan in designing the structure of their home based on local conditions,
family values and culture.
Dialectical thought - Students will be able to look into different cultures and understand that each home
reflects family values and beliefs.
Social Skills:
Adopting a variety of group roles- The students will be engaged in group activities where they will have
opportunities to take different roles in accomplishing tasks.
Respecting others- Students will be able to develop their sense of respect as most of the engagements
will give them opportunities to share something about their culture and what they value as a family. They
will be able to see that there are similarities and differences among families.
Research Skills:
Interpreting data - After the home visits, the students will evaluate the purpose behind the objects that
they found in each home and how these objects reflect what the families value and believe.

house craft on their desired spot. Also, they

will make a community map that would go
with the diorama. To complete the task, they
will orally explain why they choose to live in
that community and relate it to their familys
beliefs and values.

5.

Collecting data - Students will use resources such as books and videos to explore different kinds of
homes. They will also conduct home visits to see actual structures and inquire into various cultures and
beliefs of families.
B. Learner Profile
Open-minded - Students will be able to understand that there are similarities and differences in homes
depending on the familys beliefs and values, as well as local conditions.
Caring - Students will be able to understand that since we have differences, we should be able to
respect and understand them.

What resources need to be gathered?

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

Parents

Gawad Kalinga

Diego & Marie: Secret Sense of Home

Hotel Staff
PLACES:

Orphanage (e.g. Hospicio de San Jose)

Squatters Area
Hotels (e.g. Discovery Suites)
Barracks (e.g. Camp Crame or Camp Aguinaldo)
Student Dormitories in UP
LITERATURE:

Norma No Friends
Lost and Found
Home Sweet Tree by Stan and Jan Berenstain
The Mouse Familys New Home by Edith Kunhardt
All Around the House by Harold Roth
Homes in Many Cultures by Heather Adamson.
This is the Place for Me by Joanna Cole
Ang Pambihirang Sombrero by Jose Miguel Tejido
AUDIO-VISUAL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0anJ1LI30mE&playnext=1&list=PLE9BC4C21BAC059D9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1bOteXhwrw

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

Artifacts and photos showing the concept of a home for different people will be displayed, along with short descriptions.
The class will visit different places around the community to learn more about homes - orphanages, dormitories, hotels, etc.
International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

Reflecting on the inquiry

6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose?

7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP?

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.

What were the learning experiences that enabled students to:

Students were able to understand that the things they have at home have
a corresponding purpose and that each one reflects what they value as
a family. This was shown when they were asked to create a floor plan of
their home as part of their summative assessment. In the output, they
were able to illustrate the things they want to put in their home and explain
how they are important to their family. Aside from that, students were able
to understand that people choose to live where they are and that there
are reasons behind their choices. Through their sharing, they were able
to see that some choose to live where they are because its near school
or work; some find the place safe and comfortable for their family.

to

Also, through the videos shown to them, students were able

understand that a home is not just a structure where you eat, sleep and
play; its a place where you feel loved, safe, comfortable, healthy and

happy. At the end of the unit, the students were able to bring out these
concepts when they were asked to create a definition of home.
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.

It would have been better if we provided more prompts to the students

while they were making and presenting their summative task.

What was the evidence that connections were made between the
central idea and the transdisciplinary theme?
An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes
and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of
humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of
individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
In their summative output, the students were able to show that the factors
they consider as to where they want to live and the things that can be
found at home are somehow influenced by the values and needs of their
immediate community.
International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

Reflecting on the inquiry

develop an understanding of the concepts identified in What do we want to learn?

Causation- Through the class community map created at the beginning of the unit, the students were able to see that people have
different reasons when choosing where to live.
Connection- When the students looked at the different artifacts brought by the class, they were able to see that people have different
objects at home that they find important or special to them. They were able to make connections that these objects actually reflect what
they value as a family.
Perspective - Through the photos shared by the class, the students were able to see that houses vary per family. Each room and the
objects found inside may be the same or different. They also found out that each object there has a purpose that reflects a familys
interests and values that may differ from their own.
demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary skills?
A. Transdisciplinary Skills
Thinking Skills:
Evaluation - Students were tasked to make use of the concepts acquired in their definition of a home and relate it to how they want their
home to look like outside as well as inside. They also made a community map where they would like to live. This map must represent their
beliefs and definition of a home.
Dialectical thought - Students were able to look at different kinds of home during the field trip and observe some other homes and
determine who lived there, how does it feel like living there, why do people choose to live there.
Social Skills:
Adopting a variety of group roles- The students took on different roles as leaders, writers, illustrators etc.
Respecting others- Students were be able to develop the sense of respect as most of the engagements gave them an opportunity to share
something about their family and home. They will be able to see that there are similarities and differences among families.
Research Skills:
Interpreting data - After the home visits, the students thought about the reasons why certain people choose to live in a certain kind of home.
During their sharing of their home box, they were able to find out beliefs held by other families and why they choose to have that particular
artifact at home.
Collecting data - Students used resources such as books and videos to explore different kinds of homes. They conducted home visits and
drew what they saw.
develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?
Open-minded- The students went on exposure trips and shared experiences with each other about the types of homes they had. These
provided opportunities for them to be exposed to values and experiences different from their own. YouTube talks and videos about openmindedness also provided opportunities and ideas for the students to talk about. While the students were watching videos of people living
in dormitories, sidewalks and orphanages, the students did not make any judgment that these are not home. They also accepted the idea
of visiting an orphanage as part of their action project
Caring- After watching the videos of people living in dormitories, sidewalks and orphanages, the students were able to empathize with
them, leading to the idea of doing something to make them feel happy and loved (planning for the class action project and self-initiated
actions). Students were able to learn, see and talk about the homes of families living in poverty. We were able to discuss why they live
there and how one can show caring. With every learning engagement during the unit, the class discussed how to be caring in different ways
and in different situations.

8. What student-initiated inquiries arose from the learning?

9. Teacher notes

Record a range of student-initiated inquiries and student questions and highlight

any that were incorporated into the teaching and learning.

Strengths:

Students were able to create a quality output for the summative assessment,

Why do they live there?

Why do they have this at home?
How come theyre happy even if they live in an orphanage, dormitory?
How will we make the people in the orphanage happy?

showing what they have learned throughout the unit.

Students were able to explain their work properly during the presentation of their
assessment task.
They were able to come up with concepts about home (not forced or heavily
prompted)
Challenges:

At this point teachers should go back to box 2 What do we want to learn? and No sufficient time to plan and arrange for field trips
highlight the teacher questions/provocations that were most effective in driving the Some of the students had a hard time thinking conceptually (needed heavy
guidance from the teacher)
inquiries.
Some of the students lacked time in accomplishing the summative assessment
What student-initiated actions arose from the learning?
Recommendations:
Record student-initiated actions taken by individuals or groups showing their ability
Earlier arrangement of field trips
to reflect, to choose and to act.
More engagements that would make them understand that homes reflect family
values (LOI3)
After inquiring about the unit, some of the students were observed to be more
Provide more prompts during assessment
enthusiastic in making letters for other people. One of them was interviewed by the
teacher and said, I am making a letter for people who live in the sidewalk. I want to
make them happy. Ill give this when I see someone in the sidewalk.
Students also thought of ways about how to make a home better for those who
have none. Sharing or giving away what they determined to be plenty.

International Baccalaureate Organization 2011

Attachment A

Finding Out
Data collection
Experiences to assist students to gather new information about the topic
Experiences and texts that add to the knowledge base. Emphasis on gathering

Sorting Out

Activities to assist students to process and work with the information and ideas they have
gathered about the topic (including exploring values)

Organizing, analyzing and communicating the information gathered using a range of vehicles
(e.g through Maths, Arts, English, Drama, Music or IT)

first-hand data in a range of ways (usually shared experiences)

Students present their Home Box which is filled with photos of the place they
consider home and objects that can be found at home. In pairs or small groups,
they discuss the following:
Why did we decide to live here?
How does my home look like?
What are the things that are found inside?
How are the objects found at home important to me and my family?
Why are they special to us?
Students drive around the community to see the different structures of home (e.g.
townhouse, homes near the floodway, homes situated in a village/subdivision).
Students illustrate the different structures of home found in the community.
Students interview people around the school and ask the question, For you, what
is a home?
Through stations, students look into videos, photos and books of homes in different
forms (e.g. dormitory, orphanage, sidewalk, etc.).
Students play different games that they play at home and sing songs that they sing
at home as a family.

Gauging, organizing or representing new information

After discussing their home box, the students consolidate their answers through a chart. They list down
the factors that their families considered in choosing where to live, the type of house they currently live
in, the objects that are found at home and the reasons why these objects are important to them.
In small groups, students create an illustration of the different structures of home they observed during
the field trip and explain their features. They write down the possible factors people considered in
choosing where to live.
Students list down the answers they gathered from the interview on a chart.
Based from their understanding of what home really is, students create a mind map to show why the
orphanage, dormitory and sidewalk are considered home for other people.
Students create a big outline of a house and label it with concepts or words related to home. They write
a sentence which would encapsulate their understanding of home.

Going Further
Activities to challenge and extend
Raising new questions, extending experiences, challenging assumptions. May be individually negotiated.
Students look at different structures of home around the world and discuss their features.
Drawing conclusions
Raising new questions, extending experiences, challenging assumptions. May be individually negotiated. Students draw conclusions of what they have learnt. This is an important time to evaluate the
success of the unit and the needs and achievements of individuals. This is where students put it all together.

A home is not just a plain structure; it is a place where one feels happy, safe, secured and loved.
A home is where one feels the sense of belongingness and respect.

Reflecting and Taking Action

To reflect on what has been learnt and process of learning. It is important that students be given opportunities to act upon what they have learnt. Actions are things that students can themselves and from
which they can see results.
After inquiring about the unit, some of the students were observed to be more enthusiastic in making letters for other people. One of them was interviewed by the teacher and said, I am making a letter for
people who live in the sidewalk. I want to make them happy. Ill give this when I see someone in the sidewalk.
Students also thought of ways on how to make a home better for those who have none. Sharing or giving away what they determined plenty.