November, 2010

Dear Parents,

Our next Unit of Inquiry involves an exploration into the nature of self and human relationships.
This inquiry will be highlighting important relationships in our lives and different ways that
experiences and interactions affect relationships.
We will also be thinking about the importance of communication in relationships and how we
might solve different problems that sometimes arise at school, on the playground, or at home.

CENTRAL IDEA: Interpersonal relationships evolve through experiences

and interactions.

An Inquiry Into:
• What are some relationships in our lives? (i.e. family, friends, at school or
in different clubs we belong to etc)
• What are some of the roles and responsibilities of members of different
social groups we belong to?
• How can our behaviour or actions affect our relationships?

Teacher Questions:
1. What is a relationship?
2. What are some different social groups you belong to?
3. What are some of the roles and responsibilities of people in your family
or at school? How are they interconnected?
4. How does one person’s behavior affect another’s in a relationship or
social group?
5. How can an experience or interaction change a relationship?
6. What are some ways we can resolve different problems that may arise in
our relationships?

Key Concepts High-lighted in this Unit:

Responsibility, Connection, Reflection

Transdisciplinary Skills High-lighted in this Unit:

Social Skills, Self-Management Skills, Communication Skills

Learner Profiles High-lighted in this Unit:

Communicator, Caring, Thinker, Principled

Attitudes High-lighted in this Unit:

Cooperation, Appreciation, Respect, Integrity

In order to make this a truly rich unit, we encourage families to discuss this unit
at home. Some things to try:

• Read books which highlight friendship, respecting others and self. For the ESL student,
reading books in their own mother tongue will help to make connections and have a
better understanding of the English vocabulary they are learning. Mrs. Robertson has
lots of great books in the library on this topic which you are welcome to borrow!

• Discuss some things that are special about you and your family. What do you value as a
family? (many of you have explored this in your All About Me Books!!)
 • What are some of the important roles and responsibilities of members in your family?
What happens when someone decides not to follow their usual roles or responsibilities?
How would this behavior affect others in the family?
• What are some of the different social groups your child belongs to? What are some of
the roles and responsibilities of people in those groups?
• Sometimes problems arise between people in a relationship? (i.e. a child does not want
to go to bed!, siblings both want to use the same toy, or a friend’s feelings are hurt due
to another friend’s behavior). What are some different ways that problems can be
resolved?

Throughout this unit, encourage your child to discuss the issues

raised. Also encourage your child to consider ways he or she
can make a difference. Remind them to ask the question:
How can I take action (ie. solving a disagreement with a
sibling or friend)? What is my responsibility to help create a
positive environment (ie. sharing, listening to others,
including others in games)?
Also, If you discover some exciting things whether it is a story
book, poster or picture please send them along to school as the
children love sharing what they have learned with the rest of the
class.

Vocabulary List

This is a list of some of the vocabulary that will be used in class during this unit.

• relationships • responsibilities
• community • roles
• social groups • similar
• communication • different
• rights • special
• diverse • backgrounds
• culture • values
• classmates • home country
• friends • problem solving
• school • interconnected
• difference • actions
• interactions • experiences