Unit of Inquiry 

Time Frame : September - October 2023

The Trans-disciplinary Theme is : Who we Are.   In our second Unit of Inquiry, the Central Idea is that balanced choices help us grow.     The key concepts that we are including in this unit are:

Responsibility

Causation  

Connection

We are learning about balance in all areas of our lives.  We are encouraging the children to focus on making balanced physical choices (safety, food, sleep etc.),  making balanced emotional choices (learning to recognize and identify emotions in ourselves and in others including learning about the Zones of Regulation (Green Zone, Red Zone etc.) and how to lift others up). and making balanced choices for their social needs.   This is a content-rich unit but it establishes the language we can use to help make our classroom a happy and productive place.  Already, the children know that the Green Zone feels the best and that it is the most optimal zone for learning.   We are reading lots of stories about how to be caring and to notice when others might need help.   The three questions that we use as a guide are:

• What are our responsibilities for ourselves and our relationships?

• How do our choices affect how we feel?

• What can I do to practice healthy habits and to maintain balance?

Time Frame : November - December 2022

The Trans-disciplinary Theme is:  How the World Works.  In our third Unit of Inquiry, the Central Idea is that living things have features and behaviours that help them survive in their environment.   The key concepts that we are including in this unit are:

Change

Causation

Function

 We are learning about life cycles.   As we move through the Fall, we'll be looking at the life cycles of Pumpkins and Geese and other plants and animals of this place to see how living things are are affected by our seasons.    We will develop an Inquiry board in the classroom with some of the children's good thinking and our questions about geese and migration and pumpkins.   I am teaching the children a thinking routine which I call 'Notice & Wonder" .  I expect that by November, they will be adding their own questions, writing and drawing to our Inquiry board.   It is exciting to see where their good questions will lead them.   The three questions that we use as a guide are:

• How do living things change through their lives?

• How do seasonal changes affect living things?

• How can we learn through observation and learning to ask questions?

Time Frame : December 2023  - February 2024

The Trans-disciplinary Theme is : Where we are in Place and Time.   In our fourth  Unit of Inquiry, the Central Idea is that our traditions show what is important to our family and community.    The key concepts that we are including in this unit are:

Responsibility

Function

Connection

 As we finish 2023 and begin 2024, we are exploring who we are and all the stories that build our identities.   We will develop an Inquiry board in the classroom with stories and ideas that come from the children's experiences both at school and in their families.   We begin the unit by learning more about our family celebrations and traditions and developing a sense of pride when we share our own cultures and traditions with others.   We hope that the children will be engaged and interested not only in writing about their stories but also in listening to other peoples's stories as well.  The three questions that we use as a guide are:

• What are similarities and differences among families and how do these impact our differing celebrations and traditions?

• What can I learn from others about different traditions and celebrations?

• How does my family's culture shape my identity and what can I do to show that I am proud of it?

Time Frame : March - April 2024

The Trans-disciplinary Theme is : How We Express Ourselves.    In our fifth  Unit of Inquiry, the Central Idea is that dance, drama, music and visual arts express meaning in unique ways.   The key concepts that we are including in this unit are:

Form

Perspective

Connection

 This unit emphasizes the arts and we will look not only at different forms of art but also the ways that people can express their stories through their art.   This is an important unit for learning about perspective and that people engage with the world in a multitude of different ways.   I expect this unit to have an Indigenous focus so that we can learn about some of the elements of First Nations visual art and how First People's knowledge is passed along through story, song and dance.

• What are the different forms that art can take?

• How do artists express their ideas and tell their stories through their art?

• How can I show and share my thinking through my art?

Time Frame : May - June 2024

The Trans-disciplinary Theme is:  How We Organize Ourselves.    In our sixth and final Unit of Inquiry, the Central Idea is that imagination solves problems..    The key concepts that we are including in this unit are:

Function

Form

Causation

 This final unit is a complex and fun way to learn about our own imaginations and how others and animals solve problems.  For example, why do bees make hives in the way they do? / how do birds know how to build nests with sticks and grasses? / why does a beaver need to chew all the time?  etc.  This unit bridges some science topics such as forces and the children will do experiments and lots of building to learn about such things as gravity, changes of matter etc. 

• How do people and animals use materials to build structures?

• What can I learn about structures and objects and the properties of the materials from which they are made?

• How can I use my imagination and my understanding of how forces work to solve problems?