3 Gir
Dear Parent,
Welcome to the 3 Gir page. We are excited to share our learnings from our integrated unit on adaptation and survival. In this unit we focused on practicing the key skill- Research as a means to explore how living beings adapt.
Scroll down to take a look at our learning journey to deep dive into each stage of inquiry. We hope you enjoy the glimpse into our learning journey.
Tuning In
Key elements
Skill- Questioning
Learner Profile- Thinker, Inquirer
Visible thinking Routine- Do Now Questions
When was the last time you saw a real Dinosaur?
The unit began with a thought provoking question which challenged our prior knowledge about Dinosaurs. To unlearn what we knew, we listed some facts about Dinosaurs and compared them with existing living beings to discover that Birds are Modern Day Dinosaurs.
We then made connections to inquire about the Central Idea
LIVING BEINGS ADAPT IN ORDER TO SURVIVE
To do this, we played a game. Each one of us got the chance to ask 1 question to inquire about the Central Idea. We made connections with the previous activity to do the same.
Introduction to Autobiography
Finding Out
Key elements
Skill- Researching (Questioning) , Working in a Group
Learner Profile- Listener, Thinker, Inquirer
Visible thinking routine- Make a claim
The curiosity generated at the Tuning in stage was still fresh, there were so many questions. Questions like How the Birds were able to survive? or How can Birds be modern day Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs were so big and birds are so small made us wonder even more about the unit. At this point, we were introduced to the skill which we will be focusing on- Research.
Group Research Project
We wore our Researchers hat to find answers to all our wonder questions. We worked in groups of 4-5, this was a pilot project to experience Research and its steps. We were given a step by step guide to research where each group worked together to achieve the goal. The goal was to make a claim on the given topic- Are birds the modern day Dinosaurs?
For the next few weeks our focus was to-
Learn more about Adaptation and Survival (marked in orange)
Develop Research skills (marked in blue)
Each of our sessions were a combination of Skills and Content.
The reflections from the Group Research Project helped us to identify our strengths and areas of development.
Understanding Topic + Asking Questions
As we moved ahead, we focused at each step to explore our Central Idea by asking Questions.
We role played to derive the meaning of adaptation and it's importance. Each one of the student got a role of a living being or a non living being. On the basis of the given situations we then shared our survival strategies.
We also discussed if adaptation and survival are connected to each other and if adaptation guarantees survival.
Author Study.docxAnna Sewell.pdfAuthor Study-Anna Sewell
We participated in a student-led project to research and present about the author Anna Sewell.
We worked in small groups of 3 -4 members and found more about the author and finally presented our research with the larger group in a format of their choice-PPT, Poster, Word Search or any other innovative activity by keeping mind the learning outcome and the success criteria.
Sorting Out
Key Elements
Skill- Researching (Making Notes)
Learner Profile- Thinker
Thinking Routine- Agree/Disagree + Reasons
Key Question, 'How living beings Adapt?'
At this stage, we explored various kinds of adaptations (structural and behavioral) by researching about Polar Bears and their adaptations.
We did a guided research with a focus on making notes. We further enhanced our knowledge by categorizing adaptations according to their types.
To explore other ways of researching, we used books as a medium to research and make notes.
We made notes on how living being adapts by reading books on RAZ. This was an individual task
Going Further & Making Conclusion
Key Elements
Skill- Research (note-making, make a claim)
Learner Profile- Thinker, Inquirer
Going further, we initiated our final Research Project- Writing an Autobiography. We discussed the elements of an Autobiography by building on our prior knowledge. We began by understanding the topic and exploring it further by asking questions. This was the planning stage.
We than categorized our wonder questions into 4 categories- Past, Physical Features, Present and Future. This categorization helped us to organize our research.
We also read about Charles Darwin and his Theory on Evolution. We were amazed to learn that human beings actually evolved from Fish. This was an Eureka moment for all of us.
We then did an independent Research for all the 4 categories and made notes.
TAKING ACTION
Key Elements
Skill- Making Connections
Learner Profile- Thinker
We made connections to understand how Evolution, Adaptation and Habitats are connected to each other. We further discussed how a loss of an habitat or any threat to a habitat can impact any living being.
To complete our research for autobiographies we identified possible threats to the habitats and eventually risks involved in the life of the Living being we chose to write the autobiography on.
To go through our autobiographies, click on the button below-
After reading the novel, Black Beauty we understood that human beings can be unkind towards animals. Also, we read an article on How horses are being beaten to run faster. As a group, we decided to take action and wrote a message to NYSGC urging them to protect horses by enacting a ban on whipping.
Math
Through various measuring experiences we observed and explored different units of lengths, and enhanced our estimation and measuring skills.
We also solved different types of problems related to Trees. We choose trees on the basis of their strengths and availability, through this practice we were not only working on our calculations or designing various combinations but also decision making and reasoning skills.
Recently we were also introduced to Skip counting of 3 & 4 for numbers up to 50. We find out about questions like, 'Can the number catcher of 3 catch number 42?' We thought, reasoned out and counted in skips on the ganit mala using number catchers to find the solution. We are making connections between numbers & observing different patterns in numbers while counting in skips on the ganit mala.
Our Reflection from the unit
