INQUIRY IN THE PYP
GRADE 1
Grade 1 students inquired into ‘Learning about previous generations help us understand the relationship between the past and present’ under the theme, ‘Where we are in place and time’. ‘A picture says a thousand words’, is what is said and therefore, students indulged in experiential learning through a gallery walk of several pictures connected to the past dating back to 50 to 100 years ago. Students showed much enthusiasm and wonder by looking at the pictures connected to their city, Mumbai, objects that were in use in the past. They expressed and recorded their musings in a What, Where, When, How, Why graphic organizer.
GRADE 2
In the unit ‘Where we are in place and time’, Grade 2 students inquired into past civilizations and their relevance to present life. Learners visited the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya to explore evidence from the past and discover the features of Indus valley civilization. They also engaged themselves in a hands-on activity where they made toys and other interesting items from the period of Indus Valley Civilisation using terracotta.
They will later analyze evidence from past civilization as they discover the causes for changes occurring over a period of time leading to present day communities.
GRADE 3
The concept of Rotation and revolution is often very confusing for students. Knowing the difference between these concepts helps them develop a deeper understanding of the movements of the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
Students of Grade 3 explored this concept through a hands on activity using a Sweet line fork and torch to explore the connection of Rotation to Day and Night. They explored the concept of Revolution and it’s connection to seasons through a Solar System Model.
Conceptual learning enables our students to draw from what they have learned and use it to grasp newer concepts. It helps students and teachers alike to develop a deep understanding of how the concepts inter-relate with each other and build an exemplar that will empower their learning.
GRADE 4
Students used their critical thinking skills to place different types of fractions on the number line.This gave them an opportunity to understand no fractions as numbers that come between specific whole numbers. They further understood how fractions are ordered,compared and represented in different ways . Students were able to think deeply and conceptually about fractions while exhibiting the learner profile ‘Thinker’.
GRADE 5
Imagine walking into a Poetry Cafe with a selection of poems to devour. This experience stood true for the students of Grade 5 as they inquired into the genre of Poetry. Through the visual thinking routine- Think-Puzzle-Share students tapped into their prior knowledge and narrowed down to priority questions like what is poetry, features, famous poets, types of poetry,etc. Groups discussed, researched and presented their findings which assisted the class to form a common understanding about the genre. To further their knowledge about poems, they read books, eventually making posters that aided them to write their own poetry. Post-writing, students reflected on the efficacy of their writing looking back at their posters as a checklist.
