Designing an Enquiry Learning UnitDesigning an Enquiry Learning Unithttp://www.bestcluster.cc.com.au

Enquiry / Integrated / Negotiated UnitsEnquiry / Integrated / Negotiated Units

Belonging Engaging Succeeding Together

Factors Affecting Student Achievement

Factors Affecting Student Achievement

School

Teacher

Student

1. Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum

2. Challenging Goals and Effective Feedback

3. Parent and Community Involvement

4. Safe and Orderly Environment

5. Collegiality and Professionalism

6. Instructional Strategies

7. Classroom Management

8. Classroom Curriculum Design

9. Home Environment

10. Learning Intelligence/Background Knowledge

11. Motivation

Marzano What works in schools (2003)

4. Students are challenged and supported to develop deep levels of thinking and application4.5 uses strategies to develop investigating and problem-solving skills6. Learning connects strongly with communities and practices outside the classroom6.2 plans for students to interact with local and broader communities

4. Students are challenged and supported to develop deep levels of thinking and application4.5 uses strategies to develop investigating and problem-solving skills6. Learning connects strongly with communities and practices outside the classroom6.2 plans for students to interact with local and broader communities

PoLT

ruMAD?By identifying problems and challenges in their school and communities, students and teachers set out to "Make a Difference" in realistic and achievable ...www.rumad.org.au/ - 11k - Cached - Similar pages

ruMAD?ruMAD? enables students to lead change within their communities and to become active citizens. It is values-focused, student led and at the very core starts from student identified values and visions

The process starts with students identifying shared and important values as a group. Once shared values are established, students identify community issues that are inconsistent or in conflict with those shared values. Students then explore possibilities for action through various levels of involvement in social change projects, and lead the planning and implementation of their chosen projects.

Concepts

Inquiry Unit

Unit Questions

Strand Domain Dimension Key element of standards

Physical, Personal and Social learning

Disciplined based learning

Inter-disciplinary learning

Standards/VELS Level:

Essential Question

Template 4

Throughline

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Concepts: Vocabulary Concepts: Refers to powerful ideas usually expressed in words and phrases derived from disciplinary, interdisciplinary and social knowledge that we want students to learn.

Adaptation Behaviour Beliefs and values

Cause and effect Change Changing lifestyles

Citizenship Communication Conflict and cooperation

Conservation Consumption Creativity

Culture Customs and rituals Cycles

Development Distribution Diversity

Ecological sustainability Energy Environment

Feelings and emotions Gender equity Human rights

Imagining and constructing the future

Indigenous peoples Individual potential

Individuals and groups Institutions Interaction

Interdependence Invention and designJustice, rights and responsibilities

Life and living Living and non-living Location

Mobility Needs and wants Organisation

Patterns Perception Personal safety

Place and space Power and control Production

Relationships Resources Revolution

Rites of passage Ritual Roles, rules and laws

Similarities and differences Social justice Society and socialisation

Spirituality Supply and demand Survival

Systems The global society The physical world

Thinking Critically Time Tradition

Transitions Wellbeing Work and leisure

Vocabulary Essential Question Vocabulary Essential Question

A significant question which provides depth and rigour, multiple connections and different perspectives required to support students' development of powerful concepts.  An Essential Question is typically central to one or more of the disciplines, interesting to both teachers and students, accessible and supports inquiry-based approaches to learning. Wiggins and McTighe

Must a story have a moral, heroes and villains?

What is the moral of the story of the Holocaust?Is Ned Kelly a hero?

How does an organisms structure enable it to survive in its environment?

How do the structures of amphibians and reptiles support their survival?

Who is a friend? Are Frog and Toad true friends?Is it true that in our country’s history that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend’?

What is light? How do cats see in the dark?Is light a particle or a wave?

Do we always mean what we say and say what we mean?

What are sarcasm, irony and satire? How do these genres allow us to communicate without saying what we mean?

Is Australian history a history of progress and hope?

Is our treatment of aborigines one to be proud of?

Examples of Essential and Unit questions:Examples of Essential and Unit questions:

Vocabulary Fertile QuestionsVocabulary Fertile Questions(a) An open question: a question that in principle does not have one definite answer, but actually several answers different from and even contradictory to each other.(b) An undermining question: A question that undermines the basic assumptions and fixed beliefs of the learners; one that casts doubt on the “self-evident,” on “common sense;” uncovers basic conflicts lacking a simple solution, and requires thinking about the roots of things.(c) A rich question: A question that requires grappling with rich content indispensable to understanding man and the world; that is impossible to answer without careful and lengthy research; that tends to break up into sub-questions.(d) A connected question: A question relevant to the life of the learners, to the society in which they live, and to the discipline and subject within which it was asked.(e) A charged question: A question having an ethical dimension. Such questions have a strong emotional and ethical charge able to motivate learning and inquiry.(f) A practical question: A question that can be developed into a research question; a question about which information is available to students.

The Human Genome Project – a curse or a blessing? (biology) Why do we sleep? (biology) Human beings – a product of environment or genetics? (biology)Why is the sky blue? (physics)When was life better – in the Middle Ages or today? (history)Why did the farming class obey the gentry and the church, although these exploited and oppressed it? (history)How did it happen that the same generation that called the First World War “The war to end all wars” initiated the Second World War within two decades? (history) Is there progress in history? (history)What makes a “good story”? (literature)Who is “the other”? (sociology-anthropology) Why do people marry? (sociology-anthropology)What is love? (from a sociological point of view) What is love? (from a biological point of view) What is love? (from the point of view of certain literary works)Australia – west or east? (multi-disciplinary)

Examples of Fertile questionsExamples of Fertile questions

Vocabulary Understanding Vocabulary Understanding “It may help to have a picture in our minds of what we mean by understanding. I feel that I understand something if and when I can do some, at least, of the following: (1) state it in my own words; (2) give examples of it; (3) recognize it in various guises and circumstances; (4) see connections between it and other facts or ideas; (5) make use of it in various ways; (6) foresee some of its consequences; (7) state its opposite or converse. The list is only a beginning; but it may help us in the future to find out what our students really know as opposed to what they can give the appearance of knowing, their real learning as opposed to their apparent learning.” John Holt How Children Fail (1964) Quoted by Yoram Harpaz (2003)

“Activities that require students to use knowledge in new ways or situations. In such activities students reshape, expand on, extrapolate from, apply, and build on what they already know. Performances of understanding help students to build as well as demonstrate their understanding.”

Vocabulary Understanding Performance

Vocabulary Understanding Performance

Actual developmental level

What a child can do alone

Potential development

“what children can do with the assistance of others might be in some sense even more indicative of their mental development than what they can do alone”.Vygotsky (1978)

Assistance of others

ScaffoldingAssistance of others

Scaffolding

"the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of

potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable

peers" (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86)

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)=

Q1: Analyse the characteristics of the learning process taking place in each of the five classes.

Q2: What big ideas or significant questions were being investigated?

Q3: What thinking processes and enquiry skills were required in each of the classes?

Q1: Analyse the characteristics of the learning process taking place in each of the five classes.

Q2: What big ideas or significant questions were being investigated?

Q3: What thinking processes and enquiry skills were required in each of the classes?

Activity1 - Recognising enquiry based learning: What is enquiry

learning?

Consider the stories about the learning experiences in five classes. Which of them are examples of enquiry learning?

Model of enquiry learning unit

After becoming aware of a significant question, issue or problem, students may reach a state of puzzlement, curiosity and/or concern and feel challenged to enquire further. The next step is to clarify, define and redefine the particular question, issue or problem to investigate.Source: Adapted from Gough, N. (1992) Blueprints for Greening Schools, Gould League, Melbourne, p. 90.

1. The challenge: What could be the topic of the enquiry? What kind of topic is worthy of investigation? What is the challenge?

1. The challenge: What could be the topic of the enquiry? What kind of topic is worthy of investigation? What is the challenge? Topic:

Generative Topic (Unit)“Those topics, issues and themes, concepts ideas, and so on that provide enough depth, significance, connections, and variety of perspective to support students’ development of powerful understanding. Typically they are interesting to students and teachers, central to one or more disciplines, and accessible to students.” The teaching for understanding guide Blythe

What are the key concepts or big ideas? What are the key concepts or big ideas?

“We turn now to the questions of how experts’ knowledge is organized…Their knowledge is not simply a list of facts and formulas that are relevant to the domain; instead, their knowledge is organized around core concepts or ‘big ideas’ that guide their thinking about the domain.” Bransford, et. al., How People Learn, p 24

What is the significant or essential question? What is the significant or essential question?

Climate change – How can we live in a warmer world?Climate change – How can we live in a warmer world?

Taking control – How can we make the right choices about drugs? Taking control – How can we make the right choices about drugs?

What are their current enquiry skills? What can the students do alone? KWHL (Know? Want to know? How will I find out? What did I Learn?) - a tool used to inform teachers of the knowledge and interest level of their students at the start of a topic or unit and to help assess their learning at the completion.Consider a sample rubric for use during a one-to-one interview with a student about his or her

What enquiry skills will students need? Analysing, Checking, Classifying, Cooperating, Considering options, Designing, Elaborating, Estimating, Explaining, Generalising, Hypothesising, Inferring, Interpreting, Justifying, Listening, Locating information, Making choices, Note-taking, Observing, Ordering events, Organising, Performing, Persuading, Planning, Predicting, Presenting in a range of ways, Providing feedback, Questioning, Reading, Recognising bias, Reflecting, Reporting, Responding to others’ work, Restating, Revising, Seeing patterns, Selecting information, Self-assessing, Sharing ideas, Summarising, Synthesising, Testing, Viewing, Visually representing, Working independently, Working to a timelineFrom Kath Murdoch Classroom connections

2. Enquiry Skills: What are the enquiry skills students have and need? 2. Enquiry Skills: What are the enquiry skills students have and need?

Metacognition (PDF - 63Kb) http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/assessment/preptoyear10/proflearning/samples3.htm

Give a brief statement of the Standard in VELS language according to domain and dimension

What personal and/or social goal could they reach?

Specify the skills needed according to VELS domains and dimensions appropriate to the topic.

Specify the skills needed according to VELS domains and dimensions appropriate to the topic.

3. Understanding Performance: What performance task must anchor the unit and focus the instructional work? What will the students do with the knowledge and skills once they have gained them? How will this be negotiated? Cf Pirozzo’s grid and Real Assessment Task. What real life action could they take? Describe what students will do to demonstrate understanding. How will understanding be assessed? Design a rubric for assessment

3. Understanding Performance: What performance task must anchor the unit and focus the instructional work? What will the students do with the knowledge and skills once they have gained them? How will this be negotiated? Cf Pirozzo’s grid and Real Assessment Task. What real life action could they take? Describe what students will do to demonstrate understanding. How will understanding be assessed? Design a rubric for assessment

“Activities that require students to use knowledge in new ways or situations. In such activities students reshape, expand on, extrapolate from, apply, and build on what they already know. Performances of understanding help students to build as well as demonstrate their understanding.”

Understanding Performances or Real Assessment Tasks

Understanding Performances or Real Assessment Tasks

3. Run a parent forum for sharing what you have discovered about drugs. Set up stalls for them to visit where you will show them how to make choices and take responsibility for drugs. You could do a role play or make a poster for display. You might make a fact sheet or survey parents. You could make an advertising campaign video warning of the dangers of misusing drugs to show parents.

3. Run a parent forum for sharing what you have discovered about drugs. Set up stalls for them to visit where you will show them how to make choices and take responsibility for drugs. You could do a role play or make a poster for display. You might make a fact sheet or survey parents. You could make an advertising campaign video warning of the dangers of misusing drugs to show parents.

1.Undertake an energy and resources waste audit at your school and propose ways to waste less water and paper and save more energy. How much is spent on electricity water and gas? When are lights turned on and off? When are air conditioners in use and why? How much paper could we save? Take action to change the way resources and energy are used at school.

1.Undertake an energy and resources waste audit at your school and propose ways to waste less water and paper and save more energy. How much is spent on electricity water and gas? When are lights turned on and off? When are air conditioners in use and why? How much paper could we save? Take action to change the way resources and energy are used at school.

2.Investigate your local environment. How many trees in the school? What native birds animals are found in the school? What areas are grassed and garden? How much is concrete and asphalt? Is there shade in summer? How many air conditioners? Prepare a report on the quality of your school environment and give a rating. Suggest improvements to your school environment and draw up a list of priorities.

2.Investigate your local environment. How many trees in the school? What native birds animals are found in the school? What areas are grassed and garden? How much is concrete and asphalt? Is there shade in summer? How many air conditioners? Prepare a report on the quality of your school environment and give a rating. Suggest improvements to your school environment and draw up a list of priorities.

Seven ways to be smart

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Six Thinking LevelsKnowing Understandi

ngApplying Analysing Creating Evaluating

VerbalI enjoy reading, writing & speaking

MathematicalI enjoy working with numbers & science

Visual/SpatialI enjoy painting, drawing & visualising

KinaestheticI enjoy doing hands-on activities, sports & dance

MusicalI enjoy making & listening to music

InterpersonalI enjoy working with others

IntrapersonalI enjoy working by myself

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES & BLOOM’S TAXONOMY(This 42-grid matrix was devised by Ralph Pirozzo, 1997)MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES & BLOOM’S TAXONOMY(This 42-grid matrix was devised by Ralph Pirozzo, 1997)

UNIT OF STUDY:_______________________________ YEAR LEVEL:_________

4. Scaffolding: How will the skills be scaffolded? How will the student be assisted to conduct the investigation? Show or list resources required including web sites http://www4.gu.edu.au/ext/unesco/theme_d/mod21/uncom21t02.htm

4. Scaffolding: How will the skills be scaffolded? How will the student be assisted to conduct the investigation? Show or list resources required including web sites http://www4.gu.edu.au/ext/unesco/theme_d/mod21/uncom21t02.htm

Describe step by step what you do to support the student or students through the Learning 1. Identifying similarities and differences 2. Summarizing and note taking 3. Reinforcing effort and providing recognition 4. Homework and practice 5. Nonlinguistic representations 6. Cooperative learning 7. Setting objectives and providing feedback 8. Generating and testing hypotheses 9. Cues, questions, and advance organizers(Marzano et al)The successful scaffolding of instruction requires that the teacher perform a number of functions, among which are the selection, organization, and presentation of suitable tasks. These tasks must also allow for: the teaching of emerging skills; ongoing evaluation of the task's suitability to its purpose; the generation and maintenance of the learner's interest in the task; the use of modeling, questioning, and explanation to clarify the goals of the task; and the presentation of approximations and appropriate approaches to the task (Palincsar, 1986; Wood, Bruner, and Ross, 1976).

“what children can do with the assistance of others might be in some sense even more indicative of their mental development than what they can do alone” Vygotsky (1978)

5. Reflection and action. How well did the enquiry work? Evidence Attach photographs and / or student work where possible. What next?

5. Reflection and action. How well did the enquiry work? Evidence Attach photographs and / or student work where possible. What next?

Activity 2 – Expert Jigsaw / Similarities and differences

Take one of the design stages 1-4 excluding 5 and read through the material in the handout notes. Explain one of the design stages to the other staff at your tableoDiscuss the similarities and differences between the way you construct an integrated or enquiry unit and this model oWhat would you add or take from this model? oWhere are the entry points for negotiation?

Activity 3 Mind Map or Flow ChartIn a group of 3 or 4 draw a mind map or flow chart of the enquiry learning process as you envision it with annotations and additions you consider to be needed.

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Activity 4 Design an Enquiry UnitInclude in the hand-out or on your mind map (above) one or more of the following: the generative topic or the challenge, concepts, enquiry skills, essential questions, an understanding performance and/or notes on scaffolding.