Opportunities for Inquiry

Deep dive into inquiry for TL Trainers

Welcome and Hellos

• Status Updates• News• Housekeeping

Where are we now?

Interview another person• share your process and learning • explore your needs for presenting • use the note cards to communicate specific

questions/concerns/ideas to Leslie or Mary

Share out

Powerful Learning

• Personal Connection/Emotional connection• Open mind to think differently/Engaged• Uncomfortable/Out of comfort zone• Application to real world/Life experiences• Models/ “I can do this!”• Change/Survival mode• Discovery & Creativity

Sam Chaltain: Faces of Learning

• http://facesoflearning.net • Challenging• Engaging• Supportive• Relevant• Experiential

NNPS 5th Grade Geography

Assumptions

These assignments are designed to:1. Give students a background in US geography2. Build self-directed learners3. Engage students in critical thinking

Atlas

http://www.theoi.com/Gallery/T20.1B.html

Opportunities for Inquiry

1. Scan the choice board and decide which ones have the potential for deeper inquiry and which ones are more simple fact finding.

2. Compare your notes with a partner.3. Share out

Geography Portfolio Choice BoardPick from the following tasks. Each task has a star value next to it. The more difficult the task, the higher the star value.

The Google Map Tour is a required task . You need to have 10 completed by the end of the unit. See your teacher once you have chosen your tasks for specific instructions .

Physical ProcessesUse the provided

resources to complete the task describing

how the physical and environmental

elements affect a region. 2

Slide RocketUse the provided Slide Rocket presentation to

answer the questions on that region. Then use that

information to complete the attached task.

3

Weather Phenomenon

Use the provided resources to describe

what types of weather the region has and how it affects that region. 2

Climate Characteristics

Use the provided resources to describe what type of climate the region has and how it affects that region. 2

Name That StateLabel the state and identify the capital

and flower.

2

Bodies of WaterUse the provided

resources to describe the bodies of water in the region and what affect it has on that

region. 2

Make That Money!Choose two states from the

region. Create a Venn diagram to compare and

contrast the major sources of revenue for each state.

4

Scouting ReportIdentify the logo of 5 college or professional sports teams.

Choose your favorite and create an advertisement to encourage an athlete to join

the team. 4

PresentationYour travel agency has been

selected to give a presentation about the

region. Design a presentation that would

encourage tourists to take a tour of this region. 4

Creative WritingChoose 2 of the provided

writing prompts. You must answer each prompt with creative, appropriate and informed responses. Final drafts must be neat and

professional . 4

Map SkillsUse the varying resources to

find the longitude and latitude of the different states and complete the

extension activity provided.

3

Scavenger HuntMatch the correct state to the description provided

each state can only be used once. If you need help use

an atlas or use www.50states.com

3

Color By StateIdentify which states are

Republican, and which are Democrat. Complete the

attached extension activity that asks you to write about

a candidate, problem or idea. 3

Assumptions

True or False?• Kids can be expected to do the fact finding on

their own. • Kids would need more support and guidance

with the deeper inquiry.

What does it take to do these tasks?

• Choose a partner and one of the Choice Board tasks.• Take apart what we are asking students to do in the

activities that are most opportunistic for a full inquiry process.

• Chart, diagram, or define what students have to do.– First, next, then

• Consider background knowledge, information literacy skills, reading/writing skills, critical thinking skills, social skills

How can we support students in a systematic way to become self directed

in inquiry?

1. What do we want them to know about themselves as learners or about inquiry by the time they get to middle school?

2. Create a list together. 3. Five kinds of learning rubric

Five Kinds of Learning RubricInquiry Process:

Basic Approaching Proficient Advanced

Learning How to Learn

Shows minimal reflection on own thoughts, feelings, and actions in journal; does not display growth.

Reflects in journals on thoughts, feelings, and actions through the process. Inconsistent use of introduced strategies. Needs support.

Reflects in journal and shows improvement and understanding of own interaction across the process. Applies new strategies to work through process.

Shows growth in understanding of self as learner. Applies strategies and independently chooses strategies to use within the process to learn through inquiry.

Social Studies Portfolio Grading Sheet

Region__________________ Name __________________________ Assess yourself on each of the items listed. Then I will make my assessment. You will then meet with me to conference about your work. You are encouraged to present evidence from your Notebook to support your point of view.

Inquiry Process Possible Points

Student Assessment

Teacher Assessment

Questioning Research Demonstrated 4

Planning Self-Directed (focused and on task)

4

Student Choice 4

Tasks Content 4 Total Stars Acquired 4

Organizing Research Notes 4

Neatness/Organization 4 Synthesis/Communication

Mechanics 4

Student Goal 4 Total 36 Final: Grade:

Student Choice: What do you want me to grade that you think you did really well?

Student Goal for Improvement:

Student Comments: Teacher Comments:

Social Studies Portfolio Checkpoint

Region_______________ Name ___________________

Directions: Using the scale above, assess your progress at the checkpoint and turn in to your teacher.

Student Assessment

Teacher Assessment

I am showing research by taking notes, making an outline, making flashcards, or another method.

I am researching from a variety of sources (atlas, internet, articles, etc).

I remain on task and focused during independent work time.

I have included tasks that equal _____ amount of stars.

In my tasks, I have shown details to support my understanding of the region.

I have been correctly citing my references as I research.

I have been neat and organized in my portfolio.

I have been using correct mechanics. Total: Total:

Grade: What is my next step in order to complete my portfolio?

5 All the time

3 Some

1 None

2 Rarely

4 Often

I Name ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Total Possible Points: 36 Geography Portfolio Assessment Rubric – Social Studies/English Grade 5 Score: ___/ 36

CCC Skill Inquiry Process Stage 4 3 2 1

Infor

matio

n Lit

eracy

, Cr

itical

Think

ing &

So

cial

Resp

onsib

ility

Questioning

(4 points)

I utilized questions and resources effectively and accurately to locate information to support their research.

I utilized questions and resources to locate information with 1-2 mistakes.

I utilized few questions and resources to locate information with multiple errors.

I did not utilize resources appropriately and had no variety of resources. Needs further assistance and support.

Initia

tive,

Self-

Direc

tion &

Co

llabo

ration

Planning (8 points)

I demonstrated initiative and self-direction in order to complete portfolio. I independently selected items that showed a growth in understanding of self as a learner.

I was on task and focused. I showed improvement & understanding of my own interaction.

I was inconsistently on task. Required redirection. I showed inconsistency of selecting items and understanding of self as a learner.

I was not on task and focused. I did not select any items for review.

Prob

lem So

lving

&

Cr

itical

Think

ing

Tasks

(8 points)

I extended concepts and ideas. I demonstrated an ability to transfer concepts learned into other areas of life, disciplines or topics. I completed 9-10 stars of the task card.

I showed an understanding of content under study. I used facts and evidence to support ideas, theory or maintain a position. I completed 7-8 stars of the task card.

I mostly reported facts. Some connections made between facts. I completed 4-6 stars on the task card.

Basic reporting of facts. I completed 0-3 stars on the task card.

Infor

matio

n Lit

eracy

Organizing

(8 points)

I documented all facts and evidence to support research. My work was very neat and organized. The order made sense and was easy to follow. A lot of effort was demonstrated.

I show sufficient documentation of research. My work was neat and mostly organized with minimal confusion. Effort was demonstrated in presentation.

I documented very little facts and evidence to support research. My work had some neat components. My work is somewhat organized. Needs improvement.

I did not document research. My work was not neat and presentable. My work was not completed in an organized manner.

Comm

unica

tion,

Critic

al Th

inking

&

Crea

tivity

Synthesis/

Communication

(8 points)

My work demonstrates awareness and control over all areas of usage and mechanics.

My goal shows growth in understanding of self as a learner.

My work demonstrates reasonable control over some but not all areas. Errors do not affect meaning. I set a goal however it was not in an area of great weakness.

My work demonstrates some control but still has many errors in other areas. I was not clear in goal selection.

My work has errors in most areas. Errors make writing difficult to understand. I did not select a goal.

How are we supporting success?

• Now that you know what it takes for a student to accomplish the task at a high level, what supports can we offer them?

• Where is the inquiry within the assignment?

• Map it onto the Guided Inquiry/NNPS Inquiry process.

Inquiry tools

What tools are there to help lead students to success and independence?

Strategies

• Useful tools for moving forward and getting deeper into the inquiry.

• Meta-cognitive awareness of strategies.• Awareness of how I am learning & how I learn

best.• These strategies are also great for academic

language acquisition and English learning.• Integrates the literacies into inquiry.

We want our students to say things like

• “When I talked about my ideas it helped me to gain a clearer focus.”

• “Charting helps me to synthesize my ideas by seeing connections between things.”

• “Charting helped me to choose the right direction for my inquiry after I explored some ideas.”

• “When I journal throughout inquiry it helps me to think and gives me new ideas.”

What tools are there to help lead students to success and independence?

Systems Thinking

• Russ Ackoff – Systems Thinking – 12 minutes– http://tinyurl.com/Ackoff-systems

• Peter Senge- MIT professor – 5 minutes– triangulation @ 3:10– http://tinyurl.com/senge-systems

5th Grade Geography Unit

• As a structure or system that paves the way for other things

• Where has it shown potential for you?• Where’s the leverage in this work?

• Is there potential that hasn’t been tapped?Consider: – Relationships/ Collaborations/ Growing the

knowledge of inquiry process in your school

Systems thinking

• What systems do you have or can you put into place so

Thank you!

http://tinyurl.com/Trainers-eval-dec3