Overview
I recently had a rare opportunity to sit down and think about curriculum for an extended, uninterrupted time. I was also able to attend a brainstorming session with grade 6/7 teachers from other schools with the goal in mind of developing a cross-curricular resource. The document below is the result of those planning sessions. Thanks to Jennifer Findlay and Chelsea Jungclaus from M.B Sanford Elementary and Chris Mohammed from Chimney Hills Elementary for collaborating with me in this.
Click here to access the full document with reference to "big ideas" from the new BC curriculum.
Rationale and Overview
A key element of the organization of BC’s new curriculum are big ideas which unite connected pieces of content related learned skills and competencies. Big ideas evolve and are elaborated on as students move through the curriculum.
By undertaking a cross curricular inquiry project, students will make connections between different areas of the curriculum providing a broader understanding of overarching themes that exist across subject areas.
This document is intended to suggest inquiry topics that relate to the grade six and seven curriculum and require students to access skills and knowledge from several subject areas.
Goals:
Students will make connections between key ideas across subjects
Students will engage in critical and creative thinking
Students will expand upon their understanding of “big ideas” touched on in class
Students will explore an area of interest and will engage in self-directed learning
Design for Inquiry:
Because the intention here is to connect big ideas across different areas of the curriculum, students will be making connections between their prior learning, their individual experiences and their personal interests. Providing student voice and choice is an important consideration.
Students will begin by being immersed in an engaging scenario. Based on the scenario, students will be presented with several topics of inquiry from which they will choose the few that they find most interesting to focus on. Students will be given a choice in how to present the findings of their inquiry and should be encouraged to use a variety of media to show learning.
Students Choices for Showing Learning
Assessment Options:
Formative assessment for this assignment might include:
-Students create progress update reflections
-Conferencing with students to review planning
-Generating “I Can” statements around student inquiry topics
-Self and peer evaluations
-Creating class generated criteria for assignments
Summative assessment for inquiry projects should focus mostly on critical thinking, creative thinking and communication skills. The process is more important here that the product that is reached at the end. A sample rubric for assessing student inquiry projects is included below.
Click here to access the full document with reference to "big ideas" from the new BC curriculum.
Rationale and Overview
A key element of the organization of BC’s new curriculum are big ideas which unite connected pieces of content related learned skills and competencies. Big ideas evolve and are elaborated on as students move through the curriculum.
By undertaking a cross curricular inquiry project, students will make connections between different areas of the curriculum providing a broader understanding of overarching themes that exist across subject areas.
This document is intended to suggest inquiry topics that relate to the grade six and seven curriculum and require students to access skills and knowledge from several subject areas.
Goals:
Students will make connections between key ideas across subjects
Students will engage in critical and creative thinking
Students will expand upon their understanding of “big ideas” touched on in class
Students will explore an area of interest and will engage in self-directed learning
Design for Inquiry:
Because the intention here is to connect big ideas across different areas of the curriculum, students will be making connections between their prior learning, their individual experiences and their personal interests. Providing student voice and choice is an important consideration.
Students will begin by being immersed in an engaging scenario. Based on the scenario, students will be presented with several topics of inquiry from which they will choose the few that they find most interesting to focus on. Students will be given a choice in how to present the findings of their inquiry and should be encouraged to use a variety of media to show learning.
Students Choices for Showing Learning
- Write a story
- Create pieces of art
- Take a series of photos
- Draw a cartoon strip
- Use a presentation tool (eg. powerpoint, prezi, explain everything)
- Make a series of blog posts
- Make a movie or a series of video clips
- Create a series of artifacts
- Create an animation (potentially using puppets, stop motion, claymation or brickfilm)
- Write a diary or journal
- Create a detailed map
- Draw a blueprint or design schematic
- Make a 3D model (digital or physical)
- Make a commercial or movie trailer
- Create a chart or diagram
- Create and narrate a documentary
- Interview yourself or be interviewed by a partner
- Create a TED talk
- Create a mock twitter feed, facebook page or instagram page
- Write a newspaper article
- Create a timeline
Assessment Options:
Formative assessment for this assignment might include:
-Students create progress update reflections
-Conferencing with students to review planning
-Generating “I Can” statements around student inquiry topics
-Self and peer evaluations
-Creating class generated criteria for assignments
Summative assessment for inquiry projects should focus mostly on critical thinking, creative thinking and communication skills. The process is more important here that the product that is reached at the end. A sample rubric for assessing student inquiry projects is included below.
Scenarios and Inquiry Topics
Part 1: Surviving The Past
Link to student assignment with reference to BC curriculum "big ideas".
Scenario:
Nobody ever said time travel would be easy! You are the inventor of the world’s first time machine but there is a major problem. Upon testing your machine for the first time, a short circuit has fried the place and time selector. You can still travel through time and space but where and when you end up is completely random. For this assignment you will be thinking creatively about the best way to survive in an unfamiliar time and place using the knowledge that you have learned so far in grade six or seven.
Inquiry Topics:
You are in the cretaceous period and danger is everywhere. Think about the dangers that you have encountered and the creative ways that you might thwart them.
You are in the Rift Valley in Africa, 100,000 years ago. A tribe of early humans is nearby but you are not sure if they will be hostile towards you. Writing and modern languages do not yet exist. Think of some ways that you could communicate that they might understand.
You have landed in the middle of an ancient civilization (of your choice) and you wish to make a good impression so that you can be accepted into their society. How can you use your modern knowledge to help this civilization solve an ancient problem?
One reason that humans have survived successfully is our use of tools. Choose a time and place and create a kit to help you survive there. Remember to consider what types of materials would be available to use at this time in history.
Unfortunately, you didn’t tell your family that you would be travelling through time. Create a message for your family to let them know what happened. Think of a creative way that you could ensure that your message will be found in the future.
Friendship has been important throughout human history. Think about the friends that you might make in an ancient place and time. Compare and contrast your ancient friends with your current friends.
Staying healthy is an important part of survival. Choose an ancient time and place and think about what foods might make up a balanced meal and what activities might be available for fun and exercise.
Random time travel can be dangerous! Certain places and times might be more or less challenging for survival. Make a list of places and time periods and think about the survival pros and cons for each. Is there a particular time and place where you might want to stay for good?
The ‘butterfly effect’ theory states that even a small change in the past could have a large impact on the future. Think about a mistake that you might make in the past (eg. sneezing on a t-rex, showing youtube videos to Caesar) that might have a drastic consequences on the future.
Many math and science concepts that we learn about in school had not yet been discovered in ancient times. Think about a new concept that you learned recently and explain it in a way that student in ancient Mesopotamia might understand.
Part 2: Surviving the Present
Link to student assignment with reference to BC curriculum "big ideas".
Scenario:
For too long, young people are expected to survive in a world run by adults. Not any more! The Youth Party has won the most recent election and you are it’s leader. Now is your chance to shape society to make it better for all young people. Although your focus is on young people, as leader, it is your responsibility to make fair decisions that will enhance the health, welfare and survival of all citizens. For this assignment your task is to think creatively about positive changes that could improve society. Remember that decisions have consequences. You should also imagine the possible negative consequences of any changes that you make.
Inquiry Topics:
Many young people have a bad attitude about school. Survey your peers to discover their likes and dislikes about school. Use this information to design a better school that all students will be happy to attend. What subjects would be taught in your school system? What parts of school would you eliminate?
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms outlines rights which are available to adult Canadians. Young people often have their rights restricted since parents are allowed to make many decisions on behalf of their children. Think about what might be included if you designed a charter of rights and freedoms for young people. Think about what young people should always be allowed to do (rights) and never be forced to do (freedoms).
Poorly designed cities cause many problems including traffic, pollution and crime. Think about how you might design the perfect modern city. Think about what parts of a city are needed to keep citizens happy and safe.
It’s your first day in office and the citizens of Canada are eager to hear more about your plans. Think about a list of ways to improve our society that you would talk about in your first throne speech.
Democracy isn’t always perfect. Think about ancient systems of government and modern systems of government used in other parts of the world. Make a list of pros and cons for each system. What might happen in your government if you chose to use one of these systems.
A country has laws to make sure that its citizens are healthy, happy and safe. Think about which laws are most important for our society. Create your own list of important laws. Are there any current laws that you would get rid of?
Natural resources are used to produce food, goods and energy. Unfortunately, the use of natural resources is not always great for the environment. Learn about what natural resources are available in Canada and which resources we trade with other countries. Think about how you could balance protecting the environment with producing the resources needed to provide for your citizens.
Part 3: Surviving the Future
Link to student assignment with reference to BC curriculum "big ideas".
Scenario:
It is many years in the future and unfortunately, planet earth is in rough shape. Natural resources on earth have been mostly used up and the air, water and soil are very polluted. There is only one hope! An earth like planet has been found but it is very far away. Technology and resources are available so send sixty settlers on a ten year, one way trip to this new planet in a state of the art spaceship. You are the manager in charge of this project. For this assignment, your task is to think creatively about who and what to bring on this mission and how to plan for a better future on your new planet.
Inquiry Topics:
Cloning technology now allows you to bring back people from the past. Think about some famous leaders from history who would be able to help with your mission. Who would you bring and why?
The capacity of your spaceship is sixty people. How will these sixty people be chosen? Think about what skills your passengers would need to have. What professions would you need to bring along? What kind of personality traits would you look for in your passengers? How would you make sure that a variety of cultures is represented on your new planet?
An important consideration is making sure that your passengers survive the trip. Learn about the basic survival requirements for humans. Do the math to find out how much food, water and oxygen need to be brought and how much it might weigh. Design an exercise routine that your passenger can do to keep fit in a small amount of space.
If you had to spend 10 years on a spaceship you might get really bored. Design a ship that will keep your passengers happy, safe and healthy.
Can we make it to a distant planet. Learn about the current limitations for space travel and think about how to solve the problems presented by long term space flight.
Your new home planet might not be exactly like earth. Describe some of the survival challenges on your new planet and think about ways that humans might evolve and adapt to this new environment.
You are leaving earth, never to return. What are some of the most important cultural artifacts to share with future generations of humans. Make a list of songs, movies, books, TV shows and pieces of art that you would bring along. Think about what makes these things important or culturally significant.
Your new planet has very little gravity compared to earth meaning you can float around almost weightlessly. What are some factors you will need to consider when designing your new communities. Think about how buildings, structures and cities are influenced by gravity.