College Gardens Elementary School Fourth Grade

How we express ourselves A Primary Years Programme Unit of Inquiry

Transdisciplinary Theme: How we express ourselves

An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

Learner Profile

Central Idea Geographic location inspires artistic

expression

• nature and its features

• natural environment impacts lifestyles

• the relationships between environments and culture

Lines of Inquiry

Transdisciplinary Skills

Research: - Interpreting data

Self-management: - Spatial awareness

Thinking: - Evaluation

Social: - Respecting others

Communication: - Presenting

Key Concepts

Form: What is it like? Causation: Why is it like it is? Connection: How is it connected to other things?

Attitudes

Appreciation Creativity

Thinkers We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Books for Knowledgeable • Voices of Ancient Egypt by Kay Winters

• Song Within My Heart By David Bouchard Action What can you do with your new learning? Can you do something to make a difference in the world? Be sure to share action with your class!

Books for Thinkers

• Leonardo and the Flying Boy by Laurence Anholt

• Elephants Can Paint Too! By Katya Arnold

Knowledgeable

We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

2

College Gardens Elementary School

Using the structure of literary and informational text facilitates and extends comprehension. - How does making connections among the characters, setting, plot, theme, and the overall structure of drama or poem

enhance understanding of the narrative text? - How does understanding the theme of literary text clarify the author’s message?

Collaborative discussions enhance understanding of oral and written text. - How does preparation for and participation in discussions contribute to the understanding of ideas?

Reading

Different purposes for writing require different skills. - How do writers choose words and use sensory details to convey specific thoughts, ideas, or experiences precisely?

The organization and development differ depending on the purpose and task. - How do writers change the way they develop ideas and organize writing for specific tasks, purposes, or audiences?

Writing

Math Flexible methods of computation involve understanding place value concepts and properties of operations. • How can knowledge of place value help with multiplication and division of multi-digit whole numbers There are relationships among the four operations. • What are the relationships among factors, products, and quotients? • How is multiplicative comparison different from additive comparison? • How can you model, represent, and interpret addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division situations? Relationships exist among larger and smaller measurement units within a system. • How are units of measure within one system related?

Nature inspires people to show appreciation for health and fitness. - How is nature used during fitness and sports? - How is nature represented through sports and fitness? - What are some relationships between throwing for distance and height?

Physical Education

Understanding musical elements is essential to enhance musicians’ skills. - How can a performer manipulate musical elements to communicate with the audience? - How do variations in expressive qualities enhance the performance of a song?

Music

Observation, memory, feelings, and imagination inspire artwork that communicates personal connections, values, and ideas. - How can artists express meaning and communicate ideas?

Art helps us to know and understand other people of the world. - What can we learn about other people by analyzing their art?

Art

Identifying relationships between literature and the real world help us to deepen our understanding of ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs, and values in ourselves and the world around us.

- How is Native American culture, especially its deep connection to nature, expressed in literature?

Media