Primary Years of Inquiry
2010-2011

Ages
10-11

(5^th)

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”

CENTRAL IDEA: People develop values and beliefs in a cultural context.

 AN INQUIRY INTO:

·  Economic Changes

·  Great Depression

·  World War II

“Movin’ On Up”

CENTRAL IDEA: Human immigration influences society.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·  Why people migrate

·  Impact of immigrants on society

·  Impact of society on immigrants

Exhibition: “We all need help sometimes!”
 

CENTRAL IDEA: To be determined by students

AN INQUIRY INTO:

* reflection of student ideas, feelings, and beliefs

*focus on the reflection and extension of student learning

* an exploration into students’ creative impact on the world.

“May the Force Be With You!”

CENTRAL IDEA: Motion and force constantly influence our world.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

· How forces are applied to objects

·    What happens when forces change

· The affect of balance on motion

CENTRAL IDEA:

AN INQUIRY INTO:

“What’s Goin’ On?”

CENTRAL IDEA: Technological innovations both expand our horizons and make our world smaller.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·  Innovations in medicine

·  Innovations in computer science

Innovations in communication

Ages
9-10

(4^th)

“Long, Long, Ago”

CENTRAL IDEA: Humans are compelled to explore and have constantly sought new ways of doing so.

 
AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    Origin Stories

·    Native American

·    Culture

·    Early Man

Exploration

“Westward Expansion”

CENTRAL IDEA: Migration and economic expansion impact society.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    the motives for exploration of the West

·    how patterns of migration and trade affected Native Americans

·    how the events of Westward Expansion affected the institution of slavery

“Expressions”

CENTRAL IDEA: People convey ideas in different ways.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    The diverse ways people express themselves

·    How the arts have been used throughout history

·    The use of literature for expression

“World of Weather”

CENTRAL IDEA: Weather changes can be predicted and measured.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    Weather patterns

·    Weather predictions

·    Interpreting weather data.

“Citizens Can”

CENTRAL IDEA: Citizens and their government have responsibilities to each other.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    What it means to be a citizen

·    How to be an effective citizen

Governmental responsibilities to citizens

“Ecosystems”

CENTRAL IDEA: Environments and their organisms are interdependent.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    How different environments of the world support different types of life

·    How life is affected by environment

·    How environments are affected by humans

Ages
8-9

(3^rd)

“And the Moral Is…”

 
CENTRAL IDEA: Traditions and customs, while being influence by culture and environment, are practiced worldwide.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    Social interactions

·    Manners

·    Etiquette

·    Traditions and values

·    Verbal and non verbal communication

“Rock On”

CENTRAL IDEA:

The Earth’s surface is constantly changing due to natural forces and these changes affect its inhabitants.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    Geography

·    Landforms

Natural Resources

“Poetry-O-Pedia”

 
CENTRAL IDEA:

Poetry helps people from all backgrounds share emotional experiences and insights throughout history.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    Cultural origins of poetry

·    types of poetry:  acrostic, haiku, diamante, cinquain, couplet, and free verse

·    elements of poetry: stanza, figurative language, rhyme scheme, and refrain

“Dream Room”

CENTRAL IDEA: Throughout the world people use mathematics to design and create different types of living spaces.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    Area and perimeter

·    Measurement

·    Architecture

·    Money and budgets

Interior Design

“Break These Chains”

 
CENTRAL IDEA: Classes in society affect the ways that people live and interact with one another.

AN INQUIRY INTO:

·    Classes within a society

·    Effects of classes within a society

·    Contributions of different classes to society

“United We Stand”

CENTRAL IDEA:  Conflicts and struggles within world communities can impact the organization of societies and their people.

·    Causes of conflict within a society

·    Positive and Negative effects of conflict on world communities

·    Methods of worldwide conflict/resolution