Our PYP Units of Inquiry

Our School

The Environment

Imagination

Families

Growing Things

Using Our Senses

What does inquiry look like?

Inquiry, interpreted in the broadest

sense, is the process initiated by the

students or the teacher that moves

the students from their current level

of understanding to a new and

deeper level of understanding.

This can mean:

• exploring, wondering and questioning• experimenting and playing with possibilities• making connections between previous

learning and current learning• making predictions and experimenting to see

what happens• collecting data and reporting findings• clarifying existing ideas • making and testing theories• taking and defending a position• solving problems in a variety of ways

Inquiry in Y1

Inquiry involves the synthesis, analysis and

manipulation of knowledge through play for

early childhood students.

In particular, the teachers of the younger students need to be mindful of the role of the

learning environment when presenting

provocations to the students, for them to

wonder at, and be curious about, and to stimulate purposeful play.

Forest School!

This year, students in Year 1 will regularly visit an

„outdoor classroom‟ area in the local forests, to extend our inquiry studies in literacy, maths,

physical education, and PYP units. Our units

about the natural environment, imagination,

growing things, and our senses all benefit from increased interaction with the natural world

outdoors.

Forest School Overview In general, we will walk to the woods and hold

lessons at a „home base‟ for a period of an hour and a half, every other week, allowing for fewer visits during swimming and ice skating.

We will have three adults per class for each visit, including one parent volunteer per visit.

There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. Barring high winds in winter, we will go to the forest on scheduled days, rain or shine.

Maths By the end of Year 1, students should be able to…

Count by rote and count objects to 100

Recognise and write numbers to 100

Use 2- and 3- dimensional shapes to create pictures and constructions

Recognize and extend 3-part patterns

Understand and construct simple addition and subtraction stories

Understand place value with 10‟s and 1‟s

Estimate amounts strategically

Tell time to the hour

Measure using standard and non-standard units

Complete pencil and paper addition and subtraction problems up to sums of 10

Skip-count by 10‟s to 100, by 5‟s to 50, and by 2‟s to 20

LiteracyYearlong literacy development includes…

Self-selected independent reading and shared reading with a buddy

Shared reading with whole-class Big Books, songs and poetry

Reading and listening to audio books

Guided reading with multiple copies of texts in small groups

Reading with year 5 buddies

Writing workshop with genres including personal narrative, poetry, instructional non-fiction and news

Practicing writing conventions such as capitalization, full stops, question marks and exclamation points

Handwriting

Written and manipulative-based phonics instruction in CVC words, long vowels, blends, and rhyming

Developing meaning-based reading strategies and comprehension skills

Listening to, understanding, and responding to read-aloud children‟s literature

YEAR 1 EQUIPMENT LIST 1 soft school backpack – not hard shell or wheelie bag

1 art portfolio (72 x 52 cm), labelled with name

To be kept in School:

2 erasers

1 pack of coloured pencils

1 pack of fine – tip markers

3 glue sticks

1 bottle of white glue, labelled with name

1 apron for painting, labelled with name

1 pair of indoor shoes

1 pair of gym shoes

1 pair each of trousers, underpants, socks, labelled with name

1 box of tissues

For sports:

1 School t-shirt and School shorts which can be purchased at the School Spirit Shop

For swimming:

1 swimming costume:

Boys: Tight fitting shorts or “S” NO baggy shorts!

Girls: One piece NO Bikinis.

1 towel

CLOTHING SHOULD BE CLEARLY LABELLED WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME

Also, students should bring their own healthy snacks to class each day!!!