Weekend Work - 12th March

Study the final Central Idea and create lines of inquiry for the concepts:

Connection, Change, Perspective and Reflection 

We will discuss these and finalise them in class on Monday!

Central Ideas, 9th and 10th March

The students worked further on their Central Ideas, refining it based on the four key characteristics of it being Significant, Engaging, Relevant and Challenging. They also shared their Central Ideas with other groups and noted them down. Thus, the five Central Ideas were:

1.     Care to Share: Renewable resources can be used efficiently for a longer life for the planet and us.

2.     Global explorers: Our responsibility towards saving our resources can make a big difference now and in the future. 

3.     The Nine Planet Savers: Conserving finite resources can contribute to a clean and green future.

4.     Mother’s Children: Our responsibility towards/against rigorous deforestation for the protection of endangered species can help us make a difference in future.

5.     Dusk to Dawn: Finite resources need to be conserved for future generations.

A whole class discussion led by Ms. Monica and Mr. Abhimanyu had all the students trying to merge the different central ideas into one and after extensive discussion and rewording the following was unanimously chosen by the students as the final Central Idea which was:

“Conserving and using finite resources efficiently can contribute to a clean and green future.”

As a whole class, we brainstormed a few lines of inquiry as an example and the students were asked to individually come up with different lines of inquiry based on the eight key concepts, during their extended weekend.

Many ideas, one in focus, 7th and 8th March, 2011

As we moved on to the 3^rd and 4^th days of the Exhibition, the students gradually immersed themselves further into an academic understanding of the work ahead. The students discussed all the real life issues that they had listed, first in groups and then as a whole class to clearly identify the one strand which seemed most important to them from the description of ‘Sharing the Planet’. It was amazing and thrilling to see how the minds of all these students worked in rhythm as every group highlighted the struggle to share finite resources with people and other living beings, as the one that was most critical! 

The students planned the entire timeline to their Exhibition, with guidance from Ms. Shalini, going backwards and forwards, to accommodate the different stages of the work ahead! They also reflected on their prior knowledge of the Essential Elements and had a discussion to refresh themselves on the same. Soon it was time for them to learn about a Central Idea and considering their preferred strand come up with one that would sum up their concerns the best. This task was challenging to say the least as the students empathised with the work that teachers do, to come up with the whole school Programme of Inquiry.

An identity of our own, 4th March, 2011

 
The groups started bonding from Day 2, especially after the wonderful photo clicked by Mr. Jim, which is now our profile pic and after having discussed and come up the Essential Agreements! Having read through the Student Handbook, the students visually represented their understanding of the Exhibition in the form of charts, concept maps and flow charts. Then it was the time to tune them in into the transdisciplinary theme, ‘Sharing the Planet’, which is the only aspect of the Exhibition, apart from the final dates, that the teachers have decided! So, they were shown a series of newspaper headlines, art work and fashion wear created from recycled material, the video of The Earth Song by Michael Jackson and they were read out to the story ‘Dear Children of the Earth’, in which Mother Earth makes a plea to her children to protect and save her. The students were very easily able to figure out that the theme we were going to explore was ‘Sharing the Planet’. They carried home the challenging task of listing real life issues centred on the theme, after having a discussion with their parents. 

 The students also carved an identity of their own, by naming their groups based on the theme of ‘Sharing the Planet’. Thus, the five groups were:

1. Care to Share 

Teachers: Ms. Shalini and Ms. Mrinalini
Students: 

     i.        Amandeep

    ii.        Hamza

   iii.        Rahul N

   iv.        Deepanshu

    v.        Anirudh

   vi.        Gauri

  vii.        Rahul S

 viii.        Keshav

   ix.        Nandini

2. Mother’s Children

Teachers: Ms. Isha and Ms. Shipra

Students:

     i.        Kengo

    ii.        Yuvraj

   iii.        Bani

   iv.        Shaimay

    v.        Pallavi

   vi.        Sagar

  vii.        Khushi

 viii.        Kartik

   ix.        Aanchal

3. The Nine Planet Savers

Teachers: Mr. Abhimanyu and Mr. Jim

Students:

     i.        Smriti

    ii.        Belinda

   iii.        Raghav

   iv.        Varun

    v.        Anushka

   vi.        Bhav

  vii.        Anmol

 viii.        Karmistha

   ix.        Siddhant

4. Global Explorers

Teachers: Ms. Priti and Ms. Seema

Students:

     i.        Riya

    ii.        Davika

   iii.        Katyani

   iv.        Daksh

    v.        Shai

   vi.        Lakshya

  vii.        Swikriti

 viii.        Sahil B

5. Dusk to Dawn

Teachers: Ms. Monica and Ms. Manjula

Students:

     i.        Ayati

    ii.        Anshika

   iii.        Simran

   iv.        Rohin

    v.        Anisha

   vi.        Pragya

  vii.        Sahil P

 viii.        Yash

   ix.        Isha

A great beginning, 3rd March, 2011

We were able to begin work for the PYP Exhibition on Thursday, 3^rd March, 2011. This year the teachers had brought about some changes, after much reflection on the last 2 successful Exhibitions! Thus, the students had a handbook of their own which detailed the process of the Exhibition and what their and their teachers’ roles would be. It also described the 6 stages of the Exhibition that they needed to follow through. Moreover, we have more teachers involved, which is a great benefit for the students and an exciting learning experience for the teachers who are doing this for the first time. We have roped in officially the specialists for Art, Music, SEN and ESL and hope their presence will enrich the work further! Thus, student groups of 9 along with 2 mentor teachers will enable more one to one interaction and attention. We hope this journey is filled with learning which will enable the Grade 5 students in taking meaningful action!