Inquiry+Unit

= Inquiry Circle: =


 * Tuning in and preparing to find out: **

Students will determine the charateristics of different types of communities and learn about what makes their community unique. Students will use newspapers and magazines images to create a collage of their community. Invite two guest speakers to talk about their roles in the community, for example a police officier or a librarian. Students can prepare questions before the meeting and write jounrals about what they have learnt today and what they would like to do for the community in the future.
 * Lesson 1**: //What is a community?//
 * Lesson 2**: //What roles do people play in the community?//

Finding out: **

Students, divided into four groups, go on an excursion in the local community with parent volunteers. Students will record the important features of the community which they have observed in different ways and share with each other. Ask students to do some researches about the history of the local community by asking their relatives, surfing on the internet or visiting local council officies. In class, share their findings. Invite a elderly speaker from the local community to talk about the changes that have happened over time. Discuss why the changes have happened.
 * Lesson 3**: An e//xcursion to discover our local community//
 * Lesson 5**: //How has the local community changed over time?//


 * Sorting out: **

Each group of students presents what they found in the excursion and build a map of the community to scale.
 * Lesson 4**: //What have I learnt about my local community?//


 * Making connections or taking action: **

Students will visit the local nursing home and present a slide showing what they have learnt about their community and what activities they have participated in. Ask questions to encourage the students to predict what changes could happen in the future. (Focusing on decade intervals.) Have the students write and do illustrations on coloured pieces of paper, to display them in a large class book. For any negative predictions, facilitate a discussion with the students about how they think they can avoid this happening.
 * Lesson 6**: //How can i contribute to my community?//
 * Lesson 7**: //What does the future hold for my community?//