PYP INQUIRY UNITS
Samples:
How the World Works
How we Express Ourselves
How we Organize Ourselves
Sharing the Planet
Where we are in Place and Time
Who we are
LEARNING in Year 4
During our first inquiry in the year we investigate how communities and cultures differ across the world. Students gain a better understanding of how important it is to appreciate the similarities between different cultural groups living in Australia. We also appreciate the benefits that different groups have contributed to our lives such as the variety of foods we have available to us. We have a “cultural lunch” where students share a meal consisting of foods relevant to their cultural backgrounds.
To further our understanding, we host a number of guest speakers who explain celebrations from their cultural backgrounds - such as Indian, Aboriginal and Albanian. We hear about wedding ceremonies, the importance of “country” and how to entertain guests. The speakers explain the significance of artefacts or objects relevant to their culture and students enjoy making some music or sharing sweets as a result.
Students talk about their own artefacts in class and explain how these relate to their cultural background. These activities certainly give students a better appreciation of the cultural diversity of the school.
Harmony Day Celebration
Harmony Day is a day where people have an opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity and the richness that a multicultural society provides. Our Year 4 students create activities such as chatterboxes, quizzes, movies and guessing games to expose other classes throughout the school to these cultural experiences.
EXCURSION | Werribee Open Range Zoo
Werribee Zoo provides an excellent opportunity for our Year 4 students to add to their knowledge of ecosystems and human impacts as part of their inquiry unit. The safari is a highlight, getting up close and personal with a number of African animals such as giraffes, zebras, eland and rhinoceros.
During the zoo education session, students discover more information about meerkats. Some students might even get a chance to feed them worms so they can all watch meerkat behaviour. In addition, students examine the skulls of several different animals and discuss the features of the animal that helped them to be an effective predator. They also learn that populations of cheetah and zebra were reduced by human impact and that local Africans were able to help save these animals by making and selling beads and jewelry instead of grazing goats and cows.
EXCURSION | Scienceworks
Our inquiry under the Transdisciplinary Theme ‘How We Organise Ourselves’, investigates the idea that digital technology impacts the world of work and leisure.
Previously one of the school’s parents gave up some of her time to talk to us about her work producing eBooks. She explained that the authors, photographers, designers and other staff associated with producing these books, all live in different countries so they rely on digital technology to do their work. Without it, they would have to print books like people did in the past. It would take a lot longer to make a book and wouldn’t be as profitable for the company either.
To investigate digital technology further, we spend a great day at Scienceworks. Previously the Think Ahead exhibition helped us to discover how things have changed in areas such as health, music, food, money, communication and daily life. Did you know that sound vibrations can hold an object in mid-air (levitation)? Also, surgeons use robotics to perform operations on people.
We visit the pumping station, which was used to pump all of Melbourne’s sewerage up until the 1960’s. Quite a number of staff had jobs to shovel coal, clean the filters and maintain the engines that did the pumping. Now, the new pumping station in Brooklyn is operated by one person, who controls the pumps using a computer, thanks to advances in technology.
EXCURSION | Polly Woodside and Captain Cook's Cottage
Our inquiry investigates the central idea, ‘Exploration leads to discoveries, opportunities, change and new understandings’ starts with an excursion to the Polly Woodside followed by a visit to Captain Cook's Cottage. At Polly Woodside, our Year 4’s experience a range of hands on activities that provide them with knowledge about ocean travel in the 1800’s.
Some students previously commented that their favourite activity was scrubbing the deck, which involved lots of elbow grease, water and shouting. At Captain Cook's Cottage the students will notice the comparison between homes of that period compared to now. They will be very aware that all of our modern appliances are absent and that the conditions were quite cramped.
CAMP | Anglesea or Mt Evelyn
Students may get to experience activities such as: skateboarding, climbing, orienteering and eco-adventures at the beach to name a few. We encourage them to develop their teamwork skills and cooperate with each other to complete tasks.