Kay's Integrated Learning Plan

An Integrated Learning Plan on Water Crisis

Inquiry Question: What Can We Do?

Brief overview of the integrated learning plan:

My integrated learning plan is essentially based on an inquiry question: What can we do? (Please click on the link to view a short video clip from the YouTube that succintly summarises the rationale for the inquiry question). Essentially, this question will be used to develop a deep understanding of what constitutes to be waterwise citizens in times of the present water crisis issues locally and globally. This thematic integrated learning plan is formulated for Year 5 students and is predicated with the deliberate intention to extend their critical awareness of issues concerning water crisis and more importantly, their critical roles as responsible citizens to do something about it.

Rationale for choosing this topic:

Cascading waterfalls, cool relief scooped onto your face on a hot day, thirst-slaking spurts from a plastic bottle, blissful showers –

you know the pleasures of water!

(Harlan & Rivkin, 2000:161)

Indeed, water is something we all use and enjoy using it in our everyday lives. Water is not only essential for human beings but is also very important for all living things in our world. Yet many of us take water for granted. In times of rising problems of growing populations and prolonged droughts in many continents includingAustralia, we are constantly exposed to water crisis issues in our daily lives through the newspapers, radio, television, and particularly via the information-rich media, the Internet. Undeniably, having been born and bred in this scientific-techno cultural era, today’s children come to school with different experiences and understandings of the world around them. However, I think it pertinent for them to start viewing these issues and experiences at the next level and act responsibly towards making a difference for a better social future as well as for the survival of our planet.

With this perspective, the thematic unit plan has been developed using both Kath Murdoch’s integrated inquiry planning model and Wiggins & McTighe’s (2006) ‘Backwards by Design’ approach. Also, I have adapted Lockleys North Primary School’s Collaborative Planning Proforma to outline the integrated learning plan in detail and have incorporated the elements of the New South Wales Quality Teaching Framework to design the assessment tasks for this thematic unit.

Reference:

Harlan, J. & Rivkin, M. 2000 Science Experiences for the Early Childhood Years, Prentice Hall: USA, Chapter 8.

YouTube Video Clip - Source Link: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=BkNY78B2Jio

Murdoch, K. 1998 Classroom Connections: Strategies for Integrated Learning, Eleanor Curtain Publishing: Australia.

Wiggins, G. & MCTighe, J.,2005 Understanding By Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Detailed Outline of the Integrated Learning Plan:

There are four main stages with two of them subdivided into two smaller stages accompanied with an inquiry overview in this thematic unit plan and all are stored as separate public Google Docs. Please click on the respective links (overview/stages) to view the details as listed below:

Inquiry Overview	This document outlines what is the overarching inquiry question in the integrated learning plan. It also highlights the links to SACSA Key Learning Areas and the Essential Learnings. Details of appropriate year level, unit length and resources are included.
Stage 1	This document outlines what is worthy of understanding by identifying the desired results by: establishing the goals using the Key Ideas and Learning Outcomes in the SACSA Framework; and stating the enduring understandings, essential questions, knowledge (what students will know) and skills (what skills they will be able to do). The document also includes the links to the ISTE nets for students and the Statements of Learning in ICT.
Stage 2a	This document details the evidence that will be gathered to assess students’ deep understanding
Stage 2b	This document details the culminating assessment task designed for students including explicit quality criteria set in an assessment rubric. A self-assessment of the quality of the assessment task based on the New South Wales Quality Teaching Framework is also included.
Stage 3	This document describes the sequence of learning activities (using Kath Murdoch’s inquiry model) that will enable students to achieve the desired results outlined in the Inquiry Overview and Stage 1.
Stage 4a	This document details one lesson of the integrated learning plan that uses a Web 2.0 tool of YouTube – a video sharing website
Stage 4b	This document details one lesson of the integrated learning plan that uses a Learning Object from The Learning Federation Scootle.

Last Modified 11/25/08 8:50 AM