This unit goes under the PYP transdisciplinary theme “How the World Works”.  This PYP theme is an inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

The PYP defines the themes to be worked upon, which are called transdisciplinary themes, but the school and teachers choose how this theme is going to be conveyed to the children. In K2 we will explore this theme using an inquiry into light, shadows and reflections. We will be doing a lot of hands on experiments using different sources of light to create shadows and using different materials to explore reflective surfaces.

The central idea of the unit is “Light creates shadows and can be reflected”.

We will be doing inquiry into: Sources of light, How to create and use shadows, How to change the direction of light, and Using reflection.

To promote inquiry I will have on our “unit of inquiry table” (by the classroom door) the following materials: flashlights (torches), candles, spot lights, mirrors, magnifying lenses, prisms, light bulbs and different materials to experiment with reflection. I will be asking the students questions to promote inquiry, and they will come up with their own questions. I have also planned lots of activities for them to encourage inquiry and investigation. For example: using flashlights and different objects to explore shadows, making shadow profiles, making shadow theater, using different materials to explore reflection, creating rainbows in different ways and many other activities.

The PYP transdisciplinary skills that we will focus on are: research and thinking skills. We will utilize the following research skills, which are: formulating questions, observing, planning, collecting data, recording data, organizing data, interpreting data and presenting research findings. Those are basically the steps of scientific investigation and of course this will be done at kindergarten level. The thinking skills will be applied throughout the process of investigation.

The attributes of the PYP learner profile that we will focus on are: inquirer, being an inquirer will generate the questions that will drive our inquiry and thinker in the sense that they will have to come up with their own ideas to carry out their experiments.

The PYP attitudes that we will focus on are curiosity, which drives the desire for investigation, and independence, because the students will carry on some of their experiments independently.

Math and Language Learning Goals

The following concepts are going to be investigated in K2 for the duration of the unit “Shadows and Reflections”.

The children will do hands on activities using concrete materials as well as reading and writing activities. Children will do different kinds of activities according to their level. That is called differentiation.

Some of the Language and Math activities are directly related to the unit of inquiry and others are stand alone.

LANGUAGE

Oral

Describe differences/similarities in shadows

Express opinion about characters of a story read aloud

Create poems using rhyming words

Suggest alternative endings to stories

Writing

Write conclusions about science experiments with light, shadows and reflection

Journal writing

Shared writing

Reflect about a story written

Reading

Read about reflection and wearing reflectors during winter

Individual reading

Guided Reading

Shared reading

Sight words

Word families

Understand setting (where the story takes place)

Introduced to common blends

Manipulating ending sounds

Visual

Look at shadows and identify which object it belongs

Answer questions (group discussion) about videos

MATH

Number

Trace and cut head shadow on black paper, then estimate how many cubes will fit on the shadow

Estimation up to 50 using manipulatives

Use base ten blocks to model numbers up to 100

Addition bonds within 5

Addition and Subtraction

Data Handling

Carroll diagram using shadows and colors of objects

Carroll Diagram using all kinds of manipulatives

Tally marks to count objects in the classroom (crayons, stuffed toys)

Pattern and Function

Making shadow patterns

Skip count by tens using 100 board, paper chain

Skip count by fives using hand prints

Measurement

Trace then measure the size of different shadows.